Asteroid Activities
The lessons below are teacher-favorite lessons focused on asteroids. For more search options or to search by other science target, missions and other criteria, visit our Fast Lesson Finder. You can also search by curriculum standards on our popular Curriculum Standards Quilts.
Asteroids Lessons:
The Aster's Hoity Toity Belt (Educator Activities (PDF))
Grade Level: K-4
Body: Asteroids
Mission: Dawn (Dwarf Planets)
Short Description: "The Aster's Hoity-Toity Belt," a compelling tale set in the Great Carousel of the Skies, tells of two friends, the gentle giant Ceres and feisty Vesta, as they find their place in the skyberhood. In addition to a supplemental activity, the Aster's story is available as a booklet handout, a story with space for imaginative illustrations and a version with learning notations.
The Aster's Hoity Toity Belt (Illustrator's Version (PDF))
Grade Level: K-4
Body: Asteroids
Mission: Dawn (Dwarf Planets)
Short Description: "The Aster's Hoity-Toity Belt," a compelling tale set in the Great Carousel of the Skies, tells of two friends, the gentle giant Ceres and feisty Vesta, as they find their place in the skyberhood. In addition to a supplemental activity, the Aster's story is available as a booklet handout, a story with space for imaginative illustrations and a version with learning notations.
The Aster's Hoity Toity Belt (Main Page)
Grade Level: K-4
Body: Asteroids
Mission: Dawn (Dwarf Planets)
Short Description: "The Aster's Hoity-Toity Belt," a compelling tale set in the Great Carousel of the Skies, tells of two friends, the gentle giant Ceres and feisty Vesta, as they find their place in the skyberhood. In addition to a supplemental activity, the Aster's story is available as a booklet handout, a story with space for imaginative illustrations and a version with learning notations.
The History and Discovery of Asteroids
Grade Level: 5-8
Body: Asteroids
Mission: Dawn (Dwarf Planets)
Short Description: Learners will explore scientific discoveries and the technologies as a sequence of events that led eventually to the Dawn mission. This is a series of modules which incorporate strong literacy and mathematics components.
Through the Eyes of Scientists: Around and Around - Everything is Moving
Grade Level: K-4
Body: Our Solar System, Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Asteroids, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Comets, Kuiper Belt & Oort Cloud, Earth's Moon
Mission: Voyager 1 (Our Solar System), Voyager 2 (Our Solar System)
Short Description: Learning about the ever-moving objects in our solar system through the eyes of Scientist-Adventurer, Dr. Edward Stone. This lesson is part of the Through the Eyes of Scientists formal education product.
Through the Eyes of Scientists: Moons - Many, Many Moons!
Grade Level: K-4
Body: Our Solar System, Earth, Mars, Asteroids, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Kuiper Belt & Oort Cloud, Earth's Moon
Mission: Cassini (Saturn), Galileo (Jupiter), GRAIL (Earth's Moon), Lunar Recon Orbiter (Earth's Moon)
Short Description: Learning about moons of the solar system through the eyes of Scientist-Moon Master, Dr. Bonnie Buratti.This lesson is part of the Through the Eyes of Scientists formal education product.
Through the Eyes of Scientists: Space Can Be a Chilly Place - Ice Is Nice!
Grade Level: K-4
Body: Our Solar System, Mercury, Earth, Mars, Asteroids, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Comets, Kuiper Belt & Oort Cloud, Earth's Moon
Mission: Cassini (Saturn)
Short Description: Learning about ice in the solar system through the eyes of Scientist-Arctic Space Explorer, Mr. Ben Holt. This lesson is part of the Through the Eyes of Scientists formal education product.
Through the Eyes of Scientists: What is a Planet?
Grade Level: K-4
Body: Our Solar System, Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Asteroids, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Comets, Kuiper Belt & Oort Cloud, Earth's Moon
Short Description: Learning about the Sun and the planets as a "treasure map" through the eyes of Scientist-Treasure Hunter, Dr. Phil Chamberlin.
Vegetable Light Curves (Assembly Instructions)
Topic: Modeling Solar System Objects
Grade Level: 9-12
Body: Asteroids
Mission: Dawn (Dwarf Planets)
Short Description: In the activity, "Vegetable Light Curves," students will observe the surface of rotating potatoes to help them understand how astronomers can sometimes determine the shape of asteroids from variations in reflective brightness.
Vegetable Light Curves (Main Portal)
Grade Level: 9-12
Body: Asteroids
Mission: Dawn (Dwarf Planets)
Short Description: In the activity, "Vegetable Light Curves," students will observe the surface of rotating potatoes to help them understand how astronomers can sometimes determine the shape of asteroids from variations in reflective brightness.
