Download Learning Tracker for Space Unit with ANSWERS

Everything you need to know and be able to do for the Space Unit…
SES #2 and #8 Developing and Using Models and Obtaining, Evaluating and Communicating Information
Explain what a given diagram has to teach (what it
tells us).
Explain phenomena using a combination of
diagrams and words.
Describe the pros and cons of given models.
Given options, choose the best model to use to
support an explanation. Explain your choice.
STS #3 Scale, Proportion and Quantity
Use your sense of scale, proportion and quantity to
create explanations and diagrams that
communicate the relative size and distances
between objects in space.
Given options, identify scales, proportions, and
quantities that match or help explain those of
objects in space.
ESS1.A The Universe and its Stars
What could be described as “made up of” galaxies?
The Universe is made up of galaxies.
What could be described as “made up of” stars?
Galaxies are made up of stars.
What could be described as “made up of” planets?
Solar Systems are made up of planets orbiting a central star(s).
About how many stars are in our galaxy? What is
our galaxy’s name?
100 Billion
How far apart are stars from each other compared
to how far planets are from their star?
Stars are at least 10,000 times further apart from one another than
the distance between a star and its orbiting planets.
How far apart are neighboring galaxies from each
other compared to how far apart neighboring stars
in the same galaxy are from one another?
Draw a diagram of the Universe that shows the
relative locations, size, and distances apart of
galaxies, stars and planets.
Neighboring galaxies are, on average, about 100,000 times further apart
from one another than neighboring stars are from one another.
ESS1.B Earth and the Solar System
Name the planets of our Solar System in order.
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus,
Neptune
Draw a diagram that roughly shows the relative
distances of the 8 planets from the Sun.
How do the relative sizes of the outer planets (from
Jupiter out) and the inner planets (from Mars in)
contrast?
Use words and diagrams to explain why we have
day and night here on Earth.
The outer planets are many, many times bigger than the inner
ones.
Know the difference between revolution and
rotation and their connections to day and night and
the year.
Rotation means to spin on an objects own axis. Rotation causes day and
night as the part of an object that faces a light source (like our Sun)
changes. Revolution means to go in an orbit around another object. The
time it takes for an object to revolve once around what it is orbiting is
called a year.
As the Earth rotates around over 24 hours the part of the Earth that
you are on will for part of the 24 hours be facing toward the Sun
and be lit up by it and for part of the 24 hours be facing away from
the Sun and not be lit up.
Use words and diagrams to explain why we have
seasons on Earth.
Draw a diagram that shows the relative positions of
the Sun, Earth, and Moon during a Lunar Eclipse.
Draw a diagram that shows the relative positions of
the Sun, Earth, and Moon during a Solar Eclipse.
Name the 8 phases of the moon in order, starting
from any point in the cycle.
New → Waxing Crescent → First Quarter (or Waxing Half) →
Waxing Gibbous → Full → Waning Gibbous → Third Quarter
(or Waning Half) → Waning Crescent → New
Draw what relative positions of the Sun, Moon, and
Earth would cause each phase.
Using only words, explain what causes the Phases of
the Moon.
If a Lunar Eclipse is happening, what phase must the
Moon be in? Why?
If a Solar Eclipse is happening, what phase must the
Moon be in? Why?
As the Moon revolves around the Earth across 29 days the relative
positions of the Earth, Moon, and Sun are constantly changing. The
side of the Moon that faces the Sun is always lit up by it. But on
Earth, depending on where the Sun and Moon are relative to us, we
don’t always see all, or at New any of the lit up part.
A Lunar Eclipse is when the Earth’s shadow falls on the Moon. For
that to happen the Sun, Earth, and Moon must be in a line (in that
order). This is the alignment that creates a full moon…when the side
of the Moon that faces the Earth is also the side that is lit up by the
Sun.
A Solar Eclipse is when the Moon’s shadow falls on the Earth. For
that to happen the Sun, Moon, and Earth must be in a line (in that
order). This is the alignment that creates a New Moon…when the
side of the Moon that faces the Earth is not lit up by the Sun at all.
Why don’t Eclipses happen every time there is a Full
or New Moon?
The plane of the orbit of the Moon around the Earth is not always
the same as the plane of the orbit of the Earth around the Sun. The
plane of the orbit of the Moon around the Earth wobbles up and
down. When it is tilted at all, when we get to New or Full Moon the
Moon is either above or below the line of the Earth and Sun. And if
it isn’t right in line, there won’t be an Eclipse.
What is the relationship between the masses of two
objects and the force of gravity between them?
The larger the masses of the objects, the greater the gravity
between them. Gravity is “caused” by mass.
What is the relationship between the distance
between two objects and the force of gravity
between them?
The closer they are together, the greater the gravity between them.
It’s kind of like with magnets. The closer together they are, the
harder they pull.
An object in orbit around another object is falling
toward it. It just keeps moving forward at the right
speed so that it falls around it, rather than into it.
But what would happen to the orbiting object if
gravity suddenly disappeared? What would happen
if gravity increased or decreased?
As the force of attraction increases, the orbiting object will move
into a lower orbit and speed up. As it decreases, it would do the
opposite. If gravity were to suddenly vanish the orbiting object
would stop “falling” and it would keep moving in the direction it
was going when gravity vanished.