Middle School Resources
Looking for materials to supplement your classroom curriculum? Browse our curated collection of resources for middle 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.
Planet Four
Welcome to Planet Four, a citizen science project designed to help planetary scientists identify and measure features on the surface of Mars—the likes of which don’t exist on Earth. By mapping these features, we can explore the Martian climate and how it changes over time.
Category: Activities, Citizen Science
Length: 30–45 min. (suggested)
Grade Level: 6–8
Standards: MS-ESS1-3
Astronomy in 3 Minutes | Meteorites
Did someone say meteorites?! Learn about these meteorites from our Moon and Mars for some astronomy fun at home.
Category: Video
Length: 3 min.
Grade Level: 6–8
Standards: MS-ESS1-2, MS-ESS2-2, HS-ESS1-6
Sky Observers Hangout: Getting Close to Mars Part 2
In this episode of Sky Observers Hangout, we explore Mars from afar while it is at its closest to Earth for the next 15 years.
Category: Video
Length: 1 hour 7 min.
Grade Level: 6–8
Standards: HS-ESS1.B, PS2.A, MS-ESS1-3
Sky Observers Hangout: Chicagohenge
In this episode of Sky Observers Hangout, your hosts will help you understand the solar spectacle called Chicagohenge, show you how to observe and photograph it in YOUR city, and share how we’ve built structures that work with solar patterns through the ages.
Category: Video
Length: 52 min.
Grade Level: 6–8
Standards: 1-ESS1-1, 1-ESS1-2, ESS1.A, ESS1.B, ESS2.D, MS-ESS1-1
The Aquarius Project
When a meteor crashes in your backyard, you pick it up. When your backyard is a 22,000-square-mile Great Lake, you call your friends and improvise. Follow this teen-led pursuit of retrieving underwater meteorites—a first attempt of its kind.
Category: Website, Podcast
Length: Varies per media (5–60 min. per)
Grade Level: 6–8
Standards: MS-ETS1-1, MS-ETS1-2, MS-EST1-3, MS-ETS1-4, MS-ESS2-1, MS-ESS3-1, HS-ETS1-2, HS-ETS1-3, HS-ESS2-5, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY
Chicago Black Women in STEAM Blog Series
Chicago’s Black Women in STEAM series highlights pioneering women of Chicago who are doing amazing things in STEAM fields here in our own community. Hear the unique stories of these women of varying ages, backgrounds, and interests.
Category: Blog
Length: 15 min.
Grade Level: 6–8
Standards: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY
Adler Astronomy Live: Life on Venus
Join us for a special Q&A episode with Drs. Clara Sousa-Silva and Emily Drabek-Maunder the authors of the article on the discovery of phosphine in the atmosphere of Venus in the fall of 2020.
Category: Video
Length: 50 min.
Grade Level: 6–8
Standards: HS-ESS1-3
Adler Astronomy Live: Constellations
Where do constellations come from? Can we invent new ones? And why are old star maps filled with impressive renditions of animals, human figures, and other real and imaginary objects? Join us to find out and how YOU can help us understand their history.
Category: Video
Length: 60 min.
Grade Level: 6–8
Standards: N/A
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: 6–8
Standards: 1-ESS1-1, ESS1.A, 5-ESS1-2, ESS1.B, MS-ESS1-1, ETS1.A, ETS1.B, ETS1.C
Skywatch Wednesday
Skywatch Wednesday is a newer series created in 2020 helping prepare people for what to look for in the night sky on a particular week. A new episode launches on Wednesdays at noon CT on the Adler YouTube channel.
Category: Video
Length: 7–10 min.
Grade Level: 6–8
Standards: HS-ESS1.A/HS-SS2-2, HS-ESS1.B, MS-ESS1-1, ESS1.A, ESS1.B
Sky Observers Hangout: The Summer Sky
Let’s get ready for warm nights of stargazing under the summer sky! With our astronomy educators, you will learn how to find the planets Jupiter and Saturn in the evening sky, and locate a few bright summer stars and constellations—including a starry dolphin. This episode of Sky Observers Hangout also highlights resources to help you see satellites with your eyes or binoculars.
Category: Video
Length: 48 min.
Grade Level: 6–8
Standards: ESS1, 5-ESS1-1, 5-ESS1-2, MS-ESS1-1
Sky Observers Hangout: The Fall Sky
Chillier days, red and gold leaves, and pumpkin spice lattes aren’t the only changes fall brings! The fall sky brings us new constellations and objects to observe as well, all with their own stories to tell. Cozy up with some warm drinks and blankets for this episode of Sky Observers Hangout, in which host Adriana shares a modern retelling of the story of Cassiopeia using images from the Adler’s archives to illustrate and host Michelle shows how to use your smartphone to capture these constellations yourself!
Category: Video
Length: 1 hour
Grade Level: 6–8
Standards: ESS1.A, ESS1.B, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY
Astronomy in 3 Minutes | Pinhole Projectors
Grab your cardboard boxes, some duct tape, and a light source—we’re exploring physics with pinhole projectors! Used as tools for investigating different light sources, they can also safely project the Sun during solar eclipses. Do not use these projectors to look directly at the Sun. Build your own pinhole projector and explore at home!
Category: Video
Length: 3 min.
Grade Level: 6–8
Standards: ETS1.A, ETS1.B, ETS1.C, 4-PS4-2, PS4.B, MS-PS4-2
Galaxy Types
Did you know that up until the last century, humans believed that our Milky Way was the only galaxy in the known universe? Today, we now know that this couldn’t be further from reality.
In fact, it is currently estimated that there are two trillion galaxies in the known universe! It’s no surprise that with such a large sample size, comes a diverse range of galaxies. Today we’re going to be doing a quick foray into the world of galaxy types!
Category: Blog Post
Length: 10 min.
Grade Level: 6–8
Standards: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY, ESS1.A, MS-ESS1-2
