Tracking the Sun

Middle schoolers track and record data on the Sun's position in the sky and on the output of a solar panel tracking the Sun. On a second day, students graph and analyze the data to identify relationships between (1) the time of day, (2)...

Middle schoolers determine just how large the sun is. In this solar system lesson, students follow the prescribed steps to draw a box that represents the size of the sun and its mass compared to the entire solar system.

Students experiment with photovoltaic cells and determine the energy use of their appliances. In this renewable energy lesson, students calculate the energy emitted by a photovoltaic cell through an inquiry-based lab. They keep track of...

Ever made solar s'mores? Or recreated the solar system using peanuts? Astronomers young and old investigate all things solar using a variety of activities. Explore how the sun works, types of light it emits, and methods of charting the...

Where in the universe are we now? Teach your future astronauts and astronomers about the Ecliptic, the imaginary line that tracks the Earth's rotation throughout the year. 

In this first part of a two-part lesson, learners track and record the sun's azimuth using a solar panel. They graph and analyze the data to identify relationships among the time of day, the altitude and azimuth of the sun, and the...

According to some ancient Mesopotamians, "The sun was put to shame" during a 14th century total solar eclipse. How can the moon, which is 400 times smaller than the sun, completely cover it? This video demonstrates the answer...

Students study the apparent motion of the Sun in the sky over the course of a day and a year, and analyze what causes seasons on Earth. They participate in a project that has both a science as well as an art component.

Why do planets orbit the sun in ellipses when moons orbit their planet in circles? Pupils control the semi-major axis, eccentricity of the orbit, and position angle. The resulting orbital appears with the related force vectors as...

Students create a sundial and track the movement of the sun throughout the day. Modifications to the lesson are provided for both lower and upper elementary students.