TN Earth Science Standards - The Universe

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Checks for Understanding 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.5 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.9 | 1.10 | 1.11 | 1.12 | 1.13 | 1.14 | 1.15
Science Curriculum Standards 3204 - Earth Science	Internet Resources
Identify the components of the universe: black holes, galaxies, nebulae, solar systems, stars, planets, meteors, comets, and asteroids. 1.1	Amazing Space is a set of web-based activities primarily designed for classroom use, but made available for all to enjoy. An animation of a comet's passage through the solar system - Compared to the planets, most comets have highly elliptical orbits and widely varying orbital speeds. Comet Halley's next passage through the inner solar system will occur in the year 2061. Astronomy Resources at Internet4Classrooms Atlas of the Universe - This web page is designed to give everyone an idea of what our universe actually looks like. There are nine main maps on this web page, each one approximately ten times the scale of the previous one. The Cosmic Distance Scale - This feature will give an impression of how immense our Universe is by employing a method used many times in "Power of 10" films - that is, starting with an image of the Earth and then zooming out to the furthest visible reaches of our Universe. The Cosmic Distance Scale - a series of web-based exercises designed to take students on an interactive tour measuring cosmic distances Galaxy Index - photo index which leads to pages with more complete information  Spiral Galaxy pictures - Alwyn Botha has posted this excellent set of galaxy pictures to assist those who want to take their own astrophotographs, or those who simply want to see the beautiful pinwheel shapes of spiral galaxies. Thanks for all of the hard work Alwyn. How many stars are there in the Universe? - an interesting article on how to make an estimate of the number of stars Hubble Heritage Project - index to images from the Hubble Space Telescope Mysteries of Deep Space from PBS Online National Science Foundation Division of Astronomical Sciences provides some useful links to astronomical on-line resources. NOVA - an archive of past NOVA shows on the subject of space Photo Gallery of the National Space Science Data Center Size Comparison - a sequence of models compares larger and larger objects - great pictures Space Science Education Resource from NASA  Space Telescope Science Institute - Astronomy resources, data archives and HST StarChild - A Learning Center for Young Astronomers from NASA Star Journey is based on National Geographic's popular map, "The Heavens." Understanding the Universe - an exploration with the American Museum of Natural History at DiscoverySchool.com Windows to the Universe - the site is written in three reading levels approximating elementary, middle school and high school reading levels - levels may be chosen by using the upper button bar of each page of the main site
Compare explanations for the origin of the universe: Big Bang, nucleosynthesis, galaxy, and star formation. 1.2	Big Bang Time Machine - go back in time to explore what the universe was like at various times
Construct a solar system model that illustrates ratios and proportions of distance and size of planets. 1.3	Build a Solar System - Make a scale model of the Solar System and learn the real definition of "space." Examine the vast distances between planets in the solar system - Click the image to see the animation. Use the movie controls to examine the planets. Field Guide to the Universe - Solar System  Size Comparison - a sequence of models compares larger and larger objects - great pictures
Explain the evolution of a star through stages of its development. 1.4	�
Classify galaxies according to shape. 1.5	Galaxy Index - photo index which leads to pages with more complete information Spiral Galaxy pictures - Alwyn Botha has posted this excellent set of galaxy pictures to assist those who want to take their own astrophotographs, or those who simply want to see the beautiful pinwheel shapes of spiral galaxies. Thanks for all of the hard work Alwyn.
