Investigating Ordering Planets: Math Connections and Number Sense in Science part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
Anne E. Flynn St. Charles Borromeo School St. Anthony Village Minnesota Based on an original activity from "Science" by Harcourt School Publishers 2006, 'What Is the Solar System?'p.353
This set of activities is designed to help students develop an understanding of scale/distance and ordering the planets from the sun, understanding Earth's position in the solar system, and developing new ways of determining "order."

Classroom Phenology: Using the Environment as a Source of Data and Observations part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
Carrie Otis Minnesota Internship Center English Language Academy Minneapolis, Minnesota
This activity is a classroom and schoolyard investigation where students collect daily temperature and precipitation readings, weather observations, and weekly phenology reports in a phenology binder and in nature journals. Students then analyze this data and compare to recorded values in the Weatherguide calendar.

Calculating the declination of the sun for elementary students part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
Claire Torrey
Students will observe the patterns of apparent motion of the sun using simple tools.

How high is BIG? - using an astrolabe part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
Don Fraser Oak Crest Elementary Belle Plaine MN (Based on an idea we did in the Earth Studies class)
Use an astrolabe to measure the height of objects, and see seasonal changes over time.

Famous Scientists part of MnSTEP Teaching Activity Collection:MnSTEP Activity Mini-collection
Pam Schilling, Sky Oaks Elementary School, Burnsville, Minnesota, information summarized from various Internet sites: wikipedia.org and other biographical sites
This lesson is a presentation of famous scientist throughout history where the students will learn and take notes about the contributions and discoveries made in science.

Economics of installing Solar PV panels: is it worth it to the individual? part of SISL:2012 Sustainability in Math Workshop:Activities
Martin Walter, University of Colorado at Boulder
We show that it is economical for an individual to install solar photovoltaic panels in Denver, Colorado; and this is a sustainable strategy for society at large.