Our Amazing Sun
Teacher’s Guide
Grade Level: 6–8
Curriculum Focus: Space Science
Lesson Duration: Two class periods
Program Description
Our Amazing Sun—This program is a thorough, detailed exploration of the sun, accompanied by
spectacular photos and animation. The narration begins with basic facts about the sun, its size, and
its relationship to the planets in the solar system. Viewers then travel through the layers of the sun,
from its core to its corona and beyond. The program explains what a solar eclipse reveals about the
sun and demonstrates the safe way to observe an eclipse. Next the program describes dramatic
solar phenomena: sunspots, prominences, solar flares, coronal loops, “sunquakes,” coronal mass
ejections (CMEs), and auroras. The program looks at the satellites that are currently gathering data
about the sun. It concludes with a list of questions scientists hope the data will help answer.
Discussion Questions
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How does the sun compare to the Earth, in terms of size, location, composition, and
temperature?
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Why are some layers of the sun hotter than others?
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What events take place on the surface and in the atmosphere of the sun?
•
What forms of technology do scientists use to study the sun?
Lesson Plan
Student Objectives
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Recall facts about the sun and explain the sun’s importance to the solar system.
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Describe events that take place on the surface and in the atmosphere of the sun.
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Create a poster, mural, or computer animation that presents facts about the sun in visual form.
Materials
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Our Amazing Sun video and VCR, or DVD and DVD player, or access to the program in
downloadable or streaming format online
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Computer with Internet access
Our Amazing Sun
Teacher’s Guide
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Print resources about the sun, including encyclopedia and science magazine articles and science
textbook entries
Procedures
1. Before students view the program, explain that they will hear many facts and that even more
information will be conveyed through pictures and animations. Suggest that students watch
some sections more than once to get all the details. Encourage them to write facts and key
words and to sketch diagrams as they watch and listen.
2. After students have viewed the program, ask them to recall details and draw conclusions from
what they saw and heard. The following are suggestions for how to review key facts.
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Ask students to recall how big the sun is compared to the Earth and how hot the sun is.
(Students should recall that the sun is 100 times larger than the Earth and that its inner
core reaches temperatures of 15 million degrees Celsius.)
•
Challenge individuals or teams to list all the facts about the sun that they can recall from
the program. Students may use any notes they took during viewing. Then have students
exchange papers, go back to the program, and check each other’s work for accuracy.
•
Challenge individuals or teams to prepare questions based on facts in the program.
Have teams take turns asking the questions and verifying the answers.
3. Ask students to recall the dramatic footage of solar events that they saw in the program:
sunspots, prominences, solar flares, coronal loops, “sunquakes,” coronal mass ejections (CMEs),
and auroras. Have them name the events and describe what happens when each event takes
place. Ask them to identify the common source of all these events (heat energy). Students
should also be able to describe known and probable effects of solar events on the Earth. (For
example, students should recall that sunspots, solar winds, and CMEs are thought to influence
the Earth’s climate.) Ask volunteers to share insights into solar events that they gained by
looking at the pictures and animations.
4. Have students use print and Web resources to research the sun and solar events. As they
research, encourage students to pay special attention to pictures, animations, and live videos.
Have them copy or print the diagrams they think teach most effectively about the sun. The
following Web sites are good starting points.
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American Institute of Physics: The Solar System
http://www.aip.org/radio/category8.html
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San Francisco Exploratorium: Space Weather Research Explorer
http://www.exploratorium.edu/spaceweather/index.html
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Jefferson Lab: Science Vocabulary Hangman Game (Select word sets under
“Astronomy.”)
http://education.jlab.org/vocabhangman/
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Our Amazing Sun
Teacher’s Guide
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National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA) Earth Observatory
http://Earthobservatory.nasa.gov/
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NASA for Students (Search for “Sun.”)
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/5-8/features/index.html
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NASA’s Cosmicopia: The Sun
http://helios.gsfc.nasa.gov/sun.html
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NOAA Photo Library
http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/collections.html
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The Planetary Society: A Solar System Primer (Select “Sun.”)
http://www.planetary.org/learn/primer/
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University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR): Windows to the Universe
(Select “Our Solar System.”)
http://www.windows.ucar.edu/
5. After students have completed their research, ask them to create posters, murals, or computer
animations that present facts about the sun in visual form, using information and visual ideas
from their research. Assign different aspects of the sun or solar events to different teams.
6. Have students or teams cooperate to arrange a hallway display of all their posters, murals, and
animations. Invite students from other classrooms to visit the displays.
