Download ======= SPIRIT 2

SPIRIT 2.0 Lesson:
“CEENBot: Intergalactic Rover” (Solar System)
============================= Lesson Plan ============================
Lesson Title: CEENBot: Intergalactic Rover
Draft Date: December 31, 2008
Author (Writer): Derrick A. Nero
Topic: Solar System, emphasis on celestial bodies’ general characteristics.
Grade Level: Middle
Cartoon Illustration Idea: A robot on a celestial body’s surface.
Outline of Lesson
Content (what is taught):
 Celestial bodies’ general characteristics.
 Celestial bodies’ history.
Context (how it is taught):
 Students research and collect data on celestial bodies in our solar system.
 Students create a multimedia presentation for their chosen celestial body and their
environment-modified CEENBot: Intergalactic Rover.
Activity Description:
In this lesson, students research general characteristics, history, and interesting facts of chosen
celestial bodies in our solar system. General characteristics, history, and interesting facts of a
chosen celestial bodies in our solar system will be researched through an assigned solar system
database (i.e., textbook, reference book, software, and/or online). In addition, students create and
present brief multimedia presentation of their chosen celestial body and researched information.
Standards:
Science
A1, A2, B1, B2, C4, D3, E1, E2
C2, D1, D3
Math
A1, C1, D1
Materials List:
Solar system database
Word processing or Publishing software
Engineering notebook
Pen/pencil
 2009 Board of Regents University of Nebraska
Technology
A1, A2, A3, B1, B2,
ASKING Questions (CEENBot: Intergalactic Rover)
Summary: Students learn about the diversity of celestial bodies in the solar system.
Outline:
 Present an illustration of the solar system.
 Facilitate an evaluation of the solar system’s celestial bodies.
Activity:
The teacher will present the solar system to the class. Students will observe and hypothesize the
characteristics of the solar system’s celestial bodies.
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Questions
Which celestial bodies are made
primarily of rock?
Which celestial bodies are made
primarily of gas?
What characteristics do celestial bodies
have in common?
What elements are common to most
celestial bodies?
What is the relationship between
temperature and distance from the Sun?
 2009 Board of Regents University of Nebraska
Possible Answers
Various. The terrestrial planets, asteroids,
satellites, and comets.
Various. The Sun and the gas giants.
Various. Spherical shape, orbits, and gravity.
Various. Hydrogen, carbon, and iron.
Temperature drops the farther away a celestial
body is from the Sun.
EXPLORING Concepts (CEENBot: Intergalactic Rover)
Summary: Students explore the general characteristics, history, and interesting facts of chosen
celestial bodies in our solar system.
Outline:
 Students research and collect data on celestial bodies in our solar system.
Activity:
Students randomly select celestial bodies to research from a container (celestial bodies
individually listed on strips of paper). Students will research their respective celestial bodies
using a solar system database (i.e., textbook, reference book, software, and/or online).
Celestial Bodies General Characteristics, History, and Interesting Facts List (abridged)
Origin of Name
Discovery (Person & Year)
Distance from Sun
Diameter
Period of Rotation
Period of Revolution
Composition
Temperature
Gravity
Missions
Types or Parts (Asteroids, Comets, & Meteoroids)
Astrological Sign (Sun, Planets, & the Moon)
To provide formative assessments as students are exploring general characteristics, history, and
interesting facts of chosen celestial bodies in our solar system ask yourself or your students these
questions:
1. Did students observe the connection between celestial bodies’ color and the composition of
their atmospheres or surfaces?
2. Did students compare celestial bodies’ period of revolution around the Sun?
3. Did students compare the relative sizes of celestial bodies? Did students make a connection
between the celestial bodies sizes and their respective number of satellites?
