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Let’s PLAN IT--Getting Your System in Order Exploring the Solar System and Kepler’s Laws of Planetary Motion Evelyn Andrade-Molina El Camino College June 2005 This module was developed as part of the Science FEST Project National Science Foundation (NSF # 02-01981) Table of Contents Topic of the Module.................................................................................................................................... 1 Goal of the Module ..................................................................................................................................... 1 Targeted Grade Level ................................................................................................................................. 1 Estimated Timeline ..................................................................................................................................... 1 Objectives (Concepts) ................................................................................................................................. 2 Content Standards....................................................................................................................................... 2 Pre-Requisite Skills and Knowledge ........................................................................................................ 3 Materials Needed to Create the Models .................................................................................................. 4 Materials and Procedures for Day 1 and Day 2 .................................................................................4 Materials and Procedures for Day 3 ..................................................................................................12 Materials and Procedures for Day 4 ..................................................................................................14 Science Content.......................................................................................................................................... 16 Brief overview of the Solar System ....................................................................................................16 The Sun ..............................................................................................................................................17 Formation of the Solar System .......................................................................................................18 Introduction to the Terrestrial Planets ..........................................................................................19 Mercury..............................................................................................................................................19 Green House Effect ..........................................................................................................................21 Venus..................................................................................................................................................22 Earth ...................................................................................................................................................23 Mars....................................................................................................................................................24 Introduction to the Gas Giants .......................................................................................................25 Jupiter.................................................................................................................................................25 Saturn .................................................................................................................................................27 Uranus................................................................................................................................................28 Neptune .............................................................................................................................................29 Pluto: The Out of World Oddity ....................................................................................................30 Kepler’s Laws of Planetary Motion ...............................................................................................31 Questions Asked by Third Grade Students:.......................................................................................... 33 Glossary ...................................................................................................................................................... 36 Activities, Demonstrations, and Procedures......................................................................................... 38 Day 1: Exploring the Sun and Terrestrial Planets............................................................................38 Activity #1 – Getting Students Ready to Work............................................................................39 Demonstration #1 - The Sun ...........................................................................................................39 Demonstration #2 - Introducing the Terrestrial Planets.............................................................43 Activity #2 – The Planet Mercury ..................................................................................................44 Activity #3 – The Planet Venus ......................................................................................................47 Activity #4 – The Planet Earth........................................................................................................50 Demonstration #3 – Rotation versus Orbit...................................................................................52 Activity #5 – The Planet Mars ........................................................................................................53 Activity # 6 – An Informal Assessment of the Terrestrial Planets ............................................55 Day 2: Introducing the Gas Giants.....................................................................................................56 Activity # 7 – An Informal Assessment of the Terrestrial Planets ............................................57 Demonstration #4 – Introducting the Gas Giants........................................................................58 Activity #8 – The Planet Jupiter .....................................................................................................59 Activity #9 – The Planet Saturn......................................................................................................62 Activity #10 – The Planet Uranus ..................................................................................................65 Activity #11 – The Planet Neptune................................................................................................68 Demonstration #5 – Rotation versus Orbit...................................................................................70 Activity # 12 – An Informal Assessment of the Terrestrial Planets and Gas Giants ..............71 Day 3: Pluto and Kepler’s Laws of Planetary Motion.....................................................................73 Materials Needed by the Teacher ..................................................................................................73 Activity #13 : The Planet Pluto: The Out of World Oddity........................................................74 Activity #14- Investigating the Distances Between the Planets ................................................76 Activity #15- Discussing Kepler’s Laws of Planetary Motion ...................................................78 Day 4: Solar System Game ..................................................................................................................83 Materials Needed by the Teacher ..................................................................................................83 Activity #16: The Solar System Game ...........................................................................................84 Part 1- Line them Up!.......................................................................................... 84 Part 2- Individual Questions................................................................................ 86 Part 3 - Two Part Questions ................................................................................ 89 Part 4 - Team Questions ..................................................................................... 89 Resources.................................................................................................................................................... 92 Websites .................................................................................................................................................92 Books ......................................................................................................................................................93 Topic of the Module This module offers students the opportunity to take an investigative look at our Solar System. Specifically, the students will learn about the Sun and the nine planets that orbit around it. Students will also investigate the features that make each planet unique. They will learn how our Solar System was formed and study Kepler’s three laws of planetary motion. Goal of the Module The science module investigates the Solar System through a group of visual and interactive astronomy lessons for 3rd grade students. The format of the module presented has been designed in an engaging manner that will allow students to work collaboratively. The activities begin with student’s prior knowledge of the Solar System and culminate with a student’s acquisition of specific facts about each planet. Students will learn how to distinguish the uniqueness of each planet and the Sun by their visual appearance and their features, the order of the planets from the Sun, explain how the Solar System was formed, and demonstrate the motion of the planets. Targeted Grade Level The module was designed for third grade students but can be modified for second, fourth and fifth grade students. Estimated Timeline The module is comprised of four one-hour lessons. An overview of the topics covered on each day is described below. Day 1 The Sun and Terrestrial Planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars Day 2 The Gas Giants: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune Day 3 Pluto and Kepler’s Laws of Planetary Motion Day 4 Planet Orbits (Optional) and Solar System Review and Final Assessment ~1~ Objectives (Concepts) The objectives of this module are listed below. Students will be able to identify the nine planets by their appearance and features. Students will be able to state the order of the planets from the Sun. Students will be able to differentiate between orbit and rotation. Students will be able to simulate the orbital path of the planets using a kinesthetic approach. Students will record and compare the distances of the planets from the Sun. Students will be able to determine the length of the orbital path of a planet. Students will be able to demonstrate Kepler’s Laws of Planetary Motion using oral and kinesthetic means. Students will describe the concept of relative size among the planets and the Sun. Students will be able to explain Kepler’s Laws of motion. Content Standards California Science Content Standards Grade 3 EARTH SCIENCES 4. Objects in the sky move in regular and predictable patterns. As a basis for understanding this concept: d. Students know that Earth is one of several planets that orbit the Sun and that the Moon orbits Earth. ~2~ Grade 5 EARTH SCIENCES 5. The solar system consists of planets and other bodies that orbit the Sun in predictable paths. As a basis for understanding this concept: b. Students know the solar system includes the planet Earth, the Moon, the Sun, eight other planets and their satellites, and smaller objects, such as asteroids and comets. c. Students know the path of a planet around the Sun is due to the gravitational attraction between the Sun and the planet. National Science Educational Standards PHYSICAL SCIENCE Content Standard B: • Position and Motion of Objects EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE Content Standard D: • Objects in the sky • Changes in the Earth and Sky Pre-Requisite Skills and Knowledge Students should be familiar with the following concepts prior to being taught this module: Earth is one of several planets orbiting the Sun. Earth is the only planet we know of that is able to sustain life. Time is represented on Earth in terms of hours, days, months, and years. ~3~ Materials Needed to Create the Models This module is explained in terms of what material is covered each day. The materials needed to teach each day are specified below. Materials and Procedures for Day 1 and Day 2 NOTE: After the completion of the below procedures, a teacher will have a Solar System Kit which includes a model of each planet with appropriate scale to the nearest 1/8 inch. All of the models are reusable. This is the Solar System Kit referred to under the heading labeled “Materials Needed By the Teacher”. Solar System Kit Planet Images All of the planet images used in this module were found in a free lithograph set provided by NASA and JPL. To obtain images of all the planets, download the free lithograph set found on the link below. One suggestion is to print the images that are needed to teach the module. Then, using a scanner, crop the image to obtain the desired image of the planet. http://sse.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/download-detail.cfm?DL_ID=5 Materials Needed to Create the Sun Large roll of butcher paper Yellow and orange paint Scissors Large paint brush or roller ~4~ Procedures to Create the Sun 1. Cut the butcher paper to a length of 13 feet. The butcher paper will represent the “sliver” of the Sun with the appropriate size for the model in the Solar System Kit. 2. Paint the butcher paper with the yellow and orange paint. Cut triangular slits along the sides of the butcher paper. The jagged edges will represent the Sun’s corona. Holding a “sliver” of the Sun. Materials Needed to Create Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, and Pluto 5 plain baseball caps (solid in color, preferably white) 5 wooden balls that measure: 5/8" - Mercury 1-5/8" - Venus 1-5/8" - Earth 3/4" - Mars 1/4" - Pluto Puffy Paints Super Glue/ Cement Glue Small paint brushes Paint (White, Black, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars and Pluto Planet Hats Yellow, Green Blue, Brown, and Red ) Procedures to Create Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, and Pluto 1. Locate an image of each planet. (The lithograph set specified above may be helpful.) 2. Paint each wooden ball according to the colors shown in the images. Allow ~5~ each wooden ball to dry. ~6~ 3. After allowing them to dry, super-glue each planet to the brim of the hat. 4. Use the puffy paints to write the name of the planet along the top of the hat so it is visible to others when the student wears it. NOTE: Wooden Balls can be found at craft stores and wood working shops. A store like Michael’s sells them pre-cut at the measurements specified for the scale of this module. Front View of “Earth” Planet Hat Materials Needed to Create Jupiter and Saturn Image of Jupiter and Saturn (The lithograph set specified above may be helpful.) 4 sheets of poster board (22"x 28" or larger) Scissors Glue String Laminator Ruler Procedures to Create Jupiter and Saturn Use the measurements: 19 inches - Jupiter 15 inches - Saturn 1. Locate a clear image of the planets. (The lithograph set specified above may be helpful) 2. Take the images of the planets to a photo copy place (such as FedExKinko’s) and have them scan and enlarge the images. Because the images will need to be rather large, the photo copy place will need to divide the images into several portions. ~7~ 3. Glue the sections together to form a solid image of the planet. 4. Once the planet image is assembled and measures its approximate measurement, glue the planet to a large piece of poster board and cut any excess portions of the poster board. 5. If possible, laminate the planet. 6. Then, punch 2 holes about 3 to 4 inches apart along the top. 7. Attach a piece of string to each hole. This will allow you to adjust the planet once the student is wearing it. Student Wearing Jupiter Model Student Wearing Saturn Model Materials Needed to Create Neptune and Uranus Locate and image of Neptune and Uranus (The lithograph set specified above may be helpful.) Newspaper Paper Mache Paste (Glue and Water) Balloon that can reach at least 7 inches in diameter Blue and white paint String Bowl ~8~ Procedures to Create Neptune and Uranus 1. Blow up a balloon so that it is approximately 7 inches in diameter. 2. Cut the newspaper into several long strips. (This will be used to cover the balloon) 3. Next, make a paper mache paste by mixing 2 parts glue to 1 part water in a bowl and stirring them together so that the mixture is of a thick consistency. 4. Dip a newspaper strip into the paste and remove it from the bowl while removing any excess paste as you take it out. Apply the newspaper strip to the balloon so that it is flat. Student Wearing Neptune Model 5. Repeat step 4 until the entire balloon is covered and there is no more of the balloon's surface showing. 6. Use a clothes hanger (the kind with clasps) to hold secure the top of the balloon and hang the balloon to dry. 7. When the balloon is dry cut the balloon down the center. Each side represents the front view of either Neptune or Uranus. 8. Paint the round portion of the balloon its respective color. (Refer to images of the planets for accuracy.) 9. Make two holes about 3 inches apart on top. 10. Attach a piece of string to each hole. ~9~ Materials Needed to Create the Solar System Display Board One science project display board Velcro strips Pencil Photo paper An image of each planet (The lithograph set specified above may be helpful) Procedure Needed to Create the Solar System Display Board 1. Begin with a new science project display board. 2. Type up labels for the board on a program like Microsoft Word, Adobe PhotoShop, or Print Artist (Generally any type of word processing program should work.) Label Font Size Our Solar System 200 pt. Mercury 100 pt. Venus 100 pt. Earth 100 pt. Mars 100 pt. Jupiter 100 pt. Saturn 100 pt. Uranus 100 pt. Neptune 100 pt. Pluto 100 pt. NOTE: 3. The Solar System Display Board All of the labels were typed in the font entitled “Jokewood”. Also, it will take about 4-5 separate sheets of photo for all the labels to fit accurately. Print out all labels and cut them so they fit on the board such as they do in the image above. ~10~ 4. If desired, laminate each label. 5. On the back of each label, attach a small piece of velcro. On the Solar System board in the image above, the “Our Solar System” label was glued to the top. 6. Next, acquire an image of each planet. Again, this may be obtained from the lithograph specified above. 7. Scan an image of the Sun and crop it into four sections. (See image provided.) 8. Print out each of the 4 sections and crop them to the desired size. (See image provided) 9. Place pieces together to form one image and tape the back to hold it together. 10. Glue the image to the center of the board under the “Our Solar System” label. 11. Scan an image of the first planet –Mercury. 12. Crop the image on your screen so that it is approximately 6-1/2 inches by 6-1/2 inches. 13. Repeat steps 11-12 for the remaining 8 planets. One exception will be Saturn. The size will be slightly longer than the other planets because of its rings. 14. After all the images have been cropped on the screen and printed, lay them out on the display board. (See image above) Make any necessary crops needed to fit on the board appropriately. 15. Mark the desired location of each planet with a pencil. 16. If desired, laminate the images. 17. Place a piece of velcro in the back of each image. 18. Once the desired layout had been obtained, remove the backing from the velcro strips and attach them to Solar System display board. 