NAME ________________________________________________ PERIOD ____________ DATE __________________________
UNIT 3: THE EARTH-MOON-SUN SYSTEM
BIG IDEA: Earth and the moon move in predictable ways and have predictable effects on each other
as they orbit the sun.
LESSON 1: EARTH’S DAYS, YEAR AND SEASONS PAGES 141-148
ESSENTIAL QUESTION: How are Earth’s days, year, and seasons related to the way Earth moves
in space?
LEARNING GOAL: You should be able to relate Earth’s days, years and seasons to Earth’s movement
in space.
KEY TERMS:
rotation
day
revolution
year
season
equinox
solstice
LESSON 2: MOON PHASES AND ECLIPSES PAGES 153-160
ESSENTIAL QUESTION: How do Earth, the moon, and the sun affect each other?
LEARNING GOAL: You should be able to describe the effects the sun and the moon have on the Earth,
including gravitational attraction, moon phases, and eclipses.
KEY TERMS:
satellite
gravity
lunar phases
eclipse
umbra
penumbra
LESSON 3: EARTH’S TIDES PAGES 167-174
ESSENTIAL QUESTION: What causes tides?
LEARNING GOAL: You should be able to explain what tides are and what causes them in Earth’s
oceans and to describe variations in the tides.
KEY TERMS:
tide
tidal range
spring tide
neap tide