Name: Marianne Duer

Date: 12/13/11

Student Exploration: Ocean Tides

Vocabulary: gravity, high tide, low tide, neap tide, range, spring tide, tides Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BE !"E using the #i$mo%& 1% ' (oy (uilds a sand )astle near the o)ean% *hen he returns several hours later, the )astle is gone% *hat do you thin+ happened, ' high tide )ame along and wiped the sand )astle away% 2% ' (oat sails into a (ay and drops an)hor% -everal hours later, it is surrounded (y mud% *hat happened, ' low tide o))urred% Gizmo arm!up: "at is a tide#

.n the #i$mo, the pane on the le/t shows the position o/ the Earth and Moon% 0he -un is /ar o// in spa)e to the le/t% 0he person standing on Earth represents the lo)ation o/ the /isherman shown at right% 1% 1li)+ Play ( & and o(serve the o)ean depth /or several days% *hat do you noti)e,

's days go (y, the depth gets higher% 0he rise and /all o/ water that you see are )alled tides%

2% 0urn on S"ow $alue% 1li)+ Pause ( & when the water is at its highest level, or "ig" tide% *hat is the water depth at high tide, .t is at 2%3 3% 1li)+ Play, and then Pause when the water is at its lowest level (low tide&% *hat is the water depth at low tide, .t is at 2%4

%cti$ity %: T"e &oon and tides

#et the #i$mo "eady: 1li)+ 'eset ( &%

Question:

"at causes t"e tides#

1% !(serve: 1li)+ Play and o(serve /or several days% 0ry to /ind a )onne)tion (etween the tides shown at right and the position o/ the o(server shown at le/t% *hat do you noti)e, 's the o(server either goes on the opposite side or right ne5t to the moon, the tide gets higher% !ther times it starts de)reasing until its lowest point is rea)hed% 2% orm a hypothesis: *hat do you thin+ )auses tides, 0he gravitational pull o/ the Earth on the -un and the Moon%

3% !(serve: 1li)+ Play, and Pause the simulation at several )onse)utive high tides% Ea)h time, loo+ at where the o(server on Earth is pointing% Do you see a pattern, *hat is it, 6e7s /a)ing the Moon or he7s on the opposite side o/ the Moon% 8% !(serve: !(serve several low tides% *here does the o(server point during the low tides, .n the se)tion where it )rosses /rom day to night% 2% E5tend: 0urn on S"ow tidal bands% 0he tidal (ands show the depth o/ water at di//erent pla)es (not to s)ale&% Noti)e the two (ulges that show high tide% 1li)+ (ast )orward ( &% '% .n what dire)tions do the (ulges always point, 0owards the Moon or on the opposite side o/ the Moon% B% 6ow does the Moon seem to a//e)t the tidal (ulges, 0he revolution o/ the Moon around the Earth% .t7s lo)ation o/ the Moon in a))ordan)e to the Earth% 9% 0hin+ and dis)uss: 0he Moon7s gra$ity pulls on Earth% 6ow does the Moon7s gravity a//e)t the o)eans )losest to the Moon, .t pulls the waters )loser to the Moon%

%cti$ity *: T"e Sun and tides

#et the #i$mo "eady: 1li)+ 'eset ( &% Ma+e sure S"ow tidal bands is on%

Question: +ow does t"e Sun a))ect tides# 1% !(serve: 1li)+ (ast )orward% !(serve the shape o/ the tidal (ands% 6ow does the shape )hange as the simulation plays, .t grows and shrin+s% 2% #ather data: 1li)+ 'eset% :se the #i$mo to /ill in the ta(le, re)ording one high and one low tide ea)h day% 1al)ulate the range, the di//eren)e (etween high and low tide, /or ea)h day% 'ange -"ig" tide / low tide. -m. 3%1 3%1 2%< 2%2 2%1 1%3 1%<

,ay ; 1 2 3 8 2 9

,ept" at "ig" tide -m. 2%3 2%3 2%< 2%8 2%8 2%3 2%2

,ept" at low tide -m. 2%4 2%4 3%; 3%2 3%3 3%8 3%2

3% .nvestigate: 0ides with the largest range /rom high tide to low tide are )alled spring tides% 1li)+ 'eset to o(serve the positions o/ the -un, Earth and Moon during a spring tide% 0hen (ast )orward to another spring tide% (=oo+ /or the la(el in the upper right )orner%& *hat do you noti)e a(out the positions o/ the -un, Moon and Earth during spring tides, 0hey are in a line% 8% .nvestigate: 0ides with the smallest range /rom high tide to low tide are )alled neap tides% 1li)+ (ast )orward, and use the la(el to help /ind two periods o/ neap tides% *hat do you noti)e a(out the positions o/ the -un, Moon, and Earth during neap tides, 0hey are perpendi)ular% 2% 1on)lude: 6ow does the -un a//e)t tides, 0he sun a//e)ts the o)ean tides (ut not as mu)h as the gravitational pull o/ the Moon does%