A Solar Physics Course for Middle and High School Teachers

This summer, I taught a course on solar physics for in-service teachers. This course was geared toward middle and high school teachers who were looking for a new and exciting way to teach physics and earth science skills while still addressing content standards. We explored and created various classroom activities that incorporated the Sun, utilized solar data readily available online and made some observations of our own. We covered some of the physics involved in the Sun, investigated current topics in solar physics, and covered topics like solar eclipses, Sun spots and the solar cycle, the effect of the Sun on the Earth, light as a tool for doing science, and tools for observing the Sun. In this presentation, I will share some examples of activities - and how they addressed specific standards - as well as outcomes of the course.