Natural Cycles (Phases, Seasons, Tides)
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The earlier focus on solar system components, solar system scale, and gravity set the stage for this day, which will include many activities on seasons and on phases, and some observations and data activities on tides.
This topic addresses TEKS 8.7 B, regarding demonstrating and predicting the sequence of events in the lunar cycle, and includes a variety of activities and resources.
This topic addresses TEKS 8.7A, regarding modeling and illustrating how the tilted Earth revolves around the Sun causing changes in seasons. Students hould understand the scale of the solar system and the Earth’s revolution around the Sun before this topic is addressed.
This topic addresses TEKS 8.7C, relating the position of the Moon and Sun to their effect on ocean tides. Students should understand the cause of lunar phases, and have an introduction to the concept of gravity, before tackling this topic.