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Unit 8: Space Science
Day 1 – Solar System (Inner and Outer Planets)
Open-Minded
Unit Essential Questions:
1.
What are the names of the eight planets
scientists recognize as orbiting the Sun?
How does gravity govern the movement of
our solar system?
Why does the Sun control the gravity in our
solar system?
2.
3.
Vocabulary:
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SWBAT
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Terrestrial
Gaseous
Inner Planets
Outer Planets
Revolution
Rotation
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… identify Sun as the center of our solar
system and diagram the location of the eight
planets.
… compare and contrast properties of
terrestrial planets and gas giants.
BRAINPOP VIDEO:
1.
What are planets called that are made of rock?
4.
What are the four outer planets?
2.
What are planets that are mostly made of gas called?
5.
Name two other celestial bodies in the solar system.
3.
What are the four inner planets?
6.
Where is the asteroid belt?
GUIDED NOTES: The Sun and the Planets
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The Sun is the center of our solar system.
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Eight planets circle the Sun – this is called an orbit.
Stop and Jot: What is the difference between a planet’s rotation and revolution?
GUIDED NOTES: Physical Properties of the Planets
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The solar system is divided into two main parts, - the _________________________ planets and the
__________________________ planets.
The inner planets are called ___________________________________ planets.
The outer planets are called ________________________________________________.
Inner Planets
Outer Planets
Measuring Interplanetary Distances:
One astronomical unit (AU) is the average distance between the Earth and the Sun – about 149,600,000 km.
Planets
Inner - Terrestrial
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Mars
Jupiter
Outer – Gas Giants
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Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
Distance from the
Sun
Diameter
Temperature
Period of
Rotation
Period of
Revolution
INDEPENDENT PRACTICE:
Directions: Complete the writing prompt below
Imagine you are the first astronaut to travel to all the planets, starting with the Sun. You need to send information to your teammates below
about all of the planets. You need to send information on each planet to your team including – the distance from the Sun, the size (diameter),
the temperature, how long it takes the planet to rotate, and how long it takes the planet to orbit the Sun. You may also want to send
information about what the planet looks like – i.e. the planet is solid and rocky or the planet is made of gases.
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HOMEWORK:
Directions: Label this diagram by writing the correct term from the word bank on each line.
Earth
Inner planets
Jupiter
Mars
Mercury
Neptune
Outer planets
Saturn
Sun
Uranus
Venus
Directions: On each line, write the term from the word bank that correctly completes each sentence. Some terms may be used more than
once or not at all.
Astronomical
Elliptical
Energy
Farther
Faster
Gas giants
Gravitational
Inner
Outer
Planet
Revolve
Rotate
Slower
Solar system
Stars
Sun
The night sky offers a fascinating view into space. Most of the specks of light in
the night sky are (1.)
. They exist far beyond our (2.)
. The largest object in our
solar system is the (3.)
, which produces an enormous amount of (4.)
. The Sun also applies a(n)
(5.)
pull on the planets. When you look into the night sky, you might see light reflected off
a(n) (6.)
, such as Venus. Objects in space (7.)
around the Sun
along a stretched-out circle called a(n) (8.)
orbit. Planets also
(9.)
planets that are made
, or spin. There are four (10.)
up mostly of solid rocky materials. These objects are spherical and have a mass larger than the total mass of all other
objects whose orbits are nearby. There also are four (11.)
planets made of gases,
including helium and hydrogen. These four planets are sometimes termed (12.)
. Distance in space is
measured in (13.)
units. A planet’s speed changes as it orbits the Sun. A planet that is close to the Sun
moves (14.)
than a planet that is far from the Sun. Also, planets that are (15.)
have longer periods of revolution than planets that are closer to the Sun.
from the Sun