Unit 2: Earth

and Space
The Solar
System
 Gravity

Gravity is a force of _________________________________________________________

that is due to their masses. Gravity between the objects of the solar system
____________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

__ .

This law states that all objects in the universe attract each other through
gravitational force. The law depends on two things:
____________________________________________________

As mass increases, gravitational As distance increases,

force ___________________________ gravitational force
As mass decreases, ___________________________
gravitational force As distance decreases,
___________________________ gravitational force
___________________________

An object is orbiting when it is

moving around another object in
space. Orbit is caused by two
opposing forces:
___________________________________
___________________________________
 Gravity & Orbits
PHET

1. Set up your simulator by selecting all of the following settings on the right hand side of
the screen.
2. Click the play button and make one observation below about what you saw.
3. Click the orange reset button and recheck the boxes in the settings. Then, change the
mass of the star. What happened to the planet’s orbit?
4. Click the orange reset button and recheck the boxes in the settings. Then, change the
mass of the planet. What happened to the planet’s orbit?
5. Click the orange reset button and recheck the boxes in the settings. Then, change the
mass of both the star and the planet. What happened to the planet’s orbit?
6. Were you able to have the planet leave the orbit of the star? What did you change in
order for that to happen?
7. Were you able to have the planet crash into the star? What did you change in order for
that to happen?
8. If you answered “no” to question 6 or 7, play with the simulator until you can answer
“yes” to both. What did you change in order to make those two things happen?
 Gravity & Orbits
PHET
9. Click the orange reset button and recheck the boxes in the settings.Add a moon to
your simulator by selecting the following in settings.
10. Click the play button and make one observation about what you saw happen to the
moon’s orbit.
11. Click the orange reset button and recheck the boxes in the settings. Then, change the
mass of the planet. What happened to the moon’s orbit?
1. Set up your simulator by selecting all of the following settings on the right hand side of
the screen.
2. Click the play button and make one observation below about what you saw.
3. Click the orange reset button and recheck the boxes in the settings. Then, change the
mass of the star to .5. What happened to the planet’s orbit?
4. Click the orange reset button and recheck the boxes in the settings. Then, change the
mass of the star to 1.5. What happened to the planet’s orbit?
5. In any of the simulations, what happens when you turn gravity off and hit play?
6. Summarize what you have learned about the relationship between mass and gravity in
one sentence below.
 Mercury
Access the NASA homepage
about Mercury linked above.
You will navigate through the
10 Need to Know Things page
and the Overview page to
answer the following research
questions.
Add a photo of Mercury in the
image placeholder to the
right!
 Venus
Access the NASA homepage
about Venus linked above.
You will navigate through the
10 Need to Know Things page
and the Overview page to
answer the following research
questions.
Add a photo of Venus in the
image placeholder to the
right!
 Earth
Access the NASA homepage
about Earth linked above. You
will navigate through the 10
Need to Know Things page
and the Overview page to
answer the following research
questions.
Add a photo of Earth in the
image placeholder to the
right!
 Mars
Access the NASA homepage
about Mars linked above. You
will navigate through the 10
Need to Know Things page
and the Basic Facts page to
answer the following research
questions.
Add a photo of Mars in the
image placeholder to the
right!
 Jupiter
Access the NASA homepage
about Jupiter linked above.
You will navigate through the
10 Need to Know Things page
and the Overview page to
answer the following research
questions.
Add a photo of Jupiter in the
image placeholder to the
right!
 Saturn
Access the NASA homepage
about Saturn linked above.
You will navigate through the
10 Need to Know Things page
and the Overview page to
answer the following research
questions.
Add a photo of Saturn in the
image placeholder to the
right!
 Uranus
Access the NASA homepage
about Uranus linked above.
You will navigate through the
10 Need to Know Things page
and the Overview page to
answer the following research
questions.
Add a photo of the planet
Uranus in the image
placeholder to the right!
 Neptune
Access the NASA homepage
about Neptune linked above.
You will navigate through the
10 Need to Know Things page
and the Basic Facts page to
answer the following research
questions.
Add a photo of Neptune in the
image placeholder to the
right!
Solar System Patterns
NASA’s spacecrafts have collected
large amounts of data about the
planets in our solar system. Some of
the data about our planets can be
graphed so that relationships and
patterns can be analyzed and used in
further understanding of where we
live. Use the NASA Solar System
website and your research to complete
each planet’s data in the Planetary
Information Table below.
 Solar System Patterns
Using the information you collected on the data
table, plot each planet based on its temperature
and distance from the sun on the graph below.
What patterns do you notice when you have all the
planets plotted?