19. After this, the Solar System display board will be complete and all planet images and labels will be easily removable. ~11~ Crop Suggestion for the Sun Image Materials Needed to Create the Terrestrial and Gas Planets Display Boards 2 styrofoam white boards The planet images from the Solar System display board Velcro strips Procedure to Create the Terrestrial and Gas Giants Display Boards 1. Type up labels for the boards on a program like Microsoft Word, Adobe PhotoShop, or Print Artist (Generally any type of word processing program should work.) Label Font “Jokewood” Terrestrial 100-150 pt. Planets 100-150 pt. Gas Giants 100-150 pt. Terrestrial Planets Display Board Gas Giants Display Board ~12~ 2. Print and crop the labels so they fit on the board appropriately. 3. Glue them to the board. 4. Remove the images from the Solar System display board and arrange them on their appropriate board. Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars on the “Terrestrial Planets” board and Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune on the “Gas Giants” board. 5. Place one side of the Velcro strip on the image, remove the backing, and attach the image to the appropriate board. Materials and Procedures for Day 3 Materials Needed to Present the Orbital Periods Tape Rope or fishing line (about 120 ft.) Permanent marker Tape measurer Procedures Needed to Present the Orbital Periods 1. Purchase approximately 120 feet of rope or fishing line. It is preferable to use thick rope as opposed to thin rope because, with something of this length, there is a greater tendency for it to tangle. 2. The Sun will be at one end of the rope and Pluto will be at the other. 3. Mark off the relative distances between the planets. Use a piece of tape, permanent marker, or some other device to mark the location of the Sun and each planet on the rope. ~13~ Planet Sun One end of the rope Mercury 1.17 ft Venus 2.16 ft Earth 3 ft Mars 4.56 ft Jupiter 15.6 ft Saturn 28.62 ft Uranus 57.57 ft Neptune 90.18 ft Pluto 4. Distance from the Sun 118.32 ft (other end) If using a fishing line, one possible way to roll up the rope is to wrap it around a water bottle and secure it with tape. If using something thicker, one can wrap the rope around their arm. Starting with the rope between the thumb and index finger and wrapping it around their arm, the teacher can hook the rope under their elbow and return to their thumb and index finger. Materials Needed to Present Kepler’s Laws Word Processing Program Printer Scissors Procedures Needed to Present Kepler’s Laws 1. Using a program such as Microsoft Word or some other word processing program insert a picture of a circle onto the screen. The circle should take up about half a page. Inside the circle, type the word “Circle” and fill the circle with color. ~14~ 2. Using the same approach, insert a picture of an ellipse onto the screen. The ellipse should take up about half a page. (The page should be set up in the landscape position instead of portrait.) Inside the ellipse, type the word “ellipse” and fill the ellipse with a different color. 3. Using the ellipse from step two, copy, cut, and paste a new image on the screen. Use the arrows to extend the ellipse horizontally. This will be your highly elliptical image. Type “Highly Elliptical” inside the image and fill it with a different color. 4. When the desired 3 geometric figures have been obtained, print them and cut them out. An example has been provided below. 5. If possible, laminate the geometric images. Circle Ellipse Highly Elliptical Materials and Procedures for Day 4 Materials Needed to Create the Planets for the Solar System Game (SSG) 9 styrofoam balls of the same size and approximately 9 inches in diameter Paint Brushes Large knife or saw Procedures to Create the Planets for the Solar System Game (SSG) 1. Purchase 9 Styrofoam balls at least 9 inches in diameter. (These can be found at craft stores such as Michael’s) and cut them with a saw or knife into two equal hemispheres. ~15~ NOTE: It might be necessary to have one other person help cut the Styrofoam balls in half. 2. After the Styrofoam balls have been cut down the center, you will have 18 identical half spheres. These represent two sets of planets. 3. Paint each planet its appropriate color. It is recommended that you paint the planets the same color as the images used in the classroom and the student worksheet. The image provided illustrates what one set of the planets should look like. 4. Paint the remaining set of planets. 5. On the index cards, write possible questions to be posed to the students for Day 4. (Possible questions are provided in Day 4 of the module.) Planets for the Solar System Game -- From Right to Left: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto Materials Needed to Create the Question Cards Index cards (a minimum of 30) Pen or marker Review Questions (Some are provided on Day 4 of the module) Star stickers (optional) Procedures to Create the Question Cards 1. Write the questions to be asked to the students on one side of the index card. Write the corresponding answer on the other side on the index card. 2. Make a pile of index cards and keep them together for use in the Solar System Game. ~16~ SCIENCE CONTENT Brief overview of the Solar System Our solar system consists of the Sun and all the materials that orbit it. This includes asteroids, comets, and the nine planets. Solar means “of the Sun,” so the term solar system technically refers only to our own star system, but it is sometimes applied to other star systems. Many other stars have planets orbiting them, just like our Sun does. Our Solar System – Along the orbital paths from right to left: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. The planets of the solar system fall into two general categories: the terrestrial planets and the jovian or gas planets. The terrestrial planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars) are relatively small and have rocky crusts and small atmospheres. The jovian planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune) are many times larger than the terrestrial planets and have thick gaseous atmospheres with no visible surfaces. Because of this, jovian planets are referred to as the gas giants, although the cores of these huge planets are most likely liquid or solid helium and hydrogen. Pluto, the most distant planet, is a small, icy world. It is not considered either a terrestrial or a jovian planet. ~17~ The Sun The Sun is by far the largest and brightest object in our solar system. The Sun contains about 333,000 times as much matter as Earth does, and comprises more than 99.99 percent of the mass in the entire solar system. The remaining 0.01 percent makes up the rest of the solar system: the nine planets and their moons, and the comets, asteroids, and dust that orbit our Sun. Earth The Sun’s diameter is about 865,000 miles. If you put the Earth at the Sun’s center, the Moon would orbit about halfway to the Sun’s surface. It would take 108 Earths, lined up side by side, to span the Sun’s diameter. The Sun is a star much like those we see in the night sky. The reason the The image of Earth is scaled to the proper size Sun looks so different than other stars is because in relation to the image of the Sun the Sun is so much closer to us than other stars are. At 92 million miles, the Sun is the closest star to Earth. In fact, the Sun is about 270,000 times closer to us than the next closest known star, Alpha Centauri. The Sun is the only star whose surface we can see in any detail. The Sun’s surface looks solid on many photographs but the Sun is really a sea of hot gas, shining brightly simply because it is so hot. Although the Sun contains traces of many different kinds of gases, it is primarily made of hydrogen and helium. About three-quarters of the Sun’s mass is hydrogen. Hydrogen, as pointed out on the periodic table, is the lightest gas. Almost one quarter of the Sun’s mass is helium. Very small amounts of at least twenty-seven other gases comprise the remainder of the Sun’s mass. The enormous pressure provided by the Sun’s own gravity holds the Sun together as a sphere. Hydrogen Helium Periodic Table of the Elements ~18~ The Sun is a huge ball of gas held together and powered by gravity. The Sun’s gravity pushes down on all of the Sun’s material and compresses it. Because the gas is compressed, the atoms in it move quickly and are very hot. The temperature in the Sun’s core, the hottest part of the Sun, is about 27 million degrees Fahrenheit. All of material between the surface of the Sun and its core results in very high pressure. The pressure in the core of the Sun is so great that it enables hydrogen gas to become helium. These thermonuclear reactions result in an enormous release of energy. Each second, fusion transforms about 600 million tons of the Sun’s hydrogen into 596 million tons of helium. The energy released in this action keeps the Sun from falling in under its own pressure and allows the Sun to continue shining. It takes several million years for energy to cycle through the Sun’s layers to the surface. The Sun is without doubt the most important object in our solar system. It is the biggest object in our solar system and is located in the center of the solar system. Everything in the solar system revolves around the Sun. The Sun’s gravity governs the orbits of the planets. Heat from the Sun is the primary influence on planetary temperatures, and the Sun is the source of virtually all the visible light in our solar system. The Moon and planets shine only by virtue of light they reflect from the Sun. If it were not for the Sun, humans would not exist. Planets and life on Earth formed as a result of the formation of the Sun. The Sun is very important to our solar system but plays a minuscule role in the Universe. The Sun is just one of the billions of stars in our galaxy, the Milky Way, and our galaxy is just one of billions of galaxies in the Universe. Compared to other stars in the Milky Way, the Sun is a medium-size, medium-hot star in the middle of its life, which began about 4.6 billion years ago. Formation of the Solar System Our solar system began as a huge cloud of gas and dust particles called the solar nebula. The cloud collapsed under its own gravity transforming its original nebulous shape into a rotating, flattened disk. As the cloud collapsed, it rotated faster and faster. A decrease in the size of a rotating mass must be balanced by an increase in its rotational speed. As the cloud shrank and rotated it became denser and hotter. It was hottest at the center of the cloud where the Sun began to form. Most of the material from the original cloud formed into the Sun. Solar Nebula ~19~ The left over dust grains began to form clumps that rapidly grew and stuck to other clumps. As the clumps grew larger, their surface areas increased and consequently the rate at which they swept up new material accelerated. They gradually grew into objects of pebble size, baseball size, basketball size, and eventually into objects a few hundred miles across. By that time, their gravity was strong enough to sweep up material that would otherwise not have collided with them. This early solar system was full of small planets and asteroids, and collisions among these objects were common. Most of the nine planets currently show some sign of these early largescale collisions in their orientations, spin rates, large impact craters, and moons. Most material in the solar nebula not used to form the Sun was swept up to form the nine large planets. Introduction to the Terrestrial Planets There are two types of planets in our solar system and their characteristics are as different as night and day. The first type of planets are known as the terrestrial or rock planets. There are four terrestrial planets in our solar system: Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. These are the four closest planets to the Sun. The terrestrial planets are all in relatively close proximity to the Sun, especially when compared to the distances of the jovian planets. Terrestrial planets are rocky and have solid surfaces and they are much smaller and denser than the jovian planets. Mercury Image of Mercury As you begin to travel away from the Sun, you will encounter the first planet in our solar system: Mercury. Because Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun, its year (the time it takes to orbit the Sun) lasts just 88 Earth days. It is very difficult to view Mercury from Earth. Mercury has an orbit close to the Sun and Mercury’s orbit is within Earth’s orbit, so we look towards the Sun when we look at Mercury. In fact, Mercury never appears more than 28 degrees from the Sun when seen from Earth. The Sun is much brighter than Mercury is, so the tiny planet is often hidden in the glare of the Sun when we try to observe it from Earth. Surprisingly, if you were to stand on Mercury and look at the Sun, it would only look about three times bigger than the Sun appears from Earth. With a diameter of only 3,024 miles, Mercury is the smallest of the terrestrial planets. Because Mercury is small and close to the Sun, it cannot hold onto a significant atmosphere. Mercury’s gravity is much less than the gravity of other planets because it is such a small planet. Any gas atoms on Mercury that could have contributed an atmosphere become very hot because Mercury is so close to the Sun. Hot atoms move quickly, and the gas atoms on Mercury are hot ~20~ enough and move quickly enough that they escape Mercury’s gravity, just like how a rocket leaving Earth moves quickly to escape our planet’s gravity. In 1974 and 1975, the Mariner 10 spacecraft photographed about half of the surface of Mercury. It revealed an ancient face with craters and cliffs like those found on Earth’s moon but without the Moon’s large, dark lava sheets. Mercury is a desolate world with no active volcanoes, no earthquakes, no wind, no rain, and no life. Mercury has craters everywhere, ancient lava flows, and tall, steep cliffs that run hundreds of miles in length. Mercury has an unusually large iron core, making it the most metal-rich of the terrestrial planets. This may be the result of a catastrophic collision. Terrestrial planets have metal cores and light, rocky surface layers. If Mercury was originally composed similarly to the other terrestrial planets, and if part of Mercury’s surface had been removed by a collision with another small planet, then its iron core would account for a Scale Image of much larger percentage of its total mass than is found Mercury and Earth in the other terrestrial planets. Despite its large iron core, Mercury has a weak magnetic field, with only 1 percent the strength of Earth’s magnetic field. Mercury’s proximity to the Sun and slow rotation make it a world of extremes. A Mercurian day lasts longer than its year because Mercury rotates very slowly on its axis. The combination of Mercury’s 88 Earth day orbit and 59 Earth day rotation give Mercury days and nights that each last about 3 Earth months. The extreme temperatures on Mercury are particularly interesting. In daytime, the equatorial regions can reach about 800 degrees Fahrenheit (430 degrees Celsius), while at night the surface temperature can fall to –300 degrees Fahrenheit (-185 degrees Celsius). During this module, students will learn five key facts for each planet. The facts for Mercury are: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun. Mercury is the second smallest planet in our solar system. Mercury is covered with craters and is the only planet without an atmosphere. Mercury completes one orbit in 88 days. Mercury’s day is actually longer than its year! In fact it equal two years on Mercury. ~21~ Green House Effect The greenhouse effect is an important component of the atmospheres of the next two terrestrial planets - Venus and Earth. Perhaps the single most important atmospheric effect is its ability to make a planetary surface warmer than it would be otherwise. This planetary warming is caused by what is called the greenhouse effect and is critical to the existence of life as we know it on Earth. Without the greenhouse effect, Earth’s surface would be too cold for liquid water to flow and for life to flourish. The basic idea of the greenhouse effect is quite simple. Sunlight consists mostly of visible light that passes easily through most atmospheric gases to reach a planet’s surface. Some of this visible light is reflected back into space as visible light and some of it is absorbed by a planet’s surface and re-emitted back as infrared light. The Greenhouse Effect The greenhouse effect works by “trapping” some of the infrared light emitted by the planet, slowing its return to space. Many atmospheric gases absorb infrared light. Water vapor, carbon dioxide, and methane are particularly good at absorbing infrared light; these molecules are called greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gases tend to slow the escape of infrared radiation from the lower atmosphere while their molecular motions heat the surrounding air. In this way, the greenhouse effect makes the surface and the lower atmosphere warmer than they would be from sunlight alone. The more greenhouse gases are present in a planet’s atmosphere, the greater the degree of surface warming. ~22~ Venus Ancient astronomers called Venus the “Morning Star” and “Evening Star.” Venus is closer to the Sun than the Earth is which makes it visible from Earth at dawn (just before sunrise) and dusk (just after sunset). Venus is sometimes referred to as Earth’s sister planet because Venus is the closest plant to Earth and is very similar in size, mass, and volume to Earth. The similarities, however, end there. Venus is experiencing a run-away greenhouse effect. Sunlight passes through its thick clouds and heats the planet. Heat is then radiated from the surface and becomes trapped in the thick atmosphere, making the surface of Venus extremely hot. With surface temperatures topping Image of Venus in rotation as viewed in the night sky. 900º Fahrenheit, Venus is the hottest plant in our solar system. The surface of Venus is also very active. Most of the surface of Venus is covered with lava flow and Venus has several large active shield volcanoes similar to those in the Hawaiian Islands. There have been more than twenty space missions to Venus, and in 1975, the Russian spacecraft Venera 9 was the first spacecraft to land on another planet. Venera 9 landed on the surface of Venus and took several pictures. The spacecraft survived for 53 minutes before it stopped transmitting its signal, presumably failing due to the extreme surface temperature. Venus rotates very slowly. In fact, with a day on Venus equivalent to 243 Earth days and year on Venus equivalent to 225 Earth days, a Venutian day is longer than its year. Another unusual aspect of Venus’ rotation is that it is retrograde, or in a clockwise direction as viewed from above Venus’ North Pole. All the other planets in the solar system rotate in a prograde, or anticlockwise direction as viewed above their North Poles. Venus’ retrograde rotation may be due to a collision with another small planet early in the solar system’s formation. Venus’ atmosphere is so thick that even a light breeze on the planet’s surface can lift and move boulders. Most meteoroids disintegrate before hitting Venus’ surface and large meteoroids break up and scatter due to Venus’ exceptionally thick atmosphere causing clusters of impact craters. Impact craters on Venus are also shaped differently than craters on other planets. ~23~ Impact craters on Venus do not have lines radiating out from the center as found on impact craters on other planets and moons. Planetary surface material such as large rocks and vast amounts of dirt is thrown up from a crater during the impact that forms it. This material is usually found in long lines or rays stretching from the crater center. On Venus, however, the material is thrown out only a short distance from the crater due to the dampening effect of the thick atmosphere. During this module, students will learn five key facts for each planet. The facts for Venus are: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Venus is covered with volcanoes and lava flows. Venus is the hottest planet in our solar system The atmosphere is so thick that a light breeze can blow rocks around! Venus is the closest planet to Earth Venus is almost the same size as Earth Infrared image of Venus. The yellowish color is a result of the sulfur in the atmosphere. This is the image of Venus used throughout the module. Earth Earth is the largest of the terrestrial planets. It has a surprisingly thin crust over a large mantle and core. Earth’s crust was probably ripped off during a collision with a Mars-sized planet in the early years of the solar system. The dismantled crust formed our Moon and remains in orbit around the Earth. The Moon takes approximately 27 Earth days to orbit the Earth, about one month. Earth’s surface is mostly water; four oceans cover three-fourths of Earth’s