This is the second in a series of three professional development videos that correspond to lessons taught by Andrew Cloud, an Earth and planetary sciences teacher, with a class of 9th and 10th grade students. In this lesson, Andrew asks students to... (View More) participate in an activity that illustrates the phases of the Moon. He asks one student to represent the Earth and another student, the Moon. The student representing the Moon makes one complete rotation or one full spin on their axis while standing in one spot. Andrew guides students to see that the Moon makes a full rotation in the same amount of time it takes to revolve around the Earth one time. The demonstration is followed up by a hands-on lab where students draw the placement of the moon in revolution and rotation. Includes teaching tips and discussion questions. (View Less)

This is the first in a series of three professional development videos that correspond to lessons taught by Andrew Cloud, an Earth and planetary sciences teacher, with a class of 9th and 10th grade students. In this lesson, he uses a NASA video to... (View More) introduce the origins of the Moon. He then brings the Common Core State Standards into his science classroom by asking students to read an informational text about the origin of the moon and to write down the main idea of each paragraph. Includes teaching tips and discussion questions. (View Less)

This collection of 160 math problems covers the 20 science topic themes presented by the NASA/JPL Year of the Solar System (YOSS) website, covering the solar system, planets, the search for life, and robotics. Examples of topics included are: scale... (View More) of the solar system; asteroids; comets; moons and rings; volcanism in the solar system; ice in the solar system; water in the solar system; the Sun, transits and eclipses; astrobiology; magnetosphers and more. It is intended as a mathematics supplement for the science content presented at the YOSS website, and features grade-appropriate and Common Core State Standards-based math problems based on science content for grades 3-12. (View Less)

This is the third in a series of three professional development videos that correspond to lessons taught by Andrew Cloud, an Earth and planetary sciences teacher, with a class of 9th and 10th grade students. In this lesson, Andrew introduces the... (View More) concept of eclipses. He asks for student volunteers to represent the Sun (holding a flashlight), the Earth, and the Moon. He then asks the class to think about the order in which the volunteers should be assembled to create the conditions for a lunar eclipse to occur. The demonstration was reinforced by the use of the "Lunar Eclipse Essentials" video. In a final activity, students drew diagrams to illustrate a Lunar Eclipse and a Solar Eclipse. Includes teaching tips and discussion questions. (View Less)