S2tem Centers SC
Seasons
Winter, spring, summer, and fall—take the learning of the seasons beyond the elementary level to the middle school classroom. Curious learners begin by watching videos about the seasons and the rotation of planet Earth. Then, they...
PHET
Learning about Space Weather
Is the sun the only celestial body with magnetic fields? A guided discussion on the weather in space is designed with a mix of questions, discussions, explanations, and applications. Additionally, the resouce includes an article for...
American Museum of Natural History
Moon Flip Book
Flip over the phases of the moon. Using an interactive, pupils view the location of the moon relative to the sun and earth for the eight major phases of the moon. Individuals record how the moon looks through a complete cycle. Using...
American Museum of Natural History
What is the Greenhouse Effect?
Without the greenhouse effect, Earth would not be inhabitable. A thorough online resource describes the greenhouse effect and how it occurs. The source highlights the different types of gases that work together to absorb the sun's...
Curated OER
Be "Sun-sible" about Heating Water
Students create a solar water heater. In this solar energy activity, students conduct an experiment to determine which colors absorb more radiant heat. Students investigate the relationship of heat loss to insulation. Students then...
Curated OER
Season Worksheet #5
Sunrise, sunset, swiftly fly the years! Your earth scientists can also fly through a year of daylight data. They analyze a graph and then answer five multiple choice questions about the rising and setting of the sun, the total number of...
Scholastic
Lesson Three: The Earth, Movement in Space
If you feel like you're standing still, you're wrong! The Earth is constantly rotating and orbiting under our feet. Demonstrate the Earth's movement within the solar system with a collaborative activity. With a candle or lamp in the...
Space Awareness
How To Travel On Earth Without Getting Lost
Have you ever wanted to travel the world? Take a virtual trip with a geography lesson plan that uses longitude and latitude, the position of the sun, an astronomy app, and a classroom globe.
Curated OER
July is a Month for Sun, Fireworks, and Blueberries!
July is Blueberry Month! Entice your hungry learners with these fun, blueberry-themed learning activities.
Khan Academy
Challenge: Exploding Sun
Animating an object by moving it across a computer screen can be accomplished by drawing the object repetitively, each time adjusting some aspect of the drawing slightly. This activity is an easy introduction to animation in JavaScript,...
Super Teacher Worksheets
Our Solar System Scavenger Hunt Activity
Send students on a search for facts about the solar system with this scavenger hunt activity. Whether they are finding out how far the sun is from the earth, or the names of all four gas giants, this resource will engage young scientists...
Purdue University
Global Design for the Seasons
People don't all get the same amount of sun at the same time of the year. Collaborative groups explore how the motion of Earth contributes to the idea in an inquiry-based STEM lesson. Learners first investigate how the rotation of Earth...
Radford University
Georgia Peaches and California Dreamin’
Plant the fruits of trigonometry. Pairs work through the process of finding the best place to plant fruit trees on a piece of property. The scholars must take into consideration the location of the property and the solar zenith angle. To...
Curated OER
Cameroon Mud House
Students research Cameroon's climate, culture, and history. Then they identify where Cameroon is located and understand how its location and climate determine the type of homes that are built there. Students also construct a replica of a...
Curated OER
Fueling Extreme Weather
First graders identify the different stages in the hydrologic cycle. To study earth science, they investigate how sunlight affects the earth's temperature. They also discuss how the sun's energy is transformed.
Curated OER
SunPro After-Sun Treatment
In this vocabulary advancement worksheet, 5th graders read and interpret an original description of an after-sun cream product to find words that are related to ten key words listed for mastery. Students answer five true and false...
Curated OER
Angular Velocity: How Long Is a Day on The Sun?
Students establish the angular velocity of the Sun and determine how long it takes the Sun to make one complete revolution. They determine what angular velocity is and how it can be useful in determining the speed and direction of any...
Curated OER
SDO Reveals Details on the Surface of the Sun
In this images of the sun worksheet, students read about the images released by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory and they solve 3 problems using the given photograph of the sun. Students find the scale of the image, they compare the...
Curated OER
The Sun: Earth's External Heat Engine Part 1 of the Astronomy Model
Students become familiar with the variables that control Earth's solar energy supply. They explore the source and nature of solar energy, the genesis of radiation, and the structrue of the Sun, gas spectra are observed and sample...
Curated OER
A Bird's Eye Look at the Sun-Earth System
In this Sun-Earth system worksheet, students fill in blanks with the proper terms from a given list to complete a summary of the relationship between the Sun and the Earth. A major topic includes how solar storms effect the Earth and the...
Curated OER
Cooking with the Sun!
Young scholars access prior knowledge of solar energy and understand that solar energy produces heat. In this solar cooker lesson, students complete grade appropriate experiments using the heat of the sun. Young scholars complete a...
Curated OER
The Archer and the Sun
Students listen to The Archer and the Sun and participate in interdisciplinary activities related to the book. In this Archer and the Sun lesson, students discuss sun and weather and create a graph of the weather they like best- sunny or...
Curated OER
Measuring the Sun's Position
In this sun worksheet, students measure the altitude of the sun and the azimuth of the sun to determine the sun's position five times a day for a week. They answer questions about their results.
Curated OER
Let the Sun Shine!
Students investigate how the sun can be used for energy. They read a handout, discuss the pros and cons of passive solar building design, develop flashcard questions, and identify jobs that can be helped by solar energy.