Lesson Plans & Activities
Geomagnetism in the MESA Classroom: An Essential Science for Modern Society
This is a four-part after-school module designed to suit the interest and abilities of your students and can be modified to fit the time you have available.
Students explore geomagnetism with compasses, navigation exercises, and a geo-caching activity and explore aurora and space weather, with an optional field trip to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Why Do We Study the Sun?
This is the second of four lessons in the SDO curriculum that leads students through an interactive exploration of Solar Science.
Students develop a basic understanding of how and why scientists study the electromagnetic spectrum and magnetic fields of the Sun to gain a greater understanding of solar activity and space weather.
How Does The Sun Affect the Earth?
This is the third of four lessons in the SDO curriculum that leads students through an interactive exploration of Solar Science.
This lesson has students create a hands-on model that accurately explains seasonal changes on Earth and develop knowledge of the Sun-Earth system.
SDO Exploration Museum
This is the fourth and final lesson in the SDO curriculum that leads students through an interactive exploration of Solar Science.
In the final lesson of the SDO curriculum, student teams collaborate to design and present their three Solar Module activities as part of their 3-D Solar Exhibit summative assessment.
Creating a Compass from a Magnet
Project EXTREMES lessons were intended to stand alone, but this lesson can be included in a unit on the Earth’s interior.
In this lesson, students create a compass and apply their reasoning about magnetism to how compasses work to help us navigate around the globe while utilizing the Earth’s magnetic field.
Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) Curriculum Overview
The SDO curriculum consists of four lessons/modules and takes 4-6 weeks to teach.
The SDO curriculum teaches students through self-directed solar explorations and encourages them to be engaged learners in order to understand the science of our Sun and to apply the knowledge they gain to solve tomorrow’s solar situations.
