Introduction
The Earth is continuously in motion. It spins on its axis like a basketball spinning on a Globe Trotter's finger. It revolves around the sun like a hula hoop in motion around a person's waist.
But what would happen if the
Earth.
Just.
Stopped?
Task
Astronomers don't just look out into space to see what is there. They study the movement of space objects, they make calculations to predict where these objects will go in the future, the use calculations to hypothesize what happened in the past, and they figure out what would happen in different "what if" scenerios.
How would life change for you if one of these movements ceased to occur?
- Earth's rotation?
- Earth's revolution?
- There was no tilt to the Earth's axis?
In order to answer this question there are several factors you must consider:
- What are Earth's movements?
- What does Earth's rotation control/affect/measure on Earth?
- What does Earth's revolution control/affect/measure on Earth?
Using the resources provided in this webquest you will construct a written answer to the question of your choosing. Your answer should include at least 3 pieces of evidence from your research. Also, include a before and after picture/diagram to show how life would change.
One thing to consider is seasons. If you were stuck in one season (to which your class is assigned)
Process
Here are the steps to follow in order to complete this assignment. Please use the Webquest worksheet to record your your notes and answers:
Step 1: Rotation
Learn all you can about the rotation of the Earth.
- What movement does rotation describe?
- How long does it take?
- What controls it?
- What measurements are taken using the rotation of the Earth?
- What phenomena (s) observed on Earth is controlled/affected by the rotation of the Earth?
- Does the tilt of the Earth affect the phenomena?
Here are some resources that will help you answer these questions:
1. http://www.kidsgeo.com/geography-for-kids/0018-the-rotation-of-the-earth.php
2. http://www.kidport.com/reflib/science/space/Earth.htm
3. http://www.planetsforkids.org/why-does-the-earth-spin.html
4. http://extension.illinois.edu/treehouse/seasons.cfm?Slide=2
5. http://www.ducksters.com/science/seasons.php
Step 2: Revolution
Learn all you can about the revolution of the Earth.
- What movement does revolution describe?
- How long does it take?
- What controls it?
- What measurements are taken using the revolution of the Earth?
- What phenomena(s) observed on Earth is controlled/affected by the revolution of the Earth?
- Does the tilt of the Earth affect the phenomena?
Here are some resources that will help you answer these questions:
1. http://www.kidsgeo.com/geography-for-kids/0019-the-revolution-of-the-earth.php
2. http://www.kidport.com/reflib/science/space/Earth.htm
3. http://extension.illinois.edu/treehouse/seasons.cfm?Slide=2
4. http://www.childrensuniversity.manchester.ac.uk/interactives/science/earthandbeyond/soonmoonearth/
Step 3: The Moon
Learn all you can about the moon, its movements, and how we see the moon from Earth.
- What is the moon made of?
- How are we able to see the moon from Earth?
- What causes the phases of the moon?
- How are tides affected by the moon?
Here are some resources to help you answer these questions:
1. http://www.kidseclipse.com/pages/a1b3c1d0.htm
2.http://www.childrensuniversity.manchester.ac.uk/interactives/science/earthandbeyond/phases/
3. http://www.planetsforkids.org/moon-moon.html
4. http://www.physics4kids.com/files/motion_gravity.html
5. http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/101-videos/moon-101-sci
6. http://www.ducksters.com/science/earth_science/ocean_tides.php