In this lesson, students model the solar system and analyze Earth’s place in the system as well as how the force of gravity causes the planets to move around the sun in predictable, regular paths. This page serves to highlight the key components of this lesson.
In this unit, students explore the vastness and mysteriousness of the universe, exploring how the Earth-sun-moon system fits into solar system phenomena and the Milky Way Galaxy. In this lesson they evaluate phenomena related to gravity’s role in forming the solar system and how mass and gravity determine weight on other planets. This page showcases key elements in this lesson.
Standards citation: NGSS Lead States. 2013. Next Generation Science Standards: For States, By States. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. Neither WestEd nor the lead states and partners that developed the Next Generation Science Standards were involved in the production of this product, and do not endorse it.