It's easy to start your school or district purchase!
Skip to content

Brightness of the Sun and Stars Activities for 5th Grade Science

The resources below will provide students a comprehensive understanding of the brightness of the sun and stars. All of the following lessons are also included in the Kesler Science Membership.

5E Lessons

Lessons

The Brightness of the Sun and Stars 5E Lesson includes materials for every "E" phase, including the Brightness of the Sun and Stars Station Lab for Exploration and an interactive PowerPoint with digital INB templates for Explanation.

The lesson also includes introduction materials for Engagement, student-choice project ideas for Elaboration, and assessments for Evaluation.

After completing the Brightness of the Sun and Stars 5E Lesson, students will be able to support an argument that differences in the apparent brightness of the sun compared to other stars is due to their relative distances from Earth. [Assessment Boundary: Assessment is limited to relative distances, not sizes, of stars. Assessment does not include other factors that affect apparent brightness (such as stellar masses, age, stage).]

distance-learning Distance-Learning Ready
Learn More

Essential Questions and Standards

Below are the essential questions and standards associated with the lessons and activities included in the brightness of the sun and stars unit. This topic is only one of many 5th grade science topics included in the Kesler Science Membership.

Essential Questions
  • How does the relative distance of a star affect how brightly it shines in Earth’s sky?
  • Why is the Sun the brightest star in Earth’s sky?
Standards
  • 5-ESS1-1 - Support an argument that differences in the apparent brightness of the sun compared to other stars is due to their relative distances from Earth. [Assessment Boundary: Assessment is limited to relative distances, not sizes, of stars. Assessment does not include other factors that affect apparent brightness (such as stellar masses, age, stage).]
access every resource.

Kesler Science Membership

Imagine never having to search for another middle school science lesson again. The membership gives you access to ALL of the Kesler Science products in one place (Yes, including everything above).

Say goodbye to long hours of lesson prep.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE MEMBERSHIP