INTERMEDIATE LEVEL SCIENCE: MODELS OF OUR PLANET
| Core Concepts | Suggested Activity |
|---|---|
| 1.1c. The Sun and the planets that revolve around it are the major bodies in the solar system. Other members include comets, moons, and asteroids. Earth’s orbit is nearly circular. | Examine online images from www.jpl.nasa.gov and other sources. |
| 1.1e. Most objects in the solar system have a regular and predictable motion. These motions explain suchphenomena as a day, a year, phases of the Moon, eclipses, tides, meteor showers, andcomets. | Construct ellipse models. Examine data about motions available from www.usno.navy.mil and www.nos.noaa.gov. |
| 1.1h. The apparent motions of the Sun, Moon, planets, and stars across the sky can be explained by Earth’s rotation and revolution. Earth’s rotation causes the length of one day to be approximately24 hours. The rotation also causes the Sun and Moon to appear to rise along the eastern horizon and to set along the western horizon. Earth’s revolution around the Sun defines the length of the year as365-1/4 days. | Use a magnetic compass to find cardinal directions. |
| 1.1i. The tilt of Earth’s axis of rotation and the revolution of Earth around the Sun cause seasons on Earth. The length of daylight varies depending on latitude and season. | Use flashlight and balls to model seasonal changes. |
| 1.1j. The shape of Earth, the other planets, and stars is nearly spherical. | Examine online images from www.jpl.nasa.gov and other sources. |
| 1.1f. The latitude/longitude coordinate system and our system of time are based on celestial observations. | Given the latitude and longitude of a location, indicate its position on a map, and determine the latitude and longitude of a given location on a map. |
| 2.1a. Nearly all the atmosphere is confined to a thin shell surrounding Earth. The atmosphere is amixture of gases, including nitrogen and oxygenwith small amounts of water vapor, carbon dioxide, and other trace gases. | |
| 2.1c. The rocks at Earth’s surface forms a continuous shell around Earth called the lithosphere. | |
| 2.1d. The majority of the lithosphere is covered by a relatively thin layer of water called the hydrosphere. |