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"Vary" Bright Days
Students explore how the Earth's axial tilt and revolution around our sun lead to differences in day length through the year. In groups, they create and use a model of the earth on its axis to demonstrate the concepts.
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Space Science: Constellations and the Sun
Students review the zodiac signs and illustrate their movement using constellations on the wall and themselves to represent earth. Individually or in groups, they stand in the center of the room while a shadeless lamp is placed between...
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Earth, Sun and Moon
Students investigate that the sun is at the center of the solar system through role play. One student is the sun and one student is the Earth. The students then show how the Earth orbits around the sun. Students view a flashlight and...
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Rotation Around the Sun
Third graders participate in a hands-on demonstration of the rotation of the earth around the sun. They identify the equator and the North and South Poles on a Styrofoam ball and then spin the ball on a pencil while they also revolve...
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Sample the Solar System
Students identify different features of the solar system. They analyze the sun, moon, planets, comets, and asteroids. They use the Internet and other resource sources to find information about the solar system.
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As the Sun Burns
Students examine the types of light the sun gives the Earth. They describe the electro-magnetic spectrum and how to protect themselves from different types of light. They identify the layers of the atmosphere as well.
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Effects of the Sun on Our Planet
Students examine the effect of different types of light on the Earth. They discover the role of evaporation and the effects of the sun on the magnetosphere. They also observe different solar phenomena.
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Effects of the Sun on Our Planet (Grades 2-4)
Students observe how the sun's rays can cause evaporation and discuss its role in the weather cycle. They discover what the sun's energy brings to plants. They examine how different types of technology can enhance the amount of solar...
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Effects of the Sun on Our Planet (Grades 9-12)
Students examine the Earth's magnetosphere and observe the effects of the sun's energy on it. They discover the difference between true north and magnetic north. They also explore how solar cells convert solar energy to electricity.
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The Earth-Sun-Moon System
Third graders construct a model of the earth-sun-moon system using students as the sun, moon, and earth. They discuss ways that time is related to the movement of the earth and moon.
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Solar Power
Students discover how engineers use solar energy to heat buildings. They investigate the thermal properties of different materials. They evaluate the usefulness of each material.
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Using Mathematic Models to Investigate Planitary Habitablity
Students examine how the sun's intensity affects the temperature on various planets. They determine whether or not these planets could be habitable. Finally, they factor in the average albedo of the planets to determine whether or not...
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Exploring the Interstellar Medium
Students investigate the Interstellar Medium and the Local Bubble that the Sun is inside. They read and discuss a handout, answer discussion questions, observe a demonstration of light scattering, and conduct an experiment on the...
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Let's Think About Day and Night
Students explore day and night and the relationships between the Earth, the sun and the moon. They discuss the ways in which the sun and moon help us. They watch a short video that helps illustrate these concepts.
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The Sun Safety Activity Guide
Students examine the sun safety guide. They identify the dangers of getting too much sun and not protecting themselves. They participate in hands-on activities to finish the lesson.
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Block the Sun, Not the Fun
Students discover ways to protect themselves from the sun. They identify diseases that are caused by too much sun exposure. They take a quiz and measure their progress throughout the year.
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Our View of the Sun
Students are introduced to safety rules for observing the Sun, how the distance of the Sun is measured using Kepler's Laws and identify the visible layers of the Sun. They discuss solar eclipses and view images of eclipses using the...
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The Starry Night Time and Day Time
Second graders complete a unit of lessons on the solar system. They complete various art projects inspired by Van Gogh's 'Starry Night,' create a moon phases book, create a moon phase wind chime, develop a timeline of space exploration,...
TryEngineering
Here Comes the Sun
Students explore concept of how solar energy is gathered by solar panels and adapted to provide power to machines, disassemble solar powered calculator and explore component parts, and work in teams to suggest design enhancements to the...
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Celestial Motions
Ninth graders complete a unit of lessons on the history of our knowledge of celestial objects. They conduct Internet research, plot the motion of a planet, construct a model of the sun's apparent motions, and create diagrams of the solar...
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The Nine Planets
Sixth graders examine and investigate the solar system. They participate in a Webquest, and create a Powerpoint presentation that is meant to be a research guide to help alien visitors find a suitable habitat in the solar system.
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Exploring the Dynamic Nature of the Sun
Students compare and contrast images of the sun taken at different times and viewed at different scales. They record their observations in a journal and create a graphic organizer to help analyze their observations.
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Solar System
Second graders create planet mobiles in order to reinforce concepts such as planet size, position in relation to the sun, and planet names.
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Too Much Sun, Not Much Fun
Sixth graders, in groups, research the dangers of too much sun. They are to create and present posters they made showing the information of what happens when one is exposed to too much sun and how to protect your skin from the sun.