Unit 5 Lesson 2 OPA - Chino

What makes up the solar system? Big Idea

Anticipatory Set

Science Standard 5.b Students know the solar system includes the planet Earth, the Moon, the Sun, eight other planets and their satellites, and smaller objects such as asteroids and comets.

Science Standard 6.G Record data by using appropriate graphic representations and make inferences based on those data.

Input Solar System: A star and all the planets and other objects that revolve around it Planet: A body that revolves around a star Satellite: A body in space that orbits a larger body

Input Asteroid: A piece of rock and metal that orbits the sun Comet: A ball of ice, rock, and frozen gases that orbits the sun

Input – The Inner Planets (pg. 346) Our solar system is made up of 9 planets. Most of these planets have moons or satellites. The four inner planets are: Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars All of the inner planets are rocky and dense.

Input – The Inner Planets (pg. 346) Mercury is the closest to the sun. Like our moon, Mercury has no atmosphere and is covered in craters and dust. The side that faces the sun is very hot (430°C) and the side that faces away is very cold (-130°C). Venus is the brightest object in the sky, after the moon. Same size as earth. Hotter than Mercury because it’s thick atmosphere keeps heat from escaping (460°C).

Input – The Inner Planets (pg. 346) Earth’s atmosphere and liquid water make it the only planet known to support life. The atmosphere keeps temperatures that support living things. Mars is called the red planet because of its reddish soil. The atmosphere is mostly carbon dioxide. “River” valleys show that it once had liquid water. Has the largest volcano in the solar system.

Input – The outer planets (Pg. 348) The five outer planets are: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto The first four planets are called gas giants because they are mostly made of helium and hydrogen.

Input – The outer planets (Pg. 348) Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system. It has one ring and dozens of moons (including the largest moon in the solar system). The Great Red Spot is a storm that has lasted for 400 years. Saturn is best known for its rings, which are made of ice, dust, boulders, and frozen gases. Also has dozens of moons. Jupiter and Saturn are the only outer planets that can be seen without a telescope.

Input – The outer planets (Pg. 348) Uranus has many moons and rings. This planet rotates on an axis that is more tilted. Compared to other planets it seems to be rolling around its orbit instead of spinning. Neptune has several rings and moons as well. It has the strongest winds in the solar system and is similar in size to Uranus. Pluto is small and rocky, unlike the outer planets. Its orbit is unusual and sometimes passes inside of Neptune’s orbit.

Input – Asteroids and Comets (pg. 350) The areas between Mars and Jupiter is called the asteroid belt. This is a ring-shaped region with thousands of small rocky bodies too small to be planets. A comet’s orbit can pull it close to the sun and then back out around Pluto. When the comet comes close to the sun it melts and releases a gas that is seen as a tail.

Summary Write your own! You can do it!

Unanswered Questions What gases come from a melting comet? Create 2 more (You must have 3 written down).

Across the disciplines You are a writer for the OPA Daily newspaper. Please write a one paragraph article telling us something exciting about our solar system. Maybe a new comet has been discovered, or they just discovered the traces of water on mars. Make it interesting and full of facts!

Modeling Which planet seems to be rolling around on its orbit? Uranus Which planet is called the red planet? Mars

Check for understanding How many planets is our solar system made of? 9

Check for understanding What do you call a body in space that orbits a larger body? A satellite