Space Awareness
Making A Sundial
Can people really measure time just by using the sun? Scholars venture outside on a nice, sunny day to build sundials and learn how people measured time 600 years ago. The class builds two different sundials while gaining practice with...
Curated OER
My Angle on Cooling: Effects of Distance and Inclination
Students discuss what heat is and how it travels. They discover that one way to cool an object in the presence of a heat source is to increase the distance from it or change the angle at which it is faced.
Weber State University
The Sun and the Seasons
Why is there more daylight in June than in December if you live above the equator? How does the angle of sunlight shift throughout the year? Answer these questions and more with an interactive article about the sun, its path through the...
National Wildlife Federation
An Energy Mix: Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources
What did the windmill say about renewable energy? I'm a BIG fan! Lesson three in the series of 12 has classes discuss potential and kinetic energy and then, in pairs, they complete a web quest over the different types of energy...
Curated OER
Solar Isolation Changes and the Sunspot Cycle
For this sunspot cycle and solar irradiation worksheet, students use 2 graphs of daily total solar irradiance and sunspot activity to solve 3 problems. They find the average solar irradiance during a given time, they determine the...
Curated OER
Pen Light Lab
Students study what makes Earth warm and explore how different locations on the planetreceive different amounts of solar energy based on the intensity of the sun's rays. They calculate light intensities and compare the
amounts of light...
Curated OER
Exploring Energy with GIS
Students examine GIS technology as it is used to locate energy sources. In this GIS lesson, student access an assigned website to locate a series of lessons using the GIS software. They use the maps that are located on the primary lesson...
Curated OER
Energy Alternatives and Conservation
In this energy alternatives and conservation worksheet, learners research the topic, answer 3 questions, then complete a 4 step plan to create a print or digital project. This page has numerous links to web resources.
Curated OER
Sun Friendly Homes
Students design and build a model solar energy home. In this technology instructional activity, students test the efficiency of their model houses by measuring temperature at regular intervals. They analyze data and share results with...
Curated OER
Ice Cube Experiment
Students explore the rate at which ice melts. In this science lesson, students place ice cubes on colored index cards and place them in direct sunlight. Students observe which ice cubes melt fastest and slowest.
Curated OER
Measuring Soil Temperatures at South Penquite Farm
Students investigate soil temperatures. In this graphing and earth science lesson, students insert temperature probes into different types of soil at varying depths. Students complete a data chart and construct a related graph...
Curated OER
Aerosol Science
In this aerosol worksheet, students are given data for volcanic eruptions and the average temperatures of the Earth. They determine the change in temperature from the year of the eruption to the present year and use the means to...
Curated OER
Energy Conservation
Students discuss the different uses of energy. They examine the consumption percentages to do household tasks. They discover ways to reduce their energy consumption.
Chicago Botanic Garden
Understanding the Greenhouse Effect
The greenhouse effect is important, for without it, life on Earth would not exist. An activity that includes modeling the greenhouse effect and acting out the Earth's energy balance makes up the first part in a series of seven lessons....
Space Awareness
Water is a Heat Sink
One of the key objectives of Europe's Copernicus Earth program is to monitor the temperatures of the oceans and seas on Earth. Young scholars learn the effects of different heat capacities through two experiments. These experiments...
Curated OER
Our Moon
For this space science worksheet, students use the clues given at the bottom of the sheet to solve the crossword puzzle on our moon. They name another name for the moon and the moon's gravity compared to that of the earth.
Curated OER
Looking into Surface Albedo
Students demonstrate how the color of materials on Earth affect the amount of solar energy that is absorbed. In this solar energy lesson students complete a lab to explore how the color of materials on the Earth's surface impacts warming.
Curated OER
Solar Eclipse
In this solar eclipse worksheet, students solve seven problems about solar eclipses after making a model following five steps. They determine the different orbits for satellites, they determine the lengths of Earth's shadow and they find...
Curated OER
Energy Alternatives: Nature offers a solution
Students describe the pros and cons of different energy sources. In this earth science lesson, students respond to survey questions and discuss each other's opinion about the issue. They research an energy source of their choice and...
Curated OER
The Sun Affects Earth
Third graders read, write, and listen to information about the sun and its effects on the Earth.as it relates to its axis, orbit, rotate, and revolution. In this solar system lesson, 3rd graders examine how the sun effects the Earth's...
Curated OER
Energy of the Future
Students examine technologies that already exist and record their findings in a journal. They work with students in other countries to explore alternative energy sources They publish their designs online.
Curated OER
The Four Seasons - Earth's Axis
Students explain that it is the tilt of earth's axis that causes the seasons. They engage in a variety of activities, both teacher-led and on the computer, which enable them to further explain how the Earth's axis affects the seasons.
Curated OER
Solar
Students study solar energy. In this renewable energy lesson students complete several lab activities using different controls and variables.
Curated OER
How the Amount of Solar Energy Absorbed by the Earth is Dependent Upon the Earth's Position
Students investigate the angle of light and how it faces the earth. They conduct a series of investigations with the following two objectives. Students determine if the angle of light is a factor in the absorption of heat. They correlate...