The student will investigate and understand the organization of the solar system and the interactions among the various bodies that comprise it. Key concepts include
1. Earth has unique properties;
2. the rotation of Earth in relationship to the sun causes day and night;
3. the movement of Earth and the moon in relationship to the sun causes phases of the moon;
4. Earth’s tilt as it revolves around the sun causes the seasons; and
5. the relationship between Earth and the moon is the primary cause of tides.

Planet Earth

• Earth is a rocky planet, extensively covered with large oceans of liquid water, with ice caps in its polar regions.
  • Earth has a protective atmosphere consisting predominantly of nitrogen and oxygen and has a magnetic field.
  • The atmosphere and the magnetic field help shield Earth’s surface from harmful solar radiation.
  • Scientific evidence indicates that Earth is about 4.5 billion years old.

Revolution and Rotation

• The interactions and orientations of the sun, Earth, and moon lead to patterns that are evidenced in seasons, eclipses, and the phases of the moon.

• As Earth rotates, different sides of Earth face toward or away from the sun, thus causing day and night, respectively.

• Seasons are caused by a combination of the tilt of Earth on its axis, the curvature of Earth’s surface and, thus, the angle at which sunlight strikes the surface of Earth during its annual revolution around the sun.

Moon Phases; Tides

• The relative positions of the moon, Earth, and sun give rise to moon phases
• Tides are the result of the gravitational pull of the moon and sun on the surface waters of Earth.