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This Earth, Can You Hear Me Now? lesson plan also includes:
How long did you say? Class groups plot the distances between Earth and Mars and determine the trigonometric function that models the data. Using a calculator, they graph the function to determine when the distance and communication times are the shortest, the optimum time to land a spacecraft on the Martian surface.
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CCSS:
Adaptable
Concepts
Additional Tags
Instructional Ideas
- Determine the distance between Mars and Earth today
- Find out when the optimum time to land a mission on Mars will be in the next few years
Classroom Considerations
- Class should be familiar with graphing trigonometric functions
Pros
- The animation provides an explanation for why the distances are periodic
- Includes some real-life data in order to apply a learned skill
Cons
- None