For Educators- Stanford Solar Center

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For Educators

Here you will find a collection of multi-disciplinary, interactive exercises and activities based on the Sun and solar science, most geared to grades 4-12. Most of these have been aligned to science standards and approved by the NASA Product Review process.


		Highlights
		Spectroscopes: The Stanford Solar Center has developed punch-out spectroscopes suitable for grades 4-12. To support these instruments, we have also developed a number of educational resources including PowerPoints, comics, videos, Check out the "Build Your own Spectrograph" activity below. Spectrographs can be obtained through the non-profit group Astronomers Without Borders. For information: How to order spectroscopes.
		SuperSID Monitors: Want a scientific instrument for your classroom, so your students can collect and analyze authentic scientific data? Check out our SID Space Weather Monitors. These instruments are available to educational sites at very low cost through the The Society of Amateur Radio Astronomers (SARA). Contact them to order a SuperSID monitor.


		Activities

Build Your Own Spectrograph
Students build a working spectrograph to study the nature of light. (Younger students use a prism to learn about the rainbow.)

Grades 2-4, 5-12

Experiment with UV-Sensitive Beads
Students use inexpensive UV-sensitive plastic beads to learn about "invisible" UV light - what it is, where does it come from, how we can detect it, and what effects does it have upon us and our Earth. Surprises await when using the beads on cloudy days.

Grades K-12

Learn or Teach about Moon Phases
Use our simple Moon Phase activity to teach your students what causes the phases of the Moon. Or, learn about using Active Engagement, Think-Pair-Share, or signal cards to teach the phases of the Moon. Or, if you are an informal science educator, use our Drive-By Science Moon Phase activity when you cannot darken a room.

Grades 4-14

Learn or Teach about magnetism and how it relates to solar activity
We have a Powerpoint presentation and set of activities to teach the concepts of magnetism necessary to understand solar activity (which is caused by magnetic fields on the Sun). The extensive Teacher Guide will walk you through the process and provide you with the instructional concepts and imagery you may need. Your students will need magnets and other supplies, but we give you ideas on how to either make these or obtain them inexpensively.

Grades 6-12

SuperSID Space Weather Monitoring Instruments
High school students obtain working scientific instruments that detect solar flares when the flares disrupt the Earth's ionosphere. Extensive supporting materials help students install their instruments and perform their own research. These instruments are part of the United Nation's International Space Weather Inititiative and are being placed all over the world. The Society of Amateur Radio Astronomers (SARA) is distributing the monitors in conjunction with the Stanford Solar Center. For more information, contact SARA at: SuperSID at Radio-Astronomy dot org

Grades 9-14

Space Weather Curriculum and Presentation
Chabot Space & Science Center and Stanford Solar Center combined teams to produce a curriculum relating to space weather, what it is, how it works, and why we need to understand it and be prepared. Includes a 100+ curriculum (in English, Spanish, and Chinese) as well as a PowerPoint (not part of the curriculum) to understand space weather in more depth.

Grades 6-12

What Color is the Sun?
Teachers and informal presenters use NGSS science investigation processes to help participants discover and understand the color of the Sun.

Grades 4-adult

How Big, How Far, How Hot, How Old?
Can your students place a series of photographs in the correct order of how large the objects are? Or how far away they are, or how hot or old they are? This is a simple, intriguing activity that can be used to initiate discussion about astronomical objects. Tailor it to your needs.

Grades 4-adult

Our Solar System - Ancient Worlds, New Discoveries
Need a free book about the solar system for your classroom? This little book serves as a good introduction to the solar system, using dramatic imagery from NASA. Use it however you want!

Grades 4-12

Design Your Own Solar Cupcakes
Participants learn about the Sun and solar activity then model what they've learned by creating their own solar cupcakes.s.

Grades 5-9

Think Scientifically
Picture books with science, math, and language arts activities to help elementary school students understand scientific concepts. Also comes with teacher guides and lesson plans for elementary school teachers.

Grades 1-6

Scale Model of the Solar System
Need a dramatic way to help your students experience the vast distances and sizes of the Solar System? We address this issue on the large scale, building a model that could be placed throughout your community.

Grades 4-adult

Hearing the Sun
Students hear the Sun by listening to sounds generated from acoustical waves on the Sun. An animated video is provided to visualize the acoustic wave generation (by large scale solar granulation). Hands-on activities are suggested for younger students and in introduction to helioseismology provided for older students.

Grades 4-12

Sun Track Model
Trouble teaching the solstices and equinoxes? This little device models the Sun's rising points, setting points, and track through the sky on days of the solstices and equinoxes. Best tool we've ever used to demonstrate this difficult subject!

Grades 4-adult

Solar Math
An outstanding collection of authentic mathematical challenges devised by NASA's Sten Odenwald. These problems introduce students to the use of mathematics in today's solar science discoveries and feature a behind the scenes look at NASA press releases and discoveries. Problems range from simple scaling and proportions to algebra and calculus. Our collection represents an extraction of math problems relating to solar science. For the full collection, that covers topics spanning all NASA science and engineering activities, see Space Math at NASA

Grades 3-14

Observing the Sun for Yourself
Learn how to build a pinhole camera, project the Sun, obtain and use a simple SunSpotter telescope, access remote telescopes, observing eclipses, sketch sunpots, and more. Chosen as an NSTA SciLinks activity.

