Science 6 - Space Websites
Our Solar System
The Solar System Scope is a great way to be able to control and visibly see how time and the calendar relates to the time it takes for the moon to orbit the earth, for the earth to orbit the sun, and the earth to rotate on its axis. Allowing students to control the speed at which these take place and observe these periods that they are to learn about is a great way to use this site.
On a secondary note, the many bell and whistles available through this site are rather remarkable. When you click on the "Explore" button, you will find everything from high-resolution maps of the planets who have exposed surfaces to oragami cut-outs to create each planet by cutting and folding.
Stellarium Online is an incredible tool that not only allows you to see what would be visible in the sky at any place on earth at any time in history (or the future), but it is also packed with information about all of the objects that are visible to you as an observer.
Natural and Artificial Satellites
What better way to experiment with the orbit of satellites than to change factors such as the mass and velocities of such satellites? With this simulation on PhET, not only can you manipulate the momentum of satellites, but you can also see the procession of satellites through the use of a grid and drawn path.
URL: https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulations/gravity-and-orbits
Exploration of the Solar System
An incredible collection of information, simulations, and pictures, this website is a vast collection of topics that relate to the exploration of our solar system. One of the key traits about this site is that it is written, generally speaking, at a level that is appropriate for students in grade six. What really keeps this site as one that every teacher should use in this unit is the fact that it has a plethora of tangents within astronomy that students can explore based on their own interests.