This afterschool curriculum includes six lessons plus supplementary materials (e.g., videos, PowerPoint presentations, and images) that explore how light from the electromagnetic spectrum is used as a tool for learning about the Sun. The curriculum... (View More) is designed to be flexible to meet the needs of afterschool programs and includes recommendations for partial implementation based on time constraints. It was specifically designed to engage girls in science. (View Less)

This is an online lesson associated with activities during Solar Week, a twice-yearly event in March and October during which classrooms are able to interact with scientists studying the Sun. Outside of Solar Week, information, activities, and... (View More) resources are archived and available online at any time. This is an activity about measurements of solar activity. Learners will observe an image of the Sun and sketch major features, plot data to begin to recognize patterns of solar activity, look for long-term patterns in graphed data, compare X-ray and visible light images of the Sun to find solar features common to both sets of images, and make a prediction of what the Sun will look like in a visible light image after observing an X-ray image taken on the same day. This activity is scheduled to occur during Monday of Solar Week. (View Less)

Learners will create a flip book that shows solar flares erupting from the Sun. This activity is from the DIY Sun Science app and is for ages 7 and up.

Learners will use hot and cold water to see how fluids at different temperature move around in convection currents. This activity is from the DIY Sun Science app and is for ages 10 and up.

Learners will build a magnetometer, an instrument that can measure slight changes in Earth’s magnetic field that are caused by solar storms. This activity is from the DIY Sun Science app and is for ages 13 and up.

Learners will build a solar oven and use it to bake s’mores. This activity is from the DIY Sun Science app and is for ages 10 and up. It requires a bright sunny day.

If you’ve ever seen a picture of a solar eclipse, you may have noticed that the Moon comes very close to covering the entire Sun. Learners will use a coin and a plate to investigate why the Sun and Moon look like they’re the same size, though... (View More) the Sun is much bigger. This activity is from the DIY Sun Science app and is for ages 7 and up. (View Less)

Learners will use candy pieces and a cookie to make an accurate model of the Sun that they can eat. This activity is from the DIY Sun Science app and is for ages 7 and up.