ESC 400
Astronomy Lesson Plans
The Solar
System and Planetary Profiles
Grade Levels: Middle
School-Secondary
Prepared by:
Michael
Wolschleger
July 10, 2001
Prepared for:
Dr. Wayne
Kiefer
Lesson 1 (one class period)
·
Adapted from
the following lesson plan: ftp://ftp.jpl.nasa.gov/pub/educator/distplan.txt
I. General Objective:
Describe, compare, and explain the motions of plants in the solar system (Objective 4).
II.
Lesson Objectives:
Explain that the planets in our solar system vary in the following terms and concepts: orbit, revolution, spin, and gravity.
Model the positions and relative distances between the sun and the nine planets in our solar system.
III. Motivator:
Conduct a poll to see which student can come closest to the approximate distance from the sun to Pluto. The winner will receive a prize after the demonstration activity.
IV.
Activities and Materials
Needed:
The materials needed for the demonstration activity are 10 construction paper models (one for the sun and nine for the planets), Internet access, and a handout of planet elliptical orbits. The activity needs sufficient space to cover 374 footprints and should take approximately 15 minutes.
V. Procedures:
After the motivator, I will lecture on planetary orbits, revolutions, spin, and gravity. I will then go on-line to the cited web address and distribute a handout to demonstrate each planet’s elliptical orbit.
This will be followed by the demonstration activity which shows the positions and relative distances between the sun and the nine planets in our solar system. Each student will be assigned to a planet or the sun. If the class is large enough, students can also be moons of different planets. The student will receive a construction paper model of their corresponding planet or sun. One student will be designated to pace out the distance for each planet from the sun by the use of footsteps. Student pacers are to step heel-to-heel each step. Each footsteps equals 100 million miles. At a point designated “0”, place the student with the “sun” sign. From there, have the student pacer take 4 steps to mercury. Repeat this process for each of the planets as outlined below:
Sun - 0
Mercury - 4
Venus - 3
Earth - 3
Mars - 4
Jupiter - 35
Saturn - 50
Uranus - 87
Neptune - 101
Pluto - 87
For each planet, be sure to start pacing from the previous planet, not from the sun. When Pluto is in place, have the students take notice of the vast distance (37.4 billion miles) between Pluto and the sun. In summary of the activity, discuss what the students observed. What impressed them? Ask their thoughts about whether they believe Pluto is frozen and what the sun would look like from the outer planets.
VI. Presentation Strategies:
Lecture, discussion, demonstration, observation, compare/contrast, model.
VII. Vocabulary:
Solar system: The sun and the group of celestial bodies that are held by its attraction and revolve around it.
Orbit: The path taken by the planets around the sun or a moon around a planet
Revolution: The motion of one body about another, as Earth around the sun.
Spin: The rotation of a body, as Earth about its axis.
Gravity: The attractive force between all bodies in the universe.
VIII.
Learning Strategies:
Observational/identification, prediction, measuring, Inference.
IX.
Assessment:
The students will be assessed on their participation in the activity. They will eventually be evaluated on an examination covering the key terms and concepts from the lecture.
X.
Extensions:
After teaching about the positions, motions, and distances of the celestial objects in our solar system, I think it would be a good time to go more in depth of the planetary profiles. This would mainly fall under objective 3: compare the earth to other planets in terms of supporting life, composition, atmosphere, temperature, heat, etc.
XI. Resources:
1.
ftp://ftp.jpl.nasa.gov/pub/educator/distplan.txt (lesson
plan)
2. http://www.anu.edu.au/Physics/nineplanets/overview.html
3. Bernstein, Leonard; Schacter, Martin; Winkles, Alan; Wolfe, Stanley (1991).
Concepts and Challenges in Earth Science, Third Edition. Englewood Cliffs, New
Jersey: Globe Book Company.
Lesson 2 (two-three class
periods)
·
Adapted from
the following lesson plan:
http://school.discovery.com/lessonplans/programs/planetaryprofiles/index.html
I. General Objective:
Compare the earth to other planets in terms of supporting life (Objective 3).
II.
Lesson Objectives:
Compare the planets to one another in regards to relative distances, relative sizes, atmospheres, heat, temperature, compositions, orbits, etc.
III.
Motivator:
In order to peak student interest, I would ask the class which planet they would like to visit, hypothetically speaking. This will hopefully get them excited about all the interesting characteristics of individual planets. There would then be a class discussion pertaining to the posed question.
IV.
Activities and Materials
Needed:
The materials needed for this research project and presentation are Internet access, Powerpoint software, and possibly books, magazines, and/or encyclopedias with articles about space and planets.
V.
Procedures:
I will first give a background lecture on basic terms and concepts pertaining to planetary characteristics such as atmosphere, composition, moons, orbits, revolution, and spin. The class will then be split into nine groups to create planetary profiles using resources such as the Internet, books, magazines, and encyclopedias. Students will be strongly suggested to visit the three cited web pages for information on the planetary profiles. Once completed, there will be class Powerpoint presentations which must include some sort of photos, illustrations, or any other multimedia desired. Before the groups collaborate, the class will brainstorm for information to be included for the presentation. Suggested topics most likely would include planet size, distance, atmosphere, heat, temperature, composition, rotation, revolution, geologic traits, day/year length, moons, etc. The groups will have the remaining class period and the following class period, if necessary, to work on the gathering and documentation of data. Class presentations will then follow immediately after.
VI.
Presentation Strategies:
Lecture, discussion, comparison/contrast, investigation/inquiry, and cooperative learning.
VII. Vocabulary:
Planet: Any of the large bodies that revolve around the sun in the solar system.
Moon: Any body that revolves around a planet in the solar system.
Planetary composition: Physical makeup of a planet being either rocky, solid, gaseous, or frozen gaseous.
Atmosphere: A gaseous mass surrounding a celestial body.
Orbit: The path taken by the planets around the sun or a moon around a planet
Revolution: The motion of one body about another, as Earth around the sun.
Spin: The rotation of a body, as Earth about its axis.
VIII.
Learning Strategies:
Observation/identification, classification, interpreting data, reading graphs, reading maps, inference, cooperative learning, and preparing/presenting a multimedia presentation.
IX.
Assessment:
Students will be evaluated on the following scale for this project/presentation:
Group Participation 30%
Actual Presentation 20%
Finished Powerpoint
Product 50%
X.
Extensions:
I think once all the planetary profiles have been presented, it would be an interesting discussion to explore all the possibilities of life on other planets. We can use the new information to infer what planet might have the greatest possibility of life.
XI Resources:
1.
http://school.discovery.com/lessonplans/programs/planetaryprofiles/index.html
(lesson plan)
2. http://www.cbc4kids.ca/general/the-lab/space/explore.html
3. http://www.lessonplanspage.com/more/205t01.html
4.
http://pds.jpl.nasa.gov/planets/