This demonstration shows that similar-appearing lights can be distinctly different, suggesting that the light emitted is generated in different ways. It requires some advance preparation/setup by the teacher and three recommended sources of orange light, that can be purchased at a hardware or department store. Includes extensions and additional background information on light generation in a section on underlying principles. This resource is from PUMAS - Practical Uses of Math and Science - a collection of brief examples created by scientists and engineers showing how math and science topics taught in K-12 classes have real world applications.

In this activity, students will create their own travel brochure or poster inviting people to visit a place where they could see an aurora. It is recommended that the class complete Lesson 1 in this series - What I know about the Aurora - prior to this activity. Includes teacher notes and instructions, student workshops and an online, animated story, and related teacher resources on aurora. This is lesson four of a collection of five activities that can be used individually or as a sequence; concludes with a KWL (Know/Want-to-know/Learned) assessment activity.

Visualize how comets carrying chemicals necessary for life could have made their way to Earth billions of years ago in this video segment adapted from NOVA.

Amino acids, essential ingredients for life, may have been delivered to Earth by comets billions of years ago, as visualized in this video segment adapted from NOVA.

This article describes common misconceptions about the Arctic and Antarctica and how to test and teach for student understanding.

This article lists common misconceptions about light, heat, and the sun. It provides formative assessment probes and information about teaching for conceptual change.

This is an activity about identifying images of different space bodies and determining the cause of the craters pictured in each. Learners will use the Solar System Update software within Space Update to complete a worksheet. This is Solar System Activity 4 in Space Update.

This article from the free online magazine Beyond Weather and the Water Cycle provides appropriate science lessons for Grades K-5. The focus is on acquainting young learners with climate-change concepts that are not too complex for their grade level and will not frighten them. In each issue, the magazine develops articles around one of the seven essential principles of climate science. The author believes early lessons about water availability and extreme weather events will prepare students for complex climate concepts they will encounter in later grades.

This is an activity about identifying constellations. Learners will look for constellations in the Sky Tonight online program, draw images of these constellations, and attempt to find them in the night sky. Learners will also be asked to make connections between the shape of a constellation and its namesake. This activity requires the use of a computer with Internet access. It also requires access to the clear night sky. This activity is Sky Tonight Activity 1 in a larger resource, Space Update.

In this lesson designed to enhance literacy skills, students learn how the theory that explains the position of Earth's continents was established and later modified, and gain important insights into how science and the scientific community operate.

In this activity, students construct three-dimensional models from terrain information provided by two-dimensional topographic maps. This will allow them to visualize how changes in elevation over a certain distance can be represented on a flat piece of paper that can be folded up and tucked away. Each group is responsible for constructing a model of Mount St. Helens 'before' and 'after', a depression, a stream, and a hill. Discussion questions related to the different representations are also included.

This AstroBulletin article takes an in-depth look at the newest technology and instruments used to study the Cosmic Microwave Background. The site includes text and a seven minute video. There are links to three essays: "What Is the Cosmic Microwave Background?", "Antarctica: A Hotbed of Cold-Weather Research" and "DASI Does It."

This video from NASA features the Cosmic Origin Spectrograph (COS), which allows scientists to use spectrographic analysis to assess the composition of intergalactic material.

In this lesson, students will explain CRaTER's purpose and how it works. They will also design (using paper and pencil) a cosmic ray detector to answer their own questions. CRaTER's purpose is to identify safe landing sites for future human missions to the moon; discover potential resources on the Moon; and characterize the radiation environment of the Moon. The lesson includes background information for the teacher, questions, and information about student preconceptions. This is lesson 4 of 4 from "The Cosmic Ray Telescope for the Effects of Radiation."

SYNOPSIS: In this lesson, students learn watercolour techniques, identify their target audience and create a rubric, and complete their artwork.

SCIENTIST NOTES: This lesson connects arts with science, and it is ideal to communicate environmental change. Students learn basic watercolor techniques and apply the technique to create an artwork that would make an impact in their community. The procedures and tools used in the lesson are suitable for achieving the lesson outcomes. The lesson has passed our science review process and is recommended for use.

