Day 1 and 2: Our Solar System, Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars, Earth’s Moon.
Day 3 and 4: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, comets and
Meteors
(Since the General Objectives are so similar, I decided to group those
two benchmarks together to create a four-day lesson plan incorporating
both General Objectives.)
Day 1-4 General Objectives:
Compare the earth to other planets in terms of supporting life.
Describe, compare, and explain the motions of planets, moons, and comets
in the solar system.
Day 1-4 Lesson Objectives:
The students will be able to compare and contrast each of the planets.
The students will be able to describe the composition of each planet.
The students will be able to describe and name the components of each planet and their
moons.
The
students will be able to compare planets in terms of supporting life capability.
Day 1 Materials:
Overheads of Our Solar System, Sun, Mercury and Venus
Worksheets for Our Solar System, Sun, Mercury and Venus
Day 1 Motivator
Tell
the students that they are going to make a mnemonic for remembering the
planets’ order from the sun. Remind them that an example of a mnemonic
is HOMES-Huron-Ontario-Michigan-Erie-Superior. Tell them to make
one for the planets. Try to make a saying that will help them remember
the order. Example-My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas.
When they are finished have them share theirs to the class.
Activity:
After
they have finished the mnemonic, pass out pictures of the different planets.
Tell them that they will be able to describe each planet and know its composition
when the next two days are finished. When they have all looked at
the pictures collect them. Give students worksheets so they can follow
along with the lecture. Make sure when you finish the lecture on
each topic the students have filled in their worksheets, then proceed to
the next topic.
The lecture notes below are broad general information about the topics.
To make this successful in class a teacher may want to do some additional
research in order to better guide the students.
Lecture Notes on Our Solar System
Major Concepts
The sun is a star with nine planets orbiting around it.
This family of planets is called the solar system.
Background
The sun is unique among many other stars in that it has a number of bodies orbiting around it. Ancient astronomers saw these objects as points of light that wandered around among the stars. They called the objects planets, which means wanderer in Greek.
The orbits of the planets are slightly elliptical is shape. The planets all travel around the sun in the same direction, and are held in orbit by the gravitational pull of the sun.
Early astronomers that that the Earth was the center of the universe, although later the work of Copernicus in the 1500’s proposed a sun-centered system of the planets.
The nine known planets are Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto. There is a sizeable gap between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
Astronomers long ago theorized that there should be another planet in this region.
Discoveries since the early 1800’s have shown that there are more than 1500 small planet-like objects in orbit around the sun in this region. These objects are called planetoids or asteroids. Since early times, the planets have been given Greek and Roman names relating to mythological stories.
Mercury-messenger of the gods
Venus-goddess of love and beauty
Mars-god of war
Jupiter-king of the gods
Saturn-god of agriculture and harvest
Uranus-god of the skies
Neptune-god of the sea
Pluto-god of the underworld
Lecture Notes on The Sun
Major Concepts
The Sun is a star
The sun is the center of the solar system
Background
The sun is the closest star to Earth.
Diameter of 1,400, 000 km
A million Earth’s could fit inside the sun
The sun rotates on its axis, like the earth
Layers
Core is 15,000,000 K
Surrounding the core is a radiation layer, and then a convection layer
The central portion of the sun is termed the photosphere.
The photosphere is the portion we see when we look at the sun.
Surrounding the sun is a colored, glowing halo of gas called the chromosphere.
During a total eclipse the corona is visible.
It is an envelope of gas that extends millions of miles from the sun’s surface
Characteristics
Large whirlpools of gases which appear as dark spots on the photosphere are called sunspots
The darkness is due to their temperatures being comparatively lower than those of the surface.
Sunspot activity seems to follow an eleven year cycle of intensity.
Solar flares, or prominences, are irregularly-shaped clouds of hot gasses that erupt from the chromosphere.
They may shoot out from the surface for many thousands of kilometers.
Sometimes they produce disturbances in the ionosphere, which can create
interference with radio communications.
Solar fares produce an aurora, which is the increased interaction of
electrons and protons released by solar flares into the Earth’s atmosphere.
Lecture
Notes on Mercury and Venus
Major concepts
Mercury-the closest planet to the sun, is the smallest planet.
Venus-the next closest planet to the sun and is the brightest object in the sky next to the
sun and moon.
Background-Mercury
Because Mercury is the closest planet to the sun, the surface temperatures very hot.
Astronomers have discovered that the surface of Mercury has many small and large
craters.
Since 1966, scientists have determined that Mercury rotates on it axis once every 59
days.
