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5 E Lesson Plan
Title: Astronomical Units and The Solar System
Grade Level and Course: 8th grade Physical Science
Materials:
 Visual introduction for solar system (slides, video, posters, etc)
 Materials for TPR Solar System, including about 560 m (1800 feet) of heavy
string or rope, meter sticks, colored markers to illustrate planets on paper
 Student lab with planetary data and worksheets
Instructional Resources Used: (concept maps, websites, think-pair-share, video
clips, random selection of students etc.)
 PowerPoint slide show of planets
 Student access to information about planets/solar system (eg: text)
 Numerous “solar system” animated video tours exist on the web. Many are
short, entertaining, and very appropriate for middle school students.
 A classic video showing relative distances is “Powers of 10” by Charles and
James Eames, is also available on line—originally released in the 1970’s, it’s
still well worth watching today!
 Web sites, such as “Nineplanets.org” offer abundant images and information
on current astronomical research and NASA robotic missions
 Think-pair-share, sentence frames, Venn diagrams
California State Standards: (written out)
 8.4c. Students know how to use astronomical units and light years as
measures of distances between the Sun, stars, and Earth
 8.4e. Students know the appearance, general composition, relative position
and size, and motion of objects in the solar system, including planets,
planetary satellites, comets, and asteroids.
Common Core State Standards: (written out)
Lesson Objectives:
 Students will understand how to use “Astronomical Units” for measuring
distances within the solar system
 Students will graph the relationship between Astronomical units and orbital
periods by the planets
 Students will distinguish between the eight planets and three “dwarf planets”
as recently (2006) catalogued by the International Astronomical Union (IAU)
Differentiation Strategies to meet the needs of diverse learners:
 English learners
a. Among the resources available on-line are video presentations at all
levels of depth and vocabulary. Animations with vocabulary/content
depth more appropriate for EL students are readily available. This site,
http://www.neok12.com/Solar-System.htm
has several short, yet interesting, videos on the planets and solar system.
b. EL students should be partnered with bi-lingual students. Students will
participate in “Think-pair-share” and sharing comments as part of a class
discussion. EL students will answer questions in complete sentences
from sentence frames and/or sentence starters.
c. Teacher should model completing the grid for Activity 1 and Activity 3.
 Special Education:
a. The “Activity 1” portion of the worksheet should be modified and perhaps
turned into a separate page. Perhaps spaces below the grid could be
provided for student to write the names of planets
b. A more thorough discussion of what is meant by “scale” should precede
the “Activity 2” TPR, as well as making sure students know how to
measure an extended distance outdoors with a meter stick
 GATE:
a. Further discussion about the relationship between a planet’s distance
from the sun and its orbital period could include
(1) Newton’s “Inverse-square” law
(2) Newton’s law of universal gravitation
(3) Kepler’s laws of planetary motion
b. The creation of a “dwarf planet” category and re-classification of Pluto in
2006 is an excellent opportunity to discuss the “nature of science.” As new
information emerges, science is sometimes forced to re-think its position
on a topic. This means our understanding of nature may change over time;
older models become outdated, newer models take their place!
ENGAGE
 Invite students to tell what they know about the planets.
 Are students aware of the reclassification of Pluto as a “dwarf planet”?
 Introduce the solar system with PowerPoint slides or video presentation
EXPLORE
 Using a chart of Astronomical Units, students use graph paper strip to show
the relative distances of the planets (1/8 inch = 1 AU) (Activity 1)
 Students use lengths of rope to represent the relative distances as on outdoor
TPR (1 meter = 1 AU) (Activity 2)
 Students compare the distance a planet is from the sun with its revolution
period (Activity 3)
EXPLAIN
 What’s the “Big Idea?”
Understanding the frequency and general characteristics of our solar
system’s planets, dwarf planets, and moons and asteroids, and the use of the
“Astronomical Unit” for measuring distances within the solar system

“Higher Order” questions presented to students
(1) Describe the similarities and differences of inner and outer planets
(2) Describe the occurrence of “moons” in our solar system
(3) What is the relationship between a planet’s distance from the sun and it’s
orbital period around the sun?
(4) What is the difference between a “light year” and an “astronomical unit”
and when should each be used?
(5) Why was Pluto changed to the “dwarf planet” designation?
EXTEND
 Students can explore a web site such as “Nineplanets.org” to:
a. Describe physical details of solar system bodies
b. Compare and contrast “inner” and “outer planets,” asteroids and comets,
or earth and other bodies (moons, terrestrial planets) in the solar system
c. Research robotic missions (such as “Voyager” which imaged the four gas
giant planets) and what we have learned from them.
 Students can research a particular solar system body and generate a
presentation, such as PowerPoint, poster, or oral report.
 Students can make a model of the solar system. Styrofoam ball models are
seldom to scale, but can be a fun and creative project. When several are hung
from the ceiling, they make impressive additions to a “fun” classroom!
 Teacher should reinforce the relationship between light years and
astronomical units.
(1) Light year: used for measuring distances among stars / galaxies
(2) Astronomical Unit (AU): used for measuring distance within the solar
system
 Discuss with students that our chart and outdoor “model” of the
solar system only show “relative distances” between the planets,
and was the focus of this lesson. Sources are available, such as
“the pinhead solar system” that incorporate the relative size of the
planets as well.
 Directions are available on-line for using dry ice to model a comet
as a teacher demonstration. Any time dry ice is involved, you will
have the students’ rapt attention!
(1) The “icy” nature of a comet will be easily imprinted on students
(2) The sublimating “fog” from the dry ice is an excellent model of a comet’s
tail. Putting a piece of dry ice in warm water dramatically increases the
“fog” effect, highlighting the growing tale as a comet nears the sun!
Background Knowledge for the Teacher:
 Illustrations of our solar system are often misleading. They usually give a
sense that the planets are equi-distance apart from each other. This is
unfortunate, but necessary, to fit all the planets in one picture. In reality, the
“inner planets” (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars) or “terrestrial planets,” are
relatively close together nearer the sun. The “outer planets” (Jupiter, Saturn,
Uranus, Neptune) or “gas giant” planets are much farther away and much
farther apart from each other than we usually see in the pictures.
 In 2006, the “International Astronomical Union” (IAU) created the “dwarf
planet” designation. The IAU included the largest asteroid “Ceres” and the
newly discovered Eris. It also re-designated Pluto as a dwarf planet. There


