Why does it get dark during a solar eclipse?

NASA Eclipse Safety:

https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/future-eclipses/eclipse-2024/safety/

Apollo 13 Views of the Moon

Useful Links to Learn about Planets

The Characteristics of the Eight Planets

Planet Facts for Kids

NASA: SpacePlace

Kids World Travel Guide: Solar System

Eyes on the Solar System: App from NASA

Our Universe: Dwarf Planets

Dwarf Planet Facts for Kids

The Moon and Its Phases

Watch the Moon and Its Phases (Video)

Moon and Its Phases Reading Passage

Do It Yourself Activity

Try out these exit tickets.

Level 1

Draw and label a gibbous moon, a quarter moon and a crescent moon using shading for darkness.

Level 2

Why does the moon appear the same size as the sun?

Level 3

If half of the moon is always lit, why do we see different phases? Explain with a diagram.

Sun and Other Stars

Sun and Other Stars Video

Read about the Sun and Stars

Do It Yourself Activity

Now try out these exit ticket questions.

Level 1

Why does our sun appear so much bigger and brighter than other stars?

Level 2

Why is the distance of a planet to the star it orbits very important?

Level 3

How does a star’s brightness change as it gets closer? How about as it gets bigger?

The Solar System

Check out these videos and links for bonus work on the Solar System.



Learn more about your planet below:
Kid's Astronomy
What Is a Planet?
Dwarf Planets
NASA planets
National Geographic

The Sun’s surprising movement across the sky

Astronomy -- The Sun

Read more about the sun on the following websites:
Astronomy for Kids
Nat Geo for Kids

Solar Eclipse -- August 2017

What is a solar eclipse?
What is an eclipse? - NASA
What's up? -- NASA
Eclipse -- Nat Geo
Astronomy for Kids Solar Eclipse
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Watching the eclipse:
How to safely view a solar eclipse.
Eclipse Live -- NASA
Exploratorium Live Stream
Eclipse -- CNN

Eclipse Post -- Solar vs Lunar

Read about solar and lunar eclipses.

Why Pluto Went from Planet to Dwarf Planet

Watch the video above for information about this fascinating topic.
Read more about your planet for your planet project.
Planets for Kids
Kid's Astronomy
Dwarf Planets: Space.com
Dwarf Planet Facts

More Summer Science -- Mars

The planet Mars has been in the news lately.  Check out this article about the Mars rover Opportunity from Sfgate.

Take a look at these NASA websites from more information about Mars:
Images of Mars from a rover.

NASA's Mars page.

Mars for kids (NASA).


Check out this NOVA video about Mars.

Voyager 1 reaches the edge of the Solar System

In the news recently, Voyager 1 has reached the edge of our solar system.  This journey began in 1977 (the year I was born).  I thought this made for very exciting summertime reading.  Check out the story in the New York Times.
Here is the story in National Geographic.

Learn more from NASA:
Voyager - NASA
Voyager Mission -- NASA

Dueling Planet Songs -- Vote for your favorite. -- (Quiz coming soon.)

Don't forget you will have a quiz on the planets soon. Do you know them in order? Can you spell them?

NOVA -- Origins of the Solar System

Many of you have been asking about the origins of our sun and our solar system.  Watch Origins of the Solar System on PBS. 

See more from NOVA scienceNOW.

Check out The Star In You. (advanced reading)

Why Pluto is Not a Planet

Read more about Pluto at Kids Astronomy. 
Debate topic:  Should Pluto be a planet?
What is your opinion?  Why?
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Enjoy this unrelated article about the comet ISON.

Planet Information

If you need information for your planet project, try some of these links:
http://www.planetsforkids.org/
http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/ (This includes information on dwarf planets.)
Our Solar System
http://www.kidsastronomy.com/solar_system.htm
Ceres (dwarf planet)
Eris (dwarf planet)
Space.com dwarf planets

Our Star, the Sun.

The sun for kids -- NASA
The sun -- KidsAstronomy.com
Check out the video above and then read about the sun in these two links.

First Moon Landing 1969

The substitute informed me that my students were very interested in space travel during science class on Thursday.  Enjoy the video above and read about it below.  I encourage you to search for more websites on this topic with Google.
What was the first manned moon landing like?
The Moon Landing - Kidport
Kids Astronomy

Physical Science - The Earth, Moon, Sun System

Read more about the Earth, Moon and Sun.