DESCRIPTION Host Tom Selleck conducts a stellar tour of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto--the outer planets of Earth's solar system. Information from the Voyager space probes plus computer models help clarify the features and makeup of these planets. ACADEMIC STANDARDS Subject Area: Science Standard: Understands essential ideas about the composition and structure of the universe and the Earth s place in it Benchmark: Knows that although the origin of the universe remains one of the greatest questions in science, current scientific evidence supports the "big bang" theory, which states that between 10 and 20 billion years ago, the entire contents of the universe expanded explosively into existence from a single, hot, dense chaotic mass; our solar system formed from a nebular cloud of dust and gas about 4.6 billion years ago (See Instructional Goal #1) Benchmark: Knows that although the origin of the universe remains one of the greatest questions in science, current scientific evidence supports the "big bang" theory, which states that between 10 and 20 billion years ago, the entire contents of the universe expanded explosively into existence from a single, hot, dense chaotic mass; our solar system formed from a nebular cloud of dust and gas about 4.6 billion years ago (See Instructional Goal #2) INSTRUCTIONAL GOALS 1. To outline the current theory of the formation of our solar system. 2. To give an overview of the scientific knowledge of each of the five outer planets. VOCABULARY 1. asteroid belt 2. electro glow 3. Galileo 4. hydrogen fusion 5. magnetic field 6. protoplanet 7. rads 8. scooters 9. solar nebula 10. Voyager BEFORE SHOWING 1. Review the names of the inner and outer planets and their positions in the solar system. 2. Distribute a worksheet and match each planet with the identifying characteristic. (See INSTRUCTIONAL GRAPHICS.) 1
DURING SHOWING Discussion Items and Questions 1. View the video more than once, with one showing uninterrupted. 2. Jupiter a. Why is Jupiter the biggest planet, and how big is it? b. Why might Jupiter be considered a failed star? c. Why does it emit such strong radiation? d. What kind of radiation does it emit? e. How big is the great red spot? f. Which scientist discovered Jupiter s moons? g. Why is Europa an interesting moon to study? h. Why is Io considered the most geographically active spot in the solar system? i. How does Jupiter s magnetic field cause Io s violent volcanoes? 3. Saturn a. If an ocean large enough existed, what would happen to Saturn if it were dropped in the water? b. What created its rings? c. Why does it give off more heat than it receives? d. How might its moon Titan have collected nitrogen? 4. Uranus a. What is a possible reason why Uranus is tilted? b. How big is Uranus in comparison to Earth? c. What kind of atmosphere does Uranus have? d. What causes the electro glow of this planet? 5. Neptune a. What did scientists learn about the atmosphere of Neptune from the Voyager s encounter? b. Why does this planet produce more heat than it receives? c. What is the great dark spot on this planet? d. How are the rotation and orbit of its moon Triton different from other moons? 6. Pluto a. Why is Pluto sometimes not considered a planet? b. How does the length of a year on Pluto compare with the length of a year on Earth? c. How far is Pluto from the Sun? AFTER SHOWING 1. Chart information about the outer planets. Include the name, structure, diameter, and distance from the sun; number of moons; length of day; length of year; temperature; and atmosphere. 2. Research the distance from the sun and the diameter of all of the nine planets. a. If the sun were the size of a basketball, use the proportion to determine the comparable size of each of the nine planets. b. If Mercury were 11 yards away from the Sun, use proportion to determine the comparable distances of the other planets. c. Make a model to show the size and distances of the planets calculated in a and b. 3. Make a timeline of the discovery of the nine planets. 4. Create acronyms for memorizing the names of the planets according to size and according to distance from the sun. 2
5. Research the symbols for each of the planets. INSTRUCTIONAL GRAPHICS MATCHING ACTIVITY RELATED RESOURCES Captioned Media Program Exploring Our Solar System #2469 Inner Planets, The #1777 Solar System, The: An Introduction #2226 Universe, The #3310 World Wide Web The following Web sites complement the contents of this guide; they were selected by professionals who have experience in teaching deaf and hard of hearing students. Every effort was made to select accurate, educationally relevant, and kid-safe sites. However, teachers should preview them before use. The U.S. Department of Education, the National Association of the Deaf, and the Captioned Media Program do not endorse the sites and are not responsible for their content. GALILEO PROJECT INFORMATION http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/galileo.html#overview Details the Galileo Project s mission, goals and objectives, scientific firsts, and results to date. Offers hyperlinks to related sites. WELCOME TO THE PLANETS http://pds.jpl.nasa.gov/planets/ Includes many images from NASA s planetary exploration program. Click on each planet for detailed facts about it. SPACE TELESCOPE SCIENCE INSTITUTE, HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE PICTURES http://oposite.stsci.edu/pubinfo/subject.html#solarsystem Photographs of various components of the solar system, taken using the Hubble Space Telescope. SOLAR SYSTEM DATA TABLE http://oposite.stsci.edu/pubinfo/subject.html#solarsystem Photographs and data relating to various components of the solar system. 3