Standards
Idaho State Standards
Here are correlations to the Idaho State Language and Math standards and to the Idaho State Science Standards. For more information about the overall standards, see the complete Idaho Content Standards for Science, the Next Generation Science Standards, and the alignment between Idaho and NGSS Science Standards. You may also access the Idaho English Language Arts/Literacy Standards and Mathematics Standards.
Language
Kindergarten
ELA-K.GC.GU.1d
Produce and expand complete sentences in shared language activities.
Suggested Lesson
Read the booklet Our Very Own Star: The Sun.. Have students draw a picture of the Sun with some details, and write a sentence to describe one characteristic of the Sun.
Fourth Grade
ELA-4.W.RW.1
Develop flexibility in writing by routinely engaging in the production of shorter and longer pieces for a range of tasks and purposes and audiences. This could include among others, summaries, reflections, descriptions, letters and poetry, etc.
Suggested Lesson
Draw a diagram of the layers of the sun giving informational definitions and descriptions of each layer.
Sixth Grade
ELA-6.RS.IP.1
Conduct brief as well as multi-day research tasks to take some action or share findings orally or in writing by formulating research questions and refocusing the inquiry when appropriate; gathering and assessing the 35 relevance and usefulness of information from multiple reliable sources; and paraphrasing or quoting the data and conclusions of others, providing basic bibliographic information for sources, and respecting copyright guidelines for use of images.
Suggested Lesson
Students research and prepare an oral presentation about one type of solar phenomena (sunspots, solar flares, CME's, solar wind, auroras, eclipses, etc.), including in their presentation at least one multimedia component.
Math
Kindergarten
Math-K.MD.A.2
Directly compare two objects with a measurable attribute in common, to see which object has "more of"/"less of" the attribute, and describe the difference. For example, compare the heights of two children and describe one child as taller/shorter.
Suggested Lesson
Using scale images and the eight planets in our solar system, students place them in order of size. Which object is biggest? Which is smallest?
Second Grade
Math-2.MD.A.1 and A.4
Measure the length of an object by selecting and using appropriate tools such as rulers, yardsticks, meter sticks, and measuring tapes. 4. Measure to determine how much longer one object is than another, expressing the length difference in terms of a standard length unit.
Suggested Lesson
Have students measure the diameters of paper scale models of the Sun and the Earth. (For example, a paper Sun with a 60-inch diameter and a paper Earth with a half-inch diameter.) Have them determine how much larger the diameter of the model Sun is than that of the model Earth.
Sixth Grade
Math-6.SP.B.5.a-b
Summarize numerical data sets in relation to their context, such as by:
a. Reporting the number of observations.
b. Describing the nature of the attribute under investigation, including how it was measured and its units of measurement.
Suggested Lesson
Use this lesson guide from the Center for Science Education. Students will use data of solar flare activity to record the number of solar flares in their birth month over 11 years, summarize the data within their groups, and graph their findings to determine patterns of flare activity on the Sun.
Science
Kindergarten
Physical Sciences: K-PS.2.1
Make observations to determine the effect of sunlight on Earth's surface.
Supporting Content
Sunlight warms Earth's surface.
First Grade
Earth and Space Sciences: 1-ESS-1.2
Make observations at different times of year to relate the amount of daylight to the time of year.
Supporting Content
Seasonal patterns of sunrise and sunset can be observed, described, and predicted. Seasons are created by weather patterns for a particular region and time.
Emphasis is on relative comparisons of the amount of daylight in the winter to the amount in the spring or fall.
Earth and Space Sciences: 1-ESS-1.1
Use observations of the sun, moon, and stars to describe patterns that can be predicted.
Supporting Content
Patterns of the motion of the sun, moon, and stars in the sky can be observed, described, and predicted. Examples of patterns could include that the sun appears to rise in one part of the sky, moves across the sky, and sets. Stars other than our sun are visible at night but not during the day.
Fifth Grade
Earth and Space Sciences: 5-ESS-1.2
Represent data in graphical displays to reveal patterns of daily changes in length and direction of shadows, day and night, and the seasonal appearance of some stars in the night sky.
Supporting Content
The orbits of Earth around the sun and of the moon around Earth, together with the rotation of Earth about an axis between its North and South poles, cause observable patterns. These include day and night, daily changes in the length and direction of shadows, and different positions of the sun, moon, and stars at different times of the day, month, and year.
Earth and Space Sciences: 5-ESS-1.1
Support an argument that differences in the apparent brightness of the sun compared to other stars is due to their relative distances from the Earth.
Supporting Content
The sun is a star that appears larger and brighter than other stars because it is closer. Stars range greatly in their distance from Earth.
Sixth Grade
Earth and Space Sciences: MS-ESS-1.3
Analyze and interpret data to determine scale properties of objects in the solar system.
Supporting Content
Emphasis is on the analysis of data from Earth-based instruments, space-based telescopes, and spacecraft to determine similarities and differences among solar system objects. Examples of scale properties include the sizes of an object's layers, surface features, and orbital radius. Examples of data include statistical information, drawings and photographs, and models.
Earth and Space Sciences: MS-ESS-1.2
Develop and use a model to describe the role of gravity in the motions within galaxies and the solar system.
Supporting Content
Earth and its solar system are part of the Milky Way galaxy, which is one of many galaxies in the universe.
The solar system consists of the sun and a collection of objects, including planets, their moons, and asteroids that are held in orbit around the sun by its gravitational pull on them.
The solar system appears to have formed from a disk of dust and gas, drawn together by gravity.
Earth and Space Sciences: MS-ESS-1.1
Develop and use a model of the Earth-sun-moon system to describe the cyclic patterns of lunar phases, eclipses of the sun and moon, and seasons.
Supporting Content
Patterns of the apparent motion of the sun, the moon, and stars in the sky can be observed, described, predicted, and explained with models.
This model of the solar system can explain eclipses of the sun and the moon. Earth's spin axis is fixed in direction over the short-term but tilted relative to its orbit around the sun. The seasons are a result of that tilt and are caused by the differential intensity of sunlight on different areas of Earth across the year.