Vocabulary
What is the diameter?
The distance across the center of a circle/sphere at its widest point.
The sun rises in the __________ and sets in the ___________.
east, west
Which way/direction does the Earth rotate?
Counterclockwise
What is a synonym for revolving?
Orbiting
True or False: The Sun is bigger AND closer than both the moon and other stars, which is why it appears much brighter in the night sky.
False: The Sun is not bigger than other stars, and it is not closer than the moon. It appears brighter because it is the closest star to us, but also because more of the light it is producing is reaching our eyes.
What is the difference between a planet and a satellite?
A planet is an object that orbits around the Sun. A satellite is an object that orbits around another planet.
A class in Minnesota went outside every day at 10:00 in the morning and measured the shadow of the same tree. When they measured the winter shadow, they noticed it was longer than in the fall. Why is that?
a. The tree got shorter during the winter after it lost its leaves.
b. The Sun is higher in the sky in the winter than in the fall.
c. The Sun is lower in the sky in the winter than in the fall.
d. The Sun's position in the sky does not change from season to season, so they must have measured wrong.
c. The Sun is lower in the sky in the winter than in the fall.
True or False: The moon plays a role in causing us to have an alternating pattern of day and night.
What two motions cause us to experience a difference in the number of daylight hours at different times of the year?
a. the rotation of the Earth on a tilted axis
b. the revolution of the Sun around the Earth
c. the revolution of the Earth around the Sun
d. the rotation of the Moon on its axis
a. the rotation of the Earth on a tilted axis
c. the revolution of the Earth around the Sun
You would think that Mercury should be the hottest planet in our solar system, but it is not. Which one is and why?
Venus is the hottest planet because it has a very thick atmosphere that holds all of the heat from the sun in, like a sleeping bag. Mercury has no atmosphere to hold its heat in.
The Earth rotates around its ________, which is an imaginary line through the middle of the planet which extends through the _________ _______ and ________ _________.
axis, North Pole, South Pole
Why do shadows appear to move throughout the course of one day?
Why do we only see stars during the night?
We only see stars at night because during the day the sun's light is too bright, so it blocks out light from the stars. When we face away from the sun, we can see the stars' light.
Look at the picture. Why is this picture an inaccurate model of revolution? Explain how you could change it to be more accurate.
The Sun does not revolve around the Earth. The Earth should be revolving/going around the Sun.
Give 2 reasons why Pluto is considered a dwarf planet and not a planet.
1. It is much smaller than all of the other planets.
2. It does not "clear its orbit" or pull other small objects in its orbiting path into it to make satellites.
3. It does not follow the pattern of farther away planets being made of gas and being larger in size.
What is a shadow/how is it made?
A shadow is an area behind an opaque object where light is blocked from reaching.
How can you tell if a shadow is appearing in the middle of the day vs. at the end of the day?
If it is the middle of the day, the shadow will be short and facing mostly north. If it is the end of the day, the shadow will be long and facing toward the east.
Look at the picture. If we were standing at a position where sunrise is happening, what phase of the moon would be directly overhead at that time?
Third quarter moon
What is causing the moon to stay in orbit around the Earth?
The inertia (forward motion) of the Moon is being balanced by the gravity from the Earth, which is pulling the Moon toward it.
What is one difference and one similarity between asteroids and comets?
Differences: Asteroids have a rocky composition while comets have an icy composition. Asteroids are found in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Comets are found mostly in the Kuiper Belt past Neptune.
Similarities: Both asteroids and comets revolve/orbit around the sun. Both can have irregular shapes.
What is the difference between rotating and revolving?
Rotating is when an object spins around its own axis. Revolving is when an object travels around another object in a circular path.
Look at the picture. This picture was taken of some friends as they are walking home from the park in the evening. Where is the sun? Which direction is North, East, South, and West? How do you know?
The sun is at the top of the picture. The top is west, the bottom is east, the left side is south, and the right side is north. We know this because the shadows are facing the opposite direction from the sun. The sun must be in the west since it is later in the day, and it sets in the west.
You are using a lamp, a basketball, and a Lego person to model what causes day and night on Earth. What parts of your model stay in one place? What parts of your model move? How do they move?
The lamp stays in one place. The Lego person stays in one place on the basketball. The basketball rotates or spins, but does not move around the lamp.
Look at the picture. What needs to be added to this model in order to show why we see different stars at different times throughout one year? Explain why.
An arrow to show that the Earth is revolving or moving around the Sun needs to be added. This shows that as the Earth moves, we are looking at different parts of the sky at night time. This causes us to see different constellations.
Explain why you can't possibly show an accurate model of the solar system in a book.
If you had accurate sizes, you would not have enough space to accurately show the distances between the planets. If you had accurate distances, the size of the planets would be microscopic, and you wouldn't be able to see them.