surface. The seven continents cover the rest of the planet. Water is vital for life on Earth and all living beings that we know of are mostly comprised of water. Terrestrial cycles move air, rock, and water from place to place. Winds in Earth’s atmosphere drive ocean currents, water evaporates from the oceans, and water returns as rain over the lands. Oxygen is given off by plants and taken in by animals, and volcanoes throw tons of gas into the air from deep inside the Earth. These cycles maintain livable conditions and the green house effect keeps Earth’s surface warm; about 60° Fahrenheit warmer than it would be without our insulating atmosphere. ~24~ Image of Earth Life on Earth started very early in Earth’s history: we have found evidence of small, simple microscopic creatures that existed 3.5 billion years ago and simple life may have existed on Earth before then. More complex life, however, took a very long time to gain foothold on Earth. The first existing evidence found for small animals on ocean floors appear about 500 million years ago. Modern humans (homo sapiens) appeared only about one hundred thousand years ago. A good way to grasp the history of life on Earth is to think of the 4.5 billion years of Earth’s existence as one day, 24 hours. Earth was formed with the rest of the solar system about 4.5 billion years ago; we can call this midnight. The first microscopic animals appeared at about 6:00 am, multi-cellular organisms appeared on the scene at about 8:00 pm, and humans didn’t emerge until the last 30 seconds of the day, at 11:59:30pm. One hundred thousand years is a very short period of our planet’s history. Earth is the only world we know of that supports life. Considering how quickly simple life developed on our planet, however, many astrobiologists (scientists who study the possibility of extraterrestrial life) believe that simple life such as microbes and other single-celled organisms may exist on other moons or planets in our solar system, or on worlds orbiting distant stars. Our measurements of time are based on Earth’s movements. When you think about how quickly the weekend is approaching, you’re thinking about Earth’s movement around the Sun. When you consider how early your alarm clock seems to ring in the morning, you’re considering Earth’s spin on its axis. One Earth day is 24 hours, the amount of time it takes Earth to rotate, to spin, once on its axis. One Earth year is 365 days, the amount of time it takes for Earth to revolve around, to orbit, the Sun once. During this module, students will learn five key facts for each planet. The facts for Earth are: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Earth has a mostly liquid surface Earth is the largest of the terrestrial planets Earth is the only place that supports life that we know of so far. Earth makes one rotation in 24 hours, and 24 hours equal 1 day Earth makes one complete orbit in 365 days, and 365 days equal 1 year. Mars The fourth planet from the Sun is the red planet, Mars, named after the Greek god of war. Thanks to Mars’ close proximity and the several missions we have sent to Mars, we know more about Mars then any other planet in our solar system besides Earth. Mars has huge volcanoes, deep canyons, and vast dune fields and at one time had oceans, lakes, and rivers. Permanent ice caps cover both the north and south poles on Mars. The poles are so cold that Mars’ ice caps are made of not only water ice, but also of dry ice, frozen carbon dioxide. ~25~ Conditions such as an insulating atmosphere and running surface water may have once supported life on the surface of Mars, but the surface of Mars is now a cold, dry, barren red desert. Mars is often referred to as the red planet and the red color of the Martian surface is visible even without a telescope. The rocks and dust on Mars’ surface contain iron that rusts, creating a red dust that is then blown up into the thin Martian atmosphere. Mars is host to the biggest volcano in the solar system, Olympus Mons. Olympus Mons is a slow growing, nonviolent shield volcano, similar to the volcanoes of the Hawaiian Islands. Olympus Mons is taller than Mount Everest and if we could superimpose Olympus Mons on a map of the United States, it would cover the entire Hawaiian volcano chain with its diameter of over 340 miles. Image of Mars, the “Red” planet. Because Mars is farther from the Sun than Earth, its orbital period is longer than Earth’s year. One Martian year is 687 Earth days. A Martian day, called a Sol, is only 37 hours longer than an Earth day. Two small moons named Phobos and Deimos orbit Mars much more quickly than our Moon orbits Earth. Phobos zips around Mars in less than a third of an Earth day and the smaller moon, Deimos, takes about one and a half Earth days to orbit Mars. Mars is the most Earth-like planet. Although smaller, colder, and dryer than Earth, Mars would be the most hospitable planet for human space explorers to visit. In fact, Mars has been visited the most by Earthlings. We have sent several robotic missions to the surface of Mars and there are several human-made satellites currently in orbit around Mars. The twin Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity have found evidence that large bodies of water once flowed over Mars’ surface. NASA is currently planning for future human and robotic missions to Mars. During this module, students will learn five key facts for each planet. The facts for Mars are: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Mars has polar caps, has seasons, has a thin atmosphere, has evidence for ancient oceans Mars is the most Earthlike planet Mars is known as the red planet because it is rusted Mars has been visited the most Mars has the largest volcano in the solar system, called Olympus Mons ~26~ Introduction to the Gas Giants The second type of planet in our solar system is known as the jovian planets or the gas giants. There are four gas giants in our solar system: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. These are four of the five planets farthest from the Sun. The gas giants are all very large, especially when compared to the size of the terrestrial planets. Gas giants are gaseous and they do not have solid surfaces but may have solid cores. Gas giants have many moons and several of the gas giants have rings, most notable is the spectacular ring system orbiting Saturn. Jupiter As the biggest planet in our solar system, Jupiter is a massive world with terrific storms whirling across its banded atmosphere. Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun, so a Jovian year is longer than one Earth orbit. In fact, one Jupiter year is about twelve Earth years. Because Jupiter spins very quickly, a Jovian day is just under ten Earth hours. Image of Jupiter Over eight Earths could line up side-by-side across Jupiter’s surface and Jupiter’s most famous feature, the great red spot, is more than twice the size of Earth. The great red spot is a large storm in Jupiter’s lower cloud layers that has lasted for at least three hundred Earth years. Jupiter has more than sixty moons in orbit. Jupiter’s four largest moons, Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto are often called the Galilean satellites and are clearly visible through a small telescope. Galileo observed these moons and documented their motion around Jupiter in the 1600’s. Galileo’s observations of Jupiter’s moons contributed to his support of Copernicus’ proposition that the Sun is the center of our solar system. Jupiter’s moon Europa is especially interesting to astrobiologists as it shows evidence of large salt-water oceans under its surface of thick, cracked ice. We know that water is necessary for life on Earth and it could be a strong indication of life on other worlds. NASA is currently developing a spaceship called the Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter, a mission designed to visit Jupiter’s moons. ~27~ Galilean Satellites During this module, students will learn five key facts for each planet. The facts for Jupiter are: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Jupiter has four big moons and many small ones. Jupiter is the biggest planet in our solar system Jupiter’s red spot is a storm that is two times bigger than Earth Jupiter makes one rotation in under ten hours Jupiter takes 12 years to make 1 orbit around the Sun Saturn Saturn is the second largest planet in our solar system and the sixth planet from the Sun. Many astronomers, both amateur and professional, would contend that Saturn is the most spectacular planet. With a large and flat ring system that stretches for more then half of Saturn’s diameter beyond the planet, Saturn is an awe-inspiring sight even when observed though a small Image of Saturn telescope. Saturn’s rings are composed of many small chunks of ice and rock, all orbiting the planet. The rings are very thin and seem to almost disappear when viewed edge-on. Although Saturn is very large, it is not very heavy. This combination of a large diameter and small mass means that Saturn is very “light.” In fact, even water is denser than Saturn is and if we could put Saturn in a large bathtub, it would float. At almost ten times the distance to the Sun that Earth is, a Saturnian year is about thirty Earth years. Because of the quick rotational speed of Saturn, a day on Saturn is much shorter than on Earth. A Saturnian day lasts less than eleven Earth hours. Because Saturn is so light and spins so quickly, its gassy upper layers spread out around the planet’s equator so Saturn is slightly flattened and appears similar to a ball that has been flattened to an elliptical shape. Saturn has more than thirty moons, some orbiting within its ring system and some circling the planet beyond the rings. Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, has a thick protective atmosphere. Astrobiologists are particularly interested in Titan because its smoggy hydrocarbon-laden atmosphere is similar to what Earth’s ~28~ Edge-on view of Saturn’s rings. atmosphere was like early in our planet’s history. The Huygens probe, a space mission that landed on Titan in early 2005, investigated Titan’s surface and discovered evidence of liquid rivers and oceans. Titan is very cold, however, so its rivers and oceans are liquid methane, not the water we are familiar with on Earth. During this module, students will learn five key facts for each planet. The facts for Saturn are: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Saturn has a moon with an atmosphere (Titan). Saturn is the second largest planet Saturn is so light, if it were dumped in water it would float. Saturn’s rings are chunks of rock and ice Saturn’s day is 10 hrs and 40 minutes Uranus Uranus (pronounced your-in-us) is the third largest planet in our solar system and is the only planet that rotates on its side. All of the planets rotate with some tilt relative to their orbital plane; we can thank Earth’s 23½ degree tilt for our four seasons. Uranus, however, is titled so dramatically that its north and south pole each face the Sun directly during a quarter of the planet’s year. As the seventh planet from the Sun, a Uranian year lasts 84 Earth years and summer and winter each last 21 Earth years. Uranus’ sideways spin was mostly likely caused by a collision with a small planet or other large object early in the formation of the solar system. This collision happened before Uranus gained its Image of Uranus many moon. If the collision had occurred after Uranus has its moons, they would have been knocked out of orbit by the massive collision that tipped Uranus on its side. Astronomers have found twenty-one moons orbiting Uranus and have detected a small ring system circling the planet about its equator. Images of Uranus show a thick, uniform bluish-green atmosphere. Unlike Saturn and Jupiter, Uranus doesn’t have bands, clouds, or storm features in its atmosphere. Also unlike the other gas giants, Uranus doesn’t have much of an internal heat source. Uranus is heated primarily by the light it receives from the Sun, which appears as a large, distant star in the Uranian sky. During this module, students will learn five key facts for each planet. The facts for Uranus are: ~29~ 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Has a thick atmosphere, but no visible cloud features Uranus has 21 moons Uranus is the only planet to rotate on its side Winter and summer last 21 years on Uranus It takes Uranus 84 Earth years to make one orbit around the Sun Neptune Neptune is the eighth planet from the Sun and the outermost gas giant. Neptune is about thirty times farther from the Sun than the Earth. Because Neptune is so far from our Sun, its year is substantially longer than a year on Earth. It takes Neptune over one hundred and fifty Earth years to orbit the Sun. Image of Neptune Neptune has dramatic weather, with high winds similar to those on Saturn and Jupiter. Like Jupiter, a large storm was seen in Neptune’s atmosphere. The great dark spot, as it was called by astronomers first viewing images from the space mission Voyager, was about as large as Earth. The great dark spot was last observed in 1989. Like the two largest gas giants, Neptune also has an internal heat source. It radiates more than twice as much energy as it receives from the distant Sun. Like the other gas giants, Neptune has many moons. There are currently thirteen known moons orbiting the large blue planet and there are probably more moons yet undiscovered. Neptune’s largest moon, Triton, is an unusual satellite. Unlike other moons, Triton orbits Neptune in the direction opposite Neptune’s rotation. Triton may have been captured by Neptune after straying too close to Neptune and colliding with one of Neptune’s smaller moons. Triton is quite large and has a thin atmosphere, and is probably a Kuiper (pronounced coy-per) Belt object. The Kuiper Belt is an area that extends far beyond the orbits of the large planets and contains many comets and planetismals (very small planets) with highly elliptical orbits. Objects in the Kuiper Belt have very long orbital periods and many contain material undisturbed since early in the formation of our solar system. During this module, students will learn five key facts for each planet. The facts for Neptune are: ~30~ 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Outermost massive planet Neptune has 13 known moons Neptune has some of the fastest wind speeds, with winds over 1,000 mph Neptune has an internal heat source It takes Neptune 165 Earth years to make one orbit around the Sun Pluto: The Out of World Oddity Pluto is a unique planet. It is tiny, has a very elliptical orbit that is inclined with respect to the other planets’ orbits, and Pluto’s moon, Charon, is nearly as big as the planet itself. Pluto is only slightly larger than our Moon, which makes it by far the smallest planet in our solar system. The other eight planets have almost perfectly circular orbits, but Pluto’s orbit is obviously an ellipse. In fact, Pluto’s elliptical orbit crosses Neptune’s orbit, so Pluto’s path sometimes carries the little planet closer to the Sun than Neptune. The plane of the solar system can be thought of as a piece of paper that extends out from the Sun’s equator. All of the planets orbit along paths that are slightly above and below this plane, but Pluto’s Image of Pluto orbit is inclined more than 17 degrees with respect to the plane of the solar system, bringing it far above and below the plane that the large planets orbit on as it moves around the Sun. Pluto’s size and elliptical orbit cause some astronomers to wonder if Pluto should be classified as a planet or perhaps a large asteroid or planetismal. Most astronomers agree that it should maintain its status as a planet for historical purposes, but recognize that Pluto is an object from the Kuiper Belt. There have not yet been any space missions to Pluto because its orbital inclination makes it difficult to reach. Images of Pluto show a cold, dry, and inactive surface, but Pluto remains the planet we know the least about. There may be surprising information to be found by inspecting Pluto more Pluto’s highly elliptical orbit. closely and NASA is currently considering a mission to Pluto to find out more about our small and distant planetary sibling. ~31~ During this module, students will learn five key facts for each planet. The facts for Pluto are: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Pluto is the smallest planet in our solar system Pluto has never been visited Pluto is the farthest planet from the Sun, so it has the longest orbital period Pluto is neither a terrestrial planet nor a gas giant Pluto is known as a double planet because it is almost the same size as its moon, Charon. Kepler’s Laws of Planetary Motion Johannes Kepler was an astronomer who worked in Prague in the early seventeenth century. As Imperial Mathematician, Kepler had access to very precise data about planetary positions taken over several years. Using this data, Kepler found three fundamental laws that describe how planets in our solar system orbit about the Sun: Kepler’s First Law of Planetary Motion: Planets orbit the Sun in elliptical, not circular, orbits. Kepler’s Second Law of Planetary Motion: As a planet orbits the Sun, it sweeps out equal areas in equal amounts of time. Kepler’s Third Law of Planetary Motion: The relationship of a planet’s distance (a) from the Sun to the amount of time (p) it takes for the planet to complete one orbit can be stated as a3=p2.† Kepler’s first law basically says that planets’ orbits are not circles. Pluto’s orbit is very clearly elliptical while the other eight planets have nearly, but not perfectly, circular orbits. Identifying † The relationship a3=p2 holds true when a and p are given in planet-specific units. a, the planet’s distance to the Sun, is usually given in astronomical units (AU). One AU is a length equal to the average distance of the Earth to the Sun. p, the period of time it takes for the planet to complete one orbit, is usually given in Earth years. ~32~ that planets have non-circular orbits is important for understanding Kepler’s second law. If planets had circular orbits, they would always be the same distance from the Sun. If planets orbit in ellipses, however, there will be some times during a planet’s year when it is closer to the Sun and some times during a planet’s year when it will be farther from the Sun. A restatement of Kepler’s second law could be as follows: when a planet is closer to the Sun, it moves faster. When a planet is further from the Sun, it moves slower. This means that in January, when the Earth is closest to the Sun, it is moving along its orbital path more quickly than in July, when the Earth is farthest from the Sun. Kepler’s third law can also be restated: a planet that is closer to the Sun will move faster than a planet which is farther away from the Sun. Mercury’s movement along its orbital path is much faster than Jupiter’s movement along its orbit. Mercury’s year is much shorter than Jupiter’s year not only because it has a shorter path to follow, but because it moves along its orbital path much more quickly than Jupiter does. Newton’s theory of gravity explains Kepler’s laws. Gravity, a force of attraction between two objects, decreases with distance. When a planet is closer to the Sun, it feels the Sun’s gravity more strongly and it moves about its orbital path more quickly than when it is farther from the Sun. Planets farther from the Sun feel the Sun’s gravity less strongly than planets closer to the Sun, and are pulled around their orbital paths less quickly than closer planets. ~33~ Questions Asked by Third Grade Students: Third grade students pose interesting and imaginative questions. Samples of questions asked during teaching of this module are listed below. Suggested answers are presented below each question. 1. If you could walk on Uranus, would you walk sideways? Uranus doesn’t have a solid surface, so you couldn’t walk on it. Even if you were somehow able to walk on Uranus, you wouldn’t walk sideways. Earth has a tilt (23½ degrees) but we don’t feel ourselves walking at an angle because we walk straight up compared to Earth’s surface. Earth is so big and so close to us we don’t compare how we’re walking to anything except Earth. Because Uranus is also much bigger than we are, we wouldn’t feel as if we were walking sideways if we were somehow able to walk on its surface. 2. Does Mars have robots? Absolutely! There are several robots on the surface of Mars and a couple of them (Spirit and Opportunity, as of Spring 2005) are still roaming around, looking at Mars rocks, and sending signals to Earth. The robots on Mars are all aliens. They are Earthlings, made by scientists and engineers here on Earth and sent to Mars to explore the Martian surface. We also have several satellites in orbit around Mars. These satellites have sent us valuable information about weather on Mars the presence of water on Mars, and clues about Mars’ history. 