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Thanks, Michelle. Say, how would you like to plot out the cycles of solar flares? Students

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at Hardy Middle School in Washington, D.C. will show you how. Check out my nose.

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Hi, we're from Hardy Middle School. Here in Georgetown, Washington, D.C.

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NASA Connect has asked us to show you this hands-on activity.

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It's called X-Ray Candles. Solar flares on your birthday. Here are the main objectives.

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You'll discover the solar cycle through an investigation of solar X-ray flares. You'll

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record the total number of flares in your birth month over an 11-year period. You'll

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compute the percentage of M-class flares that occur. You'll graph your findings to help

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you identify the long-term pattern of flare activity on the sun. And you'll incorporate

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problem-solving strategies in a real-life application. The list of materials you'll

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need for this activity can be downloaded from the NASA Connect website. The class

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will be divided into groups according to their birth month. Teachers will provide each group

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with solar flare data for the corresponding birth month, and each student with a calculator,

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graph paper, and student data charts.

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Good morning, class. Today, your job is to plot and analyze solar flare data from a satellite

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and determine the solar cycle of the sun.

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First, add the total number of flares that occurred in your birth month for each year.

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Record that number in the last column of each row of the solar flare datasheet.

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Second, add all the numbers in the last column of the solar flare datasheets to determine

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the total number of flares in your birth month for each year.

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Record that number for each year in the box at the bottom of each page of the solar flare

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datasheet.

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Next, add the total number of M-class flares in your birth month for each year.

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Record the total number of M-class flares for each year in the box at the bottom middle

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of each page of the solar flare datasheet.

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What did you get for your birth month?

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Fourteen.

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Groups will need to collaborate with each other to get information on the total number

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of flares and M-class flares for all months in each year.

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Record the data on the student data chart.

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Record the total number of flares and M-class flares for each year on the student chart.

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In this data, compute the percentage of M-class flares for each year by using the equation

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M-class flares divided by total number of flares multiplied by 100.

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Students will then plot the percentage of M-class flares versus year.

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Okay, why is it important for researchers and scientists to know when solar maximums

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and solar minimums will occur?

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Connor.

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So they know when solar storms will hit the earth.

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Anybody else?

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Allison.

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So they can warn us if the electricity will go out in our homes.

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Special thanks to the AIAA National Capital Section and the AIAA mentors from the University

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of Maryland who helped us with this show.

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Thank you.

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We had a great experience.

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And we encourage teachers to visit our website to learn more about the AIAA mentorship program

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in your area.