Suggestions for using this site in the classroom:

- Break students up into five groups. Assign each group one of the focus questions in the self-guided lesson. The group will be responsible for researching the information that answers their question. They will then teach that information to the class. They could prepare a poster or visual aid, have their classmates draw pictures, or come up with their own ideas.

- Focus on how to see an aurora. Ask the students to plan a trip to view an aurora. Where would they go? When will they go? How will they know if there will be an aurora? What information would they look at to make informed decisions?

- The sites found in the "Aurora Links" section could serve as starting points for research on related topics. For example, students could look into how to photograph auroras, learn more about the Sun and x-ray images, or see where other interesting Astronomy Picture of the Day images lead them. They might also learn more about the Earth's magnetosphere, or study the relationship between electricity and magnetism.

If you're a teacher and have used "Auroras: Paintings in the Sky" in your classroom, please send your comments to outreach@ssl.berkeley.edu .