CURRICULUM TOOL: ASTRONOMY
THE SOLAR SYSTEM
NYS Earth Science Core Curriculum
Performance Indicator 1.1 Explain complex phenomena, such as tides, variations in day length,
solar insolation, apparent motion of the planets, and annual traverse of the constellations.
1.1a Most objects in the solar system are in regular and predictable motion.
 These motions explain such phenomena as the day, the year, seasons, phases of the moon,
eclipses, and tides.
 Gravity influences the motions of celestial objects. The force of gravity between two
objects in the universe depends on their masses and the distance between them.
1.1b Nine planets move around the Sun in nearly circular orbits.
 The orbit of each planet is an ellipse with the Sun located at one of the foci.
 Earth is orbited by one moon and many artificial satellites.
Performance Indicator 1.2 Describe current theories about the origin of the universe and solar
system.
1.2c Our solar system formed about five billion years ago from a giant cloud of gas and debris.
Gravity caused Earth and the other planets to become layered according to density differences
in their materials.
 The characteristics of the planets of the solar system are affected by each planet’s location
in relationship to the Sun.
 The terrestrial planets are small, rocky, and dense. The Jovian planets are large, gaseous,
and of low density.
1.2d Asteroids, comets, and meteors are components of our solar system.
 Impact events have been correlated with mass extinction and global climatic change.
 Impact craters can be identified in Earth’s crust.
Some Past Part A Questions
1. The modern heliocentric model of planetary motion states that the planets travel around
(1) the Sun in slightly elliptical orbits (3) Earth in slightly elliptical orbits
(2) the Sun in circular orbits
(4) Earth in circular orbits
2. Compared to Jovian planets, terrestrial planets have
(1) larger masses
(3) shorter periods of revolution
(2) larger equatorial diameters
(4) shorter periods of rotation
High School of Language and Innovation 2012 (draft)
Curriculum-Based Questions
 How do the planes move?
 Compare and contrast the inner and outer
planets of our solar system.
 Compare and contrast asteroids, comets, and
meteors.
 How was our solar system formed?
 Complete one activity from the green
Astronomy Binder.
Earth Science Reference Table
pg. 15
Some Past Part A, B-1, B-2, C Questions
January 2013 Question 83-85
August 2012 Question 27, 56
June 2012 Questions 36, 37, 49, 50
*Released Regents Tests:
http://www.nysedregents.org/earthscience/
CURRICULUM TOOL: ASTRONOMY
THE SOLAR SYSTEM
3. The diagram to the right shows the orbital paths of Earth, Mars, Jupiter, and a comet named Wild 2.
What is the approximate distance between the Sun and Wild 2 when this comet is closest to the Sun?
(1) 150 million kilometers
(2) 228 million kilometers
(3) 778 million kilometers
(4) 820 million kilometers
Resources for Learning
Readings
Websites
Videos
Activities
Holt (yellow book) pg. 685688 (formation), 691-694
(models & gravity), 695707 (planets), 739-744
(smaller bodies)
Solar System
http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/space
/solar-system/
Solar System Exploration
http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/index.cfm
The Nine Planets Solar System Tour
http://nineplanets.org/
Astronomy: Solar System
http://hmxearthscience.com/solar_system.html
Solar System Formation
http://www.windows2universe.org/our_solar_syste
m/formation.html
Regents Review Materials
http://regentsprep.org
http://reviewearthscience.com/
http://regentsearth.com/
Solar System 101
http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/kids/sci
ence-space-kids/solar-system-101-kids/
Magic School Bus Book: Lost in the Solar System
http://www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video
_id=130597
Greatest Discoveries: Elliptical Orbits
http://science.discovery.com/tv-shows/greatestdiscoveries/videos/100-greatest-discoveries-shortselliptical-orbits.htm
Orbit Shapes Interactive Animation
http://www.windows2universe.org/physical_science
/physics/mechanics/orbit/orbit_shape_interactive.h
tml
Astronomy Binder
Glencoe (big blue book) pg.
777-779 (eccentricity and
gravity), 780-792
(planets), 793-797 (solar
system)
McGuire (little blue book)
pg. 618-620 (models),
642-646 (orbits), 647-648
(gravity), 662 (origin),
663-671 (planets), 671675 (smaller bodes)
Unison Reading Binder:
Astronomy
Foreign Language:
Formación del Sistema Solar
http://www.windows2universe.org/our_solar_syste
m/formation.html&lang=sp
High School of Language and Innovation 2012 (draft)
At home:
Solar System
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGdhXKCKxNA
Solar System Data: Page 15 of the Reference Table
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAU6085BcFk
Ellipses
www.youtube.com/watch?v=loc-gCWXy2U
Stack Them
Activity
Astronomy
Flashcards