Explore the science behind the Northern Lights with this engaging Aurora Borealis reading comprehension resource.

Students will learn where the Aurora Borealis can be seen and how colourful ribbons, curtains and waves of light form high in Earth’s atmosphere.

The passages explain how charged particles from the Sun travel through space in the solar wind. Earth’s magnetic field guides some of these particles toward the polar regions, where they collide with oxygen and nitrogen and create glowing colours such as green, red, blue, pink and purple.

Students will also discover why green is the most common aurora colour, why auroras are easier to see in dark skies, and how the Southern Hemisphere has its own aurora called the Aurora Australis.

What’s included:

• Informational reading passages
• Aurora Borealis and Northern Lights facts
• Solar wind and Earth’s magnetic field
• Oxygen, nitrogen and aurora colours
• Polar regions and Aurora Australis
• Reading comprehension questions
• Written response activities

Perfect for Earth and space science, natural phenomena, polar regions, geography, STEM learning, reading comprehension and homeschool activities.

File type: Printable PDF
Preparation: Print and use