Background-Venus
Similar in size to the earth
Has been explored by both American and Russian space probes and landings of unmanned spacecraft.
Information from these probes and landings revealed that Venus is hot, storm-wrecked, and dust-covered.
Because Venus orbits between our planet and the sun, it is seen in phases just as we see phases of the moon.
Due to its extreme brightness, it is often referred to as a “morning star” or an “evening star” depending in the time of day it is visible in the sky.
Venus has no moons.
Closing
Have them finish the worksheets on Our Solar System, the sun, Mercury
and Venus. Have them work on individually or as a group of 2.
Break the students into groups of three. Assign each group a different
planet. They are to research it and present their findings to class.
Their main emphasize is to find whether or not life can be found or has
been found on any of the planets assigned. Assign all nine planets.
They will present these next week.
Day 2 Materials:
Overheads of Earth and Mars, Earth’s Moon
Worksheets on Earth and Mars, Earth’s Moon
Day 2 Motivator
Go over the previous days’ worksheets and ask the students if they have
any questions. Also ask them to talk about any observations that
they may have had of the night sky in their lives.
Activity:
Give students worksheets so they can follow along with the lecture.
Make sure when you finish the lecture on each topic the students have filled
in their worksheets, then proceed to the next topic.
Lecture
Notes on Earth and Mars
Major Concepts
The planet Earth is the third planet in distance from the sun.
It has land areas and vast areas of water
It is surrounded by an immense envelope of gases-called the atmosphere
Mars, the fourth planet in distance from the sun, shines with a reddish glow and has Polar
Caps.
Background of Earth
The Earth orbits around the sun between Venus and Mars. It takes 365 ¼ days to complete one revolution around the sun and 24 hours to complete one rotation on its axis. Revolution and tilt of the Earth cause the planet to have four different seasons. Rotation causes the planet to have periods of daylight and darkness. The speed of rotation is about 1600 km per hour at the equator. The two motions of rotation and revolution cause the planet to be slightly flattened at the poles and slightly bulged at the equator. The orbital path of revolution brings the Earth closer to the sun in winter than is summer. Because of more direct sunlight rays striking the Earth’s surface in summer, temperatures are higher than in the winter. Only about ¼ of the Earth’s surface is covered by land. ¾ is covered by water. The entire planet is surrounded by an immense body of air called the atmosphere. As the planet travels in space, its atmosphere travels with it.
Background of Mars
Sometimes called the “red planet” it has been an object of mystery and
fascination for many years. Telescopic studies show three types of
surfaces-bright areas, dark areas, and polar caps. The reddish color
of the soil is due to the “rusting” of iron-rich minerals as they react
with the soil and water. The polar caps are more extensive during
the Martian Winters. The northern hemisphere consists of plains
with few craters. The southern hemisphere has many craters.
There is evidence of active volcanoes. One of the most outstanding
Martian features is Olympus Mons. The questions of life on Mars has
not yet been resolved. Mars has two natural satellites, Phobos and
Deimos. There is a vast belt of asteroids farther out in space which
orbits the sun between Mars and Jupiter. The origin of these asteroids
remains a scientific mystery. One suggestion is that they were formed
by the explosion if a planet while the solar system was evolving.
Lecture Notes on the Moon
Major Concepts
The moon revolves and rotates around the Earth in about the same period of time, 29 ½ days.
Background
The moon is the Earth’s closest neighbor in space and only natural satellite.
It has a nearly circular orbit and requires 29 ½ days to complete
its travel around our planet. The pull of gravity is much less (1/6th)
on the moon’s surface than on the Earth. Because the moon’s time
f rotation and revolution is about the same, one side of the moon is presented
to the Earth’s view at all times. The moon has no natural light,
but reflects light from the sun. Rocks are all igneous, and are similar
to those on Earth. The seas (low, dark, level areas) are covered
with basalt, light colored highland areas are made of rocks similar to
those found on Earth. The landscape of the moon has mountain ranges,
craters, plains, and ridges. The surface is covered with a layer
of rock, dust, and rubble. There is no surface water. Because
the moon has no atmosphere, there are extreme variations in temperature;120
c in sunlight to –120 c in darkness. The periodic rising and falling
if the Earth’s oceans is due to the gravitational pull of the sun and moon.
Eclipses, which can be predicted with great accuracy, are classified as
either solar or lunar eclipses. When the sun casts a shadow of the
moon onto the surface of the Earth, it is called a solar eclipse.
The moon’s shadow on the Earth has two parts: the umbra and the penumbra.
The umbra is the darkest (narrow inner part) of the cone-shaped shadow.
