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Activity
Other

Center for Science Education: Eye on the Sky: What Makes Day and Night?

For Students Pre-K - 1st
This activity will allow you to model day and night cycles. A rotating student holding a map (provided) models the earth. A lamp is used to model the sun. Numerous worksheets (pdf) and additional website resources are also provided.
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Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Seasons

For Teachers 9th - 10th
For this activity, pupils create a small model of the Earth using a styrofoam ball and a skewer. They then explore the relationship between the Earth and the Sun (a flashlight) to understand why it is hottest at the Equator, and why we...
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Lesson Plan
BioEd Online

Bio Ed Online: Sleep and Circadian Rhythms

For Teachers 6th - 8th
The following lessons help students from grades 6-8 understand sleep and circadian rhythms. Lesson topics iinclude: day and night, seasons, sundails, clocks, sleep and sleep patterns and sleeping in space.
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Handout
PBS

Pbs Learning Media: Global Weather Machine

For Students 9th - 10th
In this illustrated essay from NOVA Online, explore the cyclical process of weather creation and the effects of El Nino on the global weather system.
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Website
PBS

Pbs Learning Media: Virtual Pendulum

For Students 3rd - 8th
This interactive activity from ZOOM offers a chance to experiment with a virtual pendulum and to see how it can be influenced by a variety of factors.
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Lesson Plan
Utah Education Network

Uen: Measuring Wind Speed

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders measure wind speed over the course of a week and graph the results.
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Lesson Plan
Utah Education Network

Uen: Trb 3:1 Investigation 5 Making a Sundial

For Teachers 3rd
Make a sundial and learn how to use it.
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Website
Geography 4 kids

Geography4 kids.com: Coriolis Spinning Around the Earth

For Students 3rd - 8th
An overview of the Coriolis Force, an effect on wind due to the rotation of Earth.
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Lesson Plan
Alabama Learning Exchange

Alex: Our Restless Planet

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
This unit will use demonstrations and student examples to help students gain an understanding of rotation, revolution, and orbit. Through hands-on activities students will explore the concepts of day and night. Technology will be...
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Handout
NASA

Nasa: Space Place: How Long Is One Day on Other Planets?

For Students 3rd - 7th
Here on Earth a day takes 24 hours. How long are days on other planets in our solar system? Find out here in three different ways, whichever meets your learning style the best.
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Activity
CK-12 Foundation

Ck 12: Plix: Seasons

For Students 7th - 9th
[Free Registration/Login Required] View how the axis of rotation causes Earth to have seasons on this site. Also test your knowledge on how the position of Earth and seasons relate with a short quiz.
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Activity
Read Works

Read Works: Morning Sunshine

For Students 5th
[Free Registration/Login Required] Students read about how the tilt of the Earth on its axis affects sunrises and sunstes. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.
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Activity
Ministerio de EducaciĂłn (Spain)

Ministerio De Educacion: Astronomia Visible

For Students 9th - 10th
This site has maps of the nearest stars and constellations. Earth and star daily rotation, proper motion of the stars and many other topics about the solar system are also shown.Read phonetically
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Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Lunar Lollipops

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
The students work in teams of two to discover the relative positions of the Earth, Sun and Moon that produce the different phases of the Moon. The students will be given a Styrofoam ball that they will attach to a pencil so that it looks...
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Interactive
American Association of Physics Teachers

Com Padre Digital Library: Open Source Physics: Ballistics and Orbits Model

For Students 9th - 10th
Experience a simulation of ballistic trajectories in relationship to Earth's orbit. Java 1.5 or more recent is required.
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Website
PBS

Pbs Learning Media: What Causes the Gulf Stream?

For Students 9th - 10th
This video segment adapted from NOVA uses satellite imagery to illustrate the Gulf Stream's path and animations to explain how atmospheric phenomena cause it to move. [1:51]
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Activity
University of Chicago

University of Chicago: What's Your Slant? Sun and Shadows

For Students 9th - 10th
This fun activity helps you to understand the movement of the sun by studying shadows.
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Unit Plan
E-learning for Kids

E Learning for Kids: Science: Rio De Janeiro: Day and Night: The Sun

For Students Pre-K - 1st
Gabriella lives in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Help her learn more about the sun and identify the properties of the sun.
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Activity
Exploratorium

Exploratorium: Science Snacks: Reflections of a Star

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This simple lesson allows students to work cooperatively in determining the angular diameter of the Sun.
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eBook
Libre Text

Libre Text: The Coriolis Force

For Students 9th - 10th
The Coriolis force is a central element of the dynamics of ocean and atmosphere flows.
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Graphic
Curated OER

Earth Rotates Toward the East

For Students 3rd - 8th
This site from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration provides a fun project on rockets. "Nothing in space stands still. Everything either orbits around something else, or moves toward or away from something else. So how do...
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Handout
Science Struck

Science Struck: A Scientific Explanation to What Causes Day and Night

For Students 4th - 8th
Explains how the rotation and the axial tilt of the Earth are responsible for the phenomenon of day and night. Provides information about the Sun, the solar system, and the Earth, and how the circumference of the Earth was first measured...
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Article
Cornell University

Cornell University: Astronomy: Eratosthenes

For Students 9th - 10th
Learn how Greek mathematician Eratosthenes used geometry to estimate the circumference of the Earth.
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Website
NASA

Nasa: Heliophysics: New Science of the Sun Solar System Connection

For Students 9th - 10th
This site from NASA lists common and uncommon misconceptions about Sun-Earth Science. Site also provides links to activities and lesson plans as well as background reading.

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