In this activity students study various features of the Sun in order to understand how the Sun varies. Students will learn that the Sun contains many complex features and compare this to their own prior knowledge about the Sun. Features studied include sunspots, plages, solar flares, prominences, filaments, the corona, helmet streamers, and coronal holes. Educational levels: Middle school

Beverly Meier

English

Digital Library for Earth System Education

1 Teacher Guide, Activity 1:
Features of the Sun
© Space Science Institute, 1999.  All Rights Reserved.
ACTIVITY 1:
FEATURES OF THE SUN
Saturn and its Moons
Its orbit around the Sun
Other factors affecting
density and mass
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¢¢¢¢ Guide to Teachers
This activity introduces Solarscapes and allows students to learn about various
features on the Sun, including sunspots.  It functions as a DISCUSS phase for the
Solarscapes unit overall.
Goal:  Students will learn
that the Sun contains many
complex features and com-
pare this to their own prior
knowledge about the Sun.
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• One copy of the student activity, “Features of the Sun” (included)
• A  schematic diagram of the Sun (Figure 1) and two sets of images that
illustrate the Sun as seen in different wavelengths (Figures 2 and 3, included)
• A photocopy of the student activity, preferably one copy per student.  Provide
the worksheet first, then the rest of the text once students have drawn their
initial picture of the Sun
• One photocopy of labels per group of students (original included)
• Colored pencils
• Scissors
• Large sections of paper (newsprint, etc.)
MATERIALS NEEDED
Caution:  Never look directly at the Sun.  To view the Sun,
project an image through a card or sheet of notebook paper,
pierced with pin sized hole, onto a sheet of white paper.  The
Sun’s inverted image will appear on the paper below.
2 Teacher Guide, Activity 1:
Features of the Sun
© Space Science Institute, 1999.  All Rights Reserved.
Procedure:
DISCUSS:  Ask the class to discuss what they know about the Sun and what they would
like to know.  Brainstorm a list of ideas and ask the students to record this list in their
notebooks.  Working in groups of three or four, have students draw the Sun with as many
features as they know about, and make a list of those features.  Students are to write
down these ideas and copy the group diagram in the space provided in their STUDENT
WORKSHEET.
EXPLORE:  After that, ask the students to read the “Features of the Sun” (in the
Student Guide section).  Have them compare what they read to their picture.  As they
read, they are to locate the boldface words from the reading that are on the accompanying
schematic diagram titled “The Sun” (Figure 1).
APPLY:  Students are to place labels of the Sun’s features provided on the photographs
in Figures 2 and 3 so that the arrow on the label points to the name of the feature where it
is located.  They are to identify as many different features in the time allowed (including
locating the same feature on as many different photographs as possible).
REFLECT:  On a large sheet of paper, each group of students is to draw and color a
sketch for the exterior features of the Sun that were identified on the photos.  The draw-
ings are to be as realistic as possible.  They then compare their new drawing to their
initial drawing.  How many features did they know about and how many were new?
Students are to write down their comparison.  The drawings are to be posted and students
are to take a “wisdom walk” (without talking, go around the room and view the other
group drawings).  Students then are to use Think-Pair-Share with a member of another
group to briefly discuss what they observed during the wisdom walk.  Observations on
what they learned are to be recorded in their portfolio notebooks, along with questions
they have.  Students are also to write a short essay to be turned into the teacher that
answers the “Problem” question(s) at the beginning of this activity.
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3 Teacher Guide, Activity 1:
Features of the Sun
© Space Science Institute, 1999.  All Rights Reserved.
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Features of the Sun
© Space Science Institute, 1999.  All Rights Reserved.
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Features of the Sun

http://www.spaceweathercenter.org/education/02/solarscapes/Act1t.pdf

Features of the Sun

Abstract

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Digital Library for Earth System Education