3. Why is the Sun so hot? Because it’s so big! The Sun is a large ball of gas powered by gravity. The Sun’s gravity pushes down on all of the Sun’s material and compresses it. Because the gas is compressed, the atoms in it move quickly and are very hot. There are many stars that are even bigger and so even hotter than the Sun and there are also many stars that are smaller and cooler than our Sun. 4. When did the orbital path of Neptune cross Pluto? Another way to ask that may be “When did Pluto’s’ path last position it inside of Neptune’s orbit?” All of the planets besides Pluto have almost perfectly circular orbital paths. Pluto’s the odd one, with a path that is clearly an ellipse; it looks like an egg or a rubber band instead of a circle. Between January 1979 and March 1999, Pluto's ellipse-shaped orbit brought it inside the orbit of Neptune, making it the eighth planet for two decades. 5. What is the coolest gas giant? Although all the gas giants are extremely cold, Neptune is the coolest. The farther a planet is from the Sun the less heat it will receive, and Neptune is the farthest gas giant from the Sun. ~34~ 6. Where do meteors come from? Meteors are space rocks that happen to come close enough to Earth that they enter our atmosphere. Meteors are sometimes called shooting stars because they look like stars moving across the sky as they burn up in our atmosphere. Meteors are very common and usually burn up completely in our atmosphere. Any part of the meteor that happens to reach Earth’s surface is called a meteorite. Most meteors are rocks broken off of asteroids or comets. Each year, there are several predictable meteor showers that happen when Earth crosses a place where a comet has been, and many small pieces from that comet enter our atmosphere. You can watch a neat animation of a meteor burning up as it enters Earth’s atmosphere at this website: http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/permanent/meteorites/what/where.php 7. How do scientists know how old the Sun is? Scientists have found rocks (meteorites) from our solar system that are 4.5 billion years old. Because everything in our solar system formed as a result of our Sun’s formation, we know that the Sun must be at least 4.5 billion years old. We also know how large the Sun is, how quickly it changes hydrogen into helium, and how much hydrogen it has already used up. Using this information, we can calculate how old the Sun is. Results show that the Sun is almost half way through its 10 billion year lifespan, or about 4.5 billion years old. 8. Are Saturn’s rings attached to the planet? No! Saturn’s rings are lots of little pieces of ice and rock, all orbiting around the planet. Our Moon orbits the Earth in the same way, and as you probably know, the Moon isn’t attached to Earth. You can think of each of the many little pieces that make up Saturn’s rings as a tiny moon, orbiting Saturn the same way that the Moon orbits Earth. 9. Why haven’t we visited Pluto? We haven’t yet visited Pluto because it is very far away, not only “outward” from us, but also “upward.” Pluto’s orbital plane is tilted with respect to our solar system. The other eight planets (including Earth) orbit the Sun on a fairly flat plane, like peas rolling around on a plate. We can send a spacecraft from Earth to the other planets along the same plane, like rolling a small ball from near the center of the plate out towards the edge. Because Pluto doesn’t roll along the same plate, we would have to use extra time and energy to send a spacecraft “upward” and away from the “plate” to rendezvous with Pluto. Despite the extra effort required to reach Pluto, NASA is currently developing a space mission called New Horizons. It should take about 11 years after launch to reach Pluto and its moon Charon. ~35~ 10. If Earth is rotating, why don’t we feel ourselves spinning? Good question! This is the same question that many people asked Copernicus when he published his book stating that the Sun, not the Earth, is in the center of our solar system. The main reason we don’t feel ourselves spinning is that the Earth is so much larger than we are. This means that what is happening close to us (for example the wind in the trees or whether we’re walking or running) is much more important to our senses than the Earth’s movement. 11. Does Mercury have Maria? Not exactly. Maria (pronounced “mar-ee-ah”) is the Latin word for seas. Galileo Galilei named the large, dark areas on the Moon’s near side maria because he thought they looked like large seas or oceans. Maria are seas, but of frozen lava, not water! Mercury also has areas of frozen lava, but they’re more like little lakes or ponds; they’re not nearly as large as the Moon’s maria. Perhaps we should call Mercury’s lava outflows the Latin word for ponds: lacunae? 12. Did Albert Einstein use math to find out about the planets? Absolutely! Albert Einstein used math extensively in his work in physics. Einstein is best known for his famous equation e=mc2, which shows that energy can be changed into matter. Einstein is also known for his influential theories of relativity and descriptions of space-time. Albert Einstein is not particularly known for his study of our solar system and planets, but we can confirm his equations by examining how the planets and other objects in our solar system move and by measuring how our Sun’s gravity bends the fabric of space-time near it. 13. Do Saturn’s rings help it rotate? A little bit. Saturn’s rings formed when a moon of Saturn drew too close to the large planet and was ripped apart by Saturn’s gravity. If you reassembled all of the ice of Saturn’s rings back together you would get a small moon, a sphere roughly 190 miles in diameter. That is not enough mass to change mighty Saturn’s rotation. After all, Saturn is 95 times more massive than Earth! If you want to look at the details, however, you will find that the rings are speeding up the rotation of Saturn ever so slightly as Saturn slowly draws the ring particles nearer to it and to their doom. You can experiment with this process yourself. Hold your arms out and slowly spin around, then bring your arms in close to your body while you’re still spinning. You may notice that it’s easier to spin with your arms in close to your body, and that you even speed up a little. When the mass in your arms is far away from your body, it’s more difficult for you to spin around. When you bring that mass in closer to your body, it becomes easier for you to spin. The same rule applies for Saturn. When the mass in the rings is far away from Saturn, it is a little bit more difficult for Saturn to spin then when that material is closer to the planet. Since the material is falling inwards, it is (just slightly) helping Saturn spin. ~36~ Glossary Suggested definitions for commonly used vocabulary describing our solar system are included below. Asteroid A small, rocky object in orbit about the Sun or other star. Asteroids may be formed from the collision between planets or in the solar nebula as a by-product of the Sun’s formation. Astrobiologist Scientist who studies the possibility of extraterrestrial life. Comet An icy and dusty object with a very elliptical orbit about the Sun. Comets loose much of their material as they approach the Sun and often become visible from Earth as long streaks of reflecting material across the night sky. Gas giant See Jovian Planet Gravity An attractive force between two objects. Gravity keeps the planets in orbit around the Sun. Greenhouse effect Insulating effect of a terrestrial planet’s atmosphere. Caused by the absorption and re-radiation of sunlight by gasses in a planet’s atmosphere. Hydrogen The simplest, lightest, and most common known element in the Universe. Impact crater A depression on a planetary surface caused by impact from a meteorite. Jovian planet Also called gas giants, jovian planets are large, gaseous planets similar to Jupiter. Kuiper Belt An area of the solar system that extends far beyond Neptune’s orbit. Objects in the Kuiper Belt may have long, elliptical orbits and may contain material from very early in the solar system’s formation. Maria Large, lava-filled plains on the surface of the Moon. The singular form of maria is mare. Meteor A piece of rock that enters the atmosphere of a planet. Meteorite A piece of rock that enters the atmosphere of a planet. ~37~ Moon A natural satellite in orbit about a planet. Planet A large object in orbit around a star. Planetismal A small planet. Prograde rotation Anti-clockwise rotation as viewed from above a planet’s north pole. Retrograde rotation Clockwise rotation as viewed from above a planet’s north pole. Satellite Any object in orbit around another object is a satellite. Planets’ moons are all examples of natural satellites. Humans have also put several spacecraft in orbit around Earth and other planets. Scarp A cliff often found on the edge of or near impact craters. Solar nebula The dusty cloud from which the Sun and all the objects in the solar system were formed. Space mission A human-made satellite or spaceship designed to travel beyond Earth to study our solar system. Space missions may contain robotic or human explorers. Space-time A description of the four-dimensional nature of the universe. Terrestrial planet Small, rocky planet similar to Earth. Universe All matter, energy, and time. ~38~ ACTIVITIES, DEMONSTRATIONS, AND PROCEDURES Day 1: Exploring the Sun and Terrestrial Planets This portion of the module serves as an introduction to the Sun and the terrestrial planets in our Solar System: Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. Students will participate in activities that will illustrate the concepts of rotation and orbit. Students will also familiarize themselves with the concept of relative size, composition, and distance. Objectives for Day 1 1. Students will be able to identify the Terrestrial Planets. 2. Students will be able to identify the order of the planets from the Sun. 3. Students will be able to differentiate between orbit and rotation. 4. Students will be able to record and compare the distances of the planets from the Sun. 5. Students will be able to determine the length of the orbital path of a planet. 6. Students will describe the concept of relative size among the planets and the Sun. Materials Needed by the Teacher Solar System Kit (See directions as specified for Day 1 and 2) One rock One 1-5/8 wooden ball One 1-5/8 inch wooden ball covered in tape and marked with an “X.” A balloon Solar System Workbook Teachers Guide Materials Needed for Each Student Solar System Workbook ~39~ ACTIVITY #1 – Getting Students Ready to Work 1. Select one student to be your assistant. 2. The teacher claps his/her hands, slowly at first and then progressively faster and faster. 3. The assistant will indicate to the class when to stop clapping. Your assistant will do this by using a non-verbal cue, this is a classroom management strategy used to ensure that the students pay attention. 4. Begin clapping and have your assistant indicate the stop. If the class does not stop on cue, repeat this activity so that the students are alert and focused. 5. Distribute a Solar System Workbook and explain to them what each worksheet consists of. Point out where the name of each planet will go, what the color guide indicates about how to color each planet, the chart that shows each planets position in the solar system, and show them where they will be writing their facts. ~40~ DEMONSTRATION #1 - The Sun 1. Set up the Solar System board in the front of the classroom revealing the picture of the Sun in the center. 2. Ask the students: “What do you think about when you hear the words Solar System?” Allow time for a few student responses. If students need some assistance, point to the picture of the Sun in the center. Students should make a connection between the word “Solar” and the Sun. 3. Explain to the students that Solar System involves the Sun and everything that orbits around it. In fact, the Sun is at the center of our Solar System. This is the first fact that students will write in their Solar System Workbook. Write it on the board or overhead and give them a minute to write it down on their Sun page next to number 1. 4. As you repeat to them that the Sun is at the center of our Solar System show that students a wooden ball that measures 1-5/8 inch. (Note: This wooden ball is the same size as Earth on the Earth planet hat but without color.) 5. Ask the students, “If this ball represents how big Earth is, how big do you think the Sun is?” Have them show you with their hands. 6. Then explain, “What if I told you that if this is how big the Earth is, the Sun is really THIS big…” Roll the 13 foot “sliver” of the Sun across the floor. 7. Explain that this is not the entire Sun because it would not fit in the classroom. In fact The Sun is the biggest object in our Solar System. This is the second fact that students will write in their Solar System Workbook. Write it on the board or overhead and give them a minute to write it down on their Sun page next to number 2. 8. Explain that the model of the sun is just a “sliver” of the Sun, not the entire Sun. 9. Draw a big circle on the board and draw two vertical parallel lines across the diameter of the circle. Shade in the region between the parallel lines. Inform the students that this is the region of the Sun that you have been showing because the sun is too large to bring in the class. In fact, one would need 108 Earth size objects to fit across the diameter or “sliver” of the Sun. 10. Ask the students to recite their ages. Then ask them to recite how many years they think is something that is really old. ~41~ 11. Explain to them that The Sun is 4.6 billion years old. This is the third fact that students will write in their Solar System Workbook. Write it on the board or overhead and give them a minute to write it down on their Sun page next to number 3. 12. Ask students what other information they know about the Solar System or just ask students if they know what the Sun is? (Note: The Sun is a star.) 13. Explain to the students that The Sun is a star not a planet. This is the fourth fact that students will write in their Solar System Workbook. Write it on the board or overhead and give them a minute to write it down on their Sun page next to number 4. 14. Review the information already presented -- the Sun is at the center of the Solar System, it is the largest object in the Solar System, is 4.6 billion years old, and is a star. Ask them if they know anything else about the Sun and its relationship to the planets. 15. Explain to the students that The planets formed as a result of the formation of the Sun. This is the fifth fact that students will write in their Solar System Workbook. Write it on the board or overhead and give them a minute to write it down on their Sun page next to number 5. 16. Explain how the Solar System was formed. It might be a good idea to draw a simplified version on the board or to demonstrate the motions with your hands. ~42~ Formation of the Solar System a. The Solar System began as a huge cloud of gas, rocks, and dust. b. As the cloud began to rotate (spin) faster and faster it became so heavy that gravity began to make it collapse and flatten into a disk shape. c. As the cloud began to flatten, gravity began pulling the cloud down. The center of the cloud was the hottest and received the strongest pull of gravity. The Sun began to form in the center. d. As the cloud began to collapse and the Sun formed in the center, the remainder of the cloud began to spread out. e. The Sun began to clearly form in the center. The remaining pieces of the cloud began to gather. The rock like pieces were closer to the Sun and the larger more spaced out elements further from the Sun. f. What resulted of the collapsed cloud was the Sun in the center with nine planets orbiting around it. The Terrestrial Planets were close to the Sun and the Gas Giants further away with Pluto very far away. ~43~ DEMONSTRATION #2 - Introducing the Terrestrial Planets 1. Using an ordinary rock from the playground, ask the students, “What is this?” “A rock” should be their response. Then ask them again, “what is this again?” 2. Ask the students, “What is the first type of planet in our Solar System?” (NOTE: The intent is for students to make a connection between a rock and the terrestrial planets -namely that the terrestrial planets are rock like in composition.) Answer any questions students may have or write them down as “questions to be answered” on an overhead or the blackboard. 3. Explain to the students that the “rock planets” are also called the “terrestrial planets” and bring out the 1st board with the words TERRESTRIAL PLANETS written on it. (None of the images of the planets will be on the board at this time.) Show the students the rock and pose the following questions: 9 What do you think the terrestrial planets are made of? 9 What do you think of when you think of a rock? 9 What can you tell me about its surface? 9 Are rocks hard or soft? Heavy or light? 4. Begin the discussion of Solar System by explaining that the planets used in this module are being shown in relative size and that in reality the Solar System is much too large to fit in this classroom. ~44~ Terrestrial Planets Display Board ACTIVITY #2 – The Planet Mercury 1. Ask students if they know the name of the planet that is closest to the Sun. If students need assistance, inform students that the closest planet to the Sun is Mercury. 2. Demonstrate to the students how to represent Mercury with their hands. (Note: One of the ways students will learn the order of the planets is by demonstrating the order of the planets with their hands. There are nine symbols, one for every planet.) See image. 3. Ask the students to turn to page 2 in their Solar System Workbook and have them write Mercury in the space provided. 4. Now, point out to the students the chart that shows the planets location in the Solar System. Ask them to tell you what they notice about Mercury’s location. 5. If there are no responses, inform the students that Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun. This is the first fact that students will write in their Solar System Workbook. Write it on the board or overhead and give them a minute to write it down on their Mercury page next to number 1. 6. Remind the students about the size of the Sun and ask them to show you with their hands how big they think Mercury is. 7. Without telling them the answer to how large Mercury is, ask for a volunteer. 8. Ask the student to come up to the front of the class and put the Solar System hat labeled “Mercury” on it. 9. Point out where Mercury is, and tell them, “If the Sun is THIS big (referring to the sliver on the floor) then Mercury is THIS big (pointing to the hat). Ask the students, “So what do you notice about Mercury?” 10. The students will notice that Mercury is much smaller than the Sun. Take this moment to tell the students that this is because Mercury is the second smallest planet in our Solar System. This is the second fact that students will write in their Solar System Workbook. Write it on the board or overhead and give them a minute to write it down on their Mercury page next to number 2. ~45~ “M” is for Mercury 11. Now that you have Mr. or Ms. Mercury as your volunteer, ask the students to give you observations about the planet. Because the planet is so small, they won’t be able to see anything. At this point, hand the volunteer the image of Mercury and have him/her hold it for the class to see. (Note: This is the same image that is used on the terrestrial and Solar System Board.) 12. Bring out an image of the Moon and ask students, “What similarities do you notice between Mercury and the Moon?” 13. Tell the students that like the moon, Mercury is covered with craters and is the only planet without an atmosphere. This is the third fact that students will write in their Solar System Workbook. Write it on the board or overhead and give them a minute to write it down on their Mercury page next to number 3. Answer any questions they may have. 14. Next, have Mr. or Ms. Mercury walk around the classroom. While the volunteer is doing this, have the students imagine they are the Sun. Pose to the students the question, “If you represent the Sun, when Mercury makes it all the way around the classroom, what has it just completed?” (Note: The answer is an orbit.) 