Solar Radiation Teacher Resources

Students reflect on the data they have analyzed during the Global Sun Temperature Project. They use the project website as a resource for their observations, draft a class report and post it on the Internet.

Students recognize the relationship between Earth's tilt and the Winter season. In this Winter lesson, students work in pairs to complete make frost and design snow goggles. Students experiment a hand lens to study the frost created....

Students construct a thermograph for maximum and minimum temperatures for the 2-week period. They illustrate how the earth's atmosphere is heated by convection and conduction currents and evaporation of water.

Equip young campers with important survival knowledge with a set of engaging lessons. Teammates work together to complete three outdoor activities, which include building a shelter, starting a campfire, and finding directions in the...

How do the moon, sun, and Earth line up to create eclipses? Why do the seasons change throughout a year? The answers to these questions are explained through this series of slides. This apt presentation outlines information using bullet...

Youngsters compare the heat-holding abilities of three different cans by insulating two with different materials and measuring the temperature change of hot water over a 20-minute period. 

Ninth graders research the average temperature and precipitation of a prairie region to determine the type of climate it is, and how it differs from other biomes. They examine the types of adaptions animals have made to live in the...

Controlling the efficiency of a greenhouse is a mathematical task. A collaborative project challenges learners to create an efficiency plan for a closed greenhouse. Using algebraic equations, they consider a set of constraints, design...

Students investigate the greenhouse effect and examine the potential effects of climate change in the Arctic. They construct a mini-greenhouse and test its effect on temperature, analyze historical climate statistics, and conduct an...

Where is the hottest place on Earth, and how can scientists prove it? The video discusses multiple methods for measuring the temperatures across the planet. Then it discusses the hottest places measured by each method and their accuracy....

Rainforests are the topic of this brief reading passage. Learners can find out all about the different layers of the rainforest as well as the types of creatures that live there. After reading, they respond to five questions about the text.

Students research about glacial ice melting on the four major spheres of the Earth. In this earth science lesson, students explain how this process relates to global warming. They create a presentation and share their findings with the...

Students explore the seasonal changes in Costa Rica.  In this dry season lesson students use the Internet to locate science data then generate data for precipitation. 

What do brown bears in Alaska's Katmai National Park need to survive? Pupils explore the unique habitats, diet, and survival needs of this animal. They predict the consequences of removing any integral part of the bear's survival,...

Ozone gas absorbs the harmful UV-B rays and helps protect humans. An informative presentation begins with the layers of the earth's atmosphere, the pressure and temperature in each of the layers, the ozone layer, the ozone cycle,...

Students examine NASA satellite observations of surface temperature and investigate the seasonal changes of land and water temperature.

Pupils observe which of ten types of clouds are visible and how much of the sky is cloud covered. They see that by observing clouds, we can get information about temperature, moisture, and wind conditions in different places in the...

Questions that can be used in a instructional activity on Earth's radiation balance are suggested in this resource. It is not a lesson plan, per se, but it is a list of questions for stations within a "Gallery Walk" instructional...

Fourth graders discuss and identify the components of photosynthesis and the products of this process. They participate in a class discussion about the importance of oxygen, and in small groups act out the process of photosynthesis. ...

Students demonstrate that light and dark colored objects absorb the sun's radiation at different rates. They experiment with the temperature change of water in two locations and discuss the results.

Students explore the solar cycle through a series of experiments. In this space science instructional activity, students construct and evaluate solar cycle graphs. They explain how this phenomenon affects the Earth.

Learners explain how moon phases occur. They describe and explain at least two common misconceptions that people have about the moon. Students explain what a star is. They explain 3 ways that the night sky has been used throughout history.

Students participate in an outdoor activity in which they make direct but safe observations of the Sun. Students use a solar cell and voltmeter apparatus to collect data on the amount of DC voltage produced by the solar cell during a...

Students investigate the different levels of the rain forest by comparing it to an apartment.  In this ecology lesson, students practice using forest related vocabulary words and complete a vocabulary data sheet.  Students...