Explore the role of astronomical events in the earth�s history: asteroid/meteor impacts, solar flares, and comets. 1.6	�
Compare and contrast the earth with other planets in the solar system. 1.7	Build a Solar System - Make a scale model of the Solar System and learn the real definition of "space." Exploring Planets in the Classroom - Hands-on Activities for Science Classes. More than 25 hands-on science activities are provided in classroom-ready pages for both teachers and students for exploring Earth, the planets, geology, and space sciences. Field Guide to the Universe - Solar System |  Learn about the Planets - from KidsAstronomy Mars Exploration Rover Mission - Latest News From Spirit and Opportunity Mars Global Surveyor Mars Orbiter Camera Image Gallery - Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) Image Gallery! This site contains the pictures of Mars acquired by NASA's Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) orbiter through 31 January 2001. MOC is operated daily at Malin Space Science Systems. The company is responsible for archiving the camera data once they are received on Earth. Mars Today - current conditions on Mars and its relationship to Earth MSSS Viking Image Archive - This page provides access to a large fraction of the set of images taken by the Viking orbiters from 1976 to 1980. The Nine Eight Planets: A Multimedia Tour of the Solar System Order it up - Measures of size and scale help us understand the magnitude of objects. Play with scales while trying to arrange planets by magnitude of mass, size, temperature, density, distance, gravity or magnetic field. Correctly order the planets and you unscramble a mystery picture! To play, click on the blue link; Play Order it Up: Solar System Edition Planets of the solar system - Click on a planet to get a short bit of information about each one. [relative sizes are not accurate] Planetary Orbits - Shockwave simulation showing planetary orbits Pluto demoted to dwarf planet - CNN report from 1:12 p.m. EDT, August 27, 2006 Size Comparison - a sequence of models compares larger and larger objects - great pictures Solar System - This real-time 3D simulation allows the student to inspect our solar system from any angle or vantage point as well as gain detailed information about each element. Solar System Image Archive - from Windows to the Universe Solar System Live - Where are the planets right now. Go to this site to find. You can also reset the date for times in the past or future to see where the plants were, or will be. A view of the Inner planets is also available. Solar System Scale Model Page - Making scale models of the solar system is a useful way to learn about it. This page lists various related pages. Solar System: True to Scale - scroll forever to find the planets, and don't try to print this site (1487 pages almost all black!) Surface of Mars colored by height - click and drag the image to rotate the planet Views of the Solar System - This site presents a vivid multimedia adventure unfolding the splendor of the Sun, planets, moons, comets, asteroids, and more. Discover the latest scientific information, or study the history of space exploration, rocketry, early astronauts, space missions, spacecraft through a vast archive of photographs, scientific facts, text, graphics and videos. Views of the Solar System offers enhanced exploration and educational enjoyment of the solar system and beyond. Virtual Solar System by National Geographic - your chance to discover the wonders of our solar system in a spectacular 3-D environment. Take a fly-by tour of the sun and each planet in its orbit, observe close-up views of the planets, extraterrestrial weather patterns, and more. Welcome to Mars from the American Museum of Natural History Welcome to the Planets - This is a collection of many of the best images from NASA's planetary exploration program. What would you weigh on other planets? Enter your weight, select calculate and see what you would weigh on each of the other planets. See an Excel workbook that does the same thing. What would I weigh on...? - an interactive workbook which uses hyperlinks and protected cells. Calculate your weight on another planet. World's largest scale model of the Solar System - Welcome to the home of Jupiter, part of the world's largest scale model of the solar system World's largest scale model of the Solar System: Location Details - Peoria scale model - Roadside America article about the model
Investigate the seasonal relationships between the length of the day and the inclination and relative positions of the sun and earth. 1.8	Animation of Earth's yearly revolution around the sun - In order to illustrate how much sunlight different parts of Earth receive through the year, this model shows our planet much larger and closer to the sun than it actually is. Do Shadows Change With The Seasons? - a worksheet to print and use with your class   How Does Sunrise and Sunset Change with the Seasons? - a worksheet to print and use with your class Closure activity to use with the seasons lesson plan Observe seasonal changes in the amount of sunlight reaching locations on Earth - This animation shows a satellite view of Earth every day for a year. Examine the sunlit side of the globe to recognize the continent of Australia and peninsulas and islands of Southeast Asia. Reasons for the Seasons - includes some excellent illustrations The Reasons for the Seasons - This lesson plan is actually three activities in one to be conducted over a three-day period (one day in the fall, one in the winter, and one in the spring).   Seasons - find exactly when the seasons start for any year from 1902 to 2102 with this java applet Seasons Reasons - What is the cause of the seasons? This explanation features an animation of the earth's movement during a year. [careful, you may get seasick watching it!] The Seasons - very good diagrams What causes Earth's seasons? - Our planet's tilt dictates cycle of spring and fall What Causes the Seasons - high quality transparency master
