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How Distant Is The Moon?
Students discover how Aristarchus, a Greek astronomer around 230 BC, used a simple observation of the eclipse of the Moon, plus clever reasoning, to deduce the distance of the Moon. They practice the same calculation technique.
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Parallax
Students discover how astronomers used the diameter of the Earth's orbit around the Sun as a baseline for estimating the distance of some stars, and the meaning of "Parsec" and "light year."
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Precession
Students explain how Hipparchus, around 130 BC, used a shift in the predicted location of a lunar eclipse to detect a slight shift in the path of the Sun around the sky. They examine the elliptical orbit in which the Earth travels around...
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Coordinates
High schoolers use cartesian coordinates (x,y,z) in 3-dimensional space. [Optional: appreciate there exist two ways of defining the z axis, and which of them is used.] They become familiar with the tools and terms used by surveyors.
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Navigation
Students study the basic methods for finding one's position on Earth. Latitude can be deduced from the height above the horizon of the pole star or of the noontime Sun, while longitude requires an accurate clock giving universal time.
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The Sundial
Students explain the design, principle and orientation of a sundial, the type with a gnomon pointing towards the pole of the heavens. They construct a model sundial from paper.
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Stargazers And Skywatchers
Young scholars recognize the daily motion of the Sun across the sky, defining the main directions of east, west, south and north. They see how the first calendars were based on changes in the Sun's noontime elevation, and on locations of...
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Pulsar Stars And Black Holes
Learners explore the discovery of pulsar stars, and the characteristics of pulsar stars. Theories and ideas behind black holes are discussed. The issues of women's historical role in science are also touched on.
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Stargazers and Skywatchers
High schoolers are introduced to the apparent motion of the Sun across the sky and the way it changes in summer and winter.
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The Path of the Sun, the Ecliptic
High schoolers are introduced to the ecliptic, the zodiac and the apparent motions of the Sun, Moon and planets across the sky.
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Stargazers and Skywatchers
Students observe the daily motions of the sun and relate them to the functions of a sundial. They determine the locations of sunrises and sunsets and determine how the elevation of the sun effects temperature.
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The Path of the Sun: The Ecliptic
Pupils investigate the celestial sphere and the paths it takes in the solar system.
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Finding the Pole Star
Students study the constellations fo the Big Dipper and Cassiopeia and their use in finding the Pole Star. They realize that other celestial objects--Sun, Moon and planets--share the rotation (and hence rise and set), even though their...
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The Angle of the Sun's Rays
Students study elevation of the Sun above the horizon and the angle of the rays and their heating power.
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Accelerated Frames of Reference: Inertial Forces
Pupils examine how when applying the laws of motion to an object in an accelerating frame, using coordinates defined in such frame, one must always add an "inertial force", representing forces caused by the frame's acceleration.
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Science
Third graders study light and shadow, participate in mirror activities, and build a periscope.
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May Earth be Revolving around the Sun?
Ninth graders explore how Aristarchus used the position of the half-full Moon to estimate the distance to the Sun, and how he made a great error, but still figured out that the Sun is much larger than Earth.
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Graphs and Ellipses
Students explore linear graphs, the parabola and the rectangular hyperbola.
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Kepler's Third Law
High schoolers use Kepler's third law to derive the velocity in a circular orbit of any radius, and identify the Earth escape velocity.
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Clean Air
Students observe gas molecules in the atmosphere absorbing the light that goes through them.
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Water in the Air
Students simulate how clouds block radition and how water in the air condense around containers.
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Particulate Sampler
Students estimate the extent of particulate air pollution present in their neighborhoods.
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