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Earth's Place in the Universe ESS1

ESS1-4 Orbits in the Solar System

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Phenomenon

Orbits of the 8 planets SolarSystemVideos

What do you know before you see this source?  How does it add to your knowledge?
What do you still need to know?

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ESS1-4

Use mathematical or computational representations to predict the motion of orbiting objects in the solar system.


Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on Newtonian gravitational laws governing orbital motions, which apply to human-made satellites as well as planets and moons.

Assessment Boundary: Mathematical representations for the gravitational attraction of bodies and Kepler’s Laws of orbital motions should not deal with more than two bodies, nor involve calculus.

Prior Knowledge/Preview
Investigating Meteorites
Viewing the planets and Skywatching Smithsonian NASM

Our favorite star The Sun EZ Science NASM

Inquiry science
       Printable activity
       On-line activity--Kepler's Law practice

LAB experiments
       Lab #1 Kepler's Laws activity  cK-12
       Lab #2 What do you discover about the Solar System from Hubble images? NASA
       Lab #3 Investigating historic meteorite artifacts WIS

Aerospace CONNECTIONS:
Historic Meteorites Smithsonian Learning Lab
Applications and examples
Orbit demo from NASA ISS
ESS1 4 OSIRIS REx touches down on asteroid Bennu EZ Science NASM

Distance from Sun using transits of Mercury and Venus Activity 11 NASA
Sputnik's Orbits Washington International School

EXTENSION material for the curious

Beyond Earth; Deep Space Chronicles NASA free book
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