It's About Time
Orbits and Effects
What does your world revolve around? Challenge the class as they learn about orbits and the effects of them on our modern world. Young astronomers begin by measuring ellipses and calculating the eccentricity of Earth's orbit. Then, they...
CK-12 Foundation
Orbital Motion
Why do planets orbit the sun in ellipses when moons orbit their planet in circles? Pupils control the semi-major axis, eccentricity of the orbit, and position angle. The resulting orbital appears with the related force vectors as...
Curated OER
Orbits Worksheet #2
Brief, but beneficial, this resource draws space scientists into the orbit of a moon around its planet. Assignees answer five multiple choice style questions using a diagram of the planet, the moon's orbit, its focal points, and the...
Curated OER
Orbits Worksheet #1
A diagram of Earth's path around the sun, including the position of the moon, is displayed at the top of the worksheet. Five multiple questions get astronomers to analyze the diagram considering what is going on in the solar system. Use...
Curated OER
Orbital Bliss
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...
Curated OER
Earth Science Regents: The Ellipse
Starting with the instructions to draw an ellipse, and with great pictures, this sheet should help your pupils learn the shapes and measurements involved. Using push pins and string, your class can discover the axis and focus points...
Curated OER
Drawing Ellipses Lab
In this ellipse worksheet, learners learn the difference between an orbit and an ellipse. They draw ellipses and calculate the distance between foci, they calculate the length of the major axis and they determine the eccentricity. They...
Curated OER
What Orbital Dynamic Variables are Responsible for Earth's Weather?
Learners explore the changing of the seasons. In this astronomy and seasons lesson, students construct a model of the revolution of the sun and the moon. Learners compare the recorded solstice/equinox orbital positions and explain the...
Curated OER
Planet Paths: Studying Planetary Orbital Paths
Students define and identify planetary orbit, ellipse, parabola, and hyperbola, and simulate Kepler's Second Law. They explore interactive websites demonstrating orbital motion and complete modeling activities.
Curated OER
Planetary Orbit
Young scholars 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...
Curated OER
Kepler's Law-Worksheet #2
In this Kepler's Law worksheet, students answer 8 questions about the orbits of satellites, the rotation of planets, the eccentricity of the moon's orbit and the distance planets are from the sun using Kepler's laws.
Curated OER
Orbital Motion
Students use a formula to measure the eccentricity of an ellipse, then state Kepler's Law of Elliptical Orbits. They predict the solar energy received at different positions in a planet's orbit.
NASA
Rendezvous For Two
Imagine the challenge of getting the space shuttle to rendezvous with the International Space Station. Groups must determine the elliptical transfer orbit needed to get the space shuttle from its orbit to the orbit of the International...
Curated OER
Kepler's Laws-Worksheet #1
In this Kepler's laws worksheet, students solve 8 problems using Kepler's laws to find the eccentricity of the planet's orbit, to determine the average distance of Haley's comet from the sun and to determine Kepler's constant for each...
Curated OER
Toilet Paper Solar System
Students create a model of the distances of the planets in the solar system using sheets of toilet paper and markers. Generally accepted orbital parameters are applied.
University of Washington
Kepler’s Laws
Introduce your physics or astronomy class to Kepler's laws of planetary motion with this straightforward instructional activity. It covers the basic concepts of each and has learners answer questions to demonstrate their grasp on them....
Curated OER
Ellipses and Kepler's First Law
The class examines graphs in the form r = F(¿¿) in polar coordinates (r, ¿¿), in particular with the circle, ellipse and other conic sections. They determine the nature of an ellipse by studying the role of the semimajor axis and...
Curated OER
Ellipse
Students explore the concept of ellipses including finding the center, vertices's, foci and eccentricity. They assess how to graph elliptical functions and solve application problems involving ellipses. This assignment is to be completed...
Curated OER
Ellipse
Students find the center, vertices, foci, and eccentricity of ellipses using the subscriptions website www.explorelearning.com. They graph elliptical functions and solve application problems involving ellipses.
Curated OER
The Physics of the Planets: How 16th and 17th Century Physicist Helped Us Understand Our Solar System
Eighth graders draw the paths of the planets in the solar system. In this astronomy lesson, 8th graders calculate speed of objects using distance and time information. They research about the work of scientists in the 16th and 17th century.
Curated OER
Ellipses And Kepler's First Law
Students explain that planets actually orbit the center of gravity of the solar system, and that distant planets may be detected by motions of their central star around the centers of gravity of their planetary systems.
Curated OER
Lesson Plan on Kepler's Laws of Planetary Motion
Students construct a solar system model. In this space science lesson plan, students calculate the eccentricity of a planet's orbit. They calculate the period of a planet's revolution using Kepler's formula.
Curated OER
Space Science: Phases of the Moon
Looking for a terrific lesson on the phases of the moon that has lots of good worksheets? With two excellent websites are embedded in the plan, the activity is sure to spark some interest in your astronomy unit. Some common...
Curated OER
Terrestrial Ecosystem Response to Climate Change
An extensive investigation of the Earth's climate changes awaits your environmental science classes. This top-notch presentation begins by looking at the history of Earth's climate and then predicts the impact on each major terrestrial...