University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
Ucar: Cycles of the Earth System: Earth's Energy Cycle: Albedo
Students experiment and observe how the color of materials that cover the Earth affects the amounts of sunlight our planet absorbs.
Encyclopedia of Earth
Encyclopedia of Earth: Photovoltaics
Article explaining what photovoltaic cells are, their role in solar energy, how they work, how electricity is produced, and applications of this technology. (Published: April 24, 2010)
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Earth Science: Solar Power Study Guide
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] This study guide summarizes key points about solar energy, how it is harnessed, and its benefits and disadvantages. Includes a few questions to check for understanding.
FT Exploring
Ft Exploring: Insolation and Solar Availability
Learn about insolation, or how much sunlight or solar radiation any given place on Earth receives based on many factors.
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: Sunlight Is Way Older Than You Think
It takes light a zippy eight minutes to reach Earth from the surface of the Sun. But how long does it take that same light to travel from the Sun's core to its surface? Oddly enough, the answer is many thousands of years. Sten Odenwald...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Alex: Understanding Solar Energy. Part 1
This lesson discusses how electromagnetic radiation transfer the sun's energy to earth. This lesson will also talk about the eight types of electromagnetic waves in the electromagnetic spectrum and how each type is used or found in our...
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Earth Science: Solar Energy on Earth Study Guide
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] This study guide summarizes key points about the energy we receive from the Sun. Includes a few questions to check for understanding.
Other
Newport: Introduction to Solar Radiation
Radiation from the sun sustains life on earth and determines climate. The energy flow within the sun results in a surface temperature of around 5800 K, so the spectrum of the radiation from the sun is similar to that of a 5800 K...
Vision Learning
Visionlearning: Atmosphere and Oceans: Factors That Control Earth's Temperature
An explanation of how temperature is affected by the composition of the atmosphere and how energy flows in and out of Earth's atmosphere.
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: How Do Solar Panels Work?
The Earth intercepts a lot of solar power: 173,000 terawatts. That's 10,000 times more power than the planet's population uses. So is it possible that one day the world could be completely reliant on solar energy? Richard Komp examines...
Oklahoma Mesonet
Oklahoma Climatological Survey: Earth's Energy Budget
This 2-part resource details how the Earth absorbs just enough energy from the Sun to sustain life. Content explores incoming solar radiation and outgoing terrestrial radiation.
Libre Text
Libre Texts: Geochemistry: The Earth and Its Lithosphere
The Earth has been in a state of continual change since its formation. The major part of this change, involving volcanism and tectonics, has been driven by heat produced from the decay of radioactive elements within the Earth. The other...
Climate Literacy
Clean: The Earth's Heat Budget
Learners investigate the effects of distance and angle on the input of solar radiation at the Earth's surface, the role played by albedo, and the heat capacity of land and water.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Lab 7: A Year in the Life of the Earth System
An investigation that is part of a series of lab lessons that expose students to Earth Systems through research, data, and visualizations. In this lab, students will observe how the Earth has changed over time to understand the Earth as...
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Cosmology and Astronomy: Season Simulator
This season simulator takes Earth through an entire year cycle allowing the viewer to observe the tilt of the Earth and the intensity of the sunlight.
Globe
The Globe Program: Earth System Module
Activities help students experiment with what plants need in terms of water, sunlight, and soil, explain how the Earth's processes and components are interconnected, and demonstrate their knowledge of how water, air, soil, and living...
National Geographic
National Geographic: Interactions Within Earth's Atmospheres
Using computational models, students investigate the interaction between greenhouse gases, solar radiation, and the Earth's surface for the impact on climate. They then look at data on atmospheric carbon dioxide to analyze changes in...
Climate Literacy
Clean: State Electricity on Google Earth: How Many Solar Panels Would It Take?
This activity addresses the Energy Awareness Principle by having students calculate electricity use by state, and also determine how much land would be required to replace all sources of electricity with solar panels considering costs...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Lab 3: Discovering Local Data
An investigation that is part of a series of lab lessons that expose students to Earth Systems through research, data, and visulazations. This lab specifically has students using a database to gather and graph data to understand the role...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Hhmi: Bio Interactive: Paleoclimate: A History of Change
Learn about the history of Earth's climate in this Click and Learn. Learn how many factor control Earth's climate. Specifically, examine two of the most important factors: solar radiation and the composition of Earth's atmosphere.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Solar System!
An introduction to our solar system: the planets, our Sun and our Moon. Students begin by learning the history and engineering of space travel. They make simple rockets to acquire a basic understanding Newton's third law of motion. They...
Utah Education Network
Uen: Trb 3:5 Investigation 3 It's Hot
Activity helps to understand the effect of sunlight on the earth.
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: Tireless Tides: Extracting Energy From Ocean Tides
Renewable energy is the energy that is extracted from natural sources, such the Sun (solar), earth (geothermal), wind, and water (hydropower). These sources are renewable because they can be replenished by the same natural sources within...
Concord Consortium
Concord Consortium: Stem Resources: Radiant Energy Flow
A virtual lab to look at the physical features of Earth that affect the amount of the Sun's energy that hits Earth. Students investigate how solar and infrared radiations enters and leaves the atmosphere with this model. Virtual lab...