Our atmosphere is pretty amazing! How does it minimize the effects of solar weather? Scholars discover Earth's first line of defense against the sun—the magnetosphere. The activity, one of several in a sun unit from NOVA, explains how the magnetized layer deflects ejected plasma.

Concepts

the sun, the earth's magnetic field, the earth's atmosphere, solar storms, solar wind, charged particles, plasma, auroras

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Additional Tags

science

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Instructional Ideas

• Incorporate an article about the world's first recorded solar storm, the Carrington Event of 1859, into the lesson
• Use the last of the discussion questions as a homework assignment to give pupils time to brainstorm answers
  

Classroom Considerations

• As the content is a little intense, reassure learners that powerful solar activity is infrequent and is closely monitored
  

Pros

• The diagrams of Earth's magnetosphere are well-drawn and helpful for viewers
• Resource contains the a-ha moment where students discover where auroras come from
  

Cons

• None

Common Core

SL.6.2 SL.7.2 SL.9-10.2