Grades K-14

Using SDO Data in the Classroom
A set of physics-based labs using data from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory mission. Developed by Chabot Community College in Hayward, CA for grades 12-14.

Grades 12-14

Suntrek's Classroom Projects using Real Solar Data
Cambridge University developed this set of math-based labs using data from ESA/NASA's Solar and Heliospheric Obseratory (SDO) and NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). For grades 9-10. Haytward, CA.

Grades 9-10

The Spinning Sun
Students determine the solar rotation period by using solar data to estimate, or using angular velocity to compute, the Sun's rotation rate. Chosen as an NSTA SciLinks activity.

Grades 6-14

Are Sunspots Really on the Sun?
Students measure sunspot speeds and shapes across the solar disc to determine whether the spots are on the Sun or are planets revolving around it (Galileo's dilemma). Includes pointer to hands-on demonstration of concepts.

Grades 5-12

Proving a Sun-centered Solar System
This activity is a low-cost method of demonstrating a heliocentric Solar System. It is also one of Galileo's observations using his telescope: the phases of Venus and its apparent diameter change, as it orbits the Sun. This was incontrovertible proof that the Sun was the center of our solar system.

Grades 2-5

Sunspot Races
Using daily solar images, students predict when spots will disappear or reappear from view on the solar disc.

Grades 3-5

Effects of the Sun on our Planet
Students experiment with plants, light, heat, and water evaporation. They experiment with solar cells to design a simple solar cooker, create a "solar-powered" method to perform a routine task, or build a parabolic solar collector. They explore radio signals during daytime and nighttime. Older students construct an ionosphere monitor to track solar storms and other changes in ionosphere

Grades 2-4, 5-8, 9-12

NOAA / NWS Education
This page from NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center has a section on Space Weather, reference papers, and a Classroom section with activities and accompanying reading materials.

Grades
7-12

SOHO Lesson Plans
Ten lesson plans on NASA's website for the SOHO spacecraft. Topics include sunspots, solar rotation, magnetic fields, orbits, solar wind, and convection cells.

Grades
6 -12

What is Science?
An undergraduate friend of ours in India became very frustrated with his university's overly-rigid and rote approach to teaching science. His response was to develop a presentation for his class on "What is Science", at least to him. We found it compelling. Do your students have a good idea of what science is and why they are learning it? If you don't know, perhaps you could ask them to develop their own version of this presentation.

Grades 11-16

An Interview with Mr. Sol
Students do some research on the Sun then, in pairs, generate an "interview" with The Star to determine how he (she?) works. An Example.

Grades 4-6

Solar Learning Activities
Sun-related, hands-on activities for teaching basic physical concepts of the Sun from Montana State University Solar Physics web site.

Grades 8-11

Helping Students Reach for the Stars
Detailed lesson plans for elementary school teachers from the Eye on the Sky Project.

Grades 1-3

Retrieving Solar Images

Students are instructed to use the web every day to retrieve a current solar image. Subsequent activities will show the students how to use the data for scientific purposes.

Grades
4-12

Solar Music
A lesson on using helioseismology to see inside our Sun. The Sun is filled with sound, and we can learn about its insides by studying this sound.

Grades K-3

The Galileo Challenge
Answer questions to learn how Galileo determined the Earth actually orbited the Sun, in spite of what the Catholic Church decreed.

Grades 6-8

Earth-based Solar Phenomena
Suggested questions and topics for research on ways the Sun affects our Earth. Touches on auroras, rainbows, sun pillars, the green flash, sun pillars, etc. Gives pointers for more detailed information. Primarily designed for individual exploration.

Grades 4-12

Make Your Own Sundial
An activity where students determine their latitute and construct a sundial.

Grades 4-8

Art Based on Science
Selection of images used to visualize or process scientific data. Images were chosen because of their visual appeal. However, class discussion could focus on techniques of data visualization and/or the physical properties described by the imagery. Have students develop imagery to describe their own (not necesssarily solar) data.

Grades
6-12

Solar Art, Literature, Poetry
Students are invited to generate and submit images, poetry, or literature inspired by the Sun or solar science. Submissions from students are displayed.

Grades
K-5+

Multicultural Solar Interpretations
A selection of information about folklore, ancient astronomy, rock art, and other interpretations of the Sun's connection with Earth. Designed to introduce the notion of various cultural approaches to interpreting the Sun.

Grades
K-12

Global Warming
To what extent does the Sun's variability contribute to global warming? Students are given guidelines and places to start for independent research projects on the causes and effects of global warming.

Grades
10-12

Magnetism and the Sun
Students will learn the basic principles of magnetism and how they apply to the Sun.

Grades
11-12