METHODS article
Front. Astron. Space Sci.
Sec. Space Physics
This article is part of the Research TopicHeliophysics Big Year: Education and Public Outreach ReportsView all 8 articles
Integrating Space Weather into K-5 STEM Education Through Hands-on Learning
Provisionally accepted
- University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, United States
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Space Weather encompasses multiple elements of the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education standards, offering an optimum context for interdisciplinary learning. Because space is inherently interesting to young learners, it presents a unique opportunity to enhance engagement and curiosity in science. Although Space Weather is not typically included in K–5 curricula due to its perceived conceptual complexity, we developed and implemented a four-week "Northern Lights" curriculum for grades K-5 to introduce physical components at the elementary level. The course introduced concepts spanning from the Sun to Earth and emphasized connections between physical and Earth sciences. Through hands-on, inquiry-based activities, students demonstrated a strong grasp of fundamental principles and were able to relate their learning to real-world phenomena. This paper presents the design, implementation, and outcomes of these activities, highlighting the potential of Space Weather as an accessible and inspiring framework for early STEM education.
Keywords: Space weather, Hands-on learning, Northern lights, stem education, K-5 education
Received: 12 Oct 2025; Accepted: 11 Nov 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Ozturk. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Dogacan Ozturk, dsozturk@alaska.edu
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