Sun Activities
The lessons below are teacher-favorite lessons focused on the sun. For more search options or to search by other science target, missions and other criteria, visit our Fast Lesson Finder. You can also search by curriculum standards on our popular Curriculum Standards Quilts.
Sun Lessons:
Alka-Seltzer Rockets
Topic: Modeling Solar System Objects
Grade Level: 5-8
Body: Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Asteroids, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Comets, Kuiper Belt & Oort Cloud, Earth's Moon
Short Description: Using baking soda and vinegar, propel an object across the floor to introduce the idea of how things move through space.
Analyzing Elemental Abundances
Grade Level: 9-12
Body: Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Asteroids, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Comets, Kuiper Belt & Oort Cloud
Mission: Genesis (Our Solar System)
Short Description: Participants will practice and understand the use of ratios in describing the abundances of isotopes.
Building Blocks of Planets (Accretion)
Topic: Modeling Solar System Objects
Grade Level: 5-8
Body: Sun
Short Description: In a demonstration, participants see an illustration of planetary accretion.
Cosmic Chemistry: An Elemental Question
Grade Level: 9-12
Body: Sun
Mission: Genesis (Our Solar System)
Short Description: Participants practice and understand the use of ratios in describing the abundances of isotopes.
Module Overview
Teacher Guide
Student Activity
Additional Resources are available on the Genesis Education website.
Counting Sunspots
Topic: Modeling Solar System Objects
Grade Level: K-4
Body: Sun
Short Description: Students discover the pattern created when plotting the number of sunspots over a long period of time.
Does the Moon Rotate?
Topic: Modeling Solar System Objects
Grade Level: 9-12
Body: Sun, Earth, Earth's Moon
Short Description: Students make a three-dimensional model of the Earth and Moon. Using the sun's light, they discover that the Moon does rotate in the same amount of time it takes to make one orbit.
Eclipsing the Sun
Topic: Modeling Solar System Objects
Body: Sun
Short Description: Use this physical model to demonstrate how an eclipse occurs.
Exploring Lunar Phases with a Daytime Moon
Topic: Modeling Solar System Objects
Grade Level: 5-8
Body: Sun, Earth's Moon
Short Description: This activity creates a model with the real Moon and sun in the sky to help participants discover the real reason for the lunar phases.
Finding the Distance to the Sun
Topic: Math
Grade Level: 9-12
Body: Sun
Short Description: The students will apply the concepts of vertical angles and ratios to calculate lengths and angles. Can they determine the distance to the sun?
Golfball Phases and Eclipses
Topic: Modeling Solar System Objects
Grade Level: 5-8
Body: Sun, Earth, Earth's Moon
Short Description: Students explore the dynamics of lunar phases to develop an understanding of the relative positions of our Moon, Earth and sun that cause the phases of the Moon as viewed from Earth. Using a golf ball glowing under the ultraviolet light of a "blacklight" makes it easier to see the actual phase of the Moon.
