Teacher Resources for Instructional Planning


HS, Earth Science Std 6: Explain the length of a day and of a year in terms of the motion of Earth. • Explaining the relationship of the seasons to the tilt of Earth’s axis and its revolution about the sun

Lesson Plans: The Formation of the Solar System Any model of the formation of the solar system must account for the motions, compositions and locations of all the planets and their moons. In this lab, you will use the motions of objects in the solar system to concoct a model of the formation of the solar system. Celestial Navigation The gnomon, a fancy name for a vertical stick (must be thin and round) stuck in the ground, is the most ancient of all astronomical instruments. It can be used to chart the Sun's motion across the sky so as to determine one's latitude and longitude, as well as the time of true noon. Sidereal Day To find the difference between a solar day and a sidereal day you will measure the intervals between the times when a star returns to a given spot over successive evenings. Motion of the Moon The moon changes its position in the sky from day to day as a consequence of its orbital motion around the earth. In this project, we ask you to chart the motion of the moon against the background stars. Kepler's Laws By reproducing ellipses via the "string-and-pencil method," the students will draw ellipses and determine the eccentricities; by measuring the orbits of five of Jupiter's moons, the students will test Kepler's third law; and by using characteristics of Pluto's orbit, the students will confirm Kepler's second law. How Old Are You? To understand the relationship between planetary orbits around the Sun and our measure of time. How Much Do You Weigh? To understand that weight is a measure of gravitational attraction and that this force is not the same on each planet.

Resources: Exploring Planets: More than 25 hands-on science activities are provided in classroom-ready pages for both teachers and students for exploring Earth, the planets, geology, and space sciences. Discoveryschools.com Teachnology Space and Astronomy Lesson Plans The Space Place A great site from NASA to explore with your students. Don't miss the Goodies for Teachers area for printables and lesson worksheets. NASA Spacelink Use this website to start your search of the NASA collection of educational materials, such as classroom lessons, online activities, and multimedia resources. NASA Explores Express Lessons and Online Resources Lesson Plan Central An educator's guide to lesson plans, worksheets, web links, and more.
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