Join-
Book Chapter |
Sizes and distances in the solar system are difficult to visualize. In this activity, students calculate scaled distances and planetary diameters to planets in our solar system. They then make a model in a large open…
-
Book Chapter |
For the past 400 years, astronomers have explored the universe with telescopes. Telescopes gather light from distant objects and funnel the light into our eyes, or into a camera. But, Earth’s atmosphere absorbs some of…
-
Book Chapter |
This activity is designed to help students understand that light does have a finite speed and that this has consequences for us. In order to grasp the meaning of the activity, it is important for students to understand…
-
Book Chapter |
Measuring parallax and angular diameters are two indirect methods of measuring size and distance in the solar system. The scale model is another indirect method of measurement that also allows us to explore the…
-
How Far to the Star? The Parallax Effect
Book Chapter |
In this activity, students conduct two experiments with parallax by viewing a pencil against a backdrop marked with equally spaced lines. In the first experiment, students note the shift in the apparent position of the…
-
The Goldilocks Effect: Earth Is Just Right
Book Chapter |
Complex life forms require certain conditions to thrive. The distance from a star at which an Earth-like planet could sustain life is known as the habitable zone—not too close, not too far, but just right. …
-
The Formation of the Solar System
Book Chapter |
Over the last four centuries, people have developed many theories to explain the origin and evolution of the solar system. Today, the theory most commonly held by scientists is known as the solar nebula theory. In this…
-
Book Chapter |
The stars are too far away to measure their distance directly, so astronomers use an indirect method that involves looking at the star from two or more perspectives. They measure how much the foreground star’s position…
-
Habitable Zone: How Distance and Temperature Are Related
Book Chapter |
Earth is the only planet we know of in the solar system that supports life. In this activity, students will investigate the way distance from a light source affects temperature—one of the many reasons why Earth is “just…
-
Book Chapter |
Earth is an extremely complex system with many components and subsystems, and they all interact and affect each other. The four major subsystems are atmosphere (air), lithosphere (land), hydrosphere (water), and…
-
Book Chapter |
Global warming is happening now, and scientists have evidence that humans are to blame. The rate of warming in the past 50 years has doubled, and temperatures are certain to go up even more. To gain an understanding of…
-
Creature Feature: Comparing Earth to Mars and Venus
Book Chapter |
Mars and Venus are Earth’s closest neighbors. The differences between them are striking. In many ways, Earth can be thought of as the happy medium between the two extremes that Mars and Venus represent. In this activity…
-
Book Chapter |
Water is such an integral part of human existence that it makes up nearly three-quarters of Earth’s surface and has a profound effect on all life on Earth. Water vapor in the atmosphere accounts for just one-thousandth…
-
Book Chapter |
Sailors have known for centuries that ocean currents can speed up or slow down a ship. In modern times, scientists have discovered that ocean currents have major effects on climate and weather patterns, and on the…
-
Book Chapter |
Waves are among the most common phenomena in nature. Waves breaking in the ocean, sound, light, microwaves, radio, or the motion of a guitar cord or a drum are all forms of waves. Such diversity makes finding common…
35878 Results