Space

Sixth Grade SOL 6.8

Questions you must be able to answer

• 1. Describe the planets and their relative positions from the sun.

• 2. Compare the characteristics of Pluto to the planets and explain its designation as a dwarf planet.

• 3. Design and interpret a scale model of the solar system.

• 4. Explain the role of gravity in the solar system. • 5. Compare and contrast revolution and rotation and

apply these terms to the relative movements of planets and their moons.

• 6. Model and describe how day and night and the phases of the moon occur.

• 7. Model and describe how Earth’s axial tilt and its annual orbit around the sun cause the seasons.

• 8. Describe the unique characteristics of planet Earth. • 9. Discuss the relationship between the gravitational

pull of the moon and the cycle of tides. • 10. Compare and contrast the ideas of Ptolemy,

Aristotle, Copernicus, and Galileo related to the solar system.

• 11. Create and interpret a timeline highlighting the advancements in solar system exploration over the past half century. This should include information on the first modern rockets, artificial satellites, orbital missions, missions to the moon, Mars robotic explorers, and exploration of the outer planets.

Our Solar System

• The solar system consists of the sun, moon, Earth, other planets and their moons, meteors, asteroids, and comets. Each body has its own characteristics and features.

• Planets revolve around the sun, and moons revolve around planets. A planet rotates upon an axis.

Our Sun is a medium sized star that is the center of

the solar system

The first 4 planets are Mercury, Venus, Mars, and the

Earth. These are the inner rocky planets

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVItSWKQiuQ

The four remaining planets, Saturn, Jupiter, Uranus, and

Neptune are the outer gaseous planets

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICutVnjsx1o

Space Objects• Asteroids are objects orbiting the sun that are too

small to be considered planets, the belt is found between Mars and Jupiter.

• Comets are balls of dust and ice that have a long tail that always points away from the sun.

• Meteors are streaks of light that are created when a meteor is burned in the Earth’s atmosphere

• Meteorites are meteors that hit the Earth’s surface.• Meteoroids orbit the solar system

Dwarf Planets• Dwarf planets are round and orbit the Sun just

like the eight major planets. A dwarf planet is much smaller than a planet (smaller even than Earth's moon), but it is not a moon. Pluto is the best known of the dwarf planets

• A dwarf planet revolves around the sun, and can maintain a nearly round shape as planets do, but it cannot move other objects away from its orbital neighborhood.

Let’s Make a Model• The distance between planets and sizes of the

planets vary greatly. The outer, “gas” planets are very large, and the four inner planets are comparatively small and rocky.

On one end write the sun and the other Pluto.Fold your paper in half, at the crease write Uranus.Fold Pluto up to Uranus, at the crease write Neptune.Fold the sun to Uranus, at the crease write Saturn.Fold the sun to Saturn, at the crease write Jupiter.Fold the sun to Jupiter, at the crease write Asteroid Belt.Fold the sun to asteroid belt, at the crease write Mars.The remaining amount of paper is divided into Mercury, Venus, and the Earth.

Now is this what you thought the Solar System looked like?

Seasons are caused by a combination of the tilt of Earth on its axis, the curvature of Earth’s surface and, thus, the angle at which sunlight strikes the surface of Earth

during its annual revolution around the sun.

The moon appears to go through phases because of a person’s

perspective from the Earth as the moon revolves. One side is always

lit, but we can only see part of it depending on its position

• The phases of the moon are, new, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full, waning gibbous, last quarter, and waning crescent

The period of revolution is when an object travels around another. For a planet, one

revolution is one year

Gravity is a force that keeps the planets in motion around the sun. Gravity acts everywhere in the

universe.

The period of rotation is one spin on an axis. For a planet

one rotation is one day

As Earth rotates, different sides of Earth face toward or away from the sun, thus causing day and night, respectively.

A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the earth and the sun, casting a

shadow on the earth

A lunar eclipse occurs when the earth passes between the moon and the sun, blocking the sunlight from the moon

A neap tide occurs when the moon is perpendicular from the sun. Smallest amount between low and high tide.

• A spring tide occurs when the moon is in line with the sun. The highest

of the tides

• There are approximately two high tides and two low tides in each 24-

hour cycle

The ideas of Ptolemy, Aristotle, Copernicus, and Galileo contributed to the development of our understanding of the

solar system.

• Geocentric model

• Heliocentric

John Glen was the first astronaut to circle the earth

Neil Armstrong was the first man on the moon

The space station is a joint effort to create living

quarters in space

So what has space exploration done for us?

• http://spinoff.nasa.gov/Spinoff2008/tech_benefits.html

Space Humor

http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/menu/solar-system/

• Research and answer the questions anyway you would like.

YEAH!!!!!!!!!

• You are almost as smart as a sixth grader