8
0
0
7
0
0
6
0
0
5
0
0
4
0
0
3
0
T 0
e
m 2
p 0
e 0
r 1
a 0
t 0
u
0
r
e
(
C -
) 10
0
-
20 5 1 1 2 2 3 3
0 0 5 from the 0 5 0 5
Distance Sun
(AU)
 Sun
!

Today, you will use the website

linked above and the video on
the screen to the left to learn
about comets. The Sun has
specific characteristics and is
found in certain places in our
solar system. Your key take
aways from these resources
should include:
What are they?
Where are they found?
What are they made of?

Using what you learned about the sun, create a sketchnote in the space below.
Need an example of a sketchnote? Click here!
 The Moon
!

Today, you will use the website

linked above and the video on
the screen to the left to learn
about comets. The Moon has
specific characteristics and are
found in certain places in our
solar system. Your key take
aways from these resources
should include:
What are they?
Where are they found?
What are they made of?

Using what you learned about the moon, create a sketchnote in the space below.
Need an example of a sketchnote? Click here!
 Comets
!

Today, you will use the website

linked above and the video on
the screen to the left to learn
about comets. Comets have
specific characteristics and are
found in certain places in our
solar system. Your key take
aways from these resources
should include:
What are they?
Where are they found?
What are they made of?

Using what you learned about comets, create a sketchnote in the space below.
Need an example of a sketchnote? Click here!
 Asteroids
!

Today, you will use the website

linked above and the video on
the screen to the left to learn
about asteroids. Asteroids
have specific characteristics
and are found in certain places
in our solar system. Your key
take aways from these
resources should include:
What are they?
Where are they found?
What are they made of?

Using what you learned about asteroids, create a sketchnote in the space below.
Need an example of a sketchnote? Click here!
 Meteors
!

Today, you will use the website

linked above and the video on
the screen to the left to learn
about meteors. Meteors have
specific characteristics and are
found in certain places in our
solar system. Your key take
aways from these resources
should include:
What are they?
Where are they found?
What are they made of?

Using what you learned about meteors, create a sketchnote in the space below.
Need an example of a sketchnote? Click here!
 Kuiper Belt
!

Today, you will use the website

linked above and the video on
the screen to the left to learn
about meteors. The Kuiper Belt
has specific characteristics
and is found in certain places
in our solar system. Your key
take aways from these
resources should include:
What are they?
Where are they found?
What are they made of?

Using what you learned about the Kuiper Belt, create a sketchnote in the space
below. Need an example of a sketchnote? Click here!
 Oort Cloud
!

Today, you will use the website

linked above and the video on
the screen to the left to learn
about meteors. The Oort Cloud
has specific characteristics
and is found in certain places
in our solar system. Your key
take aways from these
resources should include:
What are they?
Where are they found?
What are they made of?

Using what you learned about the Oort Cloud, create a sketchnote in the space
below. Need an example of a sketchnote? Click here!
Earth is the third planet from the Sun. Earth is the
only planet known to support life which is why it is
called the habitable zone. Everything here is “just
right” for life to exist, from the temperature to the
presence of water.

Read the graphic below and think about what an

astronaut would need to make space travel
The atmosphere
possible. is made up of
The proximity 21% oxygen
to the Sun which we need
makes the to breathe.
temperature
just right.
The Earth’s core
creates a strong
The mass of magnetic field to
the Earth protect us from
makes the pull astroids.
of gravity JUST
RIGHT.

Earth’s atmosphere
The Earth is
traps heat and
covered in 71%
protects from us
water which
from harmful
living things
radiation.
need to
Earth’s atmosphere plays a key role in protecting
life on our planet. It traps the Sun’s heat while at
the same time blocking harmful radiation.

The Earth contains around 78% Nitrogen, 21%

oxygen, and 1% other.
In order to travel in space, astronauts need
special accommodations to survive. Read below
to learn more about astronaut needs in space.
A space suit is also called an extravehicular mobility unit
and provides the astronaut what they need to survive in
space. Since the temperature can range from -2500F to
2500F, the space suit must be able to survive both
temperature extremes.

