This lesson is an introduction to the use of a magnetic compass. At a specific location, learners will locate an object using a compass, identify its bearing, and others will attempt to locate the object by only knowing the bearing reading and the... (View More) corresponding location where the bearing was obtained. Next, learners will develop a method for determining if a magnetic storm is occurring, and they will test this method using online information and a compass. This activity requires compasses and access to the Internet. This is Activity 5 in the Exploring Magnetism on Earth teachers guide. (View Less)

This is a lesson that uses the study of sunspots to show how a scientific theory develops and how current technology might be used to support it. Learners will use E.W. Maunder's theory regarding the correlation between the numbers of sunspots and... (View More) Earth's climate by considering a set of clues based on Maunder's data. Three activities are included, starting with graphing over 387 years of sunspot data, investigating climate and possible sunspot connections to literature, history and the arts, and, finally, introducing what tree rings can tell us about climate history. (View Less)

This is a lesson plan for an activity about the nature of the Sun's apparent motion throughout the day. Learners will follow detailed instructions to construct a sundial using everyday materials and make measurements of the shadow cast by the... (View More) sundial. Learners use the shadow cast by the sundial to track the motion of the Sun throughout the day and use these measurements, geometry, and trigonometry to make calculations of altitude and azimuth of the Sun, as well as the time of true local noon and the altitude of the Sun at true local noon. Measurements can be taken during one day only, for a few days, or on many days throughout an entire year to get a more complete picture of the Sun’s apparent motion. This activity requires daytime access to a sunny outdoor location over the course of several hours. This is an activity in the Touch the Sun teacher's guide. (View Less)

This is an activity about the effect of solar storm events on Earth's magnetic field. Learners will construct a soda bottle magnetometer, take it home, collect data over the course of three days, and analyze the results from several of these data... (View More) collection sessions to detect magnetic storm events. This is the eighth activity in the Exploring the Earth's Magnetic Field: An IMAGE Satellite Guide to the Magnetosphere educators guide. (View Less)

This is an activity about the movement of sunspots. Learners will project an image of the Sun using a telescope, binoculars, or a pinhole projector, observe and record sunspots over the course of several days, and calculate the speed of the observed... (View More) sunspots to, therefore, determine the rotation rate of the Sun. This activity is from the Touch the Sun educator guide. (View Less)