**Satellites and Orbits: an Introduction**

**Teacher Instructions**

**Summary:** Prior to beginning the teaching session, print the teacher
instructions, reading assignment, classroom demonstration instructions,
quiz, and at least one copy of the glossary. Hand out the pre-class
reading assignment prior to the classroom presentation portion. Conduct
the browser based presentation. The presentation contains two
activities: a classroom demonstration and a student lab. These are
clearly noted on-screen at the appropriate time. The classroom
presentation contains an optional section titled \"Terminology Used to
Describe Orbits\". This section is slightly more advanced, so use your
own judgment in determining that it is appropriate to continue for your
class. The last activity is the quiz.

**Step 1: Print Supplemental Materials**

With your preferred browser, open the file named

[*http://eic.ipo.noaa.gov/IPOarchive/ED/k-12/IPO/unit01/satellitesAndOrbits.html*](http://eic.ipo.noaa.gov/IPOarchive/ED/k-12/IPO/unit01/satellitesAndOrbits.html)

Click on the Contents button at the bottom of the screen.

Midway down the page you will see the following heading: *Materials to
Print*.

Click each link open or download the following documents:

*http://eic.ipo.noaa.gov/IPOarchive/ED/k-12/IPO/unit01/teacher_instructions.doc*

*http://eic.ipo.noaa.gov/IPOarchive/ED/k-12/IPO/unit01/student_reading_assignment.doc*

*http://eic.ipo.noaa.gov/IPOarchive/ED/k-12/IPO/unit01/satellites_and_orbits_glossary.doc*

*http://eic.ipo.noaa.gov/IPOarchive/ED/k-12/IPO/unit01/classroom_demonstration.doc*

*http://eic.ipo.noaa.gov/IPOarchive/ED/k-12/IPO/unit01/satellites_and_orbits_quiz.doc*

**Step 2: Hand out pre-class reading assignment to students.**

**Step 3: Preparation. (Time required -1 hour)**

Gather and prepare materials for the classroom presentation. (see
*classroom_demonstration.doc*)

Familiarize yourself with the classroom presentation.

The controls for the presentation consist of a forward and back button.
Simply click the small arrows at the bottom of the screen. The Right
Arrow button advances to the next screen. The Left Arrow returns to the
previous screens. You may also use the Left and Right arrows on your
keyboard in lieu of the mouse.

The presentation contains several animated sequences. Some of these may
take several seconds to complete. It will be up to you to pause long
enough to allow them to complete.

Questions are posed for classroom participation at various points. You
may want to note these during your review of the material.

**Step 4: Conduct the presentation portion.**

The Macromedia Flash player is required for the classroom presentation.
You can download it free from http://www.macromedia.com.

Depending upon your situation, you can conduct the presentation to a
small group or allow the students to do it themselves with each student
(or group) at their own computer.

Using a web browser, open

[*http://eic.ipo.noaa.gov/IPOarchive/ED/k-12/IPO/unit01/satellitesAndOrbits.html*](http://eic.ipo.noaa.gov/IPOarchive/ED/k-12/IPO/unit01/satellitesAndOrbits.html).

Or if you have a CD, locate the file: *satellitesAndOrbits.html* on the
CD and open it.

Once the movie loads:

**Engage**: Click the RIGHT ARROW once to advance past the title screen
to the opening animation. You will see a looping animation of an
artist\'s concept of a satellite orbiting Earth. Ask the students the
following questions:

--What do you think is happening in the animation?

--What is the object that moves across the screen?

Continue to *Classroom Demonstration 01*.

**Explore:** Conduct classroom demonstration to simulate gravity. (see
classroom_demonstration.doc) Depending on your situation, you can do
this activity as a teacher demonstration or as a student activity. If
done as a student activity, you may want to go outdoors.

Continue to Student Lab 01 - Why Don\'t Satellites Fall From the Sky?
This is an on-line activity. All instructions are provided at the
Internet site. Instruct students to point their browsers to
<http://www.fearofphysics.com/Satellite/satellite.html> and do the
activity.

Allow some time for each student (or small groups) to complete the
activity. It is kind of tricky but the information required to complete
the exercise successfully has been presented.

**Engage**: Allow discussion of the experience, who was successful, and
what they learned.

Continue the classroom presentation to the section titled *Terminology
Used to Define Orbits*. You can end at this point or continue through
the slightly more advanced section.

Conduct the quiz at the end of the session. (see
*satellites_and_orbits_quiz.doc*)