Students use a plastic soda bottle to make and test the temperature of a bottle "greenhouse" and demonstrate how light energy is transformed into heat energy.

Students discover the properties of light (radiant) energy from the sun by experimenting with soalr collectors, cookers, and calculators.

Students compare and contrast three NASA satellites. Other satellite information is included, but the project's main focus is a simple introduction to the electromagnetic spectrum as used by the three space observatories.

Students learn about infrared radiation. In an associated activity, students compare the behavior of a beam of infrared radiation to that of a beam of visible light and make observation when different materials are placed in its path.

Students use thermometers inside water-filled soda bottles to investigate how dark and light colors affect heat absoprtion.

In this lesson, students will explore the various types of electromagnetic radiation with the use of a sorting activity. Students will then create a model to represent the EM spectrum, including the names of the parts of the spectrum and the uses and applications of each frequency of the spectrum.

In this lesson, students do a hands-on activity to learn about the albedo effect. Understanding this phenomenon will help them learn how decreases in light-colored snow and ice could cause increases in temperatures.

In this lesson, students learn how light energy from the sun radiates to the earth and the light energy is transformed to heat. Students also learn about heat transfer: conduction, radiation, and convection.

This lesson demonstrates that the source of energy to run small motors can be the sun or chemical energy stored in a battery.

Students will work collaboratively to explore absorption and reflection through the construction of a solar water heater.

In determining the decrease in intensity of a beam of light travelling through different materials, students will explore how to manage the ongoing development of a practical investigation. They can be encouraged to discuss how to deal with inadequate or anomalous data, how to modify their methodology, or where to redirect their investigation.

In this lesson, students conduct guided web research through many sites on solar astronomy to try to determine the temperature of the Sun. They will also explore how astronomers use H-R diagrams to classify stars by temperature and luminosity.

This is an activity about the way distance, reflectivity, and atmosphere affect the temperature of a planet. Learners will create a planet using a computer game and change features of the planet to increase or decrease the planet's temperature. This lesson is part of Project Spectra, a science and engineering education program focusing on how light is used to explore the Solar System.

Students use an interactive to create a planet using a computer game and change features of the planet to increase or decrease the planet's temperature. Students will explore some of the same principles scientists use to determine how likely it is for a planet to maintain flowing water.

In this activity, students make a reflective solar cooker that will use the Sun's energy to cook marshmallows.

This course was created by the Rethink Education Content Development Team. This course is aligned to the NC Standards for 6th Grade Science. 

This course was created by the Rethink Education Content Development Team. This course is aligned to the NC Standards for 6th Grade Science. 

This course was created by the Rethink Education Content Development Team and is aligned to the NC Standards for 6th Grade Science.

Students observe how light from a flashlight scatters off baby powder and ice cubes to simulate how sunlight interacts with Saturn's rings.