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2. How many planets are there in our solar system?
Our solar system has eight planets and one star: the Sun. The planets are (in order, from the Sun, outward): Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Pluto was considered the ninth planet until August 2006, when the International Astronomical Union reclassified it as a "dwarf planet." A new mnemonic used to remember the planets in order is, "My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nachos."
4. How old is the solar system?
The solar system is about 4.5 billion years old.
. How big is the solar system?
There are no physical boundaries in space. The traditional view of the solar system is that it consists of eight planets orbiting around one star: the Sun.
6. Are there differences among the planets in our solar system?
Planets come in different sizes and colors. The four planets closer to the Sun are called rocky, or terrestrial, planets. They are small in size and similar to Earth in composition. They have no rings, and only two of them (Earth and Mars) have moons.
The four outer planets, called gas giants, are much larger than the rocky planets. They all have rings and many moons. The gas giants are made up mostly of hydrogen, helium, frozen water, ammonia, methane, and carbon monoxide.
There is a discussion over whether Pluto is a planet. Some astronomers think that Pluto might be little more than a giant comet (see question 15). Its composition is similar to that of comets, and its orbit is quite different from that of the other planets. Astronomers agree that Pluto is part of the Kuiper Belt of comets because its composition and orbit fit neatly within that group. However, some argue that it deserves planetary status as well.
11. What are the gas giant planets?
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune are called the gas giants. Jupiter and Saturn contain the largest percentages of hydrogen and helium, while Uranus and Neptune contain the largest shares of ices — frozen water, ammonia, methane, and carbon monoxide
The four gas giants — Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune — all have rings
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The purpose of this lesson is for students to acquire information about objects in the solar system while collecting solar system trading cards through interactive computer use.
Students will need a third-grade reading level.
Students will need ability to use a computer mouse to point and click on choices.
Atmosphere
The gases surrounding a space object, for example, the atmosphere surrounding earth.
Crater
A hole or depression formed on impact with a smaller object.
Diameter
The distance of a line from one side of a sphere to the opposite side that passes through the center.
Erosion
Wearing away the surface by wind or water
Evidence
Anything that establishes a fact or gives reason for believing something.
Galaxy
A massive system of stars held together by their mutual gravity.
Hubble Space Telescope
The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) is an automated reflecting telescope, which orbits the Earth above the atmosphere, built by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the European Space Administration. It contains instruments capable of receiving many types of radiation.
Orbit
The path a satellite takes around a celestial body.
Telescope
An instrument used to view distant objects in space.
The solar system centers around the Earth.
Scientists know all there is to know about the solar system.
Earth is the largest object in the solar system.
Stars and galaxies are part of the solar system.
The sun is not a star.
Engagement activity number one offers an opportunity to elicit student preconceptions.
Teacher should allow time to locate the website and preview the game.
30-45 minutes
Students can work in groups of two or individually in a computer lab. Adaptations can be made to accommodate classrooms with only a single computer with Internet access. This might include using an overhead projector with an LCD that projects the computer image on a screen or a hookup from a computer to a television monitor.
You can also complete "Solar System Trading Cards" off-line. Various software programs provide off-line access to the Internet. Their programs allow you to save Web pages to your local hard drive. Using your Netscape browser, you can open the Web pages locally and experience the lesson as if you were viewing it on the Internet. Using this option, however, will deny students access to the references (identified in the Grab Bag pages) available on the World Wide Web.
This is a self-directed interactive computer game. Working independently or in small groups, students will view an image accompanied by a question with three answer choices. They will use the mouse to click on their chosen answer. The students continue the game by making choices on successive screens. The students are assessed at the end of the game with a list of correctly identified solar system objects. Cards collected are shown on the screen as highlighted images.
Here are some suggestions:
Students collect "Solar System Trading Cards" by matching the picture of the solar system object with its name.
The student selects a solar system object from the main page. The object selected appears on a page with its name and two incorrect options; a question is given to the student as a clue to the right answer. Select the correct answer to collect the card and to learn more about the object. When incorrect, a page appears with clues to the correct answer. The student has the opportunity to try again with a different answer.
Students can be evaluated by their individual success with the card collection. Other suggestions are: