The Magnetic Sun

Why is the sun round? Examine this question, and others, with your pupils while teaching them how to live in a more earth-friendly environment. Pupils explore Sun composition and discuss how solar wind, sunspots, and solar energy affects...

What do magnetic fields look like? The best way to learn about magnetic fields is to try identifying them for yourself. Scholars will understand the importance of magnetic fields after completing this experiment. The extension activities...

Students follow steps to build a simple version of a magnetometer, an instrument capable of detecting areas of strong magnetic field. Students use the magnetometer to investigate models of the Sun and examine images of the Sun.

In this Sun-Earth system worksheet, students fill in blanks with the proper terms from a given list to complete a summary of the relationship between the Sun and the Earth. A major topic includes how solar storms effect the Earth and the...

In this magnetic energy worksheet, students are given the formula to calculate the magnetic energy of an object. They use the formula to solve for the magnetic energy of the Earth, a geotail, the Sun, and a solar prominence given their...

How does the sun give us light and heat? Discover what's really going on inside the centerpiece of our solar system in a brief video. The content includes common misconceptions about the sun's source of energy, how the simple elements...

Sunspots, solar flares, coronal mass ejections ... why is the sun so stirred up? Scholars watch animations of the interaction between moving plasma and magnetic fields and discuss the sun's behavior. The activity, part of NOVA's sun...

Solar storms is the topic of part four of the five-part series on the secrets of the sun. Learn about auroras, CMEs, solar flares and the damage it could cause here on Earth. The most interesting fact in this clip is the fact that solar...

Looking for a sun-sational multi-lesson plan full of videos, simulations, and discussion? Introduce your young scientists to all things solar with a four-part hands-on adventure. Pupils learn the basics of solar anatomy, space weather,...

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...