Introduction
The Sun is fascinating! From Earth what appears to be a round ball is our source to light and heat. Another cool thing is that we orbit from Earth around the Sun as well, which should make it seem like it is not too far away. Sounds about right, right? But the Sun is actually millions of miles away! But, what do we really know about the Sun? Why should teachers teach about the Sun? How does the Sun help support life on Earth? We know life would not exist without the Sun. There are other Suns in the universe. In our solar system, the Sun is in the center. Our Sun is the key to the unknown about the existences of our solar system that exist. It is the star that is closest to us. We and the astronomers observe the Sun to understand of our existences and how other stars may or will evolve.
The Sun is 93 million miles away and constantly changing and busy on a daily basis. What fascinates me on how it appears to be constantly on fire! The other fascinating thing is that the wonders of the universe can be answered scientifically without having to travel to the Sun or other planets. We know the Sun’s age, its mass, its radius, and its luminosity through studies and observation. Features on the Sun’s surface and the Sun’s actions shows how much power it has. Furthermore, the Sun has energy that supports life on Earth ¾ without the Sun, nothing will be able to survive. The Sun appears to have its own cycle of appearing and disappearing, and people of many cultures live their daily lives by how the sun appears or disappear (day and night).
Since the beginning of human existence, the Sun has been the sole source of energy for mankind and other living organism. While there are many other resources on earth that helps us survive here, the Sun’s energy is definitely the most important resource we will all need ¾ without the Sun, plants would not produce food, which would destroy animal like too. Unfortunately, the energy from the Sun cannot always be stored for many people to use. Most homes run by electricity that is connected to their homes. However, this is not the case for people on the reservation, and most are without modern energy to support their modern homes. Although many live the traditional way of life, others are living in the current modernized lifestyle. Those that live believing the old traditional ways feel that the Sun supports them in every way and are able to live comfortably. Unfortunately, those that have been assimilated into the western civilization, find it difficult to live without electricity or energy to run electricity in their homes. Energy is needed for lights, refrigeration, heating and cooling, to cook a meal, and even to run a school! The energy that supports these needs are limited, and sometimes lacking, which makes it difficult for people on the reservation to keep up with modern technology. Most technological equipment, whether it be computers for school, or biotechnology needs the support of electricity or energy to run the equipment. So, who needs to know this? Students and the younger generation, especially on the reservation, need to start thinking about how the Sun can support their homes if electricity is lacking. One way is to start using solar panels. Yes, it is very costly, but it is also costly to run electrical lines to home in rural areas. We are talking $21,000 for one-fourth of mile just to put up poles for electrical lines. Hence, this unit is design to bring awareness of the energy from the Sun that can be a resource for homes on the reservation as well as any other rural area.
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