Unit 2 Earth & Beyond
Big Idea (1) Stars and the Universe
Essential Questions:
Chapter test - Wednesday, November 14th
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Big Idea (2) The Solar System
Essential Questions:
Big Idea (3) Earth, Sun & Seasons
Essential Questions:
Big Idea (4) Earth, it's Moon & Orbits
Essential Questions:
Essential Questions:
- How Do Astronomers Investigate Stars?
- What Is a Star?
- How Are Stars Classified?
- How Do Stars Evolve?
- What Is the Structure of the Universe?
- What Is the History of the Universe?
- What Is the Future of the Universe?
- This topic examines optical and radio telescopes and spectroscopes that astronomers use to study the universe.
- Grab students’ attention through the possibilities of life elsewhere in the universe and then start with the basics—definition of a star.
- To introduce students to the Hertzsprung-Russell (H-R) diagram and give students the opportunity to classify stars based on luminosity and temperature.
- Students will understand that just as people are born, grow older, and eventually die, so do stars.
- These two topics are closely aligned and create a timeline of the universe.
- Explain the differences among optical and radio telescopes and spectroscopes
- Explain why equipment is necessary to find distant stars
- Describe spectral lines
- Discuss the possibilities of life in other star systems
- Explain how stars form
- Explain nuclear fusion and how it relates to stars
- Explain energy conversions in stars
- Describe star luminosity
- Explain how stars are related to the electromagnetic spectrum
- Describe the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram
- Use the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram to describe star characteristics
- Describe main sequence stars and those that do not fall along the main sequence
- Describe the life cycle of a star
- Explain the various terms used to describe stars including dwarf, giant, neutron star, black hole, and supernova
- Define galaxy, nebulae, and cluster
- Illustrate the location of the sun and our Solar System in the Milky Way
- Define a light year and tell how it is used to measure time and distance
- Define the Doppler effect and explain how it is used to describe the universe
- Describe the Big Bang
Chapter test - Wednesday, November 14th
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Big Idea (2) The Solar System
Essential Questions:
- What Is the Origin of the Solar System?
- What Properties Do the Planets Share?
- How Are the Planets Grouped?
- What Other Objects Orbit the Sun?
- To introduce students to the possibilities of colonizing space and the general properties of the solar system.
- Students will research the characteristics of the objects in the solar system and determine relative distances between them.
- Students are made aware of asteroids, comets, and meteors.
- Describe the conditions needed to support human life
- Discuss the theories of the origin of the solar system
- Identify the objects within the solar system
- Understand the difference between rotation and revolution
- Explain the major characteristics of each planet
- Explain the differences between the inner planets and the outer planets
- Understand the relationship of planet positions to each other
- Describe dwarf planets, asteroids, comets, and meteors
- Explain how these objects orbit the sun
Big Idea (3) Earth, Sun & Seasons
Essential Questions:
- How Can We Describe the Position of Celestial Objects?
- Our Internal Clock
- What Is the Sun’s Apparent Path Across the Sky?
- How Does the Sun’s Path Change With the
Seasons? - Does the Sun’s Path Depend on the Observer’s Location?
- What Is Really Moving, Sun or Earth?
- How Do Earth’s Motions Affect the Appearance of Other Celestial Objects?
- How Do Earth’s Motions Seem to Affect the Stars?
- Students will learn how to describe the position of celestial objects.
- To introduce students to the importance of time measurement.
- Students will be able to identify the position of the sun and Earth during the various seasons.
- Students are introduced to the geocentric and heliocentric models of the solar system.
- Students will correlate what they have learned about the sun’s apparent path through the sky with Earth’s tilt and revolution around the sun.
- Students will recognize the importance of constellations in studying the sky.
- Students will understand that stars do not remain fixed in one position.
- There are fixed fields where an observer can always expect to find stars, but there are apparent movements of the stars throughout the year.
- Define azimuth, altitude, and zenith
- Distinguish between apparent motion and real motion of celestial objects
- Understand that the day is based on Earth’s period of rotation on its axis
- Understand that the year is based on Earth’s period of revolution around the sun
- Recognize the importance of a time standard
- Understand that the sun is never directly overhead north of the Tropic of Cancer (23-1/2°N) or south of the Tropic of Capricorn (23-1/2°S)
- Describe how the sun’s apparent path through the sky changes with the seasons
- Understand why the length of daylight changes with the seasons
- Describe how the apparent path of the sun changes in each season
- Describe the geocentric model
- Describe the heliocentric model
- Discuss the proofs of rotation
- Define vernal equinox and autumnal equinox
- Define summer and winter solstice
- Relate the seasons to Earth’s revolution around the sun
- Define constellation
- Using the “pointer stars” in Big Dipper, locate Polaris in the Little Dipper
- Explain why light pollution is a problem in cities
- Use constellations and star maps
- Describe daily apparent motions of stars
- Describe yearly apparent motions of stars
Big Idea (4) Earth, it's Moon & Orbits
Essential Questions:
- What Is the History of Earth’s Moon?
- How Can We Describe Orbits?
- What Determines a Satellite’s Orbit?
- Why Does the Moon Show Phases?
- What Is an Eclipse?
- To introduce students to the basics of the moon’s structure and its place in our lives
- This topic introduces students to the elliptical orbits of satellites and how to draw them.
- The Earth Science Performance Test will include a station to test construction of ellipses.
- This topic examines how gravity, mass, inertia, and energy affect the movement of the satellite.
- This topic explains why the moon is seen in its entirety for only a short time each month (full moon) and why the moon exhibits phases.
- Students will understand that an eclipse occurs when the moon casts its shadow on Earth or the moon pass through Earth’s shadow.
- Understand the space race and the U.S. mission to reach the moon
- Describe basic geologic features of the moon
- Define satellite
- Describe the moon in relation to other planets
- Explain the moon’s origin
- Explain the elliptical orbits of planets
- Identify foci and major axis
- Describe and calculate eccentricity
- Draw ellipses
- Describe how potential and kinetic energy affect movements of satellites in an orbit
- Explain how gravitational force between objects can change
- Why orbital speed changes as a satellite changes position in its orbit
- Identify the major phases of the moon
- Explain why the moon goes through phases
- Describe the conditions causing a solar eclipse
- Describe the conditions causing a lunar eclipse
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