Astronomy and Space

By Alan Haskvitz

National Teachers Hall of Fame

These sites are designed to help students become interested in astronomy and space and get them involved starting with studying the stars on their own birthdays and homes. Lots of good lessons and enough here to offer advanced students more depth.

For many more free resources go to

http://www.reacheverychild.com

Space and flight lessons and links

http://www.reacheverychild.com/feature/wright_bros.html

Space lessons and units on the solar system

http://www.reacheverychild.com/feature/shuttle.html

Huge selection of astronomy links

http://sciencespot.net/Pages/classastrolsn.html

Astronomy for Kids

www.dustbunny.com/afk

Astronomy links

http://www.theschoolpage.com/astro.htm

Find the sky above you anywhere on earth and much more. Great fun.

www.fourmilab.ch/solar

Solar System Simulator

Order a simulated photograph of the Sun and planets as seen from any

vantage point.  The reader can choose any time in 5 minute

intervals from 1600 to 2399. 

http://space.jpl.nasa.gov/

Lessons and good links

http://www.synapses.co.uk/astro/index.html

Online Astronomy
Easy to understand with good images.

http://darkskyinstitute.org/astronomy.html

Classical constellations and myths

www.cosmopolis.com/star-myths

Simple lesson plans and links

http://school.discovery.com/lessonplans/astronomy.html

Space and astronomy lesson plans

http://www.teach-nology.com/teachers/lesson_plans/science/astronomy/

NASA’s Ask an Astrophysicist site

http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/ask_astro/ask_an_astronomer.html

Solar system lessons

http://www.spacegrant.hawaii.edu/class_acts/index.html

Worksheets and more

http://rip.physics.unk.edu/Astronomy/

Science vocabulary hangman

Fun for younger students

http://education.jlab.org/vocabhangman/

Science link site

http://sciencepage.org/lessons.htm

Kids’ Astronomy lessons

Free worksheets

http://www.kidsastronomy.com/teachers_corner.htm

Links to physics and astronomy lessons by grade level

http://www.physics.rutgers.edu/hex_old/visit/lesson/lesson_index.html

Extremely vibrant looking site with astronomy lessons

Includes history of telescopes

http://amazing-space.stsci.edu/resources/explorations/

Science link site

http://www.ceismc.gatech.edu/busyt/astro_l.shtml

Teacher developed lesson plans

http://cse.ssl.berkeley.edu/lessons/lessons_teacherdeveloped.html

Excellent astronomy sites for all levels

You need to search as there are some dead links, but the diversity of material is very good.

http://www.astrosociety.org/education/activities/astroacts.html

Astronomy link site from About

Lots of advertisements and a mixed bag of quality, but a lot of variety

http://space.about.com/od/educationastronomyspace/Astronomy_Education_Space_Education_Resources_Lesson_Plans.htm

Astronomy, mythology, and music

A very complex and complete unit of study for elementary students

http://www.coreknowledge.org/CK/resrcs/lessons/05_Conn3_AstronMus.pdf

How to set up science labs in many subject areas

http://chem.lapeer.org/

Integrated Activities

Some poems about astronomy

http://www.readwritethink.org/lesson_images/lesson417/booklist3.pdf

Art and Space

Nice collection of links on how artists capture the heavens.

http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/content/2366/

Family astronomy activities

Checking out the night sky. Great homework assignment to involve parents.

http://fun.familyeducation.com/astronomy/childrens-science-activities/32950.html

Pluto Express Home Page

www.jpl.nasa.gov/pluto/

This is full of great information of resources for teachers. Excellent.

Look into astronomy and others far out things.

http://space.rice.edu

http://spaceupdate.com

Building a Telescope

How to build a telescope

http://www.funsci.com/fun3_en/tele/tele.htm

Building a simple telescope

http://science.howstuffworks.com/question568.htm

NASA lesson on building telescopes

http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/informal/features/F_Build_a_Telescope.html

Careers

Astronomy as a career links

http://www.schoolsobservatory.org.uk/astro/career/

http://www.aas.org/education/careers.html

Women in space and astronomy careers

http://spider.ipac.caltech.edu/staff/rebull/womensci.html

National Association of Space Simulating Educators

www.us.edu/nasse

Observatory

Astronomical Society of the Pacific

http://www.astrosociety.org/

David Dunlap Observatory

Database of stellar information

http://ddo.astro.utoronto.ca

National Space Society

www.nss.org

Mount Wilson Observatory

General information

www.mtwilson.edu

National Optical Astronomy Observation

www.noao.edu/noao.html

Naval Research Laboratory

www.nrl.navy.mil/clementine/clib

Royal Greenwich Observatory

www.ast.cam.ac.uk/RGO

NASA’s Observatorium
http://observe.arc.nasa.gov/nasa/core.shtml.html

Other sites

SETI Institute

Looking for aliens?

www.seti-inst.edu

Sky On Line

www.skypub.com



Rocket and Space Technology


http://www.astronautix.com/spaceflt.htm


 


Encyclopedia Astronautica


http://www.astronautix.com/


Center for Science Education


http://planetquest.jpl.nasa.gov/


Planet Quest


http://www.seds.org/billa/tnp/


Nine Planets


http://www.spacegrant.hawaii.edu/class_acts/


Center for Educational Resources


Library of online and interactive K-12 science materials for teaching astronomy. 


http://btc.montana.edu/ceres


Asteroid Hits Earth


What a site, literally. See what NASA thinks about this issue.


http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/solarsystem/asteroid_2030_001103.html


What was the moon like on?


Just plug in the date to get a virtual photo


http://tycho.usno.navy.mil/vphase.html


Satellite tracking sites


SATELLITES ON PARADE


http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/realtime/jtrack/3d/JTrack3D.html


http://www.astronomydaily.com/