Worksheet: SolarSystemWS.doc
 2009 Board of Regents University of Nebraska
INSTRUCTING Concepts (CEENBot: Intergalactic Rover)
Solar System characteristics
Classification of celestial bodies in the solar system
There are 4 major classifications of celestial bodies in the solar system: Jovian, Terrestrial,
Dwarf planets (Planetodal), and Asteroidal. These classifications are listed in order from largest
to smallest. Jovian bodies are gas giants. Terrestrial bodies are rocky worlds larger than 1000
km in diameter. Planetodal bodies are rocky with a size between 250 and 1000 km in diameter.
Asteroidal bodies are rocky and are smaller than 250 km in diameter.
Physical
The physical characteristics of celestial bodies are things like distance to the sun, radius, gravity,
mass, density, volume, rotational period, revolution period, atmosphere, moons, tilt of axis,
max/min temperatures, etc. These characteristics are often determined by the classification of
the body. Similar classifications have similar characteristics.
Chemical
The solar system is comprised of all the elements in various quantities. Each celestial body has
its own unique chemical makeup. In our solar system we have sent rovers or spacecraft to many
of the planets and have learned their composition from direct observation. We can also learn the
chemical composition of bodies in two indirect ways: 1) by finding the density, mass, and
volume of the object through an observation of the wobble created in a star by the object and
eclipses created by the body, and 2) through the use of radio telescopes that pick up a color
spectrum emitted by elements in the atmosphere. A lack of a certain color in the spectrum
denotes a presence of the element. By comparing density and atmospheric composition with
known bodies we can speculate on the composition of unknown bodies because they are similar.
Planetary Motion
Mathematically the planets can be modeled by Kepler’s Laws of Planetary motion. There are 3
distinct laws that Kepler discovered. The first law states that each planet orbits the sun in an
elliptical orbit with the sun at one of the foci of the ellipse. The second law, called the law of
equal areas, states that a line which connects a planet and the sun will sweep out equal areas
during equal intervals of time no matter the position of the planet in its orbit. The third law
states that the square of the time a planet takes to orbit the sun is directly proportional to the cube
of the semi-major axis (the distance from the center of the ellipse to the ellipse along the major
axis) of the planet’s orbit. Mathematically this law can be represented by the formula
2
2
Pplanet
Pearth
, where a is the semi-major axis and p is the orbital time of the planet.

3
a 3planet aearth
 2009 Board of Regents University of Nebraska
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ORGANIZING Learning (CEENBot: Intergalactic Rover)
Summary: Students use a data table to record the general characteristics, history, and interesting
facts of chosen celestial bodies in our solar system.
Outline:
 Collect information on the general characteristics, history, and interesting facts of chosen
celestial bodies in our solar system.
Activity:
Students randomly select celestial bodies to research from a container (celestial bodies
individually listed on strips of paper). Students will complete the “Our Solar System Project”
worksheet (see attached “Our Solar System Project” worksheet). Students will research their
respective celestial bodies using a solar system database (i.e., textbook, reference book, software,
and/or online). Finally, students will present a multimedia presentation of their selected celestial
bodies (see attached “Our Solar System Project” worksheet).
Worksheet: OurSolarSystemWS.doc
 2009 Board of Regents University of Nebraska
UNDERSTANDING Learning (CEENBot: Intergalactic Rover)
Summary: Students design and model innovations to the CEENBot to meet the environmental
conditions of their chosen celestial bodies.
Outline:
 Formative assessment of general characteristics, history, and interesting facts of chosen celestial
bodies in our solar system.
 Summative assessment of knowledge of general characteristics, history, and interesting facts of
chosen celestial bodies in our solar system.
Activity:
Formative Assessment
As students are engaged in learning activities ask yourself or your students these types of questions:
1. Can students define gravity?
2. Can students explain how gravity would effect a rover?
3. Can students explain the significance of a celestial body’s atmosphere on a rover?
Summative Assessment
Students will present a multimedia presentation for their chosen celestial body and their environmentspecific CEENBot: Intergalactic Rover. Presentations must include:
 General characteristics facts page(s)
 Information on the celestial body’s history and other important facts
 Illustrations and/or photographs of the celestial body
 Model of the environment-specific CEENBot: Intergalactic Rover
 2009 Board of Regents University of Nebraska