Planets, Star Systems
Labs
Scale Model of the Solar System : Rescale distances and sizes of objects in the solar system
Planetary Properties and Classifications: jigsaw activity
Comparing Planets: Focusing on craters, volcanism, images of giant planets.
Moons of Giant Planets: Compare the giant planet's moons to each other and the Earth
Reflectance Spectroscopy: Use reflectance spectrometers to classify rocks.
Gravity Problems: Use simplified version of the gravity equation to find surface gravity of worlds relative to Earth.
Geological Mapping: Use stratigraphy to determine relative ages of surfaces and surface features on the Moon.
Crater Counting on Mars: Use Lunar Crater Density relation to determine the absolute ages of Martian surfaces.
Plate Tectonics on Mars: Use stratigraphy & crater counting to determine if Mars ever had plate tectonics.
Atmospheric Escape: Calculate planetary escape velocities and gas velocities to determine whether a world can hold an atmosphere and if so, its composition.
Classifying Meteorites: Use knowledge of meteorite classes and the planetary impact process to classify a set of unknown objects.
Exoplanets: the Radial Velocity Method: Use the radial velocity method to determine exoplanet system properties.
Exoplanets: the Transit Method: Use the transit method to determine exoplanet system properties.
Shorter Activities (linked below)
Edible Comets: How to use liquid nitrogen ice cream as a metaphor for comet composition.
Short Questions about the Solar System: Density, brightness, planets, asteroids.
Solar System Walk: Understand the size and scale of the objects in the solar system by walking through a scale model along the Burke-Gilman trail.