Unit 1: The Universe, the Solar System and the Earth.
Find here videos about the Big Bang and the Solar System! (National Geographic)
| definitions_universe.docx |
Find here a link to the NASA, they have many interactive materials to learn about the universe, the planet Earth and the ecology of planet Earth. You can read the page I publish and then you can navigate through it to learn more.
The Sun's characteristics:
The big question:
Why is the Sun in the center of the Solar System?
GRAVITY: the force that keeps objects in orbit. The most massisve objects attract the less massive objects with a hihgher gravity, that's why Planet Earth attracts us and the Sun attracts Planet Earth.
The Sun is the most massive object in our Solar System. It has the highest gravity. That's why it is in the middle of the Solar System and all the planets orbit it.
INERTIA: the force that keep the objects in movement unless there is another force acting on it. Like in the movement of a bus, when it stops suddenly, our bodies continue moving forwards and this force that makes us move is called inertia.
Both forces act together and keep the celestial bodies orbiting the Sun (or other stars).
SEE THE DIFFERENT THEORIES THAT EXPLAIN THE SOLAR SYSTEM:
Copernicus view: Heliocentric Model
Find here a reading about gravity.
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The Solar System: Find here some interesting facts about the planets:
1.- Which planet is the closest to the Sun?
2.- Which planet is the largest?
3.- Which planet spins backwards?
4.- Which planets spin lying on their axis, that means horizontally?
5.- How tilted is the Earth's axis?
| inner_and_outer_planets_charact.docx |
1.- How old are you in plante Earth? And in Mercury?
2.- How old were you in Jupiter? And in Neptune?
3.- If you sleep one terrestrial night that is half of the rotation period, how long would you sleep in Saturn? and in Venus?
THE MOON: the Earth's satellite. It performs two movements : rotation and revolution around the Earth. Both movements last the same time, about 28 days. That is the reason for seeing always the same part of the Moon. We can try in class and you will see how it works.
The Moon phases.
How to read the constelations: Find here the materials (star wheel)
| star_wheel_holder.pdf |
| star_wheel_names.pdf |
Find here an interesting reading about the origin of planet Earth.
| The origin of the Earth-1 |
| The origin of the Earth-2 |