15. Once Mr. or Ms. Mercury returns to the front of the class, have the class give you their answers. Tell the students that Mercury has completed one ORBIT. 16. Explain to the students that because it is the closest planet to the Sun, (Fact #1) Mercury has the shortest orbit in our Solar System. This is the fourth fact that students will write in their Solar System Workbook. Write it on the board or overhead and give them a minute to write it down on their Mercury page next to number 4. 17. Explain to the students that when a planet travels around the Sun it is making an orbit around the Sun. When it completes one orbit around the Sun, the planet has completed its year. 18. Ask them if they know how long it takes Earth to complete one orbit. Earth completes one orbit in 1 year or 365 days. Ask them if they know how long it takes Mercury to complete one orbit? Listen to student responses. 19. Ask the students to turn page 11, the orbital period worksheet located at the end of their Workbooks and tell them to write next to Mercury, that Mercury completes one orbit in 88 days. This is the students’ first orbital period length. Give them a minute to write it down on their paper and then proceed. NOTE: The orbital period worksheet is to be done in conjunction with the Solar System lesson. The goal of the worksheet is to get students to understand about the distances between the planets in our Solar System. This will further get them to ~46~ understand the concept of relative size and relative distance. Because each planet has an orbital period, it is very convenient for students to record the length of each after each planet is covered. 20. Have the Mercury volunteer spin in a circle slowly and ask the class if they know what Mercury is doing. Tell them that Mercury is ROTATING. Tell them that when a planet completes one rotation, it completes one day. 21. Ask the students if they know how long a day on Earth is? Most of them will know one day is equal to 24 hours. Explain to them that Earth makes one rotation in 24 hours. 22. Ask the students if they know how long it takes Mercury to have one day. Have the class give you some answers. 23. Inform the students that Mercury’s day is actually longer than its year! In fact it equal two years on Mercury. This is the fifth fact that students will write in their Solar System Workbook. Write it on the board or overhead and give them a minute to write it down on their Mercury page next to number 5. 24. Inform the students that if you were on Mercury and said I’ll see you tomorrow, what you really mean is I’ll see you in two years!” 25. Have your assistant place the image of Mercury on the Terrestrial Planet Board and then have them return to his/her desk. 26. Have the students turn to page 11 in their Workbooks and ask them how long they think it will take to complete one orbit? 27. Inform them that it will take 88 Earth days for Mercury to complete one orbit around the Sun. Have the student’s record this length next to space provided. ~47~ ACTIVITY #3 – The Planet Venus 1. Ask students if they know what is the name of the second planet that is closest to the Sun? If students need assistance, inform students that the closest planet to the Sun begins with the letter “V” (Venus). 2. Demonstrate to the students how to represent Venus with their hands. See image. 3. Ask the students if they can show you the symbol of the first planet in the Solar System, this will be the symbol “M” for Mercury. Now, have them demonstrate the symbol for Venus. “V” is for Venus 4. Inform the students that the name of the second planet from the Sun is “Venus”. 5. Ask the students to turn to page 3 in their Solar System Workbook and have them write “Venus” in the space provided. 6. Remind the students about the size of the Sun and Mercury and ask them to show you with their hands how big they think Venus is. 7. Without telling them the answer to how large Venus is, ask for a volunteer. 8. Have a student come up to the front of the class. Place the Solar System hat labeled “Venus” on them. (Note: Venus is bigger than Mercury but many times smaller than the Sun.) 9. Ask the students if they have ever been to Hawaii? And ask them if they know of one of the main features of the Hawaiian Islands? [The answer is volcanoes.] It may be helpful to draw a picture of a volcano on the board. 10. Inform the students that Venus is covered in volcanoes and lava flows. This is the first fact that students will write in their Solar System Workbook. Write it on the board or overhead and give them a minute to write it down on their Venus page next to number 1. 11. Hand an image of Venus to the Venus volunteer. 12. Ask the class what are some of the features they notice about Venus? ~48~ 13. Inform them that Venus has a thick atmosphere that causes it to hold in heat. As a result of this, Venus is the hottest planet in the Solar System. This is the second fact that students will write in their Solar System Workbook. Write it on the board or overhead and give the students a minute to write it down on their Venus page next to number 2. 14. Ask students if they would like to live on Venus? [Students should respond - “No” because it is too hot and does not have air like here on Earth.] 15. Pose to the students the question, “Well what if I told you the atmosphere on Venus is full of poisonous gas?” 16. Repeat the question, “Would you like to live on Venus?” 17. Inform the students that The atmosphere on Venus is filled with poisonous gas. This is the third fact that students will write in their Solar System Workbook. Write it on the board or overhead and give them a minute to write it down on their Venus page next to number 3. Answer any questions students may have. 18. Next, have your Venus volunteer walk around the classroom. Be sure that Mr. or Ms. Venus is always facing one direction. (e.g.: the back of the classroom.) To demonstrate an orbit, a student is traveling around the room facing the same direction throughout the orbit. 19. While the volunteer is doing this, have the students imagine they are the Sun and remind the students that all planets do two things, one begins with an “O” (orbit) and the other begins with an “R” (rotation). 20. Pose to the students the question, “If you represent the Sun, when Venus completes one trip around the classroom, what has it just completed?” [The answer is orbit.] 21. When Mr. or Ms. Venus returns to the front of the classroom have them spin in place. Pose the question, “What is Venus doing?” [The answer is rotating.] 22. Have the class turn to page 11 in their Solar System Workbook, the orbital period worksheet. 23. Ask the class if they think it will take Venus a shorter or longer time to complete one orbit around the Sun? Allow some time for students’ responses. 24. Inform them that it will take Venus 225 Earth days to complete one orbit around the Sun. It will take longer for Venus to complete one orbit around the Sun because Venus is further from the Sun than Mercury. This is the students’ second orbital period length. Give them a minute to write it down on their paper and then proceed. ~49~ 25. Have the class return to their Venus worksheet in the Solar System Workbook. Ask them if they think Venus is closer to Mercury or to Earth? 26. Inform them that Venus is the closest planet to Earth. This is the fourth fact that students will write in their Solar System Workbook. Write it on the board or overhead and give them a minute to write it down on their Venus page next to number 4. 27. Bring out the 1-5/8 inch wooden ball that represents Earth. Have the students imagine that the ball represents Earth and have your Venus volunteer point to the planet on the brim of their hat. 28. Ask the students, “What do you notice about the size of Venus and Earth?” [The answer is these planets are similar in size.] 29. Inform the students that Venus is almost the same size as Earth. This is the fifth fact that students will write in their Solar System Workbook. Write it on the board or overhead and give them a minute to write it down on their Venus page next to number 5. 30. Have your assistant place the image of Venus on the Terrestrial Planet board and have them return to their seat. ~50~ ACTIVITY #4 – The Planet Earth 1. Have the class show you the hand symbol for Mercury and the hand symbol for Venus. 2. Ask students if they know what is the name of the next planet from the Sun. Earth is the next planet in the Solar System. 3. Demonstrate to the students how to represent Earth with their hands and inform them that this symbol will represent the letter “E” for Earth. See image. 4. Ask the students to turn to page 4 in their Solar System Workbook and have them write “Earth” in the space provided. 5. Ask for a volunteer and have them come up to the front of the class and put the Solar System hat labeled “Earth” on them. Remind the students that Venus and Earth are similar in size. 6. Hand an image of Earth to the volunteer. 7. Ask the students to tell you what they notice about Earth that is different from the previous two planets. Allow for a few student responses. 8. One of the most noticeable features of Earth as seen from an arial photograph, is how much water covers it. Inform the students that Earth is covered by a surface that is mostly liquid. In fact, more than 2/3 of the Earth’s surface is water. This is the first fact that students will write in their Solar System Workbook. Write it on the board or overhead and give them a minute to write it down on their Earth page next to number 1. 9. Inform the students that one of the unique features of Earth is that because of its liquid surface, it is able to sustain life. Earth is the only place that supports life that we know of so far. This is the second fact that students should write in their Solar System Workbook. Write it on the board or overhead and give them a minute to write it down on their Earth page next to number 2. 10. Ask the students to tell you what type of planets the class has been discussing. [The answer is terrestrial planets.] Inform them that Earth is the largest of the Terrestrial Planets. This is the third fact that students will write in their Solar System Workbook. Write it on the board or overhead and give them a minute to write it down on their Earth page next to number 3. ~51~ “E” is for Earth 11. Next, have your Earth volunteer walk around the classroom. To demonstrate an orbit, a student is traveling around the room facing the same direction throughout the orbit. While the volunteer is doing this, have the students imagine they are the Sun. Remind the students that all planets do two things, one begins with an “O” (orbit) and the other begins with an “R” (rotation). 12. Pose to the students the question, “If you represent the Sun, when Earth completes one trip around the classroom, what has it just completed?” [The answer is orbit.] 13. Ask the class if they think it will take Earth a shorter or longer time to complete one orbit around the Sun than Venus does? Allow some time for student responses. 14. Pose the question, “How long do you think it takes Earth to make one orbit?” Inform them that It will take Earth 365 days to complete one orbit around the Sun and 365 days equals 1 year. This is the fourth fact that students will write in their Solar System Workbook. Write it on the board or overhead and give them a minute to write it down on their Earth page next to number 4. 15. It will take longer for Earth to complete one orbit around the Sun because Earth is further from the Sun than Mercury and Venus. (Note: This orbital period length is already recorded on their worksheet.) 16. When the volunteer returns to the front of the classroom have them spin in place. Pose the question, “What is Earth doing?” [The answer is rotating.] 17. Pose the question, “How long do you think it takes Earth to make one rotation?” It will take Earth 24 hours to make one complete rotation and 24 hours equals 1 day. This is the fifth fact that students will write in their Solar System Workbook. Write it on the board or overhead and give them a minute to write it down on their Earth page next to number 5. 18. Inform the students that when Earth completes one day, it has completed one rotation. 19. Have your assistant place the image of Earth on the Terrestrial Planet board and have him/her return to their seat. 20. Next, have the students fill in the blanks for you: “We all know planets do two things, one begins with an “O” and that is… allow for student response (orbit), and the second begins with an “R” which is…allow for students response (rotation/rotate). 21. Now, inform the students that all planets orbit and rotate at the same time. ~52~ DEMONSTRATION #3 – Rotation versus Orbit 1. Bring out a balloon. 2. Blow it up and tie it at the bottom to prevent it from deflating. The balloon will represent the Sun. 3. Bring out the 1-5/8” wooden ball that is covered in tape and marked with an “X.” 4. Hold the balloon in your left hand. Inform the class that the balloon will represent the Sun. 5. In the right hand hold the wooden ball. Inform the students that the ball will represent Earth. 6. Show the students where the wooden ball is marked with an “X.” 7. Ask the class if they can all see the “X” on “Earth.” 8. Slowly rotate Earth and have the students tell you when they can see the “X” return to the same position. Once the class has said the “X” has re-emerged, inform them that Earth has just completed one day or one rotation. 9. Now, take the Earth and orbit it around the Sun. (Note: This works best if you hold the balloon from the bottom a few inches from your chest. By holding the Sun in this manner, Earth can be moved easily around to demonstrate its orbit.) 10. Ask the class to inform you when Earth has returned to its initial start position. Once they have informed you of this, explain to them that Earth has completed one year or one orbit. 11. Now, rotate AND orbit Earth around the balloon (The Sun). 12. Have the students tell you when the “X” reappears and when Earth returns to its initial start position. Once the students do this, explain to them that Earth has completed 365 days, which equals one year. 13. Ask if there are any questions and if time permits, it may be nice to re-do the demonstration. ~53~ ACTIVITY #5 – The Planet Mars 1. Review the hand symbols for Mercury, Venus, and Earth. 2. Ask students if they know what is the name of the next planet in the Solar System? 3. Demonstrate to the students how to represent Mars with their hands and inform them that this symbol will represent the letter “M” for Mars. See image. 4. “M” is for Mars Inform the students that Mars is the last of the Terrestrial Planets. Ask the students to turn to page 5 of their Solar System Workbook and have them write “Mars” in the space provided. 5. Ask for a volunteer and have them come up to the front of the class and put the Solar System hat labeled “Mars” on it. 6. Hand an image of Mars to the volunteer. Ask the students to tell you what are a few of the features they notice about Mars. Allow for a few student responses. 7. Most students will be able to recognize Mars. Inform students that one of the reasons Mars is so known is because Mars has been visited the most. This is the first fact that students will write in their Solar System Workbook. Write it on the board or overhead and give them a minute to write it down on their Mars page next to number 1. 8. It might be helpful to mention the Mention the Mars Rover exploration. It was these rover discoveries that have led scientist to believe that Mars has evidence of ancient oceans. This is the second fact that students will write in their Solar System Workbook. Write it on the board or overhead and give them a minute to write it down on their Mars page next to number 2. (Note: The NASA website has additional information regarding the Mars rover exploration.) 9. Return to the Mars image. Ask students what they notice about its color. [A student response might include - the planet is a reddish-brown color.] 10. Ask the students if they have ever seen old tools such as a wrench or screw, or how about an old bicycle chain? Inform them that these objects are rusting much like Mars. Mars is known as the "Red Planet" because it is rusted. This is the third fact that students will write in their Solar System Workbook. Write it on the board or overhead and give them a minute to write it down on their Mars page next to number 3. ~54~ 11. Next, ask if the class knows the names of any volcanoes, canyons or oceans. Ask the students to tell you what other planets the class has covered that has volcanoes. [Student should respond - Venus and Earth.] 12. Inform the students that Mars is the planet most like Earth and that Mars has the largest volcano in the Solar System, Olympus Mons. This is the fourth and fifth fact that students will write in their Solar System Workbook. Write it on the board or overhead and give them a minute to write it down on their Mars page next to number 4 and 5. 13. Next, have your Mars volunteer walk around the classroom. To demonstrate an orbit, a student is traveling around the room facing the same direction throughout the orbit. While the volunteer is doing this, have the students represent the Sun. 14. Remind the students that all planets do two things, one begins with an “O” (orbit) and the other begins with an “R” (rotation). 15. Pose to the students the question, “If you represent the Sun, when Mars completes one trip around the classroom, what has it just completed?” [The answer is orbit.] 16. Have your assistant place the image of Mars on the Terrestrial Planet board and have them return to his/her seat. 17. Ask the class if they think it will take Mars a shorter or longer time to complete one orbit around the Sun than Earth does? (It will take a longer time) Allow some time for student responses. [Students should respond - that Mars will take longer to travel around the Sun than Earth because it is farther away from the Sun.) 18. Have the students turn to page 11 in their Solar System Workbook. 19. Pose the question, “How long do you think it takes Mars to make one orbit?” 20. Inform the students that Mars takes 687 Earth days to complete one orbit around the Sun. This is the students’ fourth orbital period length. Give them a minute to write it down on their paper and then proceed. ~55~ ACTIVITY # 6 – An Informal Assessment of the Terrestrial Planets 1. Select 4 volunteers and randomly hand each of them a planet hat. Purposely place the students in an incorrect order. 2. Have all the volunteers face the class. 3. Have the students imagine that they represent the Sun and pose to them the question, “If you are the Sun, are these planets in the correct order?” 4. Students should all respond, “No”. 5. Have the student’s place the planets in the correct order by indicating with their hands which planet should be the closest to the Sun, the next closest, and so on. SAMPLE DIALOGUE: a. Show me using your hand symbols what is the first planet from the Sun? (Mercury) What can you tell me about this planet? [Some responses can include - looks like the moon, covered in craters, closest to the Sun.] b. Show me with your hands what is the second planet from the Sun? The answer is Venus.] What can you tell me you learned about this planet? [Some responses can include - hottest, poisonous atmosphere.] c. Show me the symbol for the next planet in the Solar System? [The answer is Earth.] What type of planet is this? (Terrestrial or Rock planet) What facts can you tell me about the planet Earth? [Some responses can include – we live on it, mostly covered in water.] d. Show me the symbol for the next planet in the Solar System? [The answer is Mars.] What is the fourth planet from the Sun? [The answer is Mars.] How do you know? [Some responses can include - red color, looks rusty.] 6. Once the Terrestrial planets are in order, collect the hats and have each student return to their desk. ~56~ Day 2: Introducing the Gas Giants This portion of the module serves as an introduction to the Gas Giants: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Students will continue to participate in activities that will illustrate the concepts of rotation and orbit. They will also familiarize themselves with the composition of each planet, their relative size in comparison to the Sun and their approximate distance from the Sun. Objectives for Day 2 1. Students will be able to identify the nine planets. 2. Students will identify the order of the planets from the Sun. 3. Students will be able to differentiate between orbit and rotation. 4. Students will record and compare the distances of the planets from the Sun. 5. Students will be able to determine the length of the orbital path of a planet. 