Northern Light Science Inquiry Games

Trivia Tournament

• Test how much knowledge your students are able to retain from your lessons by engaging them with a trivia-based game. Divide the class in half to make two teams, and either have the students take turns answering the trivia questions, or have each team elect a specific spokesperson. Ask a variety of questions on the mythology surrounding the Northern Lights, where they can be seen, why they occur and other relevant information. The team that is able to answer the most questions correctly will win the game.

Name That Gas

• The breathtaking colors of the Northern Lights are caused by the gases that occur in the Earth's atmosphere; for instance, lighter gases such as hydrogen cause the blue and purple colors of the aurora borealis. Quiz your students on these colors with a fast-paced game. You can hold up a flash card of either a color or a gas and have the students hold up a corresponding flash card of either the gas that creates the color, or the color that results from the gas. This should be a silent game.

Map Master

• Teach students about the geography surrounding your study of the Northern Lights by discussing where the aurora borealis naturally occurs. You can discuss the cultural traditions of these places, the physical attributes of the land, or any other variety of factual information about the locations where Northern Lights can be seen. Then, give each student a blank map and give a series of clues about the travels of a young explorer who is trying to see the Northern Lights in a variety of locations around the world. Each student should attempt to correctly map out the explorer's travel path.

Scavenger Hunt

• Challenge your students to a scavenger hunt based on facts and clues about the Northern Lights. For instance, you could give the students the specific coordinates of a place where the Northern Lights are visible, and have them determine what that country is using a map. Split the students up into small groups to complete the hunt, and the first team to figure out all the clues will be the winners of the game.