Astronomical systems resources

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

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

Task: Answer questions about types of solar eclipse. Assessment focus: interpreting diagrams.

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

Students use provided data on the time of day and the length of the shadow to construct a line graph. Students interpret their graph to answer three questions.

A diagram showing the position of Earth in each of the four seasons has been provided. Students use this diagram to identify the season we would experience in New Zealand at each of the numbered places.

Task: multiple choice questions and interpreting a diagram. Assessment focus: phases of the moon.

For this task students understanding of tides is explored. Students are asked to identify where high tides occur when the Moon is in a certain position and how often high tides occur.

Students are asked four short questions that explore their understanding of the Earth's rotation, Earth's revolution, and seasons.

Students are provided with a star map showing the path of comet Haley-Bopp 1997. Students use this map to answer three questions.

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 answer two multiple-choice questions about full Moon and lunar eclipses.

For this task students use a diagram to explain the different seasons experienced in different hemispheres.

Students are asked to explain why the Southern Cross appears not to be in the same place in the night sky that it was a few months previously.

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.

Task: Label a diagram. Assessment focus: relative positions of Earth and Sun for each season.

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

Task: Use a diagram to answer questions about seasons and day and night. Assessment focus: relationship of Sun and Earth.

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