Teaching layers of the atmosphere? Our atmosphere is vital to life on this planet. It protects us from radiation, supplies us with oxygen, keeps us the right temperature, and the list goes on. When NASA searches for habitable exoplanets, one thing look for are planets with an atmosphere. The atmosphere
Hi, my name is Becca and I hate physics. I passed one semester of physics in college to get my biology degree and never looked back. But now that I’m teaching some astronomy, I have to understand some physics in order to teach the big bang theory and stars. Enter:
It’s the beginning of the school year and I’m always excited to re-decorate certain areas of my classroom! This year I’m teaching all earth and space science, and I wanted to add some astronomy decor. I also had a goal of the decor not just being “cute” but also meaningful.
During your astronomy unit, chances are you will have kids asking about meteorites. I mean…. if it wasn’t for an asteroid, chances are the dinosaurs would still be here and we wouldn’t. Large meteorites are hard to find, and expensive to buy. But microscopic meteorites are hitting Earth all the
The solar system is my favorite part of astronomy to teach. I enjoy getting past the big bang and stars portion of the unit, and discussing things closer to home. Since I teach high school, students generally already know some basics: the order of the planets, which ones are made
Gravity is such a fun topic to talk about with students. We experience it every day, and it impacts every aspect of our lives. It’s something we take for granted, and don’t think twice about. Let’s change that! I like discussing gravity at the beginning of my astronomy unit. We
Moon phases. Some students catch on right away, while others seem to NEVER get it. (Heck, sometimes I even second guess myself). You’ve tried worksheets, the flashlight and styrofoam ball demo, video clips, and it still isn’t sinking in. Here is something new you can try: make a moon phase poster
Looking for constellations is a fun activity for students of any age. But what many students may not understand is that even though the stars in a single constellation may look the same distance from earth, they can be hundreds of light years apart. Having them build a 3D model
