Download Astronomy Humble ISD Curriculum Year-At-A

Astronomy
Humble ISD Curriculum
Year-At-A-Glance
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Enduring Understandings
What students will learn:
The relationship between
Earth’s tilt and the seasons.
Constellations
Kepler’s Laws and how they
affect orbits
The scale of the solar system,
galaxy, and universe
The contributions of ancient
civilizations to astronomy
The evidence of the modern
view of the cosmos
Different areas of the
electromagnetic spectrum.
How the Moon was formed,
How the Moon affects tides
The composition of the
planets in our solar system
How the solar system formed
Why we search for life in the
universe
The dangers that asteroids
and comets pose to Earth
How nuclear fusion powers
the Sun
The life-cycle of a star using
the Hertzsprung-Russell
diagram
Why iron is “poison” to a star
The classes of black holes
The overall shape of the Milky
Way
The difference between open
and globular clusters
The different shapes of
galaxies
The contributions of
influential astronomers
The relationship between
density of matter and the fate
of the universe
The origins of space
exploration
Humble ISD Biology
Mission: An introductory survey of astronomy covering topics about the
solar system, galaxies, evolution of the cosmos, and the history and methods
used to explore these phenomena.
Bundle1
Bundle 2
Bundle 3
Bundle 4
(8 Weeks)
(17 Weeks)
(6 Weeks)
(7 Weeks)
The Sun
The Milky Way
Stars and their Life
Cycles
Galaxies
Black Holes and
Pulsars
Cosmology
The Solar System
Nature of Science
Earth’s Geosphere
The Sky
Earth’s
Atmosphere
Earth’s Moon
Our Place in Space
Mercury and Venus
Astronomy and
Civilization
Mars
Space Exploration
Gas Giants
The Modern View
Dwarf and Minor
Planets
The Electromagnetic
Spectrum
Scientific process skills such as experimental design, drawing conclusions,
measurement, and models will be taught and assessed within content bundles.
Year at a Glance
Knowledge and Skills
What student will do in the classroom and beyond:
• Research and describe the use of astronomy in ancient civilizations.
• Research and describe the contributions of scientists to our changing understanding of
astronomy.
• Describe and explain the historical origins of the perceived patterns of constellations and
the role of constellations in ancient and modern navigation.
• Explain the contributions of modern astronomy to today's society, including the
identification of potential asteroid/comet impact hazards and the Sun's effects on
communication, navigation, and high-tech devices.
• Observe and record the apparent movement of the Sun and Moon during the day.
• Observe and record the apparent movement of the Moon, planets, and stars in the
nighttime sky.
• Recognize and identify constellations such as Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, Orion, Cassiopeia,
and constellations of the zodiac.
• Compare and contrast the scale, size, and distance of the Sun, Earth, and Moon system
through the use of data and modeling.
• Compare and contrast the scale, size, and distance of objects in the solar system.
• Examine the scale, size, and distance of the stars, Milky Way, and other galaxies through
the use of data and modeling.
• Relate apparent versus absolute magnitude to the distances of celestial objects.
• Demonstrate the use of units of measurement in astronomy.
• Observe and record data about lunar phases and use that information to model the Sun,
Earth, and Moon system.
• Illustrate the cause of lunar phases by showing positions of the Moon relative to Earth
and the Sun for each phase.
• Identify and differentiate the causes of lunar and solar eclipses.
• Identify the effects of the Moon on tides.
• Recognize that seasons are caused by the tilt of Earth's axis.
• Explain how latitudinal position affects the length of day and night throughout the year.
• Recognize that the angle of incidence of sunlight determines the concentration of solar
energy received on Earth at a particular location.
• Examine the relationship of the seasons to equinoxes, solstices, the tropics, and the
equator.
• Compare and contrast the factors essential to life on Earth.
• Compare the planets in terms of orbit, size, composition, rotation, atmosphere, natural
satellites, and geological activity.
• Relate the role of Newton's law of universal gravitation to the motion of the planets
around the Sun and to the motion of natural and artificial satellites around the planets.
• Explore the origins and significance of small solar system bodies.
• Identify the approximate mass, size, motion, temperature, structure, and composition of
the Sun.
• Distinguish between nuclear fusion and nuclear fission, and identify the source of energy
within the Sun as nuclear fusion of hydrogen to helium.
• Describe the eleven-year solar cycle and the significance of sunspots.
• Analyze solar magnetic storm activity, including coronal mass ejections, prominences,
flares, and sunspots.
• Identify the characteristics of main sequence stars.
• Characterize star formation in stellar nurseries from giant molecular clouds, to protostars,
to the development of main sequence stars.
• Evaluate the relationship between mass and fusion on the dying process and properties
of stars.
• Differentiate among the end states of stars.
• Relate the use of spectroscopy in obtaining physical data on celestial objects.
• Use the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram to plot and examine the life cycle of stars from birth
to death.
• Recognize the type, structure, and components of our Milky Way galaxy and location of
our solar system within it.
• Compare and contrast the different types of galaxies, including spiral, elliptical, irregular,
and dwarf.
• Research and describe the historical development of the Big Bang Theory.
• Research and describe current theories of the evolution of the universe.
• Research and describe scientific hypotheses of the fate of the universe.
• Identify and explain the contributions of human space flight and future plans and
challenges.
• Recognize the advancement of knowledge in astronomy through robotic space flight.
• Analyze the importance of ground-based technology in astronomical studies.
• Recognize the importance of space telescopes to the collection of astronomical data
across the electromagnetic spectrum.
• Demonstrate an awareness of new developments and discoveries in astronomy.
Rev 10/12