A person standing on the Earth and under the narrow, dark shadow (umbra)
sees a total solar eclipse lasting about eight minutes. During a
total solar eclipse, the sun’s corona can be seen. In the penumbra
area, covering a much larger part of the Earth’s surface, only a partial
solar eclipse will be seen. When the sun casts a shadow of the Earth
onto the surface of the moon it is called a lunar eclipse. The Earth’s
shadow also has an umbra and penumbra. The moon passes frequently
through the Earth’s large penumbra so that a partial lunar eclipse happens
often. Total lunar eclipses are rare because the moon’s inclined
orbit around the Earth seldom takes the moon through the Earth’s umbra.
Closing
Ask the students what they know about the moon. Have them work
on their worksheets individually or as a group of 2.
Day 3 Materials
Overheads of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto
Worksheets on Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto
Day 3 Motivator
Go over the handouts from the day before. Ask the students what
they know about Jupiter and Saturn. Have them look at pictures of
these planets.
Day 3 Activity
Give students worksheets so they can follow along with the lecture.
Make sure when you finish the lecture on each topic the students have filled
in their worksheets, then proceed to the next topic.
Lecture
Notes on Jupiter and Saturn
Major Concepts
Jupiter is the largest of the solar system planets
Saturn is a unique planet because of its many rings
Background on Jupiter
The largest planet in the solar system is Jupiter. It takes almost 12 years to make one complete revolution around the sun. The planet rotates rapidly on its axis (10 hours), which causes the poles to be flattened and the equator region to be bulged. The surface of Jupiter has light and dark bands of gaseous clouds covering its liquid-hydrogen core. The atmosphere contains mostly hydrogen and helium, with smaller amounts of methane, ammonia, ethane, and acetylene. A striking feature of this planer is the Great Red Spot, which changes periodically in color and brightness. Pictures from Voyager 1 and 2 revealed that Jupiter has a thin ring encircling it and has at least 16 satellites. Voyager 1 photographed Io, one of Jupiter’s largest and closest satellites.
Background on Saturn
The second largest planet in our solar system. The spectacular
rings of Saturn are now known to total more than 1000. They are composed
of rock and ice particles.-some as fine as dust, others as huge as boulders-which
revolve around the planet. Some of the rings are bright, others are
dark. The planet is known to have at least 21 moons.
Lecture Notes on Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto
Major concepts
The great distances from Earth make it difficult to study the three planets of Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto.
Since all three planets are so far from the sun their surface temperatures are greater than –200 degrees.
Background of Uranus
Uranus is the third largest of the planets. Its atmosphere is composed of methane, giving the planet a greenish appearance. Uranus rotates almost on a horizontal axis-about 90 degrees from the perpendicular. The planet also has numerous rings.
Background on Neptune
It is often referred to as a twin of Uranus because it is about the same size and has the same color of atmosphere. It takes the planet about 164 years to make one complete revolution around the sun. Neptune has two moons. It was discovered in 1846.
Background on Pluto
It was discovered in 1930. It is the smallest planet. Pluto
takes 6.3 days to make one complete rotation. In 1978, a moon was discovered
in orbit around the planet. This discovery has caused some scientists
to question whether Pluto is a true planet or not.
Closing
Have the students complete their handouts, working together or in pairs.
Give them the extra worksheet with the pictures of the planets so they
can identify them and their position in the solar system.
Day 4 Materials
Lab time-1 computer for each student
Day 4 Motivator
Take
the students down to the computer lab. Ask them if they have ever
heard of or seen a comet or asteroid. Tell them that they will
be looking at pictures of them and reading about them today.
ACTIVITY
Go to the computer lab and have the students log on to: http://www.seds.org/billa/tnp/
Have them click on the following sites. Have them read the information,
look at the pictures, and write a short summary of what they read.
This will help them to visualize comets and read some excellent information.
This will take all hour.
Small Bodies
Comets
Comet Halley
Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9
The Kuiper Belt and the Oort Cloud
Asteroids
951 Gaspra
243 Ida
253 Mathilde
Meteors, Meteorites and Impacts
The Interplanetary Medium
If they finish have them log onto click on http://www.nasm.edu/ceps/SIIMAGES/
Click on Observing Images. Read the directions with them and tell
them it is due tomorrow so it can be discussed as a class.
Vocabulary for Day 1-4
Orbit-the path followed by a heavenly body going around another.
Astronomer-an expert in astronomy
Planet-any of the large heavenly bodies that revolve around the sun and shine as they reflect the
sun’s light.
Elliptical-shaped like an oval
Gravitational pull-the force that tends to draw objects toward the center of the earth.