Describe the position of the sun, earth, and moon during eclipses and different lunar phases. 1.9	Current Moon Phase Calculator Earth and Moon Matchup - phases and other earth/moon terms are in this Quia Quiz Earth-Moon-Sun system with Moon phases animation - The Sun is to the right of the Earth and Moon. (The animation is near the bottom of this page) How long does each phase of the moon last? - from Dr. Marc at The Space Place from NASA The Inconstant Moon - With Inconstant Moon as your nightly guide you can explore Earth's ever-changing companion, and discover some of its strange phenomena. Lunar Phases Activities - includes a quiz Moon Phase Calendar - shows the moon phases for each day of the current month. Moon Phases - Excel workbook to use with interactive whiteboard or projection - let students drag phases to the correct position Moon Phase Applet - use this page to see the phases of the moon for an entire year (from 1973 to 2107) Moon Phases Java Applet - Select "both" for the point of view and run the simulation to see the cause of moon phases. Stop the animation and use their chart to see the name of the moon phase. Moonlight Madness - phases of the moon quiz from Star Child Phases of the Moon - high quality transparency master Phases of the Moon - short lesson on phases with several links to follow Phases of the Moon - from Enchanted Learning Phases of the Moon - Shockwave simulation which clearly shows the reason for phases [relative distances are not to scale] Phases of the Moon - This is one of the best animations for explaining moon phases. (from the Science Alberta Foundation) Phases of the Moon - from Harcourt School (short, simple, well done) Phases of the Moon Interactive - drag the slider left or right to observe different positions and phases   or Phases of the Moon Activity (from Newton's Apple) Phases of the moon from Earth and space - For each phase, examine how the view from Earth is related to the view from space. or Put the Moon's Phases in Correct Order - a Quia quiz Six Millennium Catalog of Phases of the Moon - moon Phases from -1999 to +3000 (2000 BCE to 4000 CE) by Fred Espenak Virtual Reality Moon Phase Pictures - You can view the phase of the Moon for any date and time [1800-2199 A.D.]. What Our Moon Looks Like During a Complete Lunar Cycle - from the Astronomy Picture of the Day Worksheet to use with Moon Phases - One sheet gives students places to draw and name the phase, the other worksheet asks students to identify positions of the moon and earth in relation to the sun for each of the eight phases
Predict tidal conditions based upon the position of the earth, moon, and sun. 1.10	Bay of Fundy - home of what may be the world's largest tide range Bay of Fundy Tourism Information Hopewell Rocks - at the Bay of Fundy Undersea Landscapes - the Bay of Fundy The King of Tides - a WebQuest which asks students to collect data and support a conclusion regarding the moon's role in creating tides. Lesson on tides with a good diagram of spring tides and neap tides from the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville Moon Tides - how the moon affects ocean tides Neap and Spring Tides video clip - this is an .exe file but it is safe Normal Tides video clip - this is an .exe file but it is safe Ocean Tides - introduction to the hydrosphere Ocean Tides - high quality transparency master Our Restless Tides - a brief explanation of the astronomical factors which produce tides from NOAA's Oceanographic Products and Services Division Tidal Comparisons Photo Gallery Tide - from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Tide Prediction and Data - from NOAA Tides - spring and neap tide explanation from Enchanted Learning Tides - short lesson with several links, includes good picture of high and low tide in Douglas, Alaska Visualizations Useful for Teaching Tides - list of several sites useful for teaching about tides Water Level Tidal Predictions - from NOAA What Causes Tides? - This explanation of giant tides in the Bay of Fundy also includes a great illustration of the various types of tides. What Causes the Tides - [Flash animation] click on the right arrow to progress through eight animations
Describe the relationship between the mass of an object and the its gravitational force. 1.11	�
Construct a historical timeline that depicts man's changing perceptions and understanding of astronomy. 1.12	�
Understand how telescopes and spectroscopy manipulate light to reveal information about the universe. 1.13	�
Investigate the history of space exploration. 1.14	Basics of Space Flight - This starts with the basics of the solar system and quickly moves on to physics. A recap feature is provided at the end of each section of this project. Earth from Space - selected images from the NASA Space Shuttle Earth Observations Photography database of images Field Guide to the Universe - Spacecraft  Space Exploration History - There are things that are known and things that are unknown; in between is exploration. - Anonymous Space Station - a rare inside view of the next frontier in space exploration (from PBS)
Research Tennessee's contribution to earth and space science. 1.15	�
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