Download Intermediate - Maggie`s Earth Adventures

Maggie’s
Activity Pack
Name __________________________
Date ___________________________
Look on the Sunny Side!
The sun’s gases and nuclear reactions are the center of our solar system.
All life on earth is dependent on this energy. We need the sun’s warmth and light. It is essential
to our food supply. Plants need energy from the sun to make their own food, and plants are the
anchor of all food chains on Earth.
Read the charts and diagrams below. You will learn many facts including the size and
rotation of the sun, more about the layers and composition of this star. After you become a
BRIGHT scholar, you will answer questions about this light of our lives!
What is the Size Comparison of the Earth and Sun?
Earth – Diameter of
12,756 km
Sun – Diameter of
1,392,000 km
What is the Difference Between the
Volume of the Sun and the Volume of
the Earth?
The volume of the sun is about
1,300,000 times bigger than the volume
of the Earth.
What is the Mass Difference Between
the Sun and Earth?
•
The sun’s mass is about 1.99 x
1030 kg.
•
This is about 333,000 times the
mass of the Earth!
•
The sun is about 99.8% of all the
mass in our solar system.
Diagrams and
drawings are
not to scale.
© Maggie's Earth Adventures, LLC 2005. Teachers may reproduce for classroom use.
When is the Earth Closest to the Sun?
What Makes Up the Sun?
Hydrogen
Helium
Other Metals
Sun
Perihelion –
147,100,000 km
Jan 2
About 75%
About 25%
Less then
0.1%
Aphelion– 52,600,000 km
July 2
What Are the Layers of the Sun?
Name of Layer
Temperature
Interesting Fact
Core
15 million °C
Nuclear fusion occurs here.
Energy and high energy
photons are produced.
Radiative Zone
15 million °C to one
million °C
Convective Zone
1 million °C to 6,000 °C
Photosphere
5,500 °C
Chromosphere
6000°C to 50,000°C
Corona
1 million °C
Radiation is emitted but it
may take millions of years to
pass through this layer.
Photons continue their
journey outwards.
We see this lower
atmosphere of the sun.
This is a red-colored area.
Temperatures begin to rise
here. We can see this layer
during a solar eclipse.
This is the outer layer that
extends for millions of miles
into space.
Just the Facts!
Use the solar knowledge found in the tables and graphics to write a one or two word answer to
each question.
__________________ 1. What is the date when the Earth is closest to the sun?
__________________ 2. How much bigger is the mass of the sun than that of the Earth?
__________________ 3. What is the most abundant element on the sun?
__________________ 4. What is the diameter of the Earth?
__________________ 5. What is the temperature of the hottest layer of the sun?
__________________ 6. What layer of the sun do we see during a solar eclipse?
© Maggie's Earth Adventures, LLC 2005. Teachers may reproduce for classroom use.
__________________ 7. About how many Earths could fit inside the sun?
__________________ 8. What layer of the sun do we normally see?
__________________ 9. How many kilometers is the Earth away from the sun at the farthest
point in its orbit?
__________________ 10. How long can it take radiation to get through the sun’s radiative
zone?
Solar Sentences
Write a one sentence answer for each question.
1. What do you think perihelion means? __________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
2. Why do you think the elements in the chart that shows “What Makes Up the Sun?” do not
add up to one hundred? _______________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
3. What statement can you make about the mass of the nine planets in our solar system?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Diagram a Star
Make your own diagram of our sun. Label its six layers.
© Maggie's Earth Adventures, LLC 2005. Teachers may reproduce for classroom use.
Dear Colleague,
I’ve been studying your state standards and it has become clear to me that we need to
give our students more practice in reading charts and diagrams. That’s why we’ve included
solar facts on these charts. Children will need to look back and find the information needed to
answer each question. Of course, there’s nothing more powerful than doing it yourself. I
remember FINALLY understanding algebra after I had to study it with my son! Teaching and
creating are powerful learning tools. I hope your students will learn this as they diagram the
layers of the sun for themselves. I encourage you to point out that this is a great study skill –
creating pictorial representations and trying things for themselves. To further help your class
read charts and diagrams, log on to www.missmaggie.org, find the Games section under the
red button and play the Science Diagramming game. Even if you are not currently studying
any of the topics presented on the charts, it is good reading practice and will also improve
study skills and concentration!
Happy teaching,
Kathy
Answer Key:
1. Jan.2
2. 333,000 times
3. Hydrogen
4. 12,756 km
5. 15 million °C
6. Chromosphere
7. 1,300,000
8. Photosphere
9. 52,600,000 km
10. millions of years
1. Sentences should indicate that this is the term describing when the Earth is closest to
the sun in its orbit.
2. Student answers should point to the concept of estimation.
3. Students should realize the nine planets together have a much smaller mass than the
sun.
I suggest having children compare their diagram with that of a partner.
Goals:
Information about the sun is presented on various diagrams. Students will read these diagrams
and tables and use the information to answer questions about the sun and to create their own
diagrams of its layers. Intermediate students will answer questions that require them to
interpret the information. This activity is available on the primary and intermediate levels. A
Bonus activity for beginning readers is also included.
PLEASE REMIND STUDENTS THAT IT IS NEVER SAFE TO LOOK
DIRECTLY AT THE SUN!
© Maggie's Earth Adventures, LLC 2005. Teachers may reproduce for classroom use.