Using NewsHour Extra Worksheets

Overview: NewsHour Extra worksheets can help students follow along and identify key points in NewsHour science broadcast pieces.

Warm Up: Introduce the topic of the broadcast piece and find out how much your students know.

Main Activity: Hand out the worksheet and have students answer the questions as they watch the NewsHour segment.

Need a DVD of the science segment?: Write to science@newshour.org.

Story: Scientists, Students Study Space Storms, 5/16/07
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/science/jan-june07/themis_05-16.html

Worksheet Questions: (click here for printout)

1. How does the sun cause auroras -- bands of light in the Northern and Southern hemispheres -- to occur?

When the sun blows out a storm of electrons that affects the Earth's magnetic field.

2. What kinds of problems can magnetic storms in space cause?

They can disrupt communications satellites and even endanger orbiting astronauts.

3. What is the goal of NASA's THEMIS mission?

To find out exactly where the storms that cause auroras originate.

4. What do the magnetometers placed in Petersburg, Alaska and other Northern locations measure?

They measure the magnetic field close to the surface of the Earth.

5. How does Petersburg, Alaska student Erin Streuli know when to go outside and watch for the Northern lights?

She can track readings from the school's magnetometer on her home computer. When she sees evidence of a magnetic substorm, she knows to look for the aurora that night.

For more NewsHour Science Reports, go to www.pbs.org/newshour/science.

For more science lesson plans and worksheets, go to www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/teachers/science.