We all love a beautiful fireworks display – the colors and patterns are mesmerizing as they light up the night sky. But did you know that nature has a “fireworks” display of her own? It’s called the Northern Lights. For people who live in the most northern portion of our world, these lights put on a show in the night sky that’s worth losing sleep over!
You may have heard the term Aurora Borealis. This is the scientific name for the Northern Lights. The word aurora means polar light, hence an aurora is a display of light in the arctic and antarctic regions. This light show occurs in the Auroral Zone, an area around the North Pole and the South Pole. An aurora around the Arctic is called an Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights. An aurora around the Antarctic is called Aurora Australis or Southern Lights. The Aurora Australis is rarely seen because the area in which it occurs is largely around Antarctica or the Antarctic Ocean, areas that are largely unaccessible. The Northern Lights, however, actually occur in accessible countries such as Iceland, Greenland, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia.
Amazing photographs of this night sky phenomenon can be viewed at the following link:
https://www.pinterest.com/passportnation/live-it-a-slice-of-life-in-europe/
Click on the folder labeled “Northern Lights”.
Or watch a mesmerizing two minute video of the Northern Lights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVsONlc3OUY&t=16s
In addition, your students may enjoy this educational video explaining a little of the science behind this beautiful phenomenon.
https://www.pinterest.com/passportnation/live-it-a-slice-of-life-in-europe/
God’s creation is truly amazing, and no where is this more clearly demonstrated than in this dance of light in the heavenly skies. As art is a beautiful reflection of the Master Artist, let’s create our own unique version of the Northern Lights through the following art project:
NORTHERN LIGHTS PROJECT
Materials Needed:
- Template; print one template per student on paper, card stock, or watercolor paper
- Watercolor pencils
- Paint brush (one per student)
- Water in cups
- Paper towels
Instructions:
- Print out Template.
- Using watercolor pencils, have students color vertical rows up and down the sky, changing between colors.
- Then using a wet paint brush, lightly brush over rows to slightly blend colors.
Your finished product should look something like this:
If you ever have a chance to go to one of the countries where the Northern Lights can be see, let “Nature’s Fireworks” remind you of our amazing creator… and that the glory and majesty of God is put on display through his creation!