Module: Formation of the Solar System
DCI: ESS1.B (C) The solar system appears to have formed from a disk
of dust and gas, drawn together by gravity.
Connections to Nature of Science: Scientific Knowledge Assumes and
Order and Consistency in Natural Systems: Science assumes that objects and
events in natural systems occur in consistent patterns that are understandable
through measurement and observation.
PE: MS-ESS1-2 Develop and use a model to describe the role of
gravity in the motions within galaxies and the solar system.
[Clarification
Statement: Emphasis for the model is on gravity as the force that holds
together the solar system and Milky Way galaxy and controls orbital motions
within them. Examples of models can be physical (such as the analogy of
distance along a football field or computer visualizations of elliptical
orbits) or conceptual (such as mathematical proportions relative to the size of
familiar objects such as students' school or state).] [Assessment Boundary:
Assessment does not include Kepler’s Laws of orbital motion or the apparent
retrograde motion of the planets as viewed from Earth.]
Note: This is only part of a standard and comes immediately after a statement that reads: "The
solar system consists of the sun and a collection of objects, including
planets, their moons, and asteroids that are held in orbit around the sun by
its gravitational pull on them".
The main ideas that we see in this standard are:
-the solar system formed from a disk
-that disk was made up of gas and dust
-the gas and dust were drawn together by the force of gravity
-the disk was rotating in the same direction as current planetary orbital rotation
The clarification statement elucidates the types of models that are safe to use in order to address the PE. We will want to make sure that students understand that gravity holds the solar system together, maintains the rotation of the planetary objects, and keeps it on its course within the galaxy.
Possible Question Starters:
"Which of the following best explains why all of the planets in our solar system are orbiting the sun?"
correct answer - gravity is controlling the motion of all of the planets
No comments:
Post a Comment