- Grade Focus
- Grade 4, Grade 5, Grade 6, Grade 7, Grade 8, Grade 9
- Age Level
- 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14
- Subject
- Science
- Technology Integration Activity
- Discovering the Internet, Imaging, PowerPoint Presentations, Video Productions
- Estimated Time of Completion
- Three to four weeks (three to five hours per week)
Introduction
Students will analyze a primary source interview from scientists and participants attending the Greenland Space Science Symposium 2007. Based upon this interview, students will share what they’ve learned about the Sun and space weather’s impact on Earth using either a PowerPoint presentation or by producing a video. Students will use Internet resources, including the Space Weather Action Center and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center’s Sun-Earth Connection.
Prerequisite Experience
Students should be able to conduct research online and use a word processor. Experience with image editing software (i.e. Photoshop or Paint) and the ability to capture images from the computer will also be helpful. Prior PowerPoint or other presentation software tool experience is needed. Students may choose to create a video in place of developing a PowerPoint presentation.
Teacher Prep Time
TEACHER PREP TIME: 1 - 2 hours
Review the identified Web resources in Explore and Explain and these training videos from Nortel LearniT
- Discovering the Internet, http://nortellearnit.org/technology/Discovering_the_Internet/
- Imaging, http://nortellearnit.org/technology/Imaging/
- PowerPoint, http://www.nortellearnit.org/DiscoveriT.aspx.
- Video Production, http://www.nortellearnit.org/technology/Video_Productions/
Project
Students will use the Web to conduct their research. They will use PowerPoint (or another presentation software) or video to present findings and demonstrate their applied understanding through the creation of a PowerPoint presentation or solar infomercial. They will add images to their final project to help visualize the Sun-Earth connection.Assessment/Grading
Using a presentation rubric, the student PowerPoint presentations or videos will be evaluated on their content, their application of analytical skills, and their demonstration of tools to convey their applied understanding.Time Management Tips
Students should complete some research individually as a homework assignment. Limit the number of slides or length of the video for their final projects. It’s best for students to work in pairs for this lesson. Lesson plans have been developed for grades K-5, 6-8, 9-12 by educators at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center’s Sun-Earth Connection. You can find these lesson plans and more educator resources at http://sunearthday.nasa.gov/2007/educators/index.php
This lesson incorporates many of the educator resources developed by the Sun-Earth Connection educators from NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.
Complete instructions on how to set up your own “Space Weather Action Center” know can be found at this Web site, http://sunearthday.nasa.gov/swac/ An instructional guide, http://sunearthday.nasa.gov/swac/instructional_guide.pdf, and set-up guide, http://sunearthday.nasa.gov/swac/setup_guide.pdf, are available to get the “Space Weather Action Center” up and running in no time at all.
Lesson Plan Details
Engage
Explain
1. Your teacher will randomly pair you with another student to form a research team. Each team will learn more about space weather, Earth's magnetosphere, Earth's magnetic fields, auroras, solar cycles, or solar storms.
2. Find out more about your assigned topic by visiting the Space Weather Center, http://www.spaceweathercenter.org/ Investigate one of these topics:
- Amazing Plasmas - Learn more about plasma -- on Earth and in the Universe
- Living With a Star - Find out more about our Sun, the solar cycle, and solar wind.
- Protective Shield - Learn more about Earth's magnetic field and auroras.
- Research - Discover what tools help us learn more about the Sun-Earth connection.
3. Learn more about Space Weather Reports at
http://www.spaceweathercenter.org/stormalert/01/01.html
4. Dr. Nicky Fox, a space physicist, shares more information about solar wind, auroras, and space weather in the following two interviews.
You can see one interview using the Sun-Earth Viewer, http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/sunearthday/media_viewer/viewer.swf
A vodcast interview can be downloaded from the fourth NASA EDGE program. In this interview, Dr. Fox helps us visualize what it's like to live in the Sun's atmosphere with these words from the vodcast ...
DR. FOX: The Sun has an atmosphere, which is continually streaming away. We call it the solar corona. We like to say, "whenever the Sun sneezes, the Earth will catch a cold."
BLAIR: Wow, that's gross.
[all laughing] Is there any way we can stop this germ-spreading star at the center of our solar system?
DR. FOX: Yes. Well, fortunately we have a protective outer layer, maybe a Kleenex layer, which is the Earth's magnetosphere. It's the magnetic atmosphere that surrounds our planet and that manages to keep away most of those harmful germs or that high radiation that would be coming from the Sun all the time. That's why we're safe down here on the planet. When you are at solar maximum, you are seeing these storms very frequently, maybe as many as two or three in a month. Down at solar minimum, you are probably around one every two months and they're much smaller.
FRANKLIN: Say Dr. Fox, are there any adverse effects on the Earth's surface if the Earth's magnetosphere, the Kleenex, does not catch all of that sneeze?
BLAIR: That also is very gross.
[more laughing] I'm really nervous now. That's what happened to me this weekend.
DR. FOX: Well, no. Fortunately, we are very well protected because of the various layers of our atmosphere do a very good job of protecting us. However, anything that's out in space, for example satellites, will see effects because of this increased radiation that can come in around them. One of the most beautiful side affects of these "sneezes," is, in fact, you will see very beautiful aurorae or the northern and southern lights.
Download the entire NASA EDGE vodcast, http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/podcasting/nasaedge/index.html , to hear more of this interview.
5. How does a space weather report compare to a weather report on Earth?
Find out more by viewing a 30-second video at http://education.jsc.nasa.gov/explorers/p11.html and reading the background information you'll find at the 21st Century Explorer Web site.
