Click here to go to the next Class Site (Unit 4 The Geosphere): www.thegeosphere.pbwiki.com 

 

Unit 3:

 

 

Earth as a Planet

 

 

 

 

 

Questions to be answered in this unit:

1.    How do the motions of the Earth and moon impact life on earth?

2.    What is the Earth made out of?

3.    What causes the seasons and the phases of the moon?

 

 

 

What should I understand by the end of this unit?

1.    The relative position and movements of the earth, moon, and sun account for lunar and solar eclipses, the observed moon phases, tides, and seasons.

2.    Earth consists of an Atmosphere, a Hydrosphere, a Geosphere, and a Biosphere.

3.    The earth has 3 major zones: the core, the mantle and the crust.

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Classwork, Projects and other Reference Materials:

 

Unit Pretest

 

 

Standing on the Moon project, a classic Grateful Dead tune AND an ESS project!

 

Online Resources for this Project:

• NASA Origins, Timeline of the Universe: this tutorial follows the 15 billion year history of the universe, including the formation of early earth.
• Live Science Article
• Science Daily Article
• Scientific American Article and Another Scientific American Article

 

Phases of the Moon:

• Online Applet: press play to see the positions of the moon, Sun, and Earth during each phase
• Charting the Moon worksheet (this is the month long assignment starting Nov. 1)
• Understanding Moon Phases class hand-out
• About the Phases of the Moon

 

What Causes the Seasons?

• Online Seasons Applet: press play to see an animation of Earth's seasons... (*NOTE: The direction of the Earth's tilt does not change, the location of the Earth in relation to the sun does)
• Seasons class hand-out
• About the Earth and the Seasons

 

What is an Eclipse and why do they occur?

• Online Eclipse Animation

             (Make sure you click on "Tell Me More" to see more visuals)

• Student Webquest links:

                               Solar Eclipse: Mr. Eclipse

                               Lunar Eclipse: Mr. Eclipse

•  About Eclipses

 

What causes the tides?  How is the moon related to tidal action?

• Online Tide Animation
• About Tides
• Link to a website describing the Bay of Fundy, home to the greatest tidal variation in the world.

 

 

Time Zones Assignment: Planning a Vacation

• World Time Zones Map

 

Great information about Daylight Savings Time!

 

What is precession?  How is Earth like a rotating toy top?  How long until the North Star is no longer the North Star?

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Ask an Astronomer, answers to tons of curious questions students may have about pretty much anything in the universe!

 

Earth-Moon Viewer, this allows you to view images of the Earth from a number of perspectives (including from the moon and from the sun) and to view the moon from Earth or from the Sun.

 

Current Lunar Phase, gives the lunar phase for any date from 1800 to 2199 AD. Use for checking student predictions of phase on any given day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

                           

 

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Vocabulary:

International Date Line                                                   Geosynchronous orbit

Polar orbit                                                                       Perigee

Apogee                                                                            Daylight savings time                                                       

Equinox (vernal and autumnal)                                        Solstice (summer and winter

Precession                                                                        Time zones

Perihelion                                                                         Aphelion

Rotation                                                                           Revolution

Magnetosphere                                                                Crust

Mantle                                                                             Core

Moho                                                                               Axis

Seismic waves                                                                  Tide

Eclipse                                                                             Waxing

Earth’s spheres (Bio-, Geo-, Atmos-, Hydro-)               Waning

Umbra                                                                               Penumbra

 

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(well sort of, just for fun)