The ocean’s tides rise and fall every day, but have you ever wondered what causes them? The Moon and Sun both play a role in shaping the movement of water across the Earth.
In this activity, you will build a model to explore the gravitational effects of the Moon and Sun on Earth's tides. You will learn about different types of tides and how they change over time.
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by The Schools' Observatory
is licensed under All rights reserved
By the end of this resource you will:
- Have created a model to show how the Moon and Sun affect Earth's tides
- Understand why most places experience 2 high and 2 low tides each day
- Know why some high tides are higher than other
- Be able to explain the difference between spring and neap tides
To complete this resource you will need:
- A copy of the Earth-Sun and Earth-Moon model templates (in colour, if possible) - There are multiple copies of the models in the templates
- A copy of the worksheet
- A piece of transparent plastic or a transparency sheet for the Earth-Moon template
- Scissors
- A pushpin
- Small pieces of cork or a foam sheet to fix the model
- A printer
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