Hands-On Aurora Activities
Explore the aurora with these hands-on activities!
UAF Photo by Todd Paris, 2015.
The northern lights are awe-inspiring! Aurora explorations can be a stepping stone
for curiosity and student excitement about heliophysics: the study of the Sun/Earth system and the effects of the Sun on the Earth.
Activities
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- Aurora Bracelet: Make a colorful bracelet to remind you of the aurora colors.
- Aurora Chalk Art: Create your own artwork inspired by the northern lights. Watch a how-to video here!
- Aurora Ingredients: Discover how solar energy, Earth’s magnetic field, and the atmosphere interact to create the aurora with a kinesthetic activity.
- Aurora Ovals (Courtesy of Cultural Connections): Discover why the aurora is most visible near the North and South Poles. Learn more about aurora ovals!
- Aurora Storytelling (Courtesy of Cultural Connections): Listen and watch elders tell stories about the northern lights. Videos are available at the Cultural Connections website.
- Aurora Trivia Cards: Discover fun facts about the aurora with these printable cards.
- Explore Magnets: Discover how magnetism helps create the aurora.
- Northern Lights Storybook: Learn about the aurora by reading stories from Iñupiat elders, and write your own northern lights stories. Download the story sheets here. (Print double sided, 2 pages per sheet.) Listen to Iñupiaq elders tell these stories at the Cultural Connections website.
- Pack a Northern Lights Backpack: Imagine you are going outside to watch the northern lights. Pack a backpack to take with you.
- Paint the Aurora with Ice Cubes: For younger children, explore the colors of the aurora with a sensory activity.
- Watercolor Aurora Sky: Create a picture of the northern lights with markers and water.
- What Causes Some Aurora To Appear In Distinct Lines? (Courtesy of Science Friday): Examine aurora, energy levels, and wave activity to create a model that explains
why there are different types of aurora. For grades 9-12.
Aurora Chalk Art activity. UAMN photo by Kristin Donaldson.
Return to Aurora homepage.
This project was funded under NASA cooperative agreement NNX16AL65A and cooperative agreement number NNH15ZDA004C. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.