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Interactive
McGraw Hill

Orbital Velocity Interactive

For Students 9th - Higher Ed
Why does it take Pluto 90,000 days to orbit the sun, but it only takes Mercury 88 days? An interactive lesson helps pupils find a connection between the speed of orbit and distance a planet is from the sun. The simulation allows for...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Moon Orbits the Sun?!?!

For Teachers 8th - Higher Ed
Young scholars calculate the strength of gravitational force exerted on the moon by the sun and earth. In this orbital activity students view a demonstration to see the gravitational forces between bodies.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Orbital Bliss

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Most young mathematicians are aware that the planets don’t orbit the sun in a circle but rather as an ellipse, but have never studied this interesting feature. This resource looks at the planetary orbits in more detail and helps learners...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Orbital path of Landsat

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students comprehend how Landsat satellites orbit teh Earth to produce images. They comprehend the elliptical path of satellites. Students recognize that a different orbital path is needed for different satellites to perform their tasks....
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Target Earth

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Space scientists use water displacement to determine the mass of a cubic centimeter mini meteorite, and then use it as a small-scale representative of an asteroid. They figure out the orbital velocity of an asteroid. Then they use a...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Orbit, rotation, revolution of Earth

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders define orbit, rotation and revolution. They demonstrate the orbit, rotation and revolution of the Earth. Students identify the types of measurements and the instruments that used for orbit, rotation and revolution. They...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Orbiting Satellites

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders explore the concept of orbits.  In this Algebra II lesson, 11th graders investigate Earth-orbiting satellites as they use algebraic thinking to calculate altitude and velocity. 
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Interactive
McGraw Hill

Kepler's Second Law Interactive

For Students 9th - Higher Ed Standards
Kepler decided to think outside the box and discovered that planets orbit in elliptical patterns. An engaging activity demonstrates the elliptical orbit pattern in relationship to the area of a planet to explain Kepler's Second Law....
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Interactive
McGraw Hill

The Bohr Atom

For Students 9th - Higher Ed
Elements don't have fingers, but they have fingerprints! An interactive simulation gives young scientists the opportunity to study orbital changes of an atom and the corresponding spectrum reading. They realize how each atom has a unique...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Orbital Mechanics

For Teachers 12th
Twelfth graders examine the misconceptions of Newton's laws of motion.  In this motion and gravity lesson students interpret data and see the effects of gravity. 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Planetary Orbit

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students compare and contrast ellipses of various eccentricities that represent the shape of planetary orbits. They make a circle with the string by trying the two ends togther. Students calculate the eccentricity of their ellipses by...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Bringing the Solar System to Life

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Students walk marked paths as they simulate the orbit of the planets.  In this solar system lesson, students recognize the relationship between the sun and the planets.  Students visualize how the phases of the moon are seen.
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Lesson Plan
Alabama Learning Exchange

Our Restless Planet

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students examine the topic of the Earth's rotation, revolution, and orbit. They observe teacher-led demonstrations, explore various websites, write journal entries, conduct a demonstration of why Earth experiences day and night, and...
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Workbook
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1
University of California

Seasons Lab Book

For Students 5th - 8th Standards
Unlock the mystery behind seasonal change with a collection of worksheets and activities. Whether they are drawing pictures of Earth's orbit around the sun or graphing the temperature and daylight hours of different locations from around...
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Unit Plan
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Core Knowledge Foundation

A Time for All Seasons - Summer

For Teachers 1st - 3rd Standards
The sun is shining and the birds are singing, what better time to teach young learners about the fun season of summer. In this week-long science series, children learn how the rotation and orbit of the earth influence the days and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earth, Sun, and Moon

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Young scholars participate in a demonstration and complete an online activity that illustrates the earth orbits the sun once a year, and that the moon takes approximately 28 days to orbit the earth.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Orbit an Artificial Satellite

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students construct an artificial satellite from random materials. They demonstrate the principle of an orbit. Students are divided into small groups. Each group creates a model of an artificial satellite in orbit.
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Interactive
McGraw Hill

Kepler's Third Law Interactive

For Students 9th - Higher Ed Standards
Common sense says that the farther a planet is from the sun, the longer the orbit. Kepler turned common sense into his third law by quantifying this relationship. Classes explore Kepler's Third Law through an interactive tutorial. They...
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Interactive
McGraw Hill

Retrograde Motion

For Students 9th - Higher Ed
How does Mars move both eastward and westward in Earth's sky? A simple interactive describes the concept of retrograde motion using both color and graphic models. Learners understand that the speed of the orbit accounts for Mars' change...
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Interactive
PBS

Why Do We Have Seasons?

For Students 5th - 12th Standards
Explore the reason for the seasons! An interactive lesson allows learners to explore the earth's rotation from the viewpoint of four cities at different latitudes. It provides descriptive information at eight points during the orbit...
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Lesson Plan
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Purdue University

Global Design for the Seasons

For Teachers 5th Standards
People don't all get the same amount of sun at the same time of the year. Collaborative groups explore how the motion of Earth contributes to the idea in an inquiry-based STEM lesson. Learners first investigate how the rotation of Earth...
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Lesson Plan
California Academy of Science

Which Way is North?

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
Who needs a compass to find cardinal directions? Just place a stick in the ground and record the movement of its shadow over the course of a day. Then, measure the shadow lengths in order to determine a north-south line. A simple...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Astronomy

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students explore space science by utilizing education software. In this moon cycles lesson, students discuss the importance of the moon and the different phases we observe from earth. Students demonstrate the earth's orbit by creating a...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earth and Sun's Distance

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students consider the shape of the Earth's orbit around the Sun. They view the first segment of Science Court video and use Timeliner software to construct a scale of the distance between the Earth and the Sun.

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