Handout
CK-12 Foundation

Ck 12: Earth Science: Revolutions and Rotations of the Earth Study Guide

For Students 6th - 8th
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Summarizes the key points about how our understanding of the Earth's movements evolved from ancient times and what we know today. Includes some questions to check...
Website
Other

Precession of a Gyroscope and of the Earth's Axis

For Students 9th - 10th
Describes and calculates the precession of a gyroscope and also discusses the precession of the Earth's axis. Includes several pictures, diagrams, formulas, and details.
Article
National Weather Service

National Weather Service: Jet Stream: The Jet Stream

For Students 9th - 10th
The concept of jet streams is explained on this site. Read about why jet stream winds blow from west to east, what the polar jet and subtropical jet are, the role that the rotation of the Earth plays, etc.
Interactive
PBS

Pbs Learning Media: Giving Rise to the Jet Stream

For Students 9th - 10th
This interactive activity from NOVA Online uses animation and graphics to offer a detailed explanation of the jet stream. A thorough account is given of the role played by the Sun's heat and Earth's shape and rotation, among other factors.
eBook
OpenStax

Open Stax: Gyroscopic Effects: Vector Aspects of Angular Momentum

For Students 11th - 12th
From a chapter on Rotational Motion and Angular Momentum in a Physics textbook. This section of the chapter explains how to use the right-hand rule to determine direction for angular velocity, momentum, and torque. Also discusses the...
Lesson Plan
Illustrative Mathematics

Illustrative Mathematics: G Mg Tilt of Earth's Axis and the Four Seasons

For Teachers 9th - 10th Standards
This task gives students a chance to explore the effects of the Earth's tilt and rotation using a simple geometric model of Earth-Sun interaction that shows why the seasons occur. Aligns with G-MG.A.1.
Handout
Nine Planets

The Nine Planets: The Moon

For Students 9th - 10th
Explore the mythology, structure, observational history, gravitational force, and orbit of Earth's Moon.
Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Lunar Lollipops

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
The students work in teams of two to discover the relative positions of the Earth, Sun and Moon that produce the different phases of the Moon. The students will be given a Styrofoam ball that they will attach to a pencil so that it looks...
Website
NASA

Nasa: Heliophysics: New Science of the Sun Solar System Connection

For Students 9th - 10th
This site from NASA lists common and uncommon misconceptions about Sun-Earth Science. Site also provides links to activities and lesson plans as well as background reading.
Unit Plan
National High Magnetic Field Laboratory

Magnet Academy: Foucault's Disk

For Students 9th - 10th
Leon Foucault, a French physicist much better known for his pendulum demonstrating the rotation of the Earth, also created in 1855 a device that illustrated how eddy currents work. (Java tutorial)
Website
PBS

Pbs Learning Media: Meteor Showers

For Students 3rd - 8th
This video segment adapted from NASA uses animation to illustrate the properties of meteor showers and comets. Included is are visualizations of a comet's tail and of Earth passing through a debris stream left behind by meteoroids.