Watch this video and answer the questions below:

What could happen to an astronaut if they did not

wear a spacesuit in space?

What things are the three things necessary for EVA

space suits?

How many layers thick is a typical spacesuit?

What kind of materials protect against space

radiation?
Choose one of the options below and learn more about
SPACE! Add what you learned at the bottom by creating
sketchnotes!

Astronaut Moon
Chris Landing DK Find
Hatfield Anniversar OUT - All
Debunks y About Life
Space Interview in Space
Myths with
Micheal
Collins
Elon Musk’s SpaceX is working on the next
generation of reusable launch vehicles, that may
be capable of transporting humans to Mars.
Currently, NASA’s Artemis program is working
with Space X to develop a starship that can
transport crew between orbit and the Moon.
Watch this video and think
SpaceX - about whether or not you
The First would go to Mars!
Humans
on Mars Add notes and thoughts
below.
NASA is currently working on many projects in
relation to COVID-19 and the environment.
Choose one project and learn more about it. Add
your notes to the page below.
NASA PROJECTS
How has COVID-19 and COVID19
changed our Effects on the
environment? Environment
Plate Tectonics
 The continents
look just like
the pieces of a
broken puzzle!

Over 100 years ago, a German scientist named Alfred Wegener

discovered
something fascinating about a map of Earth. He realized that the
continents seem to fit together like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.
Wegener believed the continents were once joined together in a
giant landmass named Pangaea.
Alfred Wegener was born in Germany on November 1, 1880.
During his childhood years, he become interested in the island of
Greenland, where exciting new studies in geophysics were being
made. He was determined to visit Greenland someday. He even
built and tested his physical endurance so that he would be able
to endure the harsh climate of the desolate island.
Wegener was an educated man and received his doctoral degree
in 1904. He specialized in astronomy and the new science of
meteorology, the study of weather. In 1906, he was invited to
join a Danish expedition to Greenland as chief meteorologist.
While on the expedition, Wegener discovered a piece of data that
bothered him for years to come. The data he collected about the
island’s longitudinal location did not match data that had been
collected by others in the past.
In 1912, Wegener proposed a theory that at one time all Earth’s
landmasses were joined together, forming one giant
supercontinent. He named the giant supercontinent Pangaea,
which means “all lands” in Greek. Wegener’s theory, called
Continental Drift, was not well received by other scientists.
In 1914, while serving in the military during World War I,
Wegener was wounded in battle. While recuperating, he wrote a
 The continents
look just like
the pieces of a
broken puzzle!

In 1928, the exclusive American Association of Petroleum

Geologists invited Wegener to New York to present his theory.
Wegener based his theory on five major pieces of evidence as
described below:
1. The shapes of the continents of South America and Africa
seem to fit together like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. This
is especially true when you consider the actual edges of the
continents, which extend beneath sea level.
2. Matching fossils of both plants and animals occur along
the east coast of South America and the west coast of
Africa.
3.Matching folded mountain belts appear along the east
coast of South American and the west coast of Africa.
4. Evidence of ancient climates show that landmasses were
once located on different parts of Earth from where they are
located today. For example, glacial deposits are found in the
hot, tropical areas of Africa, and coal deposits, which come
from lush, tropical swamps, are found under the ice of
Antarctica.
5. The data that Wegener collected about the longitudinal
location of Greenland did not match the data collected by
earlier expeditions. Therefore, Wegener believed Greenland
was moving away from the continent of Europe.
 The continents
look just like
the pieces of a
broken puzzle!

The one piece of evidence that Wegener did not have was a valid
explanation about how the continents moved across the ocean
floor.
After Wegener presented his theory and supporting evidence to
the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, he faced
strong opposition and ridicule. Members commented that he was
eccentric and preposterous and lacked common sense. One
member ridiculed Wegener by dismissing him as “just a
meteorologist.”
After the debate in New York, Most of the scientific community
dropped Wegener’s theory. However, Wegener became more
determined than ever to find answers to his questions. Why did
the shapes of South America and Africa fit so well together?
How did coal form at the South Pole? How did glaciers exist in a
tropical climate in Africa? Wegener continued leading expeditions
around the world looking for further evidence to support his
theory. In 1930, Wegener returned to Greenland for his fourth
visit. Ironically, the meteorologist became stranded in a blizzard
and died. After his death, the Continental Drift Theory was
dismissed as being unbelievable.
During World War II, oceans were explored more extensively.
After the war, new and modern technologies, such as SONAR,
provided easier ocean exploration. New discoveries brought
Alfred Wegener’s theory of continental drift back to the forefront.
Leading to the development of a new, more encompassing
theory called plate tectonics.
 The continents
look just like
the pieces of a
broken puzzle!

Today, Wegener’s research is accepted in a different light. Even

though he did not have all the answers necessary to fully
understand the movement of the continents, he did lay the
foundation for today’s understanding of our planet’s geophysics.
He is now referred to as a scientific hero who was ahead of his
time and is called the “Father of Continental Drift.”
 Contour Lines - Contour Lines -
Rules Rules

Your
Your completed
completed Pangea
Pangea puzzle
puzzle Pangea
Pangea -- Fossil
Fossil Evidence
Evidence
1. Which two continents have the most obvious fit?
South America and Africa.
2. How were the fossil/mountain symbols helpful in fitting
the pieces together?
We could use it to figure out where they could fit together
because Having the same fossils or mountain ranges could
signify if they were ever joined together.
3. Which fossil occurs the most?
Glossopteris
4. Why would this make sense from an Ecology standpoint
(think: energy pyramid!)
Because plants are at the bottom f the energy pyramid.
5. Why do the continents not fit perfectly?
Because the Earth changes (Erosion, weathering,
 Watch the “Wegener’s
BEFORE Evidence”
answering EdPuzzle video
the questions.

Explain how each piece of evidence supports Wegener’s

Theory of Continental Drift:
 Plate Tectonics Notes

________________________________ are the pieces that the lithosphere is broken

into.
____________________________ are the weaknesses in the crust that separate
the plates.
_____________________________________ cause the plates to shift and move.

Oceanic Crust is
_____________________________________________________________ .It is mostly
made up of Basalt rock. Basalt is more ____________________ than Granite.
Continental Crust makes up the
________________________________________________________ . It is mostly made
up of granite. Granite is _______________________________ than basalt.
 Plate Tectonics Notes

Definition: Where two plates

___________________________________________________________ . As the plate boundary
spreads, magma rises and new crust is formed.
Types of Crust:
________________________________________________________________________
Geological Features:
___________________________________________________________________
Real-World Example:
__________________________________________________________________
Definition: Where two plates
____________________________________________________________ . This motion is what
causes Earthquakes. Crust is not created nor destroyed at these boundaries.
Types of Crust:
________________________________________________________________________
Geological Features:
___________________________________________________________________
Real-World Example:
__________________________________________________________________
 Plate Tectonics Notes

Definition: Where
______________________________________________________________________ . The collision
causes the plates to pile on top of each other. Crust is not created nor destroyed.
Types of Crust:
________________________________________________________________________
Geological Features:
___________________________________________________________________
Real-World Example:
__________________________________________________________________
Definition: Where two plates
_____________________________________________________________ underneath the other
and is destroyed. Because Basalt is more dense, the oceanic crust will sink.
Types of Crust: ______________________________________________________________________
Geological Features: ________________________________________________________________
Real-World Example: _______________________________________________________________
Plate Tectonics Map
Plate Boundaries Lab

1. Place two graham crackers

side by side on the
asthenosphere.
2. Press down slowly on the
two graham cracker
squares and slowly push
them apart from each other
about one centimeter.
3. What is exposed by their
separation?

1. Place two graham crackers

side by side on the
asthenosphere.
2. Press down slowly on the
two graham cracker
squares and slowly push
them apart from each other
about one centimeter.
3. What nature disaster occurs
as a result of this
movement?
Plate Boundaries Lab

1. Place two graham crackers

side by side on the
asthenosphere.
2. Press down slowly on the
two graham cracker
squares and slowly push
them apart from each other
about one centimeter.
3. What is exposed by their
separation?

1. Place two graham crackers

side by side on the
asthenosphere.
2. Press down slowly on the
two graham cracker
squares and slowly push
them apart from each other
about one centimeter.
3. What nature disaster occurs
as a result of this
movement?