Unit 2: Earth and the Solar System

Summary

In this unit, students apply what they learned about forces, motion, and matter to the solar system, focusing on gravity’s role in the universe. They investigate how gravity within the Earth-sun-moon system causes different observable patterns, and then explore how the Earth-sun-moon system fits into the solar system and the Milky Way Galaxy. They then apply what they’ve learned to engineer a solution to a collision between moving objects in space.

CASE STUDY 1: Earth-Sun-Moon System

In the first case study, students investigate the Earth-sun-moon system. They explore the role of gravity in keeping the moon in orbit around Earth and the Earth-moon system in orbit around the sun, and then evaluate how these motions result in patterns over time, including seasons, moon phases, and solar and lunar eclipses.

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Lesson 1

I can explain what I will learn in Unit 2 of 8th grade science!

Lesson 2

I can boldly share my ideas and actively listen to the ideas of others in a Socratic seminar on the Earth-Moon-Sun system!

Lesson 3

I can develop and use a model to explain how the Earth-Sun-Moon system causes cyclical patterns of lunar phases and eclipses.

CASE STUDY 2: Earth's Place in the Solar System

Once students understand the interactions of the Earth-sun-moon system, they then move onto the eight planets of our solar system, analyzing the role of gravity in keeping the planets and other objects in orbit around the sun. They investigate the relationship between a planet’s mass and its gravitational pull, and then use different scale properties to compare the different planets.

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Lesson 4

I can boldly share my ideas and actively listen to the ideas of others in a Socratic seminar about Earth's place in the solar system!

Lesson 5

I can analyze and interpret various data on the scale properties of different planets in our solar system.

CASE STUDY 3: Engineering Meteoroid Shields

In the third case study, students apply what they know about forces and motion to design a technology that solves the problem of collisions between meteoroids and spacecraft.