Weight in Space
What do you think you would weigh on
the moon? What about on each of the
planets in our solar system? The gravity
of an object is related to its mass and
density. The more mass an object has,
the stronger its pull of gravity. The pull
of Earth’s gravity is what gives us
weight. Gravitational pull weakens with
distance. The surface gravity of Earth is
considered as one, and the moon and
the other planets are considered as a
fraction of that. Research the formula
for doing the math that would compare
your Earth weight to what you would
weigh on the moon, as well as the other
planets. Show your data on charts and
bar graphs.
Space Tic-Tac-Toe
Create a New Constellation and
its Myth
Read/research the connections between
our current constellations and Greek
myths. Use black/blue construction
paper and paper clips to create a new
constellation to add to our Universe.
Complete the organizer for describing
your new constellation. Write a myth for
your constellation explaining how it got
its name and arrangement. Be sure to
include information from your
organizer.
How Fast are Planets Moving?
Because the planet we live on seems
so stable, it is sometimes hard to
believe that wea re always moving.
How fast is the earth moving? To find
out you will need to find the
circumference of Earth’s equator. Just
by knowing the diameter of a planet,
you will be able to calculate its
circumference. With this information
you will then be able to figure the
speed of the planet. What did you
discover about the relationship
between the diameter and the
circumference?
Make a Sundial
Space Exploration
No one know when sundials were
designed to tell time. It is believed
that the Babylonians used them as
early as 2000 BC. Sundials use the
shadow falling across a dial face which
has lines at different angles to
indicate the hours. The hour angles on
the sundial depend upon the latitude.
Research to find how a sundial works.
Follow the procedure for constructing
a sundial. Be prepared to test your
sundial on a flat pave area in the sun,
make any adjustments necessary to
correspond to the current time, and
then conduct a retest on a different
day.
For centuries people have wondered
about space. Galileo invented the
telescope to get a closer look at the moon
and planets. As technology became more
advanced, steam engines and then fuel
engines were create, and people became
more curious about space travel. Robert
Goddard built the first rocket. The Soviet
Union became the first country to put a
satellite into space. In 1969, the US put
men on the moon. Do you think the space
program is important? Make a T-chart
providing reasons for continuing to send
rockets, satellites, and people into space
and reasons for discontinuing space
exploration. Choose a side and write an
article persuading others to think as you
do.
Crossword Puzzle
Create a crossword puzzle using
grid paper provided for the
activity. Write clues for the
vocabulary words we have
studied in this unit related to
solar system, gravity,
constellations, black holes, space
exploration, etc. Make the
puzzle challenging for your
classmates. Be sure to provide
an answer key.
FREE SPACE OR FREE CHOICE
Total Eclipse of Moon or Sun?
Casting Call
Earth has one moon called Luna. When
you look up in the night sky, the largest
thing you can see if the moon. It looks
like a bright, white ball, but the moon
does not actually make its own light. It
just reflects light from the sun. We say
that there is a new moon when the
moon is between the Earth and Sun.
When this happens, we cannot see the
lit side of the moon, so the moon is dark
in the night sky. There is another time
the moon is dark. Research eclipses.
Create a model or diagram to show the
difference between lunar and solar
eclipses. Have you ever heard the
expression, “Once in a blue moon?”
Research blue moons to see if they
actually exist.
Each of the eight planets in the solar
system has its own unique traits just like
the characters in a book, movie, or
video game do use what you know
about the planets to turn each one into
a superhero character. You will have to
create the name, look and personality of
each planetary figure. Use the chart
provided to organize your work. Choose
one of the following activities:
Design a comic strip that tells
a story using your characters.
Write a story about your
superhero crew. It could tell
about a mission they must
complete together, or it could
ttell the story of how their
smallest member (Pluto) was
kicked out of the crew.