Learners will explore aspects of the Sun and solar activity by modeling them as solar cupcakes. Information and imagery are supplied to learn about the Sun, solar activity, eclipses, transits, observing the Sun, and the color of the Sun at different... (View More) times of the day. Links to resources are also provided that highlight NASA's solar missions and where to learn more about the Sun. (View Less)

This Flash-based interactive provides access to illustrations, visualizations, videos, and near-real time images of the Sun from a variety of NASA satellites. Learners can access this information to supplement other materials related to the Sun and... (View More) heliophysics. A scale tool with the size of the Earth is also presented with the solar images. (View Less)

Carl Sagan once claimed that the most important lesson we learn from studying the stars is perspective. To address this concept, this activity offers a scale model of the solar system to be evaluated. There are many versions of solar system scale... (View More) models available; this one is unique for its large scale chosen, the quality of the scaled objects, and the supplementary materials and information provided. The model is extended to include interaction and discovery on the part of learners, and suggested extensions. The set of materials includes a book about the solar system, developed from NASA's "From Earth to the Solar System" (FETTSS) imagery, and appropriate for use with the model. (View Less)

Explore the size relationship between the sun and Earth by using tape and stickers. Learners estimate, then place and count the number of one-inch diameter stickers (representing Earths) that would fit across the diameter of a nine-foot circle of... (View More) tape (representing the sun). The relative size of each becomes visually apparent. Related Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are listed. (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.