Earth’s Place in the Universe

Earth’s Place in the Universe

4-ESS1-1. Identify evidence from patterns in rock formations and fossils in rock layers to support an explanation for changes in a landscape over time. [Clarification Statement: Examples of evidence from patterns could include rock layers with marine shell fossils
above rock layers with plant fossils and no shells, indicating a change from land to water over time; and, a canyon with different rock layers in the walls and a river in the bottom, indicating that over time a river cut through the rock.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include specific knowledge of the mechanism of rock formation or memorization of specific rock formations and layers. Assessment is limited to relative time.]

1 (1 day) What's with all the spheres? What does down mean?
-review drawing labeled diagrams
-Day 1
Set 1: How does falling work?
Google Earth: Draw People And Objects: Which directions are they falling?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlTVIMOix3I
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRhkQTQxm4w
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/pgifs/Planetgravity.GIF
http://www.exploratorium.edu/ronh/weight/
Sum up what we know: direction and pull, mass and inertia, gravitons and 'bending' space time
TPWS: Draw a diagram to explain how falling works.

Set 2: How does gravity + inertia = spheres and orbits?
-do spinning bucket of water bucket
http://www.qrg.northwestern.edu/projects/vss/docs/media/space-environment/tug-o-war.gif
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeyDf4ooPdo
image 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19zUMpkrGrA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfSr-pe2R1I
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhS8K4gFu4s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpUaf4KDvE0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYeCsyXJODs

Assessment
http://www.solarsystemscope.com
TPWS: Draw a diagram: Explain what you are seeing here and why?
Required vocabulary: Orbit, Sphere, Gravity, Inertia, Mass

2 (1 day) Why doesn't it seem round?
-review drawing a diagram with labels or captions for each set of clips and images.
Set 1: Sattelite Images of Earth & Other Bodies: Scale & Shape
Set 2: Sun Sticks
Set 3: Shadows & Eclipses

standard: Earth’s daily spin relative to the Sun causes night and day.

1 (2 days) Why do and don't you notice it spinning?
-videos and images: spin, night, day, nuclear fission & fusion, light
-Comparison of Visual Models for Night & Day
-Groups: using your light source, paper, tennis ball, toothpicks, and tape: prepare a presentation on night and day.
-Day 2: Diagrams (star, sun, earth, day, night, dawn, dusk, axis, direction of rotation)
-Why don’t the other stars cause day and night?

1 (1 day) What's the deal with seasons (tilt and orbit) versus day and night (rotation)?
1a. Watch these videos.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GY6Pya_0OuU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u41ozQchuXk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXY79qBxovE

1b. Examine these images.
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/1b/5a/b8/1b5ab84a755a401b2ad60848dfb73548.jpg
http://www.weatherquestions.com/Seasons.gif
http://www.natureshift.org/dakotaS/Moon/images/earthaxis.gif
http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/review/seasons/seasons.en.jpg

1c. In your science journal, draw a labeled diagram that explain how the Earth's orbit and tilt work together to cause seasons.

2. Now its your turn to do the research: watch at least one video, and find at least one image that explain what causes day and night, then draw a labeled diagram in your journal explaining how the Earth's rotation (NOT its orbit) causes day and night.

1 (1 day) What are stars?
-Videos and Visuals: star, light year, fission
-Presentation: How gravity creates stars.
-Scale Demonstration of Star Size
-Scale Demonstration of Quantity of Stars
-Solar System Diagrams

1. View These Images and Videos About the Big Bang
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gs-yWMuBNr4

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6f/CMB_Timeline300_no_WMAP.jpg/350px-CMB_Timeline300_no_WMAP.jpg

http://scienceblogs.com/startswithabang/files/2010/04/history.bigbang.jpeg

http://ssscott.tripod.com/bang.jpg

2. View These Image and Videos About Star and Solar System Formation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzakPW6PdiQ

http://www.nrao.edu/pr/2012/clumpcores/Clump-core_med.jpg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbMR5qeZ5dM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8B5YOUGJmg

Optional: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080731143329.htm

3. Explain how the series of images below show how the big bang and gravity shaped our universe.
You must use the words big bang, expand, gravity, condense, density.

2 (1 day) How far away are different stars?
-Light Years & Scientific Notation: Students need to learn the basics of how to read it so that they can compare the suns distance to other stars.
-Write Distances and Sizes of Different Stars in Scientific Notation
-Scale Demonstration of a Light Year
**So, why does the sun SEEM so big and bright?**

standard: Earth’s nearly circular yearly orbit around the Sun causes us to see different constellations at different times of year.

1 (1 day): It spins AND orbits!
-Clips & Images: Constellations at different times of the year.
-What are the constellations really?
-Why are they not as bring as the sun?
-Are they moving or are we moving?
-Project and Connect Constellations on the Smart Board
-Group Posters: Orbits & Constellations in a Year
*Include a footnote: How is this Different from Spinning and Light & Night in a Day?

1. Research the definition of a Nebula. Make sure you understand.

2. Watch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHayvV92PKA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=98&v=H33BXuPXB98

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AoIDsvMmSk

3. Read one of these:
hard.... http://scienceforkids.kidipede.com/physics/space/star.htm
or harder ....http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/space/universe/stars-article/

4. Read this:
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/space/sun/

5. Answer these 3 questions in your journal with diagrams and full sentences.
-How do stars form from nebula?

-Why does the sun seem so much brighter to us than other stars? Is it really brighter?

-Why does the sun make it harder to see other stars in the day more than the night?

LEAVE YOUR JOURNAL OPEN TO BE GRADED and explore this...
http://stars.chromeexperiments.com

1 (3 days): Claims and Evidence: Does light go forward (unless stopped) or gradually fade away?
-Day 1: Initial Debate and Writing, Forming Research Questions and Arguments
-Day 2: Research
-Day 3: Revision

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Now the weird transition to fossils: It fits with this standards... but move it?

1 How might long term input changes effect a population (adapt behavior, migrate, ADAPT BODY, or die)
-How long does adaption take? It depends on generation / lifespan.
-Images: Adaption
-Class Case Study #1. Finch Beaks
-Day 2: Review With english moths and coal
-Independent Case Study: Artic Ice Melting & Polar Bears
-Class Case Study Case Study: Homo Sapiens & Tool Use into an Ice Age
*Disculss survival rates: >99% of All Species Are Extinct: What can we infer from this?

1 (1 day) What is the probability of an organism becoming a fossil?
-Clips & Images for each of the 4 events below:
Tar Pit, Sap, Sediment Cover: Water Deposition, Volcanic Ash, Landslides Sea Creatures on Continental Divides
-Pass out texts: Students will fill in Event, Organism, Composition, Completeness for each case study.

1 (2 days): How do we date fossils?
-Clips & Slideshow for Each Dating Method
-Environmental Surroundings, Layer, Carbon-14
-Case Study 1: What can you infer about this fossil and its environment? Use claims and evidence format.
-Case Study 2: Hominid Jaw, Teeth, & Upper Rear Skull Size
-Group Case Study: Canada Shale
-Day 2: Pair Study: Mountain Shells, Early Organisms (No plants or animals), Whale Forerunner, Frozen Mastadon