National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Goddard Space Flight Center
Sun-Earth Day 2009: Our Sun Yours to Discover
Solar Week - March 9-13, 2009
March 9-13, 2009
Once every fall and spring since 2000, Solar Week provides a week of series of web-based educational classroom activities and games geared for upper-elementary, middle and high school students, with a focus on the Sun-Earth connection. Initiated as a means of encouraging girls in the sciences, one of Solar Week's special strengths is a role model approach, expressed through on-line interaction between (all) students and leading women solar scientists (via interactive message board).
WEEKLONG CURRICULUM AND ACTIVITIES:
Students learn about solar eclipses, sunspots, and solar storms through a series of activities, games, and lessons.
- Monday - The Sun As A Star
- Tuesday - Solar Closeups, including solar flares and coronal mass ejections.
- Wednesday - The Active Sun
- Thursday - Let's Observe the Sun Safely
- Friday - Solar Careers, including Women in Science, Research Jobs and Salaries, and Scientist Blogs.
Solar Week is ideal for students studying the solar system, the stars, and astronomy in general. It's also for kids wondering what it's like being a scientist, and possible career choices. Participation makes for a fun computer lab activity as well.
WEEK-LONG INTERACTIVE MESSAGE BOARD:
Solar Week has an interactive message board, where classrooms can pose questions of leading solar scientists. Want to know what they know about the Sun? (please read the FAQs before posting).
NASA Fact
Some sunspots are cool enough that water vapor can form at a temperature of 1,550 °C.