Assessment
Use the following three-point rubric to evaluate students’ work during this lesson.
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3 points: Students were highly engaged in class discussions; recalled most significant details
from the program; followed directions for online research; produced accurate posters,
murals, or computer animations about the sun and worked well with other students.
•
2 points: Students participated in class discussions; recalled some significant details from
the program; followed most directions for online research; produced adequate posters,
murals, or computer animations about the sun and worked acceptably with other students.
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1 point: Students participated minimally in class discussions; recalled few significant details
from the program; did not follow directions for online research; did not produce adequate
posters, murals, or computer animations and did not cooperate with other students.
Vocabulary
aurora
Definition: A curtain of light across the Earth’s polar sky, caused by solar rays hitting the
atmosphere at an angle
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Our Amazing Sun
Teacher’s Guide
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Context: A common term for auroras is “the northern lights.”
chromosphere
Definition: The inner and thicker layer of the sun’s atmosphere
Context: The sun’s chromosphere is about 2000 kilometers thick.
convection zone
Definition: The layer of the sun that lies between the radiation zone and the photosphere,
consisting of large cells of sinking and rising gases
Context: The convection zone carries heat and radiation from the core to the surface of the sun.
core
Definition: The innermost layer of the sun, where the nuclear reactions that heat the sun take
place.
Context: The sun’s core can reach temperatures of up to 15 million degrees Celsius.
corona
Definition: The outer layer of the sun’s atmosphere
Context: The sun’s corona is actually much hotter than the surface of the sun.
coronal loop
Definition: An arching, looping fountain of hot gas erupting from the sun’s surface
Context: Coronal loops help keep the corona at a very high temperature.
coronal mass ejection (CME)
Definition: An abrupt, dramatic flow of solar wind strong enough to cause disturbances in the
atmosphere of the Earth
Context: A CME can be strong enough to penetrate the Earth’s magnetosphere.
eclipse
Definition: An astronomical event during which a heavenly body or its shadow obscures the
view of another heavenly body
Context: In a total solar eclipse, the moon comes directly between the Earth and the sun, blotting
out everything except the sun’s corona.
magnetosphere
Definition: A thin shield of magnetic activity that surrounds the Earth’s atmosphere
Context: The magnetosphere usually protects the Earth from radiation, but the shield can be
penetrated by CMEs.
photosphere
Definition: The outer surface of the sun, the part of the sun that we can see
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Our Amazing Sun
Teacher’s Guide
Context: Under a telescope, the photosphere is covered with cells that look grainy.
prominence
Definition: An enormous formation of gas that rises above the surface of the sun
Context: Coronal loops and solar flares are two examples of prominences.
radiation zone
Definition: The area of the sun that surrounds the core
Context: In the radiation zone, the gases formed in the core begin to cool.
solar flare
Definition: A sudden release of energy that sends a long spume of hot gas high into the sun’s
atmosphere
Context: One solar flare can have the same force as 10 million volcanic eruptions on the Earth.
solar wind
Definition: A large blast of hot air caused by flares and other events on the sun’s surface
Context: Satellites are helping scientist record the effects of solar winds on the Earth’s
environment.
sunspots
Definition: Areas of lower temperature on the surface of the sun
Context: The lower temperatures and denser composition of sunspots makes them appear
darker through the telescope.
Academic Standards
National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences provides guidelines for teaching science in grades K–12 to
promote scientific literacy. To view the standards, visit this Web site:
http://books.nap.edu/html/nses/html/overview.html#content.
This lesson plan addresses the following national standards:
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Earth and Space Science: Earth in the solar system
Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL)
McREL’s Content Knowledge: A Compendium of Standards and Benchmarks for K–12 Education
addresses 14 content areas. To view the standards and benchmarks, visit
http://www.mcrel.org/compendium/browse.asp.
This lesson plan addresses the following national standard:
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Earth and Space Sciences: Understands the composition and structure of the universe and
the Earth’s place in it
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Our Amazing Sun
Teacher’s Guide
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Language Arts—Viewing: uses viewing skills and strategies to understand and interpret
visual media
Support Materials
Develop custom worksheets, educational puzzles, online quizzes, and more with the free teaching tools
offered on the DiscoverySchool.com Web site. Create and print support materials, or save them to a
Custom Classroom account for future use. To learn more, visit
http://school.discovery.com/teachingtools/teachingtools.html.
Credit
Judith Conaway, curriculum writer, editor, and instructional designer
Published by Discovery Education. © 2005. All rights reserved.