6. Students will describe the concept of relative size among the planets and the Sun. Materials Needed by the Teacher Solar System Kit (See directions as specified for Day 1 and 2) One 1-5/8 inch wooden ball One 1-5/8 inch wooden ball covered in tape and marked with an “X.” One balloon Solar System Workbook-Teachers Guide Materials Needed for each Student Solar System Workbook ~57~ ACTIVITY # 7 – An Informal Assessment of the Terrestrial Planets 1. Select 4 volunteers and randomly hand each of them a planet hat. Purposely place the students in an incorrect order. 2. Have the volunteers face the class. 3. Have the students imagine that they represent the Sun and pose to them the question, “If you are the Sun, are these planets in the correct order?” 4. Students should all respond, “No”. 5. Have the student’s place the planets in the correct order by indicating with their hands which planet should be the closest to the Sun, the next closest, and so on. SAMPLE DIALOGUE: a. Show me using your hand symbols what is the first planet from the Sun? (Mercury) What can you tell me about this planet? [Some responses can include - looks like the moon, covered in craters, closest to the Sun.] b. Show me with your hands what is the second planet from the Sun? [The answer is Venus.] What can you tell me you learned about this planet? [Some responses can include - hottest, poisonous atmosphere.] c. Show me the symbol for the next planet in the Solar System? [The answer is Earth.] What type of planet is this? [The answer is terrestrial or rock planet.] What facts can you tell me about the planet Earth? [Some responses can include – we live on it, mostly covered in water.] d. Show me the symbol for the next planet in the Solar System? [The answer is Mars.] What is the fourth planet from the Sun? [The answer is Mars.] What are some of the features of Mars? [Some responses can include - red color, looks rusty.] 6. Once the Terrestrial planets are in order, collect the hats and have each student return to their desk. ~58~ DEMONSTRATION #4 – Introducing the Gas Giants 1. Ask students if they can remember the name of the first types of planets in the Solar System. Students should respond with “ terrestrial or rock planets”. 2. Ask the students if they can name the terrestrial or rock planets in their order from the Sun. Students should respond with “Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars”. 3. Remind the students that there are two types of planets in our Solar System. 4. Ask the students if they can tell you what the second type of planet in our Solar System are called. Allow for student responses. [The answer is gas giants.] 5. To aid students in visualizing a gas giant, blow up a balloon. 6. Hold up the balloon and ask the students if they can tell you what material is used to fill the balloon. [The answer is air.] 7. Release the balloon. 8. Ask the students, “What is air”? [The answer is a type of gas.] 9. Inform the students that the second type of planet in our Solar System are called the gas giants. 10. Reveal the Gas Giants Display Board. (Note: The images of the planets will not be on the board at this time.) Gas Giants Display Board ~59~ ACTIVITY #8 – The Planet Jupiter 1. Review the hand symbols for Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. 2. Ask the students if they know the name of the first of the gas giant planet. [The answer is Jupiter.] 3. Demonstrate to the students how to represent Jupiter with their hands. 4. Inform them that this symbol will represent the letter “J” for Jupiter. See image. 5. Inform the students that they will use two hands for the gas giants because those planets are so much larger than the terrestrial planets. 6. Have the students review all the hand symbols they have learned at this point-- Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, and Jupiter. 7. Inform the students that there are 4 gas giants and Jupiter is the first one. 8. Ask the students to turn to page 6 in their Solar System Workbook and have them write “Jupiter” in the space provided. 9. Ask for a volunteer and have them come up to the front of the class. Place the image of Jupiter around the student’s neck. 10. Ask the students to share any observations they can make about Jupiter. Have the students pay particular note to the size of Jupiter. Allow for a few student responses. 11. Inform the students that Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system. This is the first fact that students will write in their Solar System Workbook. Write it on the board or overhead and give them a minute to write it down on their Jupiter page next to number 1. 12. Ask the students to continue to share their observations. Make note of Jupiter’s great red spot. Have the volunteer point to Jupiter’s red spot as they walk around the classroom so that the class can have a closer look at the planet. 13. Bring out the Earth planet hat. Ask the students what they notice about the size of Earth and the size of Jupiter’s red spot. ~60~ “J” is for Jupiter 14. Inform the students that Jupiter’s red spot is a storm that is two times bigger than Earth. This is the second fact that students will write in their Solar System Workbook. Write it on the board or overhead and give them a minute to write it down on their Jupiter page next to number 2. 15. Inform the students that there are a several differences between the terrestrial planets and the gas giants. 16. Inform them that in addition to their sizes, one main difference between the terrestrial planets and the gas giants is the number of moons each planet has. 17. Inform the students that the gas giants have many more moons than the terrestrial planets. This is a result of the way the Solar System was formed. When the Solar System formed, clusters of debris gathered around what we know as the gas giants. While the more solid, rock-like particles formed closer to the Sun. (Note: These are known as the terrestrial planets.) The remainder of the debris that surrounded the gas giants is what we now refer to as the moons of these planets. 18. Ask the students if they know how many moons Earth has? [The answer is one.] Then, ask the students if they can guess how many moons Jupiter has? Allow for a few students to respond. 19. Inform the students that Jupiter has 4 large moons and many small ones. In fact, according to the latest reports on the planet, Jupiter has approximately 61 moons (or satellites) that orbit it. This is the third fact that students will write in their Solar System Workbook. Write it on the board or overhead and give them a minute to write it down on their Jupiter page next to number 3. 20. Hand Mr. or Ms. Jupiter the picture of the 4 major moons of Jupiter and have them walk around the classroom. 21. When Mr. or Ms. Jupiter returns to the front of the classroom, remind the students that all planets do two things, one begins with an “O” (orbit) and the other begins with an “R” (rotation). 22. Have the class stand up in their seats and ask them to demonstrate rotation. (The class should spin in place.) 23. Ask the students if they can remember how long it takes Earth to complete one rotation? [The answer is 24 hours.] Now ask the students if they think they know how long it takes Jupiter to complete one rotation? ~61~ 24. Inform the students that It takes Jupiter less than 10 hours to complete one rotation. This is the fourth fact that students will write in their Solar System Workbook. Write it on the board or overhead and give them a minute to write it down on their Jupiter page next to number 4. 25. Inform the students that even though Jupiter is incredibly big, it is able to spin very fast. 26. Next, have Mr. or Ms. Jupiter walk around the classroom. To demonstrate an orbit, a student is traveling around the room facing the same direction throughout the orbit. 27. Remind the students that all planets do two things, one begins with an “O” (orbit) and the other begins with an “R” (rotation). 28. Pose to the students the question, “If you represent the Sun, when Jupiter completes one trip around the classroom, what has it just completed?” [The answer is orbit.] 29. Have your assistant place the image of Jupiter on the Gas Giants board and have them return to his/her seat. 30. Ask the class if they think it will take Jupiter a shorter or longer time to complete one orbit around the Sun than Earth does? [The answer is it will take a longer time.] Allow some time for student responses. [The answer is Jupiter would take longer to travel around the Sun than Earth because it is farther away from the Sun.] 31. Have the students turn to page 11 in their Solar System Workbook. 32. Pose the question, “How long do you think it takes Jupiter to make one orbit?” Allow for a few student responses. 33. Inform the students that Jupiter completes one orbit in 12 years. This is the fifth fact that students will write in their Solar System Workbook. Write it on the board or overhead and give them a minute to write it down on their Jupiter page next to number 5. Also, ask the students to write down the length of this planets orbital period in their orbital period worksheet. 34. Inform the students that the farther a planet gets from the Sun the longer it will take to complete one orbit. ~62~ ACTIVITY #9 – The Planet Saturn 1. Review the hand symbols for Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, and Jupiter. 2. Ask the students if they know what the next of the gas giants is named. [The answer is Saturn.] 3. Demonstrate to the students how to represent Saturn with their hands. 4. Inform them that this symbol will represent the letter “S” for Saturn. See image. 5. Have the students review all the hand symbols they have learned thus far -- Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. 6. Inform the students that Saturn is the second of the gas giants. 7. Ask the students to turn to page 7 in their Solar System Workbook and have them write “Saturn” in the space provided. 8. Ask for a volunteer and have them come up to the front of the class. Place the image of Saturn around the student’s neck. 9. Ask the students to give you any observation they have about Saturn. Have the students pay particular note to the size of Saturn. Allow for a few student responses. 10. Inform the students that Saturn is the 2nd largest planet in the Solar System. This is the first fact that students will write in their Solar System Workbook. Write it on the board or overhead and give them a minute to write it down on their Saturn page next to number 1. 11. Have the students continue to give you their observations. Make note of Saturn’s rings. Ask the students if they know what the rings are made of? 12. Inform the students that Saturn’s rings are made of chunks of rock and ice. This is the second fact that students will write in their Solar System Workbook. Write it on the board or overhead and give them a minute to write it down on their Saturn page next to number 2. 13. Remind the students that there are several differences between the terrestrial planets and the gas giants, one main difference between the terrestrial planets and the gas giants is how many moons each planet has. “S” is for Saturn ~63~ 14. Remind the students that the gas giants have many more moons than the terrestrial planets. Again, this is as a result of the way the Solar System was formed. 15. Ask the students if they can recall how many moons Earth has? [The answer is one.] Then, ask the students if they can remember how many Jupiter has? [The answer is 4 large ones and several small ones, or 61 total.] 16. Inform the students that Saturn has a moon with an atmosphere, Titan. This is the third fact that students will write in their Solar System Workbook. Write it on the board or overhead and give them a minute to write it down on their Saturn page next to number 3. 17. Hand Mr. or Ms. Saturn the picture of Titan, (this is included in the lithograph set), and have them walk around the classroom. 18. When the volunteer returns to the front of the classroom, ask the students if they think Saturn is light or heavy? [Students should respond - heavy because it is the second largest planet.] 19. Bring out a balloon and blow it up. (Upon doing this most students will quickly change their answer.) 20. Ask the students, “If I were to put this balloon in water, what would happen?” [The answer is it would float.] 21. Inform the students that Saturn is so light, if it were placed in water it would float. This is the fourth fact that students will write in their Solar System Workbook. Write it on the board or overhead and give them a minute to write it down on their Saturn page next to number 4. 22. Remind the students that all planets do two things, one begins with an “O” (orbit) and the other begins with an “R” (rotation). 23. Have Mr. or Ms. Saturn spin in place. 24. Ask the students what Mr. or Ms. Saturn is doing? [The answer is rotate.] 25. Ask the students if they can remember how long it takes Earth to complete one rotation? (The answer is 24 hours.) Now ask the students if they think they know how long it takes Saturn to complete one rotation? ~64~ 26. Inform the students that It takes Saturn 10 hours and 40 minutes to complete one rotation. This is the fifth fact that students will write in their Solar System Workbook. Write it on the board or overhead and give them a minute to write it down on their Saturn page next to number 5. 27. Have Mr. or Ms. Saturn place the image of the planet in the Gas Giant board and return to his/her seat. 28. Remind the students that all planets do two things, one begins with an “O” (orbit) and the other begins with an “R” (rotation). 29. The students now know how long it takes Saturn to make one rotation, or to complete one day on Saturn. 30. Ask the class if they think it will take Saturn a shorter or longer time to complete one orbit around the Sun than Earth does? [The answer is it will take a longer time.] Allow some time for student responses. [Students should respond - Saturn would take longer to travel around the Sun than Earth because it is farther away from the Sun.] 31. Have the students turn to page 11 in their Solar System Workbook. 32. Pose the question, “How long do you think it takes Saturn to make one orbit?” Allow for a few student responses. 33. Inform the students that Saturn completes one orbit in 29 years. Ask the students to write down the length of this planets orbital period in their orbital period worksheet. 34. Remind the students that the farther a planet gets from the Sun the longer it will take to complete one orbit. ~65~ ACTIVITY #10 – The Planet Uranus 1. Review the hand symbols for Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. 2. Ask the students if they know what the next of the gas giants is named. [The answer is Uranus.] 3. Demonstrate to the students how to represent Uranus with their hands. 4. Inform them that this symbol will represent the letter “U” for Uranus. See image. 5. Have the students review all the hand symbols they have learned at this point-- Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus. 6. Inform the students that Uranus is the third of the gas giants. 7. “U” is for Uranus Ask the students to turn to page 8 in their Solar System Workbook and have them write “Uranus” in the space provided. 8. Ask for a volunteer and have them come up to the front of the class. Place the model of Uranus around the student’s neck. 9. Ask the students to give you any observation they have about Uranus. 10. Because the model is not an entirely smooth surface, an image of the planet will better assist the students in making their observations. 11. Show the class an image of Uranus. One of the most noticeable characteristics is its lack of features. 12. Inform the students that Uranus has a thick atmosphere, but has no visible cloud features. This is the first fact that students will write in their Solar System Workbook. Write it on the board or overhead and give them a minute to write it down on their Uranus page next to number 1. 13. To make this contrast more concrete, compare an image of Uranus with one of Earth or Jupiter. Students can compare the prominent features (oceans and clouds) on Earth or Jupiter to the lack of visual features on Uranus. ~66~ 14. Remind the students that there are a variety of differences between the terrestrial planets and the gas giants. One main difference between the terrestrial planets and the gas giants is how many moons each planet has. 15. Remind the students that the gas giants have many more moons than the terrestrial planets. Again, this is as a result of how the Solar System was formed. 16. Ask the students if they can recall how many moons Earth has? [The answer is one.] Ask the students to guess how many moons they think Uranus will have – will it be more or less than Earth? 17. Inform the students that Uranus has 27 moons. This is the second fact that students will write in their Solar System Workbook. Write it on the board or overhead and give them a minute to write it down on their Uranus page next to number 2. 18. Bring out a balloon and blow it up. The balloon from the Saturn demonstration can also be used. 19. Draw an arrow on the balloon pointing toward the ceiling. 20. Demonstrate rotation, by rotating (spinning) the balloon. 21. Have the students imagine that the balloon is a planet. While rotating the balloon, pose the question, “What is this planet doing?” Remind the students that all planets do two things, one begins with an “O” (orbit) and the other begins with an “R” (rotation). 22. Inform the students that the planet is rotating. Explain to the students that most planets rotate at a slight angle, demonstrated by the arrow, but Uranus rotates on its side. 23. Turn the balloon so that the arrow is facing either left or right. 24. Demonstrate the rotation of Uranus. 25. Inform the students that Uranus is the only planet to rotate on its side. This is the third fact that students will write in their Solar System Workbook. Write it on the board or overhead and give them a minute to write it down on their Uranus page next to number 3. 26. Inform the students that the orbit around the Sun and the tilt of the Earth gives us the seasons (summer, fall, winter, and spring—each for 3 months at a time. This is not the case for Uranus. ~67~ 27. Inform the students that On Uranus, winter and summer last 21 years. This is the fourth fact that students will write in their Solar System Workbook. Write it on the board or overhead and give them a minute to write it down on their Uranus page next to number 4. 28. Ask the students to imagine having school for 21 years and then taking a break for 21 years. Pose to them, “Would you like to live on Uranus?” 29. Remind the students that all planets do two things, one begins with an “O” (orbit) and the other begins with an “R” (rotation). 30. Have Mr. or Ms. Uranus walk around the perimeter of the classroom. To demonstrate an orbit, a student is traveling around the room facing the same direction throughout the orbit. 31. Ask the students what Mr. or Ms. Uranus is doing? [The answer is orbiting.] 32. When Mr. or Ms. Uranus returns to the front of the classroom, have them place the image of the planet in the Gas Giants board and return to his/her seat. 33. Ask the class if they think it will take Uranus a shorter or longer time to complete one orbit around the Sun than Earth does? [The answer is it will take a longer time.] Allow some time for student responses. [Students should respond - Uranus would take longer to travel around the Sun than Earth because it is farther away from the Sun.] 34. Inform the students that Uranus takes 84 years to complete one orbit. This is the fifth fact that students will write in their Solar System Workbook. Write it on the board or overhead and give them a minute to write it down on their Uranus page next to number 5. Also, ask the students to write down the length of this planet’s orbital period in their orbital period worksheet located on page 11. 35. Remind the students that the farther a planet is from the Sun the longer it will take to complete one orbit. ~68~ ACTIVITY #11 – The Planet Neptune 1. Review the hand symbols for Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus. 2. Ask the students if they know what the next of the gas giants is named. [The answer is Neptune.] 3. Demonstrate to the students how to represent Neptune with their hands. 4. Inform them that this symbol will represent the letter “N” for Neptune. See image. 5. Have the students review all the hand symbols they have learned at this point-- Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. 