Interactive Models

What is Space Weather?

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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.

Images of the sun

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.

  1. Open the "What is Space Weather?" Interactive Slide Deck. 
  2. Use the slides in edit mode in order to manipulate the slides. 
  3. 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.

NASA Heliophysics Education Activation Team logo showing the Sun with rays leaving it. It also shows planets in the path of some of the Sun's radiation.
This product is supported by the NASA Heliophysics Education Activation Team (NASA HEAT), part of NASA's Science Activation portfolio.

Supported NGSS Performance Expectations

  • Students will identify the causes of space weather.
  • Students will describe the hazards of space weather.
  1. What is space weather?
  2. How does space weather affect Earth?
  • Internet Required
  • One-to-a-Group

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Interactive Files

Grade Band

  • 6-8
  • 9-12

Time

  • > 90 minutes

My NASA Data Visualization Tool

Related Resources

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