In 1610, Galileo made the first telescopic survey of the Milky Way and discovered that it is composed of a multitude of individual stars. Today, we know that the Milky Way comprises our view inward of the huge cosmic pinwheel that we call the Milky Way Galaxy and that is our home. Moreover, our Galaxy is now recognized as just one galaxy among many billions of other galaxies in the cosmos.---------------------------------------Distant Nature: Astronomy Exercises 2016 by Stephen Tuttle under license "Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike".

When we look at the night sky, we see stars and the nearby planets of our own solar system. Many of those stars are actually distant galaxies and glowing clouds of dust and gases called nebulae. The universe is an immense space with distances measured in light years. The more we learn about the universe beyond our solar system, the more we realize we do not know. Students are introduced to the basic known facts about the universe, and how engineers help us explore the many mysteries of space.

What is a black hole? How is it formed? And where are they?

In this video, learn from Space Science specialist Douglas Equils about one of the most massive and mysterious things in our universe, black holes.

This lesson is about the solar system and its objects, such as planets, moons, asteroids, and comets, it is revolving around the place where each celestial body resides. It engages students in exploring, researching, modeling, and discussing these objects and their characteristics, as well as the factors that make Earth habitable and the importance of space exploration. The lesson has four main parts: an introduction, where students are hooked by a hidden moon rock and learn about the lesson’s objectives and agenda; an exploration, where students work in groups to research various solar system objects using classroom resources and the NASA Solar System Exploration website, formulating questions about the solar system; an activity, where groups create models to represent Earth under different solar system conditions, based on “what if” questions, and present their findings; and a discussion, where a class discussion follows, focusing on the habitability factors of planets and the importance of space exploration. The lesson ends with students writing and peer-reviewing reflections on what they have learned.

Our Solar SystemThis is a YouTube video/link of a unit I created using Canva. The video is a read aloud of Pluto and the Planets. There are 5 student led activities at the end with ways to assess each activty. Essential questions are included in addition to possible student questions, and teacher inquiry questions. Also, there are additional texts that can be incorporated into the lessons as well. 

During the activity, students build a model of the Milky Way and understand the objects contained in the Milky Way. They also get an idea about the distances between these objects.