Earth and Its Place in the Universe

Earth and Its Place in the Universe

The student will investigate the structure of the universe.

6.7.4	EU	Categorize the components of the universe (i.e., stars, planets, comets, asteroids, and meteors).
6.7.3	EU	Differentiate between planets according to specific characteristics.
6.7.1	EU	Distinguish between a day, month, and year based on the movements of the Earth, sun, and moon.
6.7.5	EU	Differentiate between a solar and a lunar eclipse.
6.7.6	EU	Select the diagram that reflects the Earth/sun relationship that accounts for the four seasons.
6.7.2	EU	Identify the force that pulls objects toward the Earth.
6.7.7	EU	Predict the type of tide produced by the different positions of the Earth and moon system.

Day 1 Planets - Inner Planets

Review acronym to remember the order of the planets (My very eager Mother just served us nine pancakes.)
Remind students that scientists no longer consider Pluto a planet.
Sequence flash cards with the correct order or Exploring Space EMC 853 page page 15 "Put the Planets in Order"
Explain that the inner planets are those closest to the sun. (Mercury Venus Earth Mars) are small and rocky
Exploring Space EMC 853 page 37-50 booklet "The Planets" & fact sheets for each
United Streaming A Closer Look at the Planets, A Space Science Series - Segments 1-3

Day 2 Planets - Outer Planets

Review planet order
Review facts about inner planets
Outer Planets - large, cold, and gaseous planets
Continue using Exploring Space EMC 853 page 37-50 booklet "The Planets" & fact sheets for each
Magic School Bus Gets Lost in Space
United Streaming A Closer Look at the Planets, A Space Science Series - Segments 4-5

Day 3 Stars, Planets, Comets, Asteroids, Meteors

Day 4 Stars, Planets, Comets, Asteroids, Meteors

United Streaming Spin Around the Solar System: The Small Pieces: Asteroids, Comets, and Pluto
Exploring Space EMC 853 page 18-20 booklet "Stars"
Make flash cards with the words star, planet, comet, asteroid, and meteor. Have students find the correct word to go with each definition.

star - celestial body consisting of a mass of gas held together by its own gravity
planet - celestial body that orbits the sun, has sufficient mass to assume nearly a round shape, clears out dust and debris from the neighborhood around its orbit, and is not a satellite of another planet
comet - big chunks of rock, metal, and ice - a celestial body moving about the sun consisting of a central mass surrounded by an envelope of dust and gas that may form a tail that streams away from the sun
asteroid - frozen balls of ice, gas, and rock - any of the thousands of small bodies of from 480 miles to less than one mile in diameter that revolve about the sun in orbits lying mostly between those of Mars and Jupiter
meteor - chunks of rock - falling star - a small mass or body traveling very quickly through space which appears very bright after entering the earth's atmosphere

Day 5 Day, Month, & Year

Using models of the sun, earth, and moon have students illustrate a day and a year.
Review moon phases and discuss that it takes approximately one month for the moon to cycle through the phases.
Exploring Space EMC 853 page 60-62 booklet "Moons"
Exploring Space EMC 853 page 24-24 booklet "Our Sun"
Exploring Space EMC 853 page 71-74 booklet "When the Earth Moves"

Day 6 Four Seasons

	During winter in the Northern Hemisphere the axis at the North Pole points away from the sun.
	During summer in the Northern Hemisphere the axis at the North Pole points towards from the sun.

United Streaming The Reasons for the Seasons
Using models of the sun and earth have students illustrate the four seasons.
Have students draw pictures showing the positions of the earth and sun for each of the four seasons.

Day 7 Eclipse

Day 8 Tides

Day 9 Gravity