Lunar and Solar Eclipses

OmniGlobe Lesson Plan

Grade / Class / Subject: Middle School or High School Earth Science

Lesson Time: (2) ~60 minutes times or one 90 minute time.

Unit / Theme: Astronomy/ Earth and Solar System Realationships

2010 Colorado State Standards:

1.  Earth Sciences High School - standard # 2

2.  Earth Sciences Grade 8 – standard #3.4

3. 

Essential Question: What causes an eclipse and why are there so few of them?

Content Objective(s):

1.  The students will be able collect and analyze data to make inferences about the visual effects of the Earth/Moon/Sun locations

2.  The students will be able to draw diagrams to represent conceptual representations of the Earth/Moon/Sun locations

3.  The students will be able to draw conclusions based on mathematical representation of the velocity and distance of a satellite.

Lesson Delivery:

·  Setup –

o  Each student needs a “ball on a stick” , a light colored, spherical lollipop could work

o  Dark room with a portable light source.

o  Hand out the student worksheet

  1. Pre-lesson-
  2. Pose this question to the students- “Why are there so few lunar or solar eclipses? How often do they happen?.”
  3. Have students “Think- Pair – Share”
  4. Share out partner responses to the large group.
  5. Lesson-

Part 1: Review moon phases

1.  Use a dark room with a single, light source (use the sun image on the Omniglobe?). Each student is an Earth with the moon (ball) orbiting them counter clockwise. If the light source can be put in the center of the room without shielding, the Earth (student) could also orbit the sun.

2.  Summarize what causes the phases of the moon?

3.  Draw a diagram to represent the 8 main phases of the moon and label them.

Have a few students share their diagrams

Show Lunar Eclipse Diagram to make sure all students are on the same page.

Use lit moon on omniglobe with students in a circle around it.

What direction is the sun? What phase of the moon do you observe? Is the phase you observe the same as everyone else? Why or why not?


Part 2

1.  Define Lunar Eclipse.

a.  How do you create a lunar eclipse with your moon?

b.  Would it occur during the day or night? How do you know?

c.  What phase would the moon be in?

d.  Draw and label a diagram of a lunar eclipse.

i.  Define umbra

ii.  Define penumbra

iii.  Include representations of these features on your drawing and label them

iv.  Describe how the moon appears different in the umbra vs. the penumbra

Have a few students share their diagrams

Show Lunar Eclipse Diagram to make sure all students are on the same page.

2.  Define Solar Eclipse

  1. How do you create a solar eclipse with your moon?
  2. Would it occur during the day or night? How do you know?
  3. What phase would the moon be in?
  4. Draw and label a diagram of a lunar eclipse.
  5. Define umbra
  6. Define penumbra
  7. Include representations of these features on your drawing and label them
  8. Describe how the Earth appears different in the umbra vs. the penumbra

Have a few students share their diagrams

Show Solar Eclipse Diagram to make sure all students are on the same page

Show images on Omniglobe of lunar and solar eclipse maps

3.  Explain why the Lunar Eclipse last so much longer than the solar eclipse?

4.  Explain why so many more people on Earth will see a lunar eclipse event than will see a solar eclipse event.

a.  When is the next solar eclipse visable in the United States?

b.  Will you be able to see it from anywhere in Colorado?

c.  Is it a full eclipse?

i.  Define Annular Eclipse:


Part 3 Full and New moons without eclipses

Return to each student being the Earth with the Moon orbiting counter clockwise with Sun shining in the middle of the room (use Omniglobe as sun?).

1.  Experiment with various moon orbit angles until you can have new and full moons that do not cause eclipses anywhere on Earth.

a.  Diagram the relationship of your moon orbit to the plane of the Earth’s orbit around the Sun.

b.  If your moon always keeps the same orbital angle, can you ever create a lunar or solar eclipse (HINT: The Earth orbits the Sun at the same time)? Explain

c.  Illistrate why many of the solar and lunar eclipse events are only partial eclipses.

