Space Science Activities

Hands-On Space Science Activities

Each theme has multiple lessons with downloadable guides & worksheets.

PDFs meet accessibility standards. If you encounter any issues, please contact us at ua-museumlearn@alaska.edu.

Aurora: The northern lights are awe-inspiring, which makes them a great hook to get students excited about heliophysics- the study of the sun/Earth system and the effects of the sun on the Earth.

• Magnetic Fields
• Aurora Art
• Aurora Observation
• Inupiaq Knowledge of the Northern Lights

Solar System: The sun is a star and the center of our solar system. Learn about Earth's neighborhood!

• Voyage to the Moon
• Solar Eclipse
• Sizing Up The Solar System
• Solar Week

Stars: Explore constellations, learn about using the stars to navigate, and make a star wheel or astrolabe!

• Constellations of Alaska
• Yup'ik Star Navigation
• Create a Star Wheel
• Make An Astrolabe

Exploring the Universe: Turning our telescopes to the sky to search for new exoplanets, looking for life on Mars, and shooting rockets into space!

• Roving Mars
• Looking for New Planets
• Poker Flat Research Range

  Photo: Stephane Vetter

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For more space science activities to do at home, go to these pages:

• Virtual Early Explorers (ages 5 and under, with adult)
• Virtual Junior Curators (ages 6 and up, with adult)
• Virtual Family Days (all ages)
  
  

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Check Out Hands-On Kits

Borrow kits and teaching objects to teach about the sun, aurora, and outer space. Click to learn more about any of these kits:

For Classroom Teachers:

• Cultural Connections: Aurora science through Inupiaq culture and language. 4rd-8th grades.
• Sunspotter: Safely observe the sun! For all ages.
• Energetic Aurora:  Learn about the different aspects of studying the aurora. 6th-12th grades.

Click here to borrow classroom kits.

For Homeschoolers:

• Outer Space Homeschool Kit: Learn about how scientists look for new planets outside of our solar system, look for exoplanets in the night sky, and imagine how life might evolve on other planets.
• Aurora Homeschool Kit: Explore the northern lights! Listen to stories from elders, learn how energy from the sun creates the aurora, investigate magnetic fields, and make your own aurora artwork.  

Click here to borrow homeschool kits.

 

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This project was funded under NASA cooperative agreement NNX16AL65A. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
All photos from NASA unless otherwise credited.