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Discovering Plate Boundaries (Teacher's Guide Part II: Tour of the Maps)
Grade Level: 5-8, 9-12
Body: Earth
Short Description: This data-rich exercise to help students discover the processes that occur at plate tectonic boundaries is built around four global data maps: 1) Earthquake location and depth, 2) Location of recent volcanic activity, 3) Seafloor Age, and 4) Topography and Bathymetry. Alternative versions of the activity can concentrate on examining just the volcanic data and comparing the locations of volcanoes composed primarily of basalt to those of andesite and rhyolite, relative to plate boundaries. (To access all of the materials for this activity, please visit the Discovering Plate Boundaries website.)
Does the Moon Rotate?
Topic: Modeling Solar System Objects
Grade Level: 9-12
Body: Sun, Earth, Earth's Moon
Short Description: Students make a three-dimensional model of the Earth and Moon. Using the sun's light, they discover that the Moon does rotate in the same amount of time it takes to make one orbit.
DPS Slide Set: A Sunlit Lake on Titan
Grade Level: 9-12
Body: Saturn
Mission: Cassini (Saturn)
Short Description: This four-slide Powerpoint by the Division of Planetary Science includes basic information for college-level introductory courses.
DPS Slide Set: Another Impact on Jupiter
Grade Level: 9-12
Body: Jupiter
Short Description: This four-slide powerpoint by the Division of Planetary Science includes basic information for college-level introductory courses.
DPS Slide Set: Asteroid Detected Before Impact
Grade Level: 9-12
Body: Asteroids
Short Description: This four-slide powerpoint by the Division of Planetary Science includes basic information for college-level introductory courses.
Dunking the Planets
Topic: Modeling Solar System Objects
Grade Level: K-4
Body: Our Solar System
Short Description: In this 30-minute demonstration, children ages 9-13 compare the relative sizes and masses of scale models of the planets as represented by fruits and other foods. The children dunk the "planets" in water to highlight the fact that even a large, massive planet -- such as Saturn -- can have low density. They discuss how a planet's density is related to whether it is mainly made up of rock or gas.
Dwarf Planets as a New Way of Thinking About an Old Solar System
Grade Level: 5-8
Body: Our Solar System, Asteroids, Kuiper Belt & Oort Cloud
Mission: Dawn (Dwarf Planets)
Short Description: This middle school activity utilizes a researched-based instructional strategy called direct vocabulary instruction to help students understand the new definitions of planet and dwarf planet.
Earth, Earth's Moon, Mars Balloons
Topic: Modeling Solar System Objects
Grade Level: K-4, 5-8
Body: Earth, Mars, Earth's Moon
Short Description: Curiosity about our place in space and whether we can travel to distant worlds beyond our own depends upon understanding the size, distance and other characteristics of moons and planets in our solar system. For this activity, students will construct a balloon scale model to understand the relative sizes of the Earth, Earth's Moon and Mars in relation to each other and their relative distance to each other at this scale. They will use this model to predict distances and reflect on how scientists use models to construct explanations through the scientific process. In this collection, this activity introduces the concept of models, which will be built upon in subsequent lessons, as well as the first set of Earth/Mars comparisons.
Earth-Moon Activity
Topic: Modeling Solar System Objects
Grade Level: 5-8
Body: Earth, Earth's Moon
Short Description: Students work in pairs using different-sized spherical objects to represent Earth and the Moon. They use the diameter of the objects to establish this scale.
Eclipsing the Sun
Topic: Modeling Solar System Objects
Body: Sun
Short Description: Use this physical model to demonstrate how an eclipse occurs.
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