Astronomical systems resources

Students are provided with two star maps as seen from Wellington at two different times of the year. Students are asked to explain why the stars on the map appear in different parts of the sky depending on the time of the year.

Students use a diagram of a solar eclipse to answer four questions.

Task: Complete a diagram of the length and position of a shadow of a flagpole. Assessment focus: shadows in relation to sun's position.

For this practical task students investigate some features of craters, complete a table, and explain what they found out. Students then use a diagram showing some craters on the Moon to write as much information as they can about these craters.

Students interpret information about unnamed planets and their length of year to answer questions about their distance from the Sun and the order of these planets from the Sun.

Students indicate whether a series of statements apply to lunar eclipses, solar eclipses, or both.

Task: Identify seasons from events described. Assessment focus: seasons.

Students answer three questions about the Hubble Space Telescope.

Task: Design a station on Mars. Assessment focus: problem solving to meet human needs in a different environment.

Students use two diagrams of the night sky to answer a multiple-choice question on each.

Task: Answer questions about a diagram, and explain how we get day and night. Assessment focus: day and night.

Task: Students use recent information obtained from space exploration to show how and why beliefs have changed over time. Assessment focus: interpreting information about the provisional nature of science.

Students are required to write down some relevant questions about the Moon's surface that they would ask an astronaut who has just returned to the Earth from the Moon.

For this practical task students create a sundial by marking observations and recording the time for each hour, and answer questions about shadows and sundials.

In this NEMP task students look at photos to describe similar and different environmental features of the moon, the Earth, Mars and the sun. Assessment focus: The solar system. In the original NEMP task the assessor gave oral instructions, read the questions and wrote the answers for each student.

Three multiple choice questions ask students to identify the most likely times for sun rise, sun set, and which diagram best illustrates night and day.

Task: Answer 2 multiple choice questions about how we would see Moon from Earth if its orbit changed. Assessment focus: relationship of Sun, Earth, and Moon.

Students are asked three multiple-choice questions that relate to tides, the full moon and a solar eclipse.

Task: Answer questions about the temperature and brightness of types of stars. Assessment focus: interpreting a graph.

For this practical, students use different sized balls to demonstrate and explain solar and lunar eclipses.