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The Cosmic Distance Ladder: Parallax Lesson PlanThe Cosmic Distance Ladder: Parallax Lesson Plan
Publisher
Las Cumbres Observatory
Resource Details
Curator Rating
Educator Rating
Not yet Rated
Grade
11th - 12th
Subjects
Science
1 more...
Resource Type
Lesson Plans
Audience
For Teacher Use
Duration
1 hr
Instructional Strategies
Collaborative Learning
3 more...
Usage Permissions
Fine Print: Educational Use
Lesson Plan

The Cosmic Distance Ladder: Parallax

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet
This The Cosmic Distance Ladder: Parallax lesson plan also includes:
  • Student Worksheet (.docx)
  • LCO Galaxy Image (.jpg)
  • LCO Star Image (.jpg)
  • Activity
  • Vocabulary
  • Join to access all included materials

Scientists don't have a ruler long enough to measure to the stars, so they rely on math. Scholars learn to calculate the distance from Earth to a star using the parallax method. They use angle measures from different perspectives to calculate the distance to different planets and then look for patterns in their measurements and calculations. 

3 Views 0 Downloads

Concepts

parallax, stars, distance, similar triangles, triangles

Additional Tags

science

Instructional Ideas

  • Create an interdisciplinary lesson by incorporating geometry concepts
  • Incorporate during a unit on properties of stars

Classroom Considerations

  • Requires a specific set of materials and a large space to work

Pros

  • Provides important background information
  • Includes possible guiding questions

Cons

  • None

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