From the Mouths of Space Scientists: An Introduction to Space Weather

Engage

What do you imagine when you think about Greenland? Ice? Polar bears? The midnight Sun? A sparse population of less than 60,000 people brave living in this ice-covered world. Few have the chance to travel and explore the world misnamed by Eric the Red in the 10th century. Though some records suggest that 10th century Greenland might really have been green, legends recount a story that indicates that Eric the Red fibbed. It is believed that he thought people could be enticed to travel to this barren land if the land had a name that sounded lush and warm. Modern-day Greenland is neither lush nor warm.

An educator and videographer took a "once-in-a-lifetime" trip to this popsicle island to attend the 2007 Greenland Space Science Symposium (GSSS).  This website http://www.nortellearnit.org/nia_nasa/greenland_symposium/ captures images of travels to the ice cap and Kellyville radar facility. On the site, many, many video clips of interviews with scientists, professors, and students attending GSSS answer questions provided by students like yourself about space weather, auroras, Earth's magnetic field, and other ways that the Sun affects our Earth. Students also wanted to know more about life in Greenland. And each scientist described some highlights of their careers, breaking the stereotypes that trap scientists in dark, musty labs.

Our trip to Greenland had several objectives. We wanted to document the important discussion occurring in Greenland with easy to use 21st century technology and to create resources that could be used by teachers, students and other learners in their own understanding of the issues presented. To do this we used digital imaging (still photography), digital video , this web site and other tools including an online slide show presenter.

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 21^st 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:

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

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

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.