Elementary School Resources

Looking for materials to supplement your classroom curriculum? Browse our curated collection of resources for elementary school teachers and give your students the Moon and the stars. Activities are labeled with suggested grade level, curriculum standards, and estimated length to help you find exactly what you’re looking for.

Let’s Do Science: Sundials

In this activity, students will make two different kinds of sundials to help tell the time using only the Sun; In both activities, students will use their observation, prediction, and communication skills as they track the shadow’s movement across a plate or the ground.

Category: Video
Length: 1 min. video / 15–30 min. implementation for each of the two activities
Grade Level: K–2
Standards: K-2-ETS1-1, K-2-ETS1-2, K-2-ETS1-3, K-PS3-1, K-ESS2-1 1-ESS1-1, 1-ESS1-2

Let’s Do Science: Egg Float

Do some egg-cellent bouyancy experimentation with common materials!

Category: Video
Length: 1:30 min. video / 15 min. implementation (up to 30 min. with suggested extensions)
Grade Level: 2nd (extends to all elementary with suggested extensions)
Standards: 2-PS1-1, 2PS1-2, K-2-ETS1, 3-5 ETS1

Let’s Do Science: Ice Explorers

Experiment with melting ice using salt and liquid watercolors/food coloring. We see ice melting and refreezing all the time on Earth, and we can even see it happening on other worlds in our solar system!

Category: Video
Length: 1 min. video / 15 min. implementation, 12-24 hour inactive prep time
Grade Level: K–5
Standards: 2-ESS1-1, 4-ESS1-1, 5-ESS2-1, ESS2.A, ESS2.C

Let’s Do Science: Planet Oobleck Challenge

Create a planetary surface made of Oobleck, then design and build a lander with materials you have at home!

Category: Video
Length: 1:30 min. video / 30 min. implementation
Grade Level: K–5 (2nd especially)
Standards: 2-PS1-A, PS1.A, ETS1.A, ETS1.B, ETS1.C

Galaxy Zoo

For over a decade, astronomers have asked people to classify millions of galaxies, near and far in order to understand what galaxies can tell us about the past, present and future of the universe as a whole. Do real science in this Adler Zooniverse project.

Category: Activities, Citizen Science
Length: 30 min. outside of class + 45 min. in class or 75 min. in class only
Grade Level: 3-5
Standards: ESS1.A, MS-ESS1-2

Look Up Book

This book provides different activities that help us look up at our sky. These activities include things like comparing Moon sketches, using science to solve a problem or inventing something new. Each activity involves drawing, or writing, or wondering why looking up matters.

Category: Activities (pdf download)
Length: 5–15 min. per activity
Grade Level: K–5
Standards: 1-ESS1-1, ESS1.A, 5-ESS1-2, ESS1.B, MS-ESS1-1, ETS1.A, ETS1.B, ETS1.C

Astronomy in 3 Minutes | Telescopes

How does a telescope work? Michelle is giving us the scoop on refractor ‘scopes, reflector ‘scopes, catadioptric ‘scopes, historic ‘scopes, and more!

Category: Video
Length: 3 min.
Grade Level: 4th
Standards: MS-PS-4-2, 4-PS4-2, ETS1.C, MS-PS4-2, PS4.B

Sky Observers Hangout: The Winter Sky

Cooler weather and longer nights make for some of the best skywatching. Michelle and Adriana will show you how to find all sorts of things in your winter sky: planets like Jupiter and Saturn, constellations like Orion and Canis Major, and even a star cluster

Category: Video
Length: 53 min.
Grade Level: K–5
Standards: 1-ESS1-1, 1-ESS1-2, 5-ESS1-2

Penguin Watch

Tag penguins in photos from Antarctica to help understand how they are being affected by climate change, the potential impact of local fisheries and how we can help these incredible species.

Category: Activity, Citizen Science
Length: 15 min.
Grade Level:K–5
Standards: ESS3.A, K.CC, K.MD.A.2, 2-LS4-1, LS4.D, 1.OA.C.5, 3-LS4-3, 3-LS4-4, LS2.C, LS2.D, LS4.C, LS4.D

Celestial Story Time - A Kite for Moon

Your heart will melt hearing this story about a boy, his kite, and the Moon.

Category: Video
Length: 3 min.
Grade Level: Pre-K, K–5
Standards: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY

Reach - A Space Podcast for Kids

Built for kids and based on questions from kids, REACH educates with entertaining segments, fun at-home experiments, and interviews with subject matter experts & thought partners from leading institutions like the Adler Planetarium, Cosmosphere, Exploration Place, and more.

Category: Podcast
Length: 5–30+ min.
Grade Level: K–5
Standards: N/A

Create Your Star Story

When you look up at the night sky, what do you see? The Adler’s star story activity challenges you to create your own constellation using materials found in your home. Follow along with the recording below as Adler’s Program Development Manager, Sarah Smail, helps guide us through this activity.

Category: Video, Activity
Length: 2:40 min. video + 15–30 min. activity
Grade Level: Pre-K, K–5
Standards: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY

Celestial Storytime | Do You Know About Stars?

Time to curl up with a good book. Read about the millions of shimmering, bright stars in our universe. Wherever you are, #LookUp and remember: we remain connected under the sky we all share.

Category: Video
Length: 5 min.
Grade Level: Pre-K, K–5
Standards: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY