Our Beautiful Planet

Page | March 2021

Our Beautiful Planet

How Do Planets Orbit the Sun?

Book Chapter | March 2012

The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about representations of the solar system. The probe is designed to reveal students’ ideas about the overall shape of the solar system and the planets…

Taking the Pulse of Our Planet With Nature’s Notebook

Journal Article | October 2021

Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth

Journal Article | November 2022

Using Big Data to Understand the History of Planet Earth

Journal Article | June 2021

Take a Planet Walk

Journal Article | September 2008

Physical models in the classroom “cannot be expected to represent the full-scale phenomenon with complete accuracy, not even in the limited set of characteristics being studied” (AAAS 1990). Therefore, by modifying a…

Our Growing Planet

Journal Article | May 2001

Children are naturally curious and passionate about taking care of the world around them. To capitalize on these interests, the unit described in this article was the result of a schoolwide theme entitled People and the…

Scope on the Skies: Dance of the planets

Journal Article | November 2005

This article highlights the movements of the planets during the months of November and December. It includes a set of observation-based questions for students, and the dates to observe the various phases of the moon.…

Scope on the Skies: Planets on the Move

Journal Article | May 1999

This column focuses on astronomy throughout the year. In this month’s issue read about the orbital paths of the planets.

Scope on the Skies: Peeking at the planets

Journal Article | January 2002

This column focuses on astronomy throughout the year. In this month’s issue learn more about the exciting things happening in our solar system.

Explorations of Our Frozen Planet

Journal Article | December 2012

Learn more about the cryosphere and the consequences of global warming.

Scope on the Skies: Planets in motion

Journal Article | September 2005

September is a great month to watch Venus, Jupiter, and Mars in action. These planets will be visible as they move across the sky, and can be viewed with the naked eye. Take this opportunity to plot planetary motion…

Science Sampler: Name that Planet!

Journal Article | April 2002

Wanted: Scientists interested in living in space. These words are the motivation behind this interdisciplinary Earth and space science mini-unit.

Scope on the Skies: Between the planets

Journal Article | September 2007

This year, Scope on the Skies will highlight members of our solar system, featuring current information about these objects and exploration missions to them. We will begin with an area of the solar system that could…

Science Sampler: NASA’s Dawn mission—Helping define planets, dwarf planets, and asteroids

Journal Article | July 2007

The decision by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 2006 to redefine the term planet has caught the attention of the public and students from grade school to graduate school. The IAU’s decision has not…