NASA Helio Club is a collection of six club sessions, or lessons, that complete a comprehensive module created for a middle-school audience (ages 10-14) to introduce basic heliophysics concepts to learners. Designed for both after school clubs and classroom environments, each session takes approximately two hours, or approximately two class-periods. Each session includes a full collection of educator instructions, learner handouts, and assessment tools. 

Session 5: Explores the science behind aurora. Missions introduced in this session include the Ionospheric Connection Connection Explorer (ICON) mission and the International Space Station.

• Session 5 Instructions ↗
• Session 5 Slides ↗
• Session 5 Handout: KWL ↗
• Session 5 Handout: Layers of the Atmosphere ↗
• Session 5 Handout: Aurora Colors ↗
• Session 5 Handout: Solar Wind Throughout the Solar System ↗
• Session 5, Activity 1 Handout: EM Spectrum↗
• Session 5, Activity 1 Handout: Spectroscope Diagram ↗
• Session 5, Activity 1 Handout: Spectroscope Template ↗
• Session 5, Activity 2 Handout: KP Map of North America ↗
• Session 5, Activity 3 Handout: Aurora Chalk Art ↗
• Session 5, Activity 3 Handout: Aurora Bracelet ↗

If you plan on running the entire club, the NASA Helio Club Youth Guide ↗  includes the handouts for all six sessions, plus additional resources for a capstone project. Other resources include Educator Background Information ↗ and a complete Materials Checklist↗  for all sessions. All content is connected to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Find the full club/curriculum here ↗