Open Astronomy Curricula
Digitalis Education Solutions provides these curricula free of charge as a public service to encourage the teaching of
astronomy.
It consists of astronomy lesson plans for use for kindergarten through twelfth grade students.
These lessons are designed to take full advantage of a Digitarium planetarium projector. However, they can be modified
for use with different planetarium systems.
These lessons are written as if an outreach program with a portable
dome will be using them. They can easily be modified for use in a
fixed dome or by classroom teachers who are already familiar with
their classes' knowledge and interests.
Throughout the lesson plans are items in [bracketed
italics]. This
system is used to separate an instruction from the body of the
lesson, to remind you to show an image or video, or to provide
possible answers to a suggested question.
These lessons were designed
to address National Science Education Standards. You can see
how these standards are addressed
(PDF).
We would be happy to post translations, modifications, or even your own original lessons if you
would also like to contribute to open astronomy education.
If you have suggestions for improving these lesson plans, for
resources, or for new lesson topics, please contact Karrie Berglund,
Director of Education via email: karrie AT DigitalisEducation.com
or phone: (360) 616-8915.
Lessons
These lessons are linked below in PDF (for printing) and RTF (for editing) formats.
Kindergarten through second grade
- Moving Right Along (RTF) is an introduction to Earth's rotation and revolution and how those movements affect our view of the sky.
- Sky Stories (RTF) introduces students to the pictures and stories of some Greco-Roman constellations, as well as reasons why constellations were created.
- What's Up? (RTF) explores what we can see in the sky (stars, planets, the moon) and differences between those objects.
Grades 3-5
- Planets (RTF) explores the differences between stars and
planets, how we can recognize a planet in the night sky, and planetary
motion (prograde and retrograde).
- Star Quest (RTF) introduces some Greco-Roman
constellations; students also learn to use star maps to find the
pictures in the sky.
- StellarLunar (RTF) explores stars, constellations, and the phases of
the moon. Students learn what causes the phases and the name of each
phase as they model the earth, moon, and sun system.
- Moons of the Solar System (RTF) explores differences between planets and moons, and introduces students to major moons of the
solar system.
Grades 6-8
- Halloween Astronomy (RTF), introduces the history and mythology of Halloween and
its relationship with solstices and equinoxes.
- Stellar Navigation (RTF) , written for the northern hemisphere, introduces
students to the idea of navigating by the stars. Students learn to use
stars to determine latitude and compass points, and observe how our
location on Earth affects our view of the sky.
- Solstice and Equinox (RTF) explores the relevance of solstices and equinoxes, including how they relate to the seasons we experience.
- World in Motion (RTF) explores what is in motion in our solar system,
that Earth's movements give us the day and the year, that gravity keeps
planets in orbit around the sun and the moon in orbit around the earth,
how to recognize a planet in the night sky, and prograde and retrograde
planetary motion.
- Mars (RTF) explores how to recognize the
Red Planet in the sky, what makes Mars interesting, and past and future exploration missions to this planet.
Grades 9-12
- Astrology: Fact or Fiction (RTF) debunks astrology, explores the differences
between science and pseudoscience, introduces students to the ecliptic
and precession, and explains how and why the zodiac signs were created.
- How do we Know? (RTF) explores how we know what we know about our
universe by looking at developments in three major eras: Greco-Roman
times, the 17th century, and the late 19th century to today.
- Hubble Space Telescope (RTF) explores why the
Hubble Space Telescope is in space, as well as several discoveries it
has made.
Supplemental Documents