POSITIVES:
-Students explore and utilize visual art techniques to evoke emotions and encourage change.
-Students identify a target audience and develop a rubric to evaluate the effectiveness of their project.

ADDITIONAL PREREQUISITES:
-This is lesson 6 of 6 in our 3rd-5th grade Art for the Earth unit.
-Watercolour paints, water, and paper are necessary for this lesson. Thick watercolour paper will allow for more control of the paint but is not necessary.
-Make sure to provide enough time for setup and cleanup.
-If students are completing reflections and rubrics, the Student Reflection & Rubrics Document must be printed beforehand or shared digitally with the students.
-The Inspire section is listed as 30 minutes long. The final parts of this project may take much longer, depending on what you intend to do with your students. Additional time will probably be needed for displaying artwork, completing reflections, completing rubrics, and distributing and collecting rubrics from the target audience.

DIFFERENTIATION:
-Displaying options, target audience, and evaluation methods can vary depending on time, resources, student ability, grade level, and school environment.
-Ideas for target audiences: another class or grade level, the general school community, families, or an outside community that the class decides could benefit from this education.
-Ideas for displaying options: in a classroom space, hallway, or common room space; in a digital exhibition; at a school event (e.g., art show, classwork presentation evening, parents' night, etc.)

In this activity, students construct a magnetometer. A materials list and instructions are provided.

In this video segment from Nature, learn the geological process by which the next Hawaiian island will be formed.

This article describes how curriculum compacting can be used to meet the needs of gifted students within the regular classroom.

During the last sunspot cycle between 1996-2008, over 21,000 flares and 13,000 clouds of plasma exploded from the Sun's magnetically active surface. These events create space weather. Students will learn more about space weather and how it affects Earth through reading a NASA press release and viewing a NASA eClips video segment. Then students will explore the statistics of various types of space weather storms by determining the mean, median and mode of a sample of storm events. This activity is part of the Space Math multimedia modules that integrate NASA press releases, NASA archival video, and mathematics problems targeted at specific math standards commonly encountered in middle school textbooks. The modules cover specific math topics at multiple levels of difficulty with real-world data and use the 5E instructional sequence.

SYNOPSIS: In this lesson, students analyze data, create line graphs, conduct research, and plan their data art project.

SCIENTIST NOTES: This lesson builds students' data analysis and research skills. Students learn how to use data to create an appealing artwork that can explain and raise awareness on climate change impacts. All materials are properly sourced, and datasets for analysis are accurate. The lesson has passed our science credibility process.

POSITIVES:
-Students learn how to create a line graph that includes title, x-axis label, y-axis label, data points, and a line connecting the data points.
-Students think critically in their groups and in whole class discussions.
-Students practice media literacy skills when conducting research.

ADDITIONAL PREREQUISITES:
-This is lesson 5 of 6 in our 3rd-5th grade Art for the Earth unit.
-Students should have a basic understanding of data analysis and why graphs are useful tools to view data.
-You may have to guide students to good resources when they are conducting research on their topic in the Investigate section. A great tip when students are doing online research is to use the PARC method, which stands for Purpose, Author, Reliability, and Currency. Students can ask of every website:
-What is the purpose of this website?
-Who is the author of this website?
-Is this website reliable?
-Is this website current?

DIFFERENTIATION:
-It may be best for students to collaborate when creating their line graphs. Grouping students with varying levels of logical-mathematical intelligence and spatial-visual intelligence would probably work best.
-Line graphs can also be created using technology tools, including iPads or Chromebooks.
-Your students may or may not have different line graphs. If the data comes from a true class campaign, all students will have the same line graph. If students gathered their own data for different issues or used the different available data from NASA, their line graphs will be different.
-The Inspire section is meant for students to prepare to complete their projects. They will actually finish their projects in the sixth lesson in this unit after discussing more about the impact of art on one's feelings, how colours affect emotions, and how to appeal to different audiences.