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COMMON FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT PLANNING TEMPLATE
--FIRST DRAFT-Grade Level or Course: 8th grade science
Authors: Christine Willman, Ken Martinelli
Assessment Topic: Astronomy
Selected Power Standards: List standards by number and include the full text
here. Then “unwrap” to identify what students need to know and be able to do.
Underline the concepts (important nouns or noun phrases) and circle the skills
(verbs).
C28: Explain the effect of gravity on the orbital movement of planets in the
solar system.
C29: Explain how the regular motion and relative position of the sun, Earth
and moon affect the seasons, phases of the moon and eclipses.
GLE’s
1. Relate the strength of gravitational force between two objects to their
mass and the distance between the centers of the two objects and
provide examples.
2. Describe in writing how gravitational attraction and the inertia of
objects in the solar system keep them on a predictable elliptical path.
3. Distinguish between rotation of Earth on its axis and its elliptical
revolution around the sun.
4. Investigate and report how the Earth’s revolution around the sun
affects changes in daylight and seasons.
5. Compare the revolution times of all the planets and relate it to their
distance from the sun.
6. Conduct and report on an investigation that shows how the Earth’s
tilt on its axis and position around the sun relates to the intensity of
light striking the Earth’s surface.
7. Use a model to demonstrate the phases of the moon relative to the
position of the sun, Earth and moon.
8. Develop a model or illustration to show the relative positions of the
Earth, sun and moon during a lunar and solar eclipse and explain
how those positions influence the view from Earth.
© 2007 by Center for Performance Assessment
All rights reserved. Copy only with permission. (800) 844-6599
Common Formative Assessments Supp Docs
Page S-52
Graphic Organizer of “Unwrapped” Concepts and Skills
Concepts: Need to Know about _Planetary Motion
Force, gravity, orbit, revolution, rotation, year, period, mass, weight, hemisphere,
seasons, phases, new moon, solar eclipse, lunar eclipse, tides
(Next to each skill, write number in parentheses indicating approximate level of
Bloom’s Taxonomy of thinking skills. Refer to Bloom’s Taxonomy resource in
supporting documents.)
Explain (2, 4)
Big Ideas from “Unwrapped” Power Standards
1. Gravity is a force of attraction between two objects and is
the force responsible for the motions in our solar system.
The strength of gravitational force depends on the total
mass of the two objects and the distance between them.
Objects in the solar system are held in their predictable
paths by the inward-pulling gravitational attraction of the
very massive sun.
2. The Earth and other planets move through space in two ways:
rotation on an axis and revolution around the sun. Earth’s tilt
causes seasonal differences in the height of the perceived path
of the sun and the number of hours of sunlight. Seasons are not
related to a change in distance between the Earth and the Sun,
since that distance changes very little.
3. Phases of the moon are explained by changes in the angle
at which the sun’s light strikes the moon and is reflected to
Earth. The same half of the moon is always reflecting light
from the sun as the moon revolves around the Earth in a
period of about 29 days.
4. Eclipses occur when the moon, Earth, and sun
occasionally align in specific ways. A solar eclipse occurs
when the moon is directly between the Earth and the sun
© 2007 by Center for Performance Assessment
All rights reserved. Copy only with permission. (800) 844-6599
Common Formative Assessments Supp Docs
Page S-53
(during new moon phase) and the moon blocks the sun’s
light. A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth is directly
between the moon and the sun (full moon phase) and the
Earth blocks the sun’s light, casting a shadow over the
moon.
Essential Questions Matched to Big Ideas
1. What is the force that keeps our solar system together?
2. What motion is responsible for our day and night and our 365
day year?
3. How can the phases of the moon be explained?
4. What accounts for lunar and solar eclipses?
© 2007 by Center for Performance Assessment
All rights reserved. Copy only with permission. (800) 844-6599
Common Formative Assessments Supp Docs
Page S-54
© 2007 by Center for Performance Assessment
All rights reserved. Copy only with permission. (800) 844-6599
Common Formative Assessments Supp Docs
Page S-55