Astronomy Connections:
Sun-Earth Connection curriculum guide (K-4) (PDF)
Sun-Earth Connection curriculum guide (5-8) (PDF; 2.1 MB)
Acknowledegments page (PDF). You will need Adobe Acrobat to view these files.

Brrrrrrring-Brrrrrrrrring! Brrrrrrring-Brrrrrrrrring!

7:00 a.m. My alarm clock rings, and I groggily fumble for the off button. I stumble downstairs to the bathroom where I turn on the shower and hop in. Ow, ow! I got soap in my eyes. I quickly flush them out with water. I get out of the shower and brush my teeth. My clear blue toothbrush reminds me of the lake when it is sunny. That makes me smile. I go back to my room to get dressed. I turn on the television and watch the weather report. It looks like it's going to be mostly sunny with a cool breeze from the northwest. I quickly throw on some shorts, a t-shirt and sandals. It will be a gorgeous day! I go downstairs and have a bowl of cereal for breakfast. After I eat, I put the dishes in the sink and pick up my sunglasses and head for the door. The sun hits my face as I open the front door, and I realize what an extraordinary effect the Sun has on my life. . .

Every morning I know that it is time to get up because we base our calendars and clocks on the motion of the Earth around the Sun. I can shower and brush my teeth because the Earth is just the right distance from the Sun for it to have liquid water. I have a toothbrush because energy from the Sun was used by plants millions of years ago to grow, and when they died their remains became materials that we can turn into plastics. I can know how to dress properly for my day because people have studied patterns between the Earth and Sun and can make predictions about the weather. I have food to eat because plants have turned energy from the Sun into grains and vegetables, which other animals and I can eat. I can enjoy the energy from the Sun instead of hide from it, because oxygen from plants reacted with ultra violet radiation from the Sun to create an ozone layer. The ozone layer protects my delicate skin from harmful ultraviolet light, which otherwise would burn me. Not only does the Sun affect my mood and how I dress but many other aspects of my morning as well. If it were not for the Sun, my morning would have been very different indeed.

The Sun provides our planet with the energy it needs to live. Plants need the Sun's energy to grow, and we need plants to produce food and oxygen. Beyond basic needs, there are many ways in which people rely upon the Sun. This guide leads its participants on a journey from the Sun to the Earth through the perspectives of many different people. It focuses on identification of ways the Sun impacts everyday life on Earth. From a solar scientist to a doctor, the activities ask students to take on various roles and decide why the Sun would be important to that individual. Throughout this entire project, students should think about why the Sun would be especially important to people in different roles. At the conclusion of the suggested activities, students will be asked to consider a role of their choice. They will explore the Sun through a perspective and explain what aspects of the Sun are important to that role. Some students may even choose to explore the Sun through their own perspective since, after all, no two people see things in exactly the same way.

The following materials have been compiled by the Education Department of the Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum, as a supplemental teaching resource for exploring the topic of The Sun-Earth Connection. The activities and guiding questions serve as a starting point for integrated lesson plans that culminate in a project in which each student tracks the Sun from a particular perspective. The materials were created to serve as meaningful activities that promote the success of science learning through interdisciplinary approaches within the classroom. They have been associated with National and State Learning Standards. Content background is included as a resource for educators. As part of Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum's thematic approach to education, these activities also connect with programs throughout the Museum.

Please note: This manual is a guide intended for adaptation to individual teaching styles and student needs. To further support educators, there is an annotated resource list from which to gain more information and lesson plans. We encourage you to share any additional lessons and ideas with your colleagues.