MS - ESS1.B The Solar System - FINAL (WND 12-23-13)

Module: The Solar System

DCI: ESS1.B (A) 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.

Connections to Engineering, Technology, and Application of Science: Interdependence of Science, Engineering, and Technology: Engineering advances have led to important discoveries in virtually every field of science and scientific discoveries have led to the development of entire industries and engineered systems.

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.

PE: MS-ESS1-3 Analyze and interpret data to determine scale properties of objects in 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.]

[Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on the analysis of data from Earth-based instruments, space-based telescopes, and spacecraft to determine similarities and differences among solar system objects. Examples of scale properties include the sizes of an object’s layers (such as crust and atmosphere), surface features (such as volcanoes), and orbital radius. Examples of data include statistical information, drawings and photographs, and models.]  [Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include recalling facts about properties of the planets and other solar system bodies.]

It is important to note that this standard does not imply that students should know the components or even the characteristics of the components in the solar system.  Instead, the focus is on gravity and its role in holding the system together. After reading the clarification statements, it is clear that we can ask about specific parts of the solar system, if we provide information. Students should not be required to recall any facts about planets. 

Here are the ideas we see in the standard: 

-the solar system is made up of parts (sun, planets, moons of planets, and asteroids) 

-gravity holds the parts of the solar system in an orbital rotation around the sun

When we address the idea of modeling, it is ok to use both physical and conceptual models. 

Possible Question Starters:

"Students are planning to build a scale model of the outer planets of the solar system.  Based on the information in the table provided, which of the following representative objects and scaled diameter should they choose for the planet Saturn? 

Planetary Object	Representative Object	Actual Diameter (km)	Scaled Diameter (cm)
Jupiter	Bowling Ball	139822	23.3
Neptune	Softball	49244	8.2
Uranus	Tennis Ball	31518	5.2
Saturn	?	72367	?

Correct Answer - basketball, 12 cm

Incorrect Answers- ping pong ball, 4 cm - beach ball, 30 cm - soccer ball, 20 cm

We can probably use some vector drawings for this module.  We will work on getting some graphics to use.