Big Ideas (learning targets)

• Daylight hours are longer for the hemisphere that is tilted toward the sun during solstice

• The Earth is actually farther away from the sun during summer

• Earth has one complete rotation every 24 hours

• All planets rotate, but they do so at different speeds

• Each planet follows a slightly elliptical path around the sun

• The angle of the tilt of the Earth is 23.5 degrees

• The Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere have seasons opposite of each other

• The moon's gravitational pull on Earth causes the tides

• The sun's rays strike Earth at their northernmost and southernmost position during winter and summer solstice

• There are about 12 hours of daylight and darkness everywhere on Earth during the September and March equinox

• The hemisphere facing the sun receives the most solar energy

• A solstice occurs the two days of the year when the Earth is tilted most and least toward the sun

• The seasons are caused by the tilt of Earth's axis as Earth orbits the sun

• The moon does NOT produce its own light.  It reflects light from the sun

• We never see the backside of the moon because of the rotational patterns of Earth and the moon

• One lunar cycle lasts 29.5 days

• A solar eclipse occurs when the sun, moon, and Earth are all aligned allowing the moon to cover the sun

• A lunar eclipse can only occur during the full moon phase

• Earth rotates on its axis and revolves around the sun

• The Earth rotates from west to east

• The inner planets are Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars

• The outer planets are Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune