Re: [Phys-l] Teaching elementary astronomy topics

[Bernard Cleyet <bernardcleyet@redshift.com>]

Better, IMAO, is to use, in a darkened room, a candle** and an orange.  Use a kabob stick for the poles (easy to twirl and tilt).   Works very well!


** does a lens removed mini-maglite work here?

bc last used when subbing at a middle school, and thinks the govt. should supply every (appropriate) classroom w/ an, ~ to scale, Orrery; a point source light at the sun. 


On 2010, Nov 13, , at 08:50, John Clement wrote:

> Then finally you can show a globe in the summer, winter, spring, fall
> positions.  Preferably this should be an animation showing it spinning with
> the sun's rays diagrammed.  Then have the students do a ranking as to the
> average temperature for their location on the globe.



On 2010, Nov 13, , at 05:47, Jeffrey Schnick wrote:

>  ... but I used
> to hold a cardboard cutout of the state in which my school is located in
> front of a screen illuminated by an overhead projector.  I'd tilt the
> cutout at angles corresponding to the orientation of the surface of the
> state relative to a line from the sun to the state, and the size of the
> shadow on the screen was indicative of the solar power being received by
> the state at local noon.