Planetoids or asteroids-any of the small planets that move in orbits around the sun between the
orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
Sunspots-any of the dark spots sometimes seen on the sun.
Presentation Strategies
Lecture
Discussion
Observation
Learning Strategies
Observation
Identification
Reading Maps
Lesson 2: 1 day
General Objectives
Describe
and explain common observations of the day and night skies.
Lesson Objectives
Students will be able to identify some constellations
Students
will be able to distinguish a star from a planet
Motivator:
Tell
the students that they are about to learn about stars and constellations.
Ask them if they can name any. Ask them what they look like and if
they have seen them. Ask them why they only see stars at night.
If they do not know, have them do some research on it for homework.
Materials
Overheads on stars and constellations.
Handouts
on stars and constellation.
Activity
Give students worksheets so they can follow along with the lecture.
Make sure when you finish the lecture on each topic the students have filled
in their worksheets, then proceed to the next topic.
Lecture on Stars
Major Concepts
Stars are incandescent bodies of gases in outer space.
The thermonuclear reactions within the stars produce a variety of energy and radiant
forms.
Background
Stars
are celestial bodies that emit light, heat, and other forms of energy and
radiation. This is caused by nuclear fusion reactions within the
mass of gases. Forms of radiation that are also released include
x-rays, cosmic rays, ultraviolet rays, and radio energy waves. The
ultraviolet and x-rays from the sun cause ionization in our upper atmosphere
and produce the ionosphere layer. Ultraviolet energy can also produce
sunburn and cause certain compounds in our skin to produce vitamin D.
Radio waves from the sun are particularly strong during violent “storms”
on the solar surface. These radio waves disrupt space communications.
Cosmic rays are fast-moving particles with high energy. They will
be a major hazard to space travelers. On a clear night, over 2,000
stars can be seen with the naked eye. These incandescent masses of
gases appear as pinpoints of light, but in reality could be two or more
stars in close proximity. Interesting phenomena are the exploding
stars, or novas. It is thought that their brightness can be increased
from 100,000 to 100,000,000 times. The apparent movement of stars
across the sky is due to the Earth’s rotation. However, stars have
motions of their own and often travel through space at tremendous speeds.
As the light from these very distant objects passes through our atmosphere,
its path is shifted and changed, giving it a twinkling appearance.
Stars, which began as a mass of condensed gases, may finally collapse upon
themselves to become a supernova or a black hole.
Lecture on Constellations
Major Concepts
Stars are divided into groups, which make it easier to tell where certain stars are located. These groupings of stars are called constellations.
Background
Long ago, constellations were named after animals, persons, legendary
heroes and heroines, and gods. It takes imagination to see these
star groupings. The rotation of the Earth on its axis makes the constellations
seem to move through the sky. An important star located very close
to the Earth’s Pole is Polaris, the North Star. The Big Dipper is
a group of seven stars. The two stars at the tip of the bowl are
called pointer stars and are used in locating Polaris. The Big Dipper
is also helpful in locating the Little Dipper. The Little Dipper
is another group of seven stars. Even though the Little Dipper is
less conspicuous than the Big Dipper, it contains Polaris, so called the
North Star because it is found almost directly over the North Pole of the
Earth. All other stars and constellations circle around Polaris.
The Big Dipper circles Polaris once every 24 hours. Because the Earth
is in different positions as it revolves around the sun, different constellations
are seen at different times throughout the year. Persons living in
the Southern Hemisphere sere constellations that are different from those
seen by persons living in the Northern Hemisphere. The Earth’s axis
has a slight circular “wobble” called procession, causing a change of polar
stars. Polaris will continue to be the polar star until about 2100
AD
Closing
Have the students complete their handouts, working together or in pairs.
Give them the extra worksheet with the pictures of the planets so they
can identify them and their position in the solar system.
Presentation Strategies:
Lecture
Discussion
Observation
Learning Strategies:
Observation
Recording
Vocabulary
Stars-incandescent bodies of gases in outer space.
Ultraviolet energy-produces sunburn
Radio waves-disrupt space communications
Cosmic rays-fast-moving particles with high energy
Constellations- Stars that are divided into groups, which make it easier to tell where certain stars
are located.
Resources:
Ortleb, Edward P., and Richard Cadice. The Solar System.
St.
Louis: Milliken, 1986.
Spaulding, Nancy. Earth Science: Laboratory Investigations.
Lexington:
D.C. Heath & Co., 1994.
http://www.seds.org/billa/tnp/
http://www.nasm.edu/ceps/SIIMAGES/