Curated OER
Take a Spin Through the Solar System
Second graders participate in a variety of activities to explore the Solar System in this unit.
Curated OER
Sun or Shade?
Third graders use a thermometer to measure the air temperature in several places around the school and then graph the data. They grow 3 plants in different sunlight and record the growth.
Curated OER
Tracking Sunrise and Sunset
Young scholars collect, record, and graph the sunrise and sunset times. They explain how the relationship between the tilt of Earth's axis and its yearly orbit around the sun produces the seasons.
Curated OER
Investigation 3 - What is Moonlight?
Third graders observe a demonstration explaining that the moon reflects sunlight in ordr to shine.
Curated OER
Sunrise/Sunset
Pupils apply data from a weather-related website to predict patterns in the sunrise and sunset.
Curated OER
Where Does My Energy Come From?
Learners gain an understanding that the Sun is the source of all energy. With a partner, they examine various web sites to explore food chains and food webs, later sharing their findings with the class.
Curated OER
How Are Magnetic Fields Related To Sunspots?
Middle schoolers discover that sunspots are the result of intense magnetic forces on the photosphere of the sun by observing images from the SOHO satellite.
Curated OER
Bouncing Sunlight
Third graders use flashlights and balls to demonstrate how the light bounces off of the sun and reflects onto the moon. They record their observations in a journal.
Curated OER
Sunrise and Sunset - Graph of Daily Solar Radiation
Students use a graph of daily solar radiation to determine the times of sunrise and sunset. They also compare how sunrise, sunset, and the length of the day changes with latitude and longitude.
Curated OER
Sun Prints
Young scholars use coins to help them explore the sun as a source of renewable energy. They go outside in the sunshine and make a design by placing coins on their piece of black construction paper.
Enchanted Learning
Enchanted Learning: Zoom Astronomy: All About Space
A fantastic collection of information about the solar system. Includes information on all of the planets, the moon, the sun, asteroids, comets, meteoroids, and stars. Also find puzzles, a dictionary, quizzes, classroom activities, and...
NASA
Nasa: Imagine the Universe: Welcome to the World of X Ray Astronomy
Site recounts how X-rays were discovered as well as who discovered them. Offers graphics, links to facts on this topic, a quiz, and teacher resources.
Read Works
Read Works: A Big Star
[Free Registration/Login Required] This reading passage is about the sun including what it is and what it does for the earth. It if followed by reading comprehension questions based on Common Core standards.
NASA
Nasa: Classroom Activity: Our Very Own Star: The Sun
This PDF storybook for children tells the story of the sun. The easy-to-understand text and graphics make it a useful classroom tool for younger students.
Natural History Museum
Natural History Museum: Our Place in the Universe
Part of a larger online exhibit on the moon and space, this site deals with one's place in the universe. The topics covered include the sun and solar system, the galaxy, and the universe.
SMART Technologies
Smart: The Sun
This lesson students learn about the sun including parts of the sun and sun spots.
Curated OER
Science Kids: Science Images: The Sun
An amazing photo of the sun taken by an x-ray telescope.