Movements of the Earth: Rotation and Revolution

UNIT ONE PROJECT: MOVEMENTS OF THE EARTH

AIMS:

1.- Define, identify and draw an ellipse.

2.- Recognize the trajectory of the earth around the sun.

3.- Understand that this tour has the duration of 365 days, 5 hours, 45 minutes and 46 seconds (leap year)

4.- Understand how the Earth's elliptical orbit around the Sun influences the incidence of the sun's rays throughout the year. Distinguishing the solstices and equinoxes.
5.- Know at what moment the Earth is further away (aphelion) and near the Sun (perihelion) in its course.
6.- Understand how the rotation of the Earth on its inclined axis influences the duration of day and night.

MATERIAL: 1 ball of cork (sun),  1 smaller cork ball (earth), markers, sheet of papert, scissors, Protractor, 2 pins and a thread.

DAY 1: Tracing the Orbit

1. Find the ellipse definition and copy the definition in your notebook

2. Draw an ellipse on a sheet of paper:

• For this you have to take two pins that will be the focus of the ellipse.
• Separate them X cm (C).
• Trace two lines A and B
• Fasten a thread of (C+A) cm  by its ends in each of the pins.
• Tension the thread to some outer point and place a pencil.
• While tensing the thread begins to draw the ellipse.
• When finished, stick it on a cardboard.
• Complete the portfolio in your notebook.

DAY 2: Preparing the Earth and the Sun

• first of all you have to share the workload. One point for each student.

1. Write a definition in your glossary about the axis of rotation of the earth. share your definition with your team.

2. Divide the small cork ball in two parts. Color the northern hemisphere in blue and the southern hemisphere in red. Use the protractor to pin a toothpick into the small ball. Remember, the axis of rotation has an inclination of 23,5º. Pin the Earth into the cardboard.

3. Color the big cork ball in yellow. You can pin some yellow toothpicks (sun rays).

4. See the picture: It is seen that the maximum distance from the Sun to the Earth occurs when it is at the point A ', and the minimum when it is at point A. The farthest point of the Sun is the aphelion (A ') and the nearest one is the perihelion (A). The aphelion is reached in June and the perihelion in December.

Following the explanations in the text and previous photographs, indicate on your model what would be the aphelion and perihelion. And draw the line from aphelion and perihelion, to indicate the maximum and minimum distance to the Sun, place the ball representing the Sun in the corresponding place.

4. Point out in the ellipse: The 4 seasons, the two equinoxes (spring and autumn), the two solstices (summer and winter)

ALL THE TEAM: Complete the Portfolio in your notebook

DAY 3: Revolution of the Earth

Install one of these apps: Stop Motion Shop o studio (iphone), Stop Motion studio (android), Clayframes (android)

Record a slow motion film about the revolution movement of the earth. You have to record the image and the explanation.

ALL THE TEAM: Complete the Portfolio and the Scheme in your notebook.