Navigator 2--Plotting the Path of the Moon

Wow, I got a comment from someone at the US Naval Observatory. See how cool blogging can be?

TODAY four out of five of my classes learned how to plot the course of the sun on a plastic hemisphere using altitude and azimuth coordinates. Most students caught on very quickly and had a good time.

The RUBRIC for this activity is as follows:

4 -- The student can plot twelve positions of the sun--one for every hour between 7:00 AM and 5 PM.

3 -- The student can plot seven to eleven positions of the sun

2-- The student can plot four to six positions

1--The student can plot one to three positions.

TOMORROW we will plot the course of the moon through the sky.

Those students who got a "1" or a "2" can redeem themselves by plotting more moon positions. (TIP the sooner you get ready, the sooner you get your materials, and the sooner you can start plotting).


LESSON PLAN: PLOTTING THE PATH OF THE MOON

OBJECTIVE: SWBAT use a plastic hemisphere to plot the path of the moon.

MATERIALS: Plastic Hemishpere, Exterior protractors, Data for altitude and azimuth of sun and moon for Wednesday, Nov. 7. Stickers

CHALLENGE: Ask students to predict the apparent path of the moon. Give students the coordinates for the moon's position from moonrise to moonset.

BUILD THE SKILL: Ask students to place a sticker at those coordinates.
Walk around the room and monitor their progress. Correct errors.

SCAFFOLD AND DIFFERENTIATE: As each group finishes, give them another set of coordinates. Allow students to progress at their own pace. Give additional help to those who need it.

ANALYZE: As the materials are being collected, students write a short paragraph comparing and contrasting the apparent paths of the sun and moon across the sky.

HOMEWORK: 1. Ask three questions that you CAN answer about the path of the moon today. 2. Ask three questions that you cannot answer about the moon's path. 3. Read pages ---- in your textbook. Ask and Answer two or three quesions per paragraph.

DATA USED

Altitude Azimuth Fraction
(E of N) Illuminated

h m o o
05:00 -4.7 106.4 0.02
06:00 5.6 116.2 0.02
07:00 14.8 127.0 0.02
08:00 22.7 139.3 0.02
09:00 28.7 153.6 0.02
10:00 32.0 169.5 0.02
11:00 32.2 186.2 0.02
12:00 29.3 202.3 0.02
13:00 23.7 216.7 0.01
14:00 15.9 229.1 0.01
15:00 6.9 239.9 0.01
16:00 -3.4 249.5 0.01

Astronomical Applications Dept.
U.S. Naval Observatory
Washington, DC 20392-5420

NEW YORK, NEW YORK
o , o ,
W 73 55, N40 44

Altitude and Azimuth of the Sun
Nov 8, 2007
Eastern Standard Time

Altitude Azimuth
(E of N)

h m o o
06:00 -6.9 105.9
07:00 3.9 115.6
08:00 13.5 126.3
09:00 21.9 138.6
10:00 28.3 152.8
11:00 32.0 168.9
12:00 32.5 185.8
13:00 29.7 202.3
14:00 24.1 217.1
15:00 16.2 230.0
16:00 6.9 241.1
17:00 -3.6 251.0