Seasons part of Starting Point-Teaching Entry Level Geoscience:Interactive Lecture Demonstrations:Examples
David Steer, University of Akron Main Campus; , University of Akron Main Campus
While working in groups to facilitate peer tutoring, students manipulate a hands-on, physical model to better comprehend the Earth's position in space, the Earth's rotation axis and seasons. -

Discovering New Worlds part of Teaching Activities
Dora Kastel, New Visions for Public Schools
This resource is a set of student and teacher materials for a new NGSS-driven Earth & Space Science (ESS) unit (4-6 weeks of instruction). The anchor phenomenon students are exploring through modeling and data ...

Using an Observatory Project to Develop Professional Communication in Astronomy part of Pedagogy in Action:Library:Professional Communications Projects:Examples
Dr. Robert Hynes, Assistant Professor, Physics & Astronomy, Louisiana State University
This is a comprehensive project using the Highland Road Park Observatory camera. This project encompasses the formal portions for both written and spoken communication, and carries 55% of the course credit.

Sun Spot Analysis part of Starting Point-Teaching Entry Level Geoscience:Teaching with Data:Examples
Bob Mackay, Clark College; Mike Clark, Carleton College
Introductory students use Excel to graph monthly mean Greenwich sunspot numbers from 1749 to 2004 and perform a spectral analysis of the data using the free software program "Spectra". -

Various Group Activities Using Learning Assistants part of Pedagogy in Action:Library:Teaching with Learning Assistants:Examples
Stephanie Chasteen, University of Colorado at Boulder
Undergraduate Learning Assistants have been used to facilitate group work in a variety of ways, such as in-lecture tutorials and worksheets, group work in required recitations, and group work in optional ...

Visualizing Sun Position of the Seasons part of Visualization:Examples
Chris Sinton, Ithaca College
The goal of the exercise is to help students visualize and better understand how the sun changes apparent position over the course of the seasons.

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."

Exploring the Solar System, the Galaxies, and the Universe with the Hubble Space Telescope part of Teacher Preparation:Resource Collections:Activities
Rebecca Dodge, Midwestern State University
The Hubble Telescope site (http://hubblesite.org) contains numerous teaching tools including videos, news articles about the solar system and the Universe, and games that introduce and reinforce astronomy and space science content and concepts. Teachers can design activities for multiple grade levels using the site as a foundation.

Sun Path: Interactive On-line Mac or PC part of Starting Point-Teaching Entry Level Geoscience:Mathematical and Statistical Models:Mathematical and Statistical Models Examples
Sun Path JAVA applet written by the Australia National University. Starting Point example and page by R.M. MacKay.
Students use SunPath in the yearly mode to investigate seasonal changes in sunrise, sunset, length of day and sun altitude at their own latitude. JAVA activity for Mac or PC. -

Order It Up! part of Starting Point-Teaching Entry Level Geoscience:Interactive Lectures:Examples
Rebecca Teed, Wright State University-Main Campus
A think-pair-share activity which involves putting solar system bodies in order based on various statistics: escape velocity, distance from the sun, mass, etc. -