Lesson Plans

Want to schedule a virtual visit for your classroom with a Great Basin National Park ranger, Great Basin Observatory scientist, or a Reach for the Stars Educator? Please complete at least three of our lessons with your students, and then reach out to request a visit.

Like what you see and live nearby?   Sign up for a training or classroom visit.

Please see the PDF file below for an introduction to our 4th-grade digital resources. These...

Please see the PDF file below for an introduction to our 5th-grade digital resources. These resources can be done independently, but if you are looking for a scaffolded approach we suggest this...

yellow bellied marmot

Why do animals look the way they do? The answer is survival. Through this activity students learn about the predator/ prey relationship, and how and why external features of animals are key...

Eyes are fascinating, each adapted to help its owner survive. How do animals other than humans see? How do our eyes work during the day and at night?

Now that students have learned about artificial light at night, have them use their science, design, and engineering skills to engineer a world without light pollution! Please complete this...

We experience gravity every day, but understanding gravity is quite complex. Take a tour of the solar system to understand the relationship between gravity, mass, and weight.

Explore the National Parks of the United States and learn their purpose. Teach students about the beautiful world around them and inspire them to help protect it. Do the Engineering a World...

How does one see in the dark? For bats, visible light isn’t necessary for survival, since they’ve adapted to “see” with their ears! Students will learn about bats, animal adaptations, and...

What are stars and constellations? Learn and explore in this activity.

The distances between our planets are so vast they are almost incomprehensible. Visualize the expansiveness of our “cosmic neighborhood” with a roll of toilet paper to create a scale model.

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