Geodesy

Satellite Laser Ranging Lesson Breakdown:

This unit teaches a method of geodetic measurement known as Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) by which distances are measured by reflecting lasers off objects and measuring the time of transit. SLR is explained in a lecture and students do SLR calculations in a worksheet.

Standards:

HS-PS4-1 / Use mathematical representations to support a claim regarding relationships among the frequency, wavelength, and speed of waves traveling in various media. Recognize that electromagnetic waves can travel through empty space (without a medium).
HS-PS4-3 / Evaluate the claims, evidence, and reasoning behind the idea that electromagnetic radiation can be described either by a wave model or a particle model, and that for explaining reflection, refraction, resonance, interference, diffraction, and the photoelectric effect, one model is more useful than the other.
HS-PS4-5 / Communicate technical information about how some technological devices use the principles of wave behavior and wave interactions with matter to transmit and capture information and energy.

Practices:

Science & Engineering Practices
1. Asking Questions and Defining Problems
A practice of science is to ask and refine questions that lead to descriptions and explanations of how the natural and designed world(s) works and which can be empirically tested.
Both scientists and engineers also ask questions to clarify ideas.
4. Analyzing and Interpreting Data
Scientific investigations produce data that must be analyzed in order to derive meaning. Because data patterns and trends are not always obvious, scientists use a range of tools—including tabulation, graphical interpretation, visualization, and statistical analysis—to identify the significant features and patterns in the data. Scientists identify sources of error in the investigations and calculate the degree of certainty in the results. Modern technology makes the collection of large data sets much easier, providing secondary sources for analysis.
5. Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking
In both science and engineering, mathematics and computation are fundamental tools for representing physical variables and their relationships. They are used for a range of tasks such as constructing simulations; solving equations exactly or approximately; and recognizing, expressing, and applying quantitative relationships.
Mathematical and computational approaches enable scientists and engineers to predict the behavior of systems and test the validity of such predictions.
6. Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions
The end-products of science are explanations and the end-products of engineering are solutions.
The goal of science is the construction of theories that provide explanatory accounts of the world. A theory becomes accepted when it has multiple lines of empirical evidence and greater explanatory power of phenomena than previous theories.

English Language Learners’ Accommodations

-Pre-teach vocabulary

  • Definitions
  • I tried to tier the words used in this lesson:

Tier 1 words / Tier 2 words / Tier 3 words
Travel, time / Eclipse, range, satellite, delay / Laser, frequency, reflector

Support:

-Videos:

  • Mona Lisa Image Beamed on the moon with Laser. | Next Generation Satellite Laser Ranging

Citations:

Ohare, Brews. Figure 1: Schematic of the Fizeau apparatus. The light passes on one side of a tooth on the way out, and the other side on the way back, assuming the cog rotates one tooth during transit of the light. Digital image.Wikimedia Commons.Web. <