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Apsidal Precession and Milankovitch Cycles

Provided by: Khan Academy |Published on: February 5, 2024

Videos

1112AP

Synopsis

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.

Related Teaching Resources

Subjects: Earth and Space Sciences

Authors: Khan Academy

Region: Global

Languages: English

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Teaching Materials

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.

Scientist Notes

Teaching Tips

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