Rice University
Characteristics of the Sun
After reading about how the sun gets its energy, and about the layers and features of the sun's atmosphere, heliologists complete a comprehension worksheet. On it, they label features on a diagram of the sun and match terms from the...
Curated OER
Astronomy - Sun, Moon, Tides
Colorful in appearance, but without any photos or graphics, this PowerPoint is best used as a note-taking guide for your lecture. Viewers in your earth science class will discover characteristics and phases of the moon, its role in...
Space Awareness
Meet Our Neighbors: Sun
The sun isn't just a ball of yellow! Young scientists learn about the features of the sun using a hands-on modeling activity. They build models of the sun using common household items to represent sunspots, solar prominence, and the...
Curated OER
Our Intriguing Star, the Sun!
Explore the sun in a lesson plan about space. The lesson spans ten weeks, with students performing activities to answer weekly questions about the Sun and Earth.
Space Awareness
Sun, Earth and Moon Model
The moon orbits Earth while the Earth is rotating, and the Earth revolves around the sun. This can be a tricky concept for young astronomers. Implement an activity that helps distinguish between the movements of Earth's systems around...
Curated OER
The Sun's Energy
Sixth graders examine how the sun's energy arrives as light with a range of wavelengths. They discuss the characteristics of light, examine the color of light using a spectroscope, and conduct an experiment using water and thermometers....
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A Raisin In The Sun
Tenth graders complete a brief journal entry explaining what they would do with one million dollars. They read and discuss "Dream Deferred" by Langston Hughes. Students finish reading Act I of A Raisin In The Sun and identify the...
Curated OER
Solar Kit Lesson #9 - Properties of Solar Radiation: Reflection, Transmission, and Absorption
Middle school science stars observe and record data on the solar radiation reflected off or transmitted through various materials. They predict properties for various materials, and test their predictions by touch. This lesson becomes...
Curated OER
Sun and Moon Folktale
Students become familiar with characteristics of folktales by reading or listening to African folktale that explains why sun and moon live in the sky. Students then create their own folktales about the sun and moon or another aspect of...
Curated OER
The Sun
In this sun worksheet, students are given a diagram of 8 structures of the sun and they label each structure with a given term. They also fill in 8 blanks to complete sentences about the sun, its characteristics and the layers of its...
Curated OER
Cooking with the Sun
Students explore using energy from the sun for heating and cooking as they build and compare the performance of four solar cooker designs. This excellent two-day activity has groups of students build and test a variety of solar cookers....
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How Grandmother Spider Stole the Sun
Learners explore U.S. history by reading a Native American tale in class. In this cultural storytelling instructional activity, students read the story How Grandmother Spider Stole the Sun and discuss the characters and themes of the...
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Aztec Sun God Sculpture
Students create their own Sun God Sculptures. In this Aztec art lesson, students create their own Sun God Sculpture. After finishing the project sudents compare and contrast their sculpture to the pictures of the Aztec's sculpture.
National Wildlife Federation
Summer Midnight Sun
Sunlight hours and climate have a clear connection. Young researchers collect data about the sunrise and sunset times in an Arctic climate as well as the average temperatures. They then graph their data to make connections between the...
Curated OER
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.
Curated OER
Earth, Sun and Moon
Learners 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. Learners view a flashlight and...
Curated OER
Identity in A Raisin in the Sun
Ninth graders read the play, "A Raisin in the Sun," and participate in a class discussion about "identity." They discuss racial identity and examine and interpret how community influences a personal identity. They demonstrate how...
Curated OER
once and future MOON
Beyond the phases of the moon, this comprehensive lesson plan covers geologic history and geology. Amateur astronauts examine photos of the lunar landscape, experiment with the creation of craters, and delve into information about the...
Curated OER
Our Solar System
Students study the Earth and Solar System through a variety of activities. They compile a coloring book show the characteristics of the Sun and nine planets.
Curated OER
Sunny Symbols
After listening to a series of stories about signs and symbols associated with the United States, pupils discuss the importance of the sun in Native American legends and as a representation of New Mexico. As part of this exploration,...
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Bears
Students study polar bears and their characteristics. In this bears instructional activity students divide into groups and design a model that shows the effectiveness of their layers that keep them warm.
Alabama Learning Exchange
The Solar System
Students explore the Solar System. In this cross-curriculum space instructional activity, students identify the planets, name them in order according to distance from the sun, and describe major characteristics of each planet. Students...
Curated OER
Explore the Characteristics of Stars with Microsoft WorldWide Telescope
Students explore the characteristics of stars. In this space science activity, students use the Microsoft WorldWide Telescope program to identify the properties of stars and identify the stars in the galaxy.
Curated OER
Earth, Sun, and Moon
Learners participate in a demonstration and complete an online activity that illustrates the earth orbits the sun once a year, and that the moon takes approximately 28 days to orbit the earth.