are other “candidates” being considered for dwarf planets, and it is expected
that there may be hundreds such bodies awaiting discovery!
The “orbital period” of the planets is “exponentially” longer as distance from
the sun increases. The slower orbits of the outer planets are partly due to
the longer distance the planet must travel around the sun. But more
significant is the exponentially weaker gravitational attraction of the sun on
the planet, requiring a much slower speed of the planet to maintain a stable
orbit around the sun.
NASA “robotic” missions have been generally very successful. Highlighting
some of these missions, such as the “Viking” or “Pathfinder” missions to Mars
in the 1970’s, adds an exciting component to the class discussions. It brings
in the highly motivating elements of “rockets” and “space travel.” It also
accents the healthy integration of science and engineering.
Student Name _____________________________________________ Date_____________________________
The AMAZING Solar System!
Today Our Solar System Consists of …






Our Sun! The Center of our Solar System!
Eight planets that orbit the sun
Three dwarf planets that also orbit the sun
Over 150 moons that orbit the planets
Countless asteroids, many in the asteroid belt
Icy comets in highly elliptical orbits
An “Astronomical Unit” is a convenient way to
measure distances in the solar system. It is the
average distance from the earth to the sun, about 150
million kilometers (93 million miles)
In 2006, the “International Astronomical Union” (IAU) met in Europe and created a new
class of heavenly body, the dwarf planet. It included three objects in this new category
 Ceres, the largest asteroid in the asteroid belt
 Pluto, traditionally the ninth planet
 Eris, discovered in 2005 and is larger than Pluto
The “Revolution Period” is the time is takes for the object to orbit the sun.
Planet/Dwarf Planet
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Mars
Ceres (Asteroid Belt)
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
Pluto (Dwarf Planet)
Eris (Dwarf Planet)
Distance in AU
.4 AU
.7 AU
1.0 AU
1.5 AU
2.8 AU
5.2 AU
9.5 AU
20.0 AU
30.0 AU
40.0 AU
50.0 AU
Revolution Period
.2 Year
.6 Year
1.0 Year
1.9 Years
4.6 Years
11.9 Years
29.5 Years
84 Years
165 Years
248 Years
555 Years
Activity 1
Plot the Dots! Mark the Center Line to Show Where Each “Planet” Would Be!
1. Use the data above to show distances of the planets/dwarf planets from sun.
2. Label above the chart, “Astronomical Units” and number 0-40.
3. Make a “dot” along the line to show each objects average distance from the sun
4. Label each “dot” with a line pointing to the name underneath the chart
Label ________________________________________________
AU =
Activity 2
1. The teacher will set up a long length of rope outside the classroom
2. Work with partner(s) to make 8 ½” x 11” illustrations. Your teacher will assign the
picture for your group, including sun, planets, earth’s moon and dwarf planets
3. Using the scale, 1 meter = 1 AU, calculate how far your object is from the sun
4. Take your illustration outside to model the “Astronomical Unit” distances. Use a
meter stick to find where your object will be along the rope, then stand there!
a. The sun is at one end of the string
b. Each group measures how far away from the sun they should be
5. Before disassembling your model, look closely at the “relative” distances
represented by where students are standing compared to the sun and each other!
Summarize what you noticed about the distances of planets in the two activities
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
What do you notice about the first four planets? ___________________________
___________________________________________________________________
What do you notice about the last four planets? ____________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Activity 3
How does the distance from the sun affect the planets orbit around the sun? Use
the chart on the first page to compare the planet’s distance and revolution.
1.
2.
3.
4.
List the planets/dwarf planets in order along the bottom of the graph
Label the top of the graph, “Solar System Object Orbit the Sun”
Label the side of the graph “years” and number the graph by 20’s
Construct a bar graph to compare the length of each object’s “revolution”
Summarize what you noticed about the revolution of planets in the above graph
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Why do you think the closer planets revolve faster than the outer planets?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Further Review
1. How many kilometers is an “astronomical unit”? ______________________
2.
Why was this number selected? ____________________________________
______________________________________________________________
3. Why is using “astronomical units” easier than using kilometers or miles for
measuring distances in the solar system? ______________________________
________________________________________________________________
4.
Why do you think we use “astronomical units” for measuring distances to the
planets, but “light years” for measuring distances to the other stars?
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
5. Using the chart on the first page, calculate the distances in Astronomical Units
________ a. the distance from Earth to the sun
________ b. the distance from the sun to Neptune
________ c. the distance from Earth to Mars
________ d. the distance from Earth to Pluto
________ e. the distance from Jupiter to Saturn
________ f. the distance from Earth to Ceres
________ g. the distance from Pluto to Eris
6. How far would a “round-trip” be in “Astronomical Units”
________ a. from Earth to Mars and back
________ b. from Earth to Mercury and back
________ c. from Earth to Saturn and back
________ d. from Earth to Pluto and back