Show students diagram showing the planes of the Moon and Earth’s orbits

2.  Experiment with s moon orbits until you can have a solar eclipse that does not fully cover the Sun and an orbit that covers much more than the Sun.

a.  Explain how you varried the orbit to make the moon

i.  cover less of the sun

ii. cover more than the sun

b.  Describe how these eclipses would be different than those view today on Earth


Part 4 Orbital Velocity

Orbital velocity (also called circular velocity) is the speed of a satellite in orbit around a planet. The formula for circular velocity is given in the text as:

where r is the distance from the satellite to the center of the planet, M is the mass of the planet and G is a fundamental constant of gravity, given as .

The two most important things to remember are: (1) be sure to work with distances in meters or the units won't work out, and (2) add the radius of the planet to the distance

1.  Obtain the following physical data (remember you are working in science!)

a.  Mass of Earth (M):

b.  Distance from center of Earth to center of the Moon (r):

c.  Try your data in the calcution of velocity (Vc) in the equation above

i.  What physical properties are you actually adjusting when you modify the orbit of the moon?

ii. What other variable changes in the equation when you adjust that property?

iii.  Could you have the same effect if you modify the second (ii) variable? Explain:

iv.  Extension: Explain how a shuttle astronaut could “catch up” to the ISS for a supply drop.

Name: ______

Date:______

Period:______

Lunar and Solar Eclipses

Part 1: Review moon phases

4.  Use a dark room with a single, light source as the Sun. You are the Earth with the moon (ball) orbiting counter clockwise. Move slowly so you don’t make yourself dizzy! (You as the Earth could also orbit the sun counter clockwise.)

5.  Summarize what causes the phases of the moon?

6.  Draw a diagram to represent the 8 main phases of the moon and label them.

7.  View the Omniglobe of the half lit Moon

  1. What direction is the sun? How do you know?
  2. What phase of the moon do you observe?
  3. Is the phase you observe the same as everyone else? Why or why not?


Part 2

5.  Define Lunar Eclipse:______

e.  How do you create a lunar eclipse with your moon?

f.  Would it occur during the day or night? How do you know?

g.  What phase would the moon be in?

h.  Draw and label a diagram of a lunar eclipse.

i.  Define umbra: ______

ii.  Define penumbra:______

iii.  Include representations of these features on your drawing and label them

iv.  Describe how the moon appears different in the umbra vs. the penumbra

6.  Define Solar Eclipse:______

  1. How do you create a solar eclipse with your moon?
  2. Would it occur during the day or night? How do you know?
  3. What phase would the moon be in?
  4. Draw and label a diagram of a lunar eclipse.
  5. Define umbra
  6. Define penumbra
  7. Include representations of these features on your drawing and label them
  8. Describe how the Earth appears different in the umbra vs. the penumbra


Images of lunar and solar eclipse maps

7.  Explain why the Lunar Eclipse last so much longer than the solar eclipse?

8.  Explain why so many more people on Earth will see a lunar eclipse event than will see a solar eclipse event.

a.  When is the next solar eclipse visable in the United States?

b.  Will you be able to see it from anywhere in Colorado?

c.  Is it a full eclipse?

i.  Define Annular Eclipse


Part 3 Full and New moons without eclipses

Return to being the Earth with the Moon orbiting counter clockwise with Sun shining in the middle of the room.

3.  Experiment with various moon orbit angles until you can have new and full moons that do not cause eclipses anywhere on Earth.

a.  Diagram the relationship of your moon orbit to the plane of the Earth’s orbit around the Sun.

b.  If your moon always keeps the same orbital angle, can you ever create a lunar or solar eclipse (HINT: The Earth orbits the Sun at the same time)? Explain

c.  Illistrate why many of the solar and lunar eclipse events are only partial eclipses.


Show students diagram showing the planes of the Moon and Earth’s orbits