National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Goddard Space Flight Center
Sun-Earth Day 2010: Magnetic Storms
Magnetic Sun-Earth Connection Lesson Plans, 9-12
- Magnetic Math (2009)
- This 188-page book, produced by Dr. Sten Odenwald (Space Math @ NASA), contains six hands-on exercises, plus 37 math problems, which allow students to explore magnetism and magnetic fields. The activities include drawing and geometric construction, and introduce students in the use of simple algebra to quantitatively examine magnetic forces, energy, and magnetic field lines and their mathematical structure.
- Wired For Space- NASA Connect
- This NASA Connect Video:
- Explores how algebra and arrays are used in NASA's activities.
- Explains voltage, current, amp, and resistance.
- Explains how NASA is using electricity and magnetism to propell spacecraft into orbit.
- Explains acceleration, mass, and force in an algebraic equation.
- Involves students in an online activity that investigates a physics module on electricity and magnetism. The activity studies static charge, moving charge, voltage, resistance, and current.
- Involves students in an activity called Make It Go which simulates NASA.
- Exploring Magnetism- Grades 7-9
- Students will act as scientists discovering magnetic fields and electromagnetism through inquiry and measurement. Included at the beginning of each session is a summary of the session, a list of national education standards that the session covers, and a list of materials required for the session. Each session is broken into several activities, with each activity outlined for the teacher. In the Background Material section, you can find science background for the lessons. A glossary can be found after the background section. At the end we recommend different resources to help you teach and learn more about magnetism.
9-12 SUN-EARTH CONNECTION LESSON PLANS
- Ancient Observatories: Timeless Knowledge Activities
- These activities are designed to help you make connections between events in your life and the seasons of the year. One major connection relates the concept of the seasons to past observations.
- Astronomy of the Americas: Volume 11 Planetarium Activities for Student Success (PASS)
- There are hundreds of Native American cultures, each with distinctive views of the heavens. In this program, students visit five cultures: the Hupa people of Northern California, Medicine Wheel in Northern Wyoming, Chaco Canyon in New Mexico, the Mayan people and the Incan people.
- Magnetism and Electromagnetism
- These seven NASA-funded magnetism guides contain activity- or math-based lessons on magnetic fields. The science and mathematics education standards these activities cover are in the beginning of the guides. Once on the site, hover over each guide for more information.
- Galileo Galilei (1564-1642)
- The Galileo Project is a source of information on the life and work of Galileo Galilei (1564-1642). Our aim is to provide hypertextual information about Galileo and the science of his time to viewers of all ages and levels of expertise.
- Space Math@NASA
- The goal of these problems is to teach students about astronomy and space science by using mathematics and real-world problems.
ALL SUN-EARTH CONNECTION LESSON PLANS
- All Educator Lesson Plans
NASA Fact
Toy 'rare-earth' magnets can be 5 times stronger than a sunspot magnetic field.