Lesson 18 of 84 ยท Space
Experimentโญ 30 XP๐ StarbaseSpace Exploration History
Space Exploration History.
๐ฏ Your mission
Predict it first. Then prove yourself right (or wrong).
โก The twist
The light you see now started its trip a long time ago.
Mind = Blown
๐ If you could drive a car straight up at highway speed, you'd reach space in under an hour.
Make a hypothesis first
Guess: how big does that look from here vs. from there?
What You'll Learn
Earth rotates on its axis once every 24 hours, causing day and night. The side facing the sun experiences day, while the opposite side experiences night.
Key Words
- moon phase
- eclipse
Materials Needed
- ball (Earth)
- small ball (moon)
- dark room
- paper plate
Safety First
- Wear safety goggles when mixing liquids.
- Wash hands after handling materials.
- Be careful with scissors โ ask an adult for help if needed.
Steps
Read the introduction and identify the main idea of this lesson.
Calculate your weight on different planets by multiplying your Earth weight by each planet's gravity factor. Make a bar graph of the results.
Look for patterns in your observations.
Make a graph or chart showing your results.
Check Your Understanding
Question 1
1 of 3How many planets are in our solar system?
Where you see this in real life
GPS, weather forecasts, and the seasons all rely on this.
Stretch Challenge
Try this in real life this week.
Find a constellation in the sky. Look it up. Tell someone its story.
For the dinner table
โIf you could visit any planet, which would you pick and why?โ
Next Smart Experiment
We'll pick an experiment that matches exactly how you're thinking right now.
Share this experiment
Send it to a parent who's looking for a 10-minute kitchen science win.
Checkout complete lesson on Space for 8th Grade
Get the full Space track as a printable PDF โ all lessons, worksheets, and answer keys.