6. Ask the students to turn to page 9 in their Solar System Workbook and have them write “Neptune” in the space provided. “N” is for Neptune 7. Inform the students that Neptune is the last of the gas giant planets. This is the first fact that students will write in their Solar System Workbook. Write it on the board or overhead and give them a minute to write it down on their Neptune page next to number 1. 8. Ask for a volunteer and have them come up to the front of the class. Place the model of Neptune around the student’s neck. 9. Ask the students to give offer any observations about the features of Neptune. 10. Because the model is not an entirely smooth surface, an image of the planet will better assist the students in making their observations. Hand an image of the planet to your volunteer and have him/her walk around the perimeter of the classroom to show his/her classmates the image of Neptune. 11. Point out the darker spots and prominent features of Neptune. Ask for any other observations about the features of Neptune. 12. Inform the students that Neptune has dark storms and giant hurricanes. This is the second fact that students will write in their Solar System Workbook. Write it on the board or overhead and give them a minute to write it down on their Neptune page next to number 2. ~69~ 13. Inform the students that Neptune has some of the fastest wind speeds and some of the winds travel over 1,000 miles per hour. This is the third fact that students will write in their Solar System Workbook. Write it on the board or overhead and give them a minute to write it down on their Neptune page next to number 3. 14. Remind the students that there are a variety of differences between the terrestrial planets and the gas giants, one main difference between the terrestrial planets and the gas giants is how many moons each planet has. 15. Remind the students that the gas giants have many more moons than the terrestrial planets. 16. Ask the students if they can recall how many moons Uranus has? [The answer is 21.] Ask the students to guess how many moons they think Neptune will have? 17. Inform the students that Neptune has 13 known moons. This is the fourth fact that students will write in their Solar System Workbook. Write it on the board or overhead and give them a minute to write it down on their Neptune page next to number 4. 18. Remind the students that all planets do two things, one begins with an “O” (orbit) and the other begins with an “R” (rotation). 19. Have Mr. or Ms. Neptune walk around the perimeter of the classroom. To demonstrate an orbit, a student is traveling around the room facing the same direction throughout the orbit. 20. Ask the students what Mr. or Ms. Neptune is doing? [The answer is orbiting.] 21. When Mr. or Ms. Neptune returns to the front of the classroom, have them place the image of the planet in the Gas Giants board and return to his/her seat. 22. Ask the class if they think it will take Neptune a shorter or longer time to complete one orbit around the Sun than Earth does? [The answer is it will take a longer time.] Allow some time for student responses. [Students should respond - Neptune would take longer to travel around the Sun than Earth because it is farther away from the Sun.] 23. Inform the students that Neptune takes 176 years to complete one orbit. This is the fifth fact that students will write in their Solar System Workbook. Write it on the board or overhead and give them a minute to write it down on their Neptune page next to number 5. Also, ask the students to write down the length of this planet’s orbital period in their orbital period worksheet located on page 11. ~70~ DEMONSTRATION #5 – Rotation versus Orbit 1. It might be a good idea to review the concept of rotation and orbit so that the idea is more concrete for the students. (It will also be useful for Day 3.) 2. Bring out a balloon. 3. Blow it up and tie it at the bottom to prevent it from deflating. The balloon will represent the Sun. 4. Bring out the 1-5/8 inch wooden ball that is covered in tape and marked with an “X.” 5. Hold the balloon in your left hand. Inform the class that the balloon will represent the Sun. 6. In the right hand hold the wooden ball. Inform the students that the ball will represent Earth. 7. Show the students where the wooden ball is marked with an “X.” 8. Ask the class if they can all see the “X” on “Earth.” 9. Slowly rotate Earth and have the students tell you when they can see the “X” return to the same position. Once the class has said the “X” has re-emerged, inform them that Earth has just completed one day or one rotation. 10. Now, take the Earth and orbit it around the Sun. (Note: This works best if you hold the balloon from the bottom a few inches from your chest. By holding the Sun in this manner, Earth can be moved easily around to demonstrate its orbit. ) 11. Ask the class to inform you when Earth has returned to its initial start position. Once they have informed you of this, explain to them that Earth has completed one year or one orbit. 12. Now, rotate AND orbit Earth around the balloon, which is representing the Sun. 13. Have the students tell you when the “X” reappears and when Earth returns to its initial start position. Once the students do this, explain to them that Earth has completed 365 days, which equals one year. 14. Ask if there are any questions and if time permits, it may be nice to re-do the demonstration. ~71~ ACTIVITY # 12 – An Informal Assessment of the Terrestrial Planets and Gas Giants 1. Open the Solar System Display Board. (There should be no planet images on it at this time.) 2. Inform the students that they will be placing the planets on the board as a team activity. 3. Select 8 volunteers and randomly hand each of them an image of each planet. (Remove the images from the Terrestrial Planet and Gas Giants board.) 4. Purposely place the students in an incorrect order. Choose fewer students if you have a smaller class. 5. Have all the volunteers face the class. 6. Have the students imagine that they represent the Sun and pose to them the question, “If you are the Sun, are these planets in the correct order?” 7. Students should all respond, “No”. 8. Have the student’s place the planets in the correct order by indicating with their hands which planet should be the closest to the Sun, the next closest, and so on. SAMPLE DIALOGUE: a. Show me using your hand symbols what is the first planet from the Sun? [The answer is Mercury.] What can you tell me about this planet? [Some responses can include - looks like the moon, covered in craters, closest to the Sun.] b. Show me with your hands what is the second planet from the Sun? [The answer is Venus.] What can you tell me you learned about this planet? [Some responses can include - hottest, poisonous atmosphere.] c. Show me the symbol for the next planet in the Solar System? [The answer is Earth.] What type of planet is this? [The answer is terrestrial or rock planet.] What facts can you tell me about the planet Earth? [Some responses can include – we live on it, mostly covered in water.] ~72~ d. Show me the symbol for the next planet in the Solar System? [The answer is Mars.] What is the fourth planet from the Sun? The answer is Mars.]What facts can you tell me about Mars? [Some responses can include - red color, looks rusty.] e. Show me with your hands what is the fifth planet from the Sun? [The answer is Jupiter.] What can you tell me you learned about this planet? [Some responses can include – largest planet, red spot.] f. Show me with your hands what is the sixth planet from the Sun? The answer is Saturn.] What are some features of this planet? [Some responses can include – rings, second largest.] g. Show me with your hands what is the seventh planet from the Sun? The answer is Uranus.] What can you tell me you learned about this planet? [Some responses can include – no visible cloud features, rotates on its side.] h. Show me with your hands what is the last of the gas giants? [The answer is Neptune.] What can you tell me you learned about this planet? [Some responses can include – dark storms, hurricanes.] Once the Terrestrial planets and Gas Giants are in order, have each student place their image above the label with the planet name. Have each student return to their desk. ~73~ Day 3: Pluto and Kepler’s Laws of Planetary Motion This portion of the module will discuss the ninth planet in our Solar System and introduce Kepler’s Laws of Planetary Motion, which explain the relationship between the gravitational pull of the planets in addition to the distance and orbital path that a planet takes in relationship to the Sun. On Day Three, students participate in an outdoor activity which illustrates the distances between the planets and takes a look at Kepler’s Laws of Planetary Motion. Students summarize their understanding of Kepler’s Laws of Planetary Motion by completing a worksheet. Objectives for Day 3 1. Students will be able to identify the nine planets. 2. Students will identify the order of the planets from the Sun. 3. Students will be able to differentiate between orbit and rotation. 4. Students will record and compare the distances of the planets from the Sun to determine the length of a planets orbital path. 5. Students will demonstrate the relative size of the planets and the Sun. 6. Students will be able to recite and demonstrate Kepler’s Laws of Planetary Motion. 7. Students will be able to explain Kepler’s Laws of Planetary Motion. Materials Needed by the Teacher Planet Models (from Solar System Kit) Whistle, bullhorn, or loud voice Orbit Rope (See Day 3 Materials and Procedures) Image of the Sun Flags (10 - each a different color) Tape Image of a circle, ellipse, and something highly elliptical Materials Needed by the Student None Required for this Activity ~74~ ACTIVITY #13 : The Planet Pluto: The Out of World Oddity 1. Review the hand symbols for Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. 2. Ask the students if they know what the last planet in the Solar System is named. [The answer is Pluto.] 3. Demonstrate to the students how to represent Pluto with their hands. 4. Inform the students that this symbol will represent the letter “P” for Pluto. See image. 5. “P” is for Pluto Have the students review all the hand symbols they have now learned -- Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. 6. Inform them that if they can remember the hand symbols they will be able to remember the order of the planets according to their distance from the Sun. 7. Ask the students to turn to page 10 in their Solar System Workbook and have them write “Pluto” in the space provided. 8. Ask for a volunteer to be Mr. or Ms. Pluto and have him/her come to the front of the classroom. 9. Place the planet hat for Pluto on your volunteer. Ask the students to tell you what they notice about Pluto’s size? [Some responses might include - it is smaller than all the other planets.] 10. Inform the students that Pluto is the smallest planet in our Solar System. This is the first fact that students will write in their Solar System Workbook. Write it on the board or overhead and give them a minute to write it down on their Pluto page next to number 1. 11. Ask the students to give you any observation they have about Pluto. (Students may have some difficulty responding because the planet is very small.) Ask the students if they would like a closer image of Pluto. 12. Bring out an image of Pluto. Ask the students what they notice? [Some responses might include - it is fuzzy, it is hard to see.] ~75~ 13. Inform the students that there has never been a space mission to Pluto so we really do not know what Pluto looks like in other words, Pluto has never been visited. This is the second fact that students will write in their Solar System Workbook. Write it on the board or overhead and give them a minute to write it down on their Pluto page next to number 2. 14. Inform the students that because it has never been visited there is not much that we know about Pluto. Ask the students if they think they know why Pluto has never been visited? [The answer is distance.] 15. Inform the students that Pluto is the furthest planet from the Sun so it has the longest orbital period. This is the third fact that students will write in their Solar System Workbook. Write it on the board or overhead and give them a minute to write it down on their Pluto page next to number 3. 16. Remind the students that all planets do two things, one begins with an “O” (orbit) and the other begins with an “R” (rotation). 17. Have Mr. or Ms. Pluto walk around the perimeter of the classroom. To demonstrate an orbit, a student is traveling around the room facing the same direction throughout the orbit. 18. Ask the students what Mr. or Ms. Pluto is doing? [The answers is orbiting.] 19. Ask the students if they know how long it would take Pluto to complete one orbit around the Sun? Will it be a longer or shorter period of time than Mercury? Earth? Jupiter? [The answer is longer.] Ask the students why the path is longer? [The answer is Pluto is farther away from the Sun.] 20. Inform the students that it takes Pluto 248 years to complete one orbit around the Sun. Ask the students to write down the length of this planets orbital period in their orbital period worksheet. 21. Remind the students that there are several differences between the terrestrial planets and the gas giants. Ask the students if they can name or show you the symbol for a Terrestrial planet? [The answer is Mercury, Venus, Earth, or Mars.] Ask the students if they could show you a symbol or tell you the name of one of the gas giants? [The answer is Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, or Neptune.] Ask the students if they know what Pluto is? [The answer is neither.] 22. Inform the students that Pluto is neither a terrestrial nor a gas planet. This is the fourth fact that students will write in their Solar System Workbook. Write it on the board or overhead and give them a minute to write it down on their Pluto page next to number 4. ~76~ 23. Ask the students if they think Pluto has any moons? [The answer is yes.] How many moons does Pluto have? (The answer is one.) 24. Inform the students that Pluto is known as a double planet because it is almost the same size as its moon, Charon. This is the fifth fact that students will write in their Solar System Workbook. Write it on the board or overhead and give them a minute to write it down on their Pluto page next to number 5. 25. Place the image of Pluto on the Solar System Board. ACTIVITY #14- Investigating the Distances Between the Planets 1. Take the class out to the playground. 2. Select ten students, one to represent the Sun and the remainder to represent the nine planets. 3. Hand the each of the volunteers one of the planet models and hand the student that represents the Sun an image of the Sun. (The model of the Sun is too big to take out to the playground.) 4. Ask the class to arrange the ten students in the order the planets are from the Sun. The students should be equally spaced about one body length apart. 5. Hand one flag to the ten students representing the Sun and the nine planets. 6. Ask the students, “Do you think the planets are the same distance apart?” If students say no, ask, “Which planet do you think are closer together?” “Which do you think are further apart?” “Why?” 7. Once students have hypothesized about the distances between the planets, the students will discover the distances between the planets. Hand the student representing the Sun the end of the Orbit Rope. Ask the Sun to remain stationary and guide the rest of the planets to move away from the Sun. When the rope is stretched out between the Sun and Mercury ask the planets to stop. Ask the class, “What does this distance represent?” [Students should respond - this is the distance from the Sun and Mercury.] Have the Mercury volunteer place their flag on the rope and secure it with a piece of tape. ~77~ 8. Guide the rest of the students representing the planets to move away from Mercury. When the rope is stretched out (between Mercury and Venus) ask the planets to stop. Ask the class, “What does this distance represent?” [Students should respond - this is the distance from Mercury to Venus.] Have the Venus volunteer place their flag on the rope and secure it with a piece of tape. 9. Guide the rest of the students representing the planets to move away from Venus. When the rope is stretched out (between Venus and Earth) ask the planets to stop. Ask the class, “What does this distance represent?” [Students should respond - this is the distance from Venus to Earth.] Have the Earth volunteer place their flag on the rope and secure it with a piece of tape. 10. Guide the rest of the students representing the planets to move away from Earth. When the rope is stretched out (between Earth and Mars) ask the planets to stop. Ask the class, “What do you think this distance represent?” [Students should respond - this is the distance from Earth to Mars.] Have the Mars volunteer place their flag on the rope and secure it with a piece of tape. 11. Ask the students to notice the position of the flags and remind them that each represents the distance of each planet to the Sun. Remind the students that there are two types of planets in our Solar System. Ask the students to tell you what type of planets these are? [The answer is these are the Terrestrial planets.] 12. Guide the rest of the students representing the planets to move away from Mars. When the rope is stretched out (between Mars and Jupiter) ask the planets to stop. This distance will be much larger. Ask the class, “What do you think this distance represent?” [Students should respond - this is the distance from Mars to Jupiter.] Have the Jupiter volunteer place their flag on the rope and secure it with a piece of tape. 13. Guide the rest of the students representing the planets to move away from Jupiter. When the rope is stretched out (between Jupiter and Saturn) ask the planets to stop. This distance will be greater than that of the Terrestrial planets. Ask the class, “What do you think this distance represent?” [Students should respond - this is the distance from Jupiter to Saturn.]Have the Saturn volunteer place their flag on the rope and secure it with a piece of tape. 14. Guide the rest of the students representing the planets to move away from Saturn. When the rope is stretched out (between Saturn and Uranus) ask the planets to stop. Again, this distance will be greater than that of the Terrestrial planets. Ask the class, “What do you think this distance represent?” [Students should respond - this is the distance from Saturn to Uranus.] Have the Uranus volunteer place their flag on the rope and secure it with a piece of tape. ~78~ 15. Guide the rest of the students representing the planets to move away from Uranus. When the rope is stretched out (between Uranus and Neptune) ask the planet to stop. This distance will be greater than that of the Terrestrial planets. Ask the class, “What do you think this distance represent?” [Students should respond - this is the distance from Uranus to Neptune.] Have the Neptune volunteer place their flag on the rope and secure it with a piece of tape. 16. Ask the students what they notice about the distances of these planets from the Sun? [The answer is they are further apart from each other than the terrestrial planets.] Ask the students which type of planets these are? [The answer is these are the gas giants.] 17. Ask the students what is the last planet in our Solar System? And what should be the planet with the furthest distance from the Sun? [The answer is Pluto.] Have the Pluto volunteer place their flag on the rope and secure it with a piece of tape. 18. The rope should now be fully extended and the position of each planet should be marked with a flag. 19. Ask the students some follow-up questions such as, “Which planet is further from the Sun, Mars or Saturn?” [The answer is Saturn.] “Which planet is closer to the Sun, Jupiter or Uranus?” [The answer is Jupiter.] “What do you notice about the distances between the terrestrial planets and the distance between the gas giants?” [The answer is the terrestrial planets are closer together and the gas giants are farther apart.] ACTIVITY #15- Discussing Kepler’s Laws of Planetary Motion 1. With the rope fully extended, have the students begin to imagine all the planets moving along their orbital path around the Sun. Ask the students if they know what the shape of the orbital path for Mercury is? [The answer is elliptical or an ellipse.] 