John Griffiths Astro Pages > GCSE Astronomy > Lesson Summary Sheets

John Griffiths Astro Pages

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Week 3 (4th October 2009)

· Planetarium session – night sky + lunar phases

· Review course and coursework

· Brief discussion of coursework – more next week

· Stories in the News – BBC Science and Environment web site + NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day

· Class discussion - where to build observatories – Mauna Kea as a case study – hand out

· Introduction to the Moon – what the students know – exercise in class

· Lunar phases – work out from first principles – handout next week in class

· Week’s Work

· Observe and record the moon – draw/photograph

· Coursework – choose from lists A and B

· Research a few of the names on the outside of the South Building at the ROG, especially Bradley (how important was he in the history of astronomy?)

Week 4 (11th October 2009

· Planetarium session - celestial coordinates (Right Ascension and Declination) and the motion of the planets and Moon close to the ecliptic.

GCSE Astronomy — Lesson Summary Sheets—Year 2009/10—Greenwich G&T

· Phases of the Moon

· When to observe the Moon

· Where is it in the sky at each phase

· Rising and setting times of the Moon

· Discussion and exercises about the above.

· Coursework discussion – List A projects

· Project planning – see copious notes on my web site and Edexcel web site

· The Moon – introduction to the geology and conditions on the surface – more next week.

· Week’s Work

· Chose List A and look in more detail at List B coursework

· Rising and setting times of the Moon - 3 questions:

1. At first quarter how long (approximately) after sunset does the Moon set?

2. At last quarter how long (approximately) after sunset will the Moon rise?

3. At current phase (on day of class – 10 Oct) how long (approximately) after sunset will the Moon rise?

· Some basic reading on the Apollo missions – why did they go to the Moon?