Download Why is the aurora borealis visible from some parts of the world and

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The citizens of Yellowknife, the capital city of the Northwest Territories in Canada, must not even bother with
television. Not with the aurora borealis frequently lighting up the sky like it does.
As the solar wind collides with the flow of magnetospheric particles moving along the Earth’s magnetic field,
nitrogen and oxygen particles are ionized, giving off light. The science is a little more complex than that, but
that’s the basic idea. We just love that it creates this magnificent show.
SUGGESTIONS
Why is the aurora borealis visible from some parts of the world and
not others?
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What is a magnetic field?
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What is the Earth’s magnetic field?
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Why does the Earth have a magnetic field?
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How is the Earth’s magnetic field related to aurora borealis?
Thinking
:
Why is the aurora borealis visible from some parts of the world and
not others?
Bing for Schools Lesson Plan: K-4
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What is a magnetic field?
Magnets are objects that produce magnetic fields and attract metals like
iron, nickel and cobalt. The magnetic field's lines of force exit the magnet
from its north pole and enter its south pole. Permanent or hard magnets
create their own magnetic field all the time. Temporary or soft magnets
produce magnetic fields while in the presence of a magnetic field and for
a short while after exiting the field.
(Possible queries: “what is a magnetic field?”, “define: magnetic field”,
“understanding magnetic fields for kids”).
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What is the Earth’s magnetic field?
Earth’s magnetic field (also known as the geomagnetic field) is the
magnetic field that extends from the Earth’s interior to where it meets the
solar wind, a stream of charged particles emanating from the Sun.
(Possible queries: “understanding earth’s magnetic field for kids”, “what is
earth’s magnetic field?”).
ANSWERS & STRATEGIES
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Why does the Earth have a magnetic field?
Deep within the Earth there are two layers that compose what we call the
Earth's core, at our planet's center. There is what we call the Inner Core,
a solid mass of metal, and there is the Outer Core, a sea of liquid metal.
The extreme pressures within the core of the Earth cause some of the
liquid metal to freeze to the Inner Core and as this happens the heat is
released from this metal and causes currents within the liquid metal
generating electric and magnetic fields, which align to form the Earth's
Magnetic Field.
(Possible queries: “why does the earth have a magnetic field?”, “what
causes the earth’s magnetic field?”)
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How is the Earth’s magnetic field related to aurora borealis?
An Aurora Australis or an Aurora Borealis occurs when streams of
particles from the sun's solar winds hit the earth's atmosphere at an
angle (as can only happen at the poles). These particles interact with
the edges of the earth's magnetic field and when they collide with the
gases in the ionosphere, the particles glow creating curtains of blue,
green and magenta. An aurora is sometimes said to be accompanied by
a crackling sound, but this has never been recorded and scientists are
at a loss to explain what causes the sound.
(Possible queries: “Earth’s magnetic field and aurora borealis”,
“relationship between magnetic field and Northern Lights”).
Thinking
Bing for Schools Lesson Plan: K-4
Why is the aurora borealis visible from some parts of the world and
not others?
We’ve learned that an aurora borealis occurs when particles from the
sun’s solar winds hits the Earth’s atmosphere at an angle and this can
only happen at the poles of the Earth. Just like a small magnet, the
Earth’s magnetic field lies between the North Pole and South Pole and it
is these parts that are visibly activated when particles collide. This means
STANDARDS
that people who live far north or far south (close to the poles) have the
greatest chance of witnessing the light show that results.
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Bing for Schools Lesson Plan: K-4
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.3 Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific,
or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.5 Describe the overall structure (e.g., chronology, comparison,
cause/effect, problem/solution) of events, ideas, concepts, or information in a text or part of a text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.9 Integrate information from two texts on the same topic in order to write
or speak about the subject knowledgeably.