Lesson Plan
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What Makes Shadows? Observing and Drawing Shadows

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Young scholars make accurate drawings of a classmate's shadow. They note position of the sun in the sky. They identify a connection between the direction of the shadow and the location of the sun. They observe changes in shadows over time.
Lesson Plan
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Solar Effects on Global Warming

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students explore the greenhouse effect and how it affects our climate.  In this global warming instructional activity students draw the sun and label features and describe the effects of the sun's energy on the world. 
Lesson Plan
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Modeling the Change of Seasons

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students evaluate data to determine changes in length of day. They model the revolution of Earth around the sun to show changes in length of day and sun angle and illustrate how the sun angle affects the change of season.
Worksheet
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Stars in Your Eyes

For Students 6th - 9th
In this solar system learning exercise, students answer 20 short answer questions about the stars, the planets, the sun and moon, meteorites and constellations.
Lesson Plan
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Bringing the Solar System to Life

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Students walk marked paths as they simulate the orbit of the planets.  In this solar system lesson, students recognize the relationship between the sun and the planets.  Students visualize how the phases of the moon are seen.
Worksheet
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Distances Between Stars

For Students 8th - 11th
For this distance between stars worksheet, students use the 3-dimensional distance formula and Cartesian coordinates to find the distances of 10 given stars from the sun. They also determine which constellation each star belongs to and...
Lesson Plan
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CONVECTION

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students experiment to produce a visual convection current in the classroom and compare it to the images taken of convection cells in the Sun. They analyze the source of the Sun's energy and this type of energy transport.
Activity
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Star Brightness

For Students 9th - 12th
In this brightness of stars worksheet, high schoolers answer 7 questions about the apparent magnitudes of stars, the sun, and the moon. They compare the brightness of stars, galaxies, astronomical objects and the sun.
Worksheet
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How Hot is that Planet?

For Students 9th - 12th
In this planet worksheet, students read about finding the temperature of a planet using the distance to its star, its reflectivity and the luminosity of the star. Students use a given equation to determine the surface...
Worksheet
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The Transit of Mercury

For Students 8th - 10th
In this transit of Mercury learning exercise, students read about Earth and Mercury lining up so that Mercury passes across the disk of the sun from the Earth's view. Students solve 3 problems and they determine the diameter of the solar...
Lesson Plan
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Our Neighborhood in the Milky Way

For Teachers 9th - 11th
For this Milky Way galaxy worksheet, students are given a table of distances and angles of nebulae and star clusters from the sun. Students plot each one on a piece of paper and solve 2 problems using the data.
Lesson Plan
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Astronomy with a Stick

For Teachers 6th - 11th
Students describe the movement of the Earth as it relates to the sun and formulate a hypothesis for the movement and the changing length of the shadow. They express the relationship between the sun and the Earth and how that causes the...
Lesson Plan
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Food Chain

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Students discuss what makes plants grow and who eats the plants. They are asked where do we get all of our energy? Students are asked to draw and label a picture of the sun in the center of the yellow strip of paper. They are explained...
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A New Slant On The Seasons

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students identify how the tilt and position of the Earth causes the seasons. After a discussion of the seasons and when they begin. Using themselves as the objects in the universe, they role play how the rotational movement of the...
Lesson Plan
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Taking a Voyage away from Home

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students experience and participate in a journey through a "Voyage" exhibition of the Solar System and the frontier it covers. They build a dynamic model of the Earth and Sun. Descriptions are given on the relative sizes of the Sun and...
Lesson Plan
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Solar Oven

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders design two different solar ovens to learn about heat transfer. They investigate the movement of heat between objects by conduction, convection, and radiation. They become aware of things they can't control, like the...
Worksheet
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Seeing Solar Storms in STEREO-I

For Students 8th - 10th
In this geometric calculations of solar storms activity, students use a diagram indicating the location of 2 STEREO satellites, the earth and the sun to calculate the distance between a Coronal Mass Ejection and the Earth. They use...
Worksheet
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An application of the Parallax Effect

For Students 9th - 12th
In this parallax effect worksheet, high schoolers observe 2 photographs taken of an active area of the sun by 2 STEREO satellites and 1 photograph taken of the same active area of the sun by the SOHO satellite. Students observe the shift...
Worksheet
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Application of Scientific Notation

For Students 8th - 10th
In this scientific notation activity, students solve eight problems about the sun, the planets and the universe using very large numbers expressed in scientific notation.
Lesson Plan
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Lunar Lollipops

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students work with a partner, Styrofoam ball and light source to simulate the positions of the Earth, Moon and Sun at various stages during the phases of the Moon. They describe why the Moon is visible from Earth and complete a worksheet.
Lesson Plan
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How Far Away Are the Planets?

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students name nine planets in order, describe some notable characteristics of the planets, explain how distance from the sun may affect these characteristics, and create solar system models.
Lesson Plan
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Seasons

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students investigate the reason for seasons on Earth during three activities. They construct a model of the Earth and Sun to identify patterns in the changes of the angle of light on the Earth's surface. Then they conduct a heat...
Lesson Plan
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The Magic School Bus Gets Eaten

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students learn along with Ms. Frizzle's class. In this Magic School Bus lesson plan, students eat while they act as links in the food chain. Popcorn bags stand for food energy that is passed along the links in a food chain from the sun,...
Lesson Plan
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Solar S’Mores

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Learners use the energy of the sun to make s'mores. In this solar energy lesson, students gather the listed materials and follow the procedures to find out if they can make s'mores using solar energy.

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