2. Bring out a picture of the circle, an ellipse, and a picture that shows an object that is very elliptical. A sample dialogue has been provided below: 9 9 9 9 9 3. “Which orbital path do you think Mercury follows?” “Is it a circle, an ellipse or highly elliptical?” “Raise your hand if you think it is a circle or circular.” “Raise your hand if you think the path is an ellipse or elliptical.” “Raise your hand if you think the path is highly elliptical.” Inform the students that Mercury follows an elliptical path. Demonstrate the elliptical path of Mercury by drawing it on the ground with chalk or on a piece of paper. One method to draw an ellipse is demonstrated in the image provided. ~79~ Drawing Ellipses Using Thumbtacks 4. This is Kepler’s First Law of Planetary Motion – Planets travel in an elliptical path around the Sun. Ask the students to repeat the first law and have them show you an ellipse with their hands. Students can either make an ellipse using both hands or sketch an ellipse using their finger. 5. Ask the students if they know the shape of the orbital path for Earth? (The answer is elliptical or an ellipse.) 6. Bring out a picture of the circle, an ellipse, and a picture that shows an object that is very elliptical. A sample dialogue has been provided below: 9 9 9 9 9 “Which orbital path do you think Earth follows?” “Is it a circle, an ellipse or highly elliptical?” “Raise your hand if you think it is a circle or circular.” “Raise your hand if you think the path is an ellipse or elliptical.” “Raise your hand if you think the path is highly elliptical.” 7. Inform the students that Earth follows an elliptical path. 8. Kepler’s First Law of Planetary Motion says – Planets travel in an elliptical path around the Sun. Ask the students to repeat the first law and have them show you an ellipse with their hands. 9. Repeat this discussion about the orbital path of Mars. 9 “Which orbital path do you think Mars follows?” 9 “Is it a circle, an ellipse or highly elliptical?” 9 “Raise your hand if you think it is a circle or circular.” ~80~ 9 “Raise your hand if you think the path is an ellipse or elliptical.” 9 “Raise your hand if you think the path is highly elliptical.” 10. Inform the students that Mars follows an elliptical path. 11. Kepler’s First Law of Planetary Motion says – Planets travel in an elliptical path around the Sun. Ask the students to repeat the first law and have them show you an ellipse with their hands. 12. Ask the students to tell you what they notice about the Terrestrial planets – Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. A sample dialogue is provided below: 9 “What do you notice about the Terrestrial planets in relation to the Sun?” [The answer is the terrestrial planets are close to the Sun and the terrestrial planets are close together.] 9 “Do you think gravity will be stronger or weaker the closer you get to the Sun?” [The answer is gravity will be stronger.] 9 “Do you think the orbital period will be longer or shorter?” [The answer is the orbital period will be shorter.] 13. Inform the students that The closer a planet gets to the Sun, the stronger the gravity, the shorter the orbital period, and the faster a planet travels. This is Kepler’s Second Law of Planetary Motion. 14. To demonstrate Kepler’s Second Law of Planetary Motion, follow the steps below which provide both an oral and kinesthetic means. a. Extend your right index finger and place it about an arms length in front of you, slightly below eye level. This finger will represent the Sun. b. Extend your left index finger and place it about 3 inches from your left shoulder. This finger will represent a planet. c. Your right finger will remain stationary because the Sun does not move. d. Slowly bring your left index finger (the planet) towards your right index finger (the Sun). As you bring it closer, repeat aloud, “The closer a planet gets to the Sun…” ~81~ e. Before the “planet” touches the “Sun” stop to show the strength of gravity. To do this, bring your arms up as to show your muscles. This will show strength or being strong. Repeat aloud, “The stronger the gravity…” f. Stop and return your fingers to their position in step (d). Rotate your left hand so that your index finger is pointing downward and move your left index finger around your extended right index finger. This will demonstrate the path of the planet around the sun. Repeat aloud, “The shorter the orbit…” g. Without stopping, move your left finger faster around the right finger, repeating aloud, “and the faster a planet travels.” h. Repeat steps (a-g) again and have the students follow along with their hands while reciting what they are gesturing. 15. Ask students to repeat Kepler’s First Law of Planetary Motion – Planets travel in an elliptical path around the Sun or The path a planet travels is called an ellipse. Have them show you an ellipse with their hands. 16. Ask students to focus their attention on the gas giants (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune) and Pluto. A sample dialogue is provided below: 9 “What do you notice about the gas giants in relation to the Sun?” [Student responses include - They are far or further from the Sun, they are far from each other.] 9 “Do you think gravity will be stronger or weaker the further you get from the Sun?” [The answer is gravity will be weaker.] 9 “Do you think the orbital period will be longer or shorter?” [The answer is the orbital period will be longer.] 9 “Which planet has the longest orbital period?” [The answer is Pluto.] 9 Why does Pluto have the longest orbital period?” [The answer is Pluto is the farthest planet from the Sun.] 17. Inform the students that The Farther a planet gets from the Sun, the longer the orbital path and the weaker the gravity. This is Kepler’s Third Law of Planetary Motion. ~82~ 18. To demonstrate this to the students, follow the steps below which provide both an oral and kinesthetic means: a. Extend your right index finger and place it about an arms length in front of you, slightly below eye level. This finger will represent the Sun. b. Extend your left index finger and place it about 2 inches from your right index finger. This finger will represent a planet. c. Your right index finger will remain stationary because the Sun does not move. d. Slowly bring your left index finger (the planet) away from your right index finger (the Sun). As you move it away, repeat aloud, “The further a planet gets from the Sun…” e. Without stopping, slowly rotate your left index finger and bring it around the back of your head returning towards the “Sun” (your right index finger). Repeat the motion. Repeat aloud, “The longer the orbit…” f. Stop and show the students what weak or being weak looks like. A good way to demonstrate this is to lower your upper body and drop your arms to the side in a loose and relaxed manner. Repeat aloud, “and the weaker the gravity.” 19. Repeat steps (a-f) again and have the students follow along with their hands while reciting Kepler’s Third Law of Planetary Motion. 20. Ask the students to recite Kepler’s First Law of Planetary Motion – Planets travel in an elliptical path around the Sun or The path a planet travels is called an ellipse. Have them show you an ellipse with their hands. 21. Ask the students to demonstrate Kepler’s Second Law of Motion - The closer a planet gets to the Sun, the stronger the gravity, the shorter the orbital period, and the faster a planet travels. 22. Ask the students to demonstrate Kepler’s Third Law of Motion - The Farther a planet gets from the Sun, the longer the orbital path and the weaker the gravity. 23. Have a volunteer collect the planet models and have a student gather the orbital rope. Return to the classroom. NOTE: A good follow-up activity to the playground activity is the Kepler’s Law of Planetary Motion Worksheet. These worksheets have been designed to reinforce the concepts that have been demonstrated on the playground. ~83~ Day 4: Solar System Game The primary intent of this part of the module is to test students’ understanding of the Solar System in a fun, interactive, and exciting competition. During the Solar System Game, students will work individually and with their teammates to answer questions about our Solar System and Kepler’s Laws of Planetary Motion. The Solar System Game can substitute for a written assessment, which is also provided in Part IV of the module. Objectives for Day 4 1. Students will be able to identify the nine planets. 2. Students will identify the order of the planets from the Sun. 3. Students will be able to differentiate between orbit and rotation. 4. Students will simulate the orbital path of the planets using kinesthetic means. 5. Students will be able to demonstrate Kepler’s Laws of Planetary Motion using oral and kinesthetic means. 6. Students will be able to explain Kepler’s Laws of motion. Materials Needed by the Teacher Index Cards with Questions to Ask the Students (a minimum of 45 questions) 2 sets of styrofoam planets (18 planets total) Star Stickers (optional) Materials Needed by the Student None ~84~ Instructions for the Solar System Game 1. Inform the class that today they will be playing a game called “SSG” and ask them if they know what game that is. Some will say “yes” but probably do not. Inform them that SSG is known as the Solar System Game! 2. Next let them know that there will be two teams attempting to see who has learned the most about the Solar System. 3. IMPORTANT! Inform the students about the rules of the game. Students can only answer a question when it is his or her turn unless otherwise specified. Students cannot yell out an answer. The only way to answer a question is to raise both arms and shake your hands above your head. Demonstrate this for the students. The first time a student yells out an answer his or her team will get a warning. The second time, yelling out the answer will cost his or her team one point! Positive attitudes are encouraged so negative attitudes can cost teams one point! ACTIVITY #16: The Solar System Game There are 4 parts to the Solar System Game. Each part is explained below. The star stickers can be given to each student who answers a question correctly or a sticker can be given to each student who participates in the Solar System Game. Part 1- Line them Up! During Part 1, students will work with their groups to line up the planets according to their distance from the Sun. After arranging the planets, teams will return to their respective sides and wait for a final check. The first team to arrange the planets successfully will earn one point for their team. 1. Divide the class into 2 teams. Team #1 will be on the left side of the class and Team #2 will be on the right side. 2. Remind them of the rules and make sure all students are listening before you begin. ~85~ 3. Re-arrange the desks so that the planets can be laid out in a straight line on both sides of the class. Classroom Set-up for SSG 4. Inform the students that Team #1 will be called the “Asteroids” and Team #2 will be called the “Meteorites”. (A teacher can use any team names that he/she prefers.) 5. Write these names on the board in a “T” style chart. 6. Place each set of planets, in random order, on each table. 7. Explain to the students that they will work with their team members to put the planets in order starting with the one closest to the Sun. The teams will use the visual appearance of the planets to identify them and place them in the correct order. 8. When one of the two teams is finished, they must go back to their side of the room and raise their hands above their head. 9. The teacher will walk over to the table of the team that is finished and determine if the planets are in order…. “Mercury, Venus, Earth, Uh-Oh” 10. If a planet is not in the correct order (and might not be on the first try), have both teams to again position the planets in their position from the Sun. ~86~ 11. When the first team is finished, ask the team members to line up along their side with their hands raised. 12. Once all the planets are in order, have the whole class recite the name of each planet as you point to it. 13. Give the successful team a point and ask the other team to successfully arrange their planets in the correct order from the Sun. 14. Go on to the next part of the game. Part 2- Individual Questions During Part 2, a representative from each team will come to the front of the classroom to answer individual questions. The first student who answers the question correctly will earn one point for his or her team. A sample of questions and answers for this part of the Solar System Game is presented below. A teacher can design any other questions that he or she thinks is appropriate. 1. When a planet spins, what is it doing? Rotating 2. What is the smallest planet? Pluto 3. Is Mars a terrestrial or gas planet? Terrestrial 4. How long does it take Earth to complete one orbit? 365 days or 1 year 5. How long does it take Jupiter to complete one rotation? Less than ten hours 6. Which planet would float in a pool? Saturn 7. What is the largest rock planet? Earth 8. What planet spins on its side? Uranus 9. What is the biggest planet in our Solar System? Jupiter 10. Is Neptune a terrestrial or gas planet? Gas 11. What is the hottest planet in our Solar System? Venus ~87~ 12. Can you demonstrate what a planet looks like when it is rotating? The student should turn in a circle. 13. What are Saturn’s rings made of? Chunks of rock and ice 14. Is Jupiter a Terrestrial or a Gas planet? Gas 15. How old is the Sun? 4.6 billion years old 16. What is at the center of our Solar System? The Sun 17. Which planet has a great red spot? Jupiter 18. This planet is covered with more than 2/3 water. What planet is it? Earth 19. What planet most resembles the moon? Mercury 20. What planet is almost the same size as Earth? Venus 21. Which planet takes 176 year to complete one orbit? Neptune 22. How long is Saturn’s day? 10 hours and 40 minutes 23. What planet has the shortest orbit? Mercury 24. How long is a day on Earth? 24 hours 25. On what planet do winter and summer last 21 years? Uranus 26. How long does it take Neptune to complete one orbit around the Sun? 165 years 27. The planets formed as a result of the formation of what? The Sun 28. How many moons does Jupiter have? 61 29. How many Moons does Uranus have? 27 30. Which planet is called the “red” planet? Mars 31. How many moons does Neptune have? 13 32. What is the name of Pluto’s moon? Charon ~88~ 33. What planet makes one rotation in less than 10 hours? Jupiter 34. How long does it take Jupiter to make 1 orbit around the Sun? 12 years 35. If I say, “I’ll see you tomorrow” on Mercury, how long will it really be? 2 years 36. How long does it take Uranus to complete 1 orbit? 84 years 37. What planet has evidence of ancient oceans and has been visited the most? Mars 38. Can you demonstrate an orbit? The student should walk around something. ~89~ Part 3 - Two Part Questions The third part of the Solar System Game poses two-part questions to the students. Again, a representative from each of the two teams will come to the front of the classroom to answer the questions. The first student who answers the question correctly will earn one point for his or her team. A sample of questions and answers for this part of the Solar System Game is presented below. 1. A. Is the Sun a planet? No B. What is it? A Star 2. A. Is the smallest planet in our Solar System close or far from the Sun? Far B. What planet is this? Pluto 3. A. What is the largest volcano in the Solar System named? Olympus Mons B. What planet is it found on? Mars Part 4 - Team Questions The Fourth Part of the Solar System Game poses questions to the team. A representative from each team will come to the front of the class. The teacher poses a question and the team representative can return to his/her team to get assistance in answering the question. Once the team representative has an answer, he/she returns to the teacher and answers the question. The first representative who has the correct answer will earn one point for his/her team. Samples of team questions are presented below. 1. What is Kepler’s 1st Law? The path a planet travels is called an ellipse or Planets travel in an elliptical orbit. 2. What is Kepler’s 2nd Law? A planet moves faster the closer it is to the Sun because the gravitational pull from the Sun is stronger. 3. What is Kepler’s 3rd Law? The further a planet is from the Sun the longer it has to travel. It will also move slower because the gravitational pull from the Sun is weaker. ~90~ 4. How did the Solar System Form? See Demonstration #1 for the answer. Classroom Procedures for Parts 2-4 of the Solar System Game 1. Keeping the teams on their side of the classroom, call a “contestant” from each side to “come on down!” 2. When one student from each side has come to the front of the class, give each student a star sticker just for being a fabulous participant. 3. Remind the two contestants of the rules and ask them if they are ready to play. 4. Ask students one question from the pre-prepared index cards. 5. Once a student has been successful, give their team a point and have the next two contestants to “come on down!” 6. Have each student come to the front at least once remembering to give each student a sticker. Once each student has gone, you have completed one round. Start a new round. It is usually best to end the game after three rounds. After completing the 4 parts, return the classroom furniture to its original position and have the class return to their seats. Add up the total amount of questions answered from each team and then add both numbers together. Circle the TOTAL number of questions answered by the class. It is important to encourage the students for their hard work, good sportsmanship skills, participation and teamwork. Something you might say to the class is “Did you realize you were able to work together and answer all these questions without the help of any adults! You should all be proud of yourselves.” ~91~ The Solar System Game in Action! Students earning their stickers for participating in the Solar System Game. Students working with their teams to arrange the planets in their order from the Sun. ~92~ Students answering questions for their team. Students working with their teams to arrange the planets in their order from the Sun. Resources The following book and websites were helpful in the development of this module. Websites http://sse.jpl.nasa.gov/planets/index.cfm http://www.fastq.com/~jbpratt/education/theme/space.html http://www.dustbunny.com/afk/index.html http://www.bnsc.gov.uk/index.cfm?pid=879 http://proteacher.net http://kids.msfc.nasa.gov http://www.the-solar-system.net/planets-facts.html http://space.jpl.nasa.gov/ http://itss.raytheon.com/outreach/education/solar_system/school_ss.html http://www.sciencenet.org.uk/database/phys/physicssublist.html http://webs.wichita.edu/astronomy/wqquestions/solarSF.Quest.htm http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/coloring_book/java_cb/cb_Sun.html http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/astronomy/solarsystem/extremes.shtml http://www.northern-stars.com/Wonders_of_the_Solar_System.pdf http://www.planetary.org/learn/solarsystem/moons.html http://www.thehubbletelescope.com http://www.lifeinuniverse.org/noflash/Planetformation-03-01.html http://space.jpl.nasa.gov/ -93- http://science.nasa.gov http://itss.raytheon.com/outreach/education/solar_system/school_ss.html http://hea-www.harvard.edu/ECT/the_book/Chap5/Chapter5.html Books 1. The Solar System: The Cosmic Perspective By Jeffrey Bennett ISBN: 0-8053-8930-X 2. A Guide to Backyard Astronomy By Robert Burnham ISBN: 1-877019-33-X 3. Space Explained: A Beginner’s Guide to the Universe By Robin Seagell ISBN: 0-8050-4872-3 4. Astronomy Today By Eric Chaisson and Steve McMillan ISBN: 0-13-712382-5 5. 365 Simple Science Experiments with Everyday Materials By Richard Churchhill, Louis V. Loeschnig, and Muriel Mandell ISBN: 1-884822-67-3 6. The Everything Astronomy Book: Discover the Mysteries of the Universe By Dr. Cynthia Phillips and Shana Priwer ISBN: 1-58062-723-Y 7. Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Universe: Exploring and Understanding the Cosmos By Richard S. Lewis 8. Golden Book of Astronomy: A Comprehensive and Practical Survey Consulting Editor Colin Ronal ISBN: 0-307-46649-3 9. Advanced Skywatching: The Backyard Astronomer’s Guide to Starhopping and Exploring the Universe By Robert Burnham -94- ISBN: 0-78535-4941-5 10. A Field Guide to the Stars and Planets By Jay M. Pasachoff ISBN 0-395-93431-1 11. Stars and Planets By Ian Ridpath ISBN: 0-7894-3560-8 12. Peterson First guide to the Solar System By Jay M. Pasachoff ISBN: 0-395-97194-2 13. A Double Planet? Pluto and Charon By Isaac Asimov ISBN: 0-8368-1232-8 14. Our Solar System By Seymour Simon ISBN 0-688-09992-0 15. How the Universe Works: 100 ways Parents and Kids can Share the Secrets of the Universe By Heather Couper and Nigel Henbest ISNB: 0-895-77576-X -95-
