Interactive Models
What is Space Weather?
Overview
In this interactive, students will learn the basics of space weather by engaging in a short interactive which introduces key terms: space weather, sunspot, solar flare, coronal mass ejection, and solar wind. Students will be able to identify the causes and hazards of space weather.
Materials Required
Resources Needed Per Student:
Resources Needed Per Group:
- Computer/Tablet
- Internet Access
- Link to the "What is Space Weather?" Interactive Slide Deck - Link
Directions
Remember to never look directly at the Sun without proper safety equipment.
Use the slide deck to look at NASA images and visualizations of space weather.
- Open the "What is Space Weather?" Interactive Slide Deck.
- Use the slides in edit mode in order to manipulate the slides.
- Summarize your findings on the last slide.
Teacher Note
Teachers who are interested in receiving the answer key, please complete the Teacher Key Request and Verification Form. We verify that requestors are teachers prior to sending access to the answer keys as we’ve had many students try to pass as teachers to gain access.
Supported NGSS Performance Expectations
- MS-PS2-5: Conduct an investigation and evaluate the experimental design to provide evidence that fields exist between objects exerting forces on each other even though the objects are not in contact.
- HS-PS2-4: Use mathematical representations of Newton’s Law of Gravitation and Coulomb’s Law to describe and predict the gravitational and electrostatic forces between objects.
- HS-PS2-5: Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that an electric current can produce a magnetic field and that a changing magnetic field can produce an electric current.
- Students will identify the causes of space weather.
- Students will describe the hazards of space weather.
- What is space weather?
- How does space weather affect Earth?
- Internet Required
- One-to-a-Group
Complementary Models
Complementary Mini Lessons
Interactive Files
Grade Band
- 6-8
- 9-12
Time
- > 90 minutes
