Apsidal Precession and Milankovitch Cycles
Videos
Grades11, 12, APEarth and Space Sciences
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Provided by Khan Academy
What it is
- This video explores Milankovich Cycles, the nature of apsidal precession, and how Earth's orbital movements are connected to long-term changes in climate.
- Students will learn about our calendar year, the wobble in Earth's axis, and changes in the Earth's orbit.
Teaching tips
Positives
- Under the video you'll find its transcript, and there is additional content linked on the left side.
- If students log into Khan Academy, they can submit any questions or comments they have about the video.
Additional Prerequisites
- Students need to understand the following terms: obliquity, axis, tilt, solstice, perihelion, and orbital eccentricity.
- Students need to recognize that this video discusses natural climate changes over the course of tens of thousands of years.
Differentiation
- The video pairs well with this NASA article about Milankovitch cycles.
- Teachers could pause the video at certain moments in order to reinforce key concepts.
- This video could supplement a lesson on the exact mechanics of Milankovitch cycles and why these cycles cannot explain Earth's current warming.
- Teachers could create a formative assessment based on the main concepts of this video.
From the scientist review
This resource video covers another aspect of Earth's orbital changes called apsidal precession, which is the change in the location of perihelion - the place in Earth's orbit where it is closest to the Sun. This resource is recommended for teaching.
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