6. What's today's space weather? Track today's solar activity at NOAA's National Weather Service Space Environment Center, http://www.sec.noaa.gov/SWN/
7. How does space weather impact YOUR life? Learn more about solar storms and how this affects your health, the environment, and technology at this Space Weather Web site, http://www.solarstorms.org/
8. Work with your partner to choose the most interesting and important information to help people understand how the Sun affects life here on Earth. Create a PowerPoint presentation or a 60-second video infomercial to share this information. Solar images may be found at http://sunearthday.nasa.gov/2007/multimedia/gallery.php
TIP: When you decide what images (pictures), sounds or text that you want to use in your infomercial, be sure to check for a copyright notice ©. Some Web sites want you to use their materials for educational projects while others don't. A good practice for you should be to look for an email on the Web page you want to use materials from and use it to send a request for permission to use it in your class project.
It is also important that you identify materials that you use completely in your presentation. This is called "making a citation" of someone else's work. The format that is typically used is as follows:
Last Name, First Name of Author (if known). "Title of work/article/page." Title of Complete Document (if applicable). Date last modified. URL (date visited).Elaborate
1. Use PowerPoint, MovieMaker, or another presentation software package to share what you've learned. Or ... create a video solar infomercial.
2. Before you begin your production, you may want to review the Nortel LearniT training video about digital imaging:
- Digital Imaging Project, http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-939683545412310982&hl=en
3. Before you begin creating your own PowerPoint slides or video, you might want to take a look at a Nortel LearniT video tutorial to get some good tips and tricks on making a great presentation.
- PowerPoint, http://www.nortellearnit.org/DiscoveriT.aspx.
- Video Production, http://www.nortellearnit.org/technology/Video_Productions/
4. As a team, use a story board to creatively organize your slides or frames into an interesting and entertaining infomercial.
http://www.nortellearnit.org/Deliver/Word/Storyboard_kica.doc
5. Pictures and sounds will be very important in helping your audience visualize the Sun-Earth connection.
Download images and sounds to your hard drive, or save the URL as a ‘Favorite' in your Web browser.
6. Put a descriptive title screen, credits and references at the end of the PowerPoint presentation or video. Using the multimedia (pictures, images, sounds etc.) throughout the presentations will help you to communicate your key information.
Tip: Remember to ONLY use images or sounds that you have permission to include in your presentation. To learn more about copyright (and copy wrongs!) be sure to watch the Nortel LearniT video tutorial at http://tinyurl.com/s2pvb
7. Determine how you and your partner will share the work. One way would be for each partner to create two to three slides explaining your research. These will be combined to create the solar infomercial. One interesting way to present your research might be as a space weather report. Remember to be entertaining, yet factual, as you present this information.
8. The final step in your project is to share your presentation with your class. Practice your presentation and consider ways to add interest to your work. Perhaps you might want to dress up for the space weather report.
Evaluate
PowerPoint Project Evaluation Rubric
Criteria | Unsatisfactory | Needs Improvement | Satisfactory | Exemplary |
Research | Limited research, from limited sources
| Somewhat well research from somewhat varied sources. | Well researched, from various sources | Thorough research from varied sources presenting different points of view |
Storyboard / planning | Limited planning evident
| Some planning evident
| Planning evident
| Thorough planning evident
|
Content | Lacks detail | Some detail | Good detail | Excellent detail |
Technology Use to Demonstrate Understanding | Technology use with little purpose | Technology use with some purpose | Technology use with purpose
| Intuitive technology use with specific purpose |
Overall Final Project | Inconsistent and inappropriate aesthetics and technical functionality
| Somewhat consistent and appropriate aesthetics and technical functionality | Consistent and appropriate aesthetics and technical functionality | Consistent, creative and appropriate aesthetics and technical functionality |
Group evaluation: What did each of you contribute to the task. How did you divide the work?
Self Evaluation: What did you learn? What do you know about the Sun-Earth connection that you did not already know?
Video Production Project Rubric
Criteria | Level 1 (D) | Level 2 (C) | Level 3 (B) | Level 4 (A) |
Research / Content | Content lacks detail | Content somewhat detailed | Content is detailed | Content is appropriate and detailed |
Planning / Storyboard | Incomplete | Somewhat complete | Complete | Complete and thorough |
Communication of Understanding | Communicates little information with clarity | Communicates some information with some clarity | Communicates information with clarity | Communicates comprehensive information with clarity |
Technical quality of video (e.g. editing, transitions, lighting, composition, audio) | Poor | Satisfactory | Good | Excellent |
Overall use of Technology to Present Findings | Use of technology to present findings using a few simple ideas | Use of technology to present findings using some simple ideas | Use of technology to present findings using ideas of some complexity | Use of technology to present findings using complex ideas |
Group evaluation: What did each of you contribute to the task. How did you divide the work?
Self Evaluation: What did you learn? What do you know about the Sun-Earth connection that you did not already know?
Extend
Consider some of these ideas for extensions:
1. Help your teacher set up a "Space Weather Action Center" in your classroom. Everything you need to know can be found at this Web site, http://sunearthday.nasa.gov/swac/
An instructional guide, http://sunearthday.nasa.gov/swac/instructional_guide.pdf, and set-up guide, http://sunearthday.nasa.gov/swac/setup_guide.pdf, are available to get the "Space Weather Action Center" up and running in no time at all.
Take a look at these materials and see what you can do to help your teacher with this project.
2. Find out more about studying Earth's magnetosphere at the poles. Research space science and Antarctica to learn more about magnetometers placed in this remote land.
3. Try to contact one of the space scientists from the Greenland Space Science Symposium 2007 and create a "Career Byte" based upon this person's life. For ideas on how to create a "Career Byte" go to http://www.nortellearnit.org/resources/career_bytes/
4. Share your work with parents, families, and other students.