• Course Description: The study of the sky and planets builds on our innate sense of curiosity and wonder about the universe we live in, from the near and relatively new to the very distant and old. The roots of Astronomy and Planetary Sciences lie in the observations made by our distant ancestors who first noticed and then used patterns that exist all around us. Over millennia, humans have used the process of science to understand the underlying causes of these patterns – and each new understanding has led to more questions and deeper study. The experiences in this class will enable students to understand the interdependent relationships we have with the natural world and connect us with the experiences of and knowledge learned by those who have come before us.

    The content of the course follows the chronological order in which discoveries have been made by humans. These are organized into three parts:

    • The first focuses on observational astronomy - events and objects that can be observed and studied with the naked eye. The study of these will lead to an understanding of our place in the universe and the physical laws that govern systems and interactions.
    • In the second part we will analyze the light that reaches us from objects from across the entire universe. In doing so, we can determine the properties and cycles of stars and build evidence-based models of the beginning, past, and future characteristics of the universe.
    • The final part of the course will focus on planets. By studying the Earth and other planets and moons, we can understand their properties, structures, and how they change over time. We will also focus on the unique impact humans have on our planet and the way our ingenuity can respond to challenges and opportunities.

    Space and Planetary Science is a year-long science elective taken mostly by seniors. It is recommended that students take this course after completing Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. Because of the level of math required, it is also recommended that students complete Algebra and Geometry before taking this course.

    Grade Level(s): 11th-12th Grade

    Related Priority Standards (State &/or National):  MLS Science Standards Grades 6-12 

    Enduring Understandings/Big Ideas

    • Patterns exist in the positions and motions of objects in the sky. These patterns can be identified through observation and data collection and used to make predictions about future events.
    • Human recognition and use of these patterns established a way of thinking about the world that led to the development of science as a process.
    • We can indirectly measure the sizes of and distance of astronomical objects using our knowledge of patterns and mathematical/proportional reasoning.
    • The self-correcting nature of science, coupled with our ability to build on the discoveries of previous generations, led to an accurate and complete model of our solar system and understanding of orbits and gravity.
    • From our vantage point on Earth, we are able to observe and analyze only the light that comes to us from distant astronomical objects.
    • Our ability to collect and analyze light from distant astronomical objects helps us access information and construct an understanding of objects and phenomena that are very distant and/or old.
    • The sun is a dynamic object.
    • By studying the observable features of the sun, we can draw conclusions about its internal structures and processes, history and future.
    • We can develop an understanding of how activity on the sun impacts conditions, life and human-constructed infrastructure on Earth.
    • We can discover patterns in the properties of stars by analyzing light from stars.
    • Patterns enable us to classify stars, predict how they will change over time, and discover how aging and dying stars create new elements, including those from which we are made.
    • Scientific discoveries made since the end of the 19th century have led to new understandings of the early universe and the nature of space and time. Many of these understandings are incomplete and are the focus of research in astronomy today.
    • Planets are dynamic objects.
    • By studying planets’ internal and external structures, we can develop an understanding of the processes that cause them to change over time and draw conclusions about their past and future conditions.
    • The processes that occur on, in, and around the earth are all interconnected in planet-wide systems and cycles.
    • Understanding the components of and connections between planet-wide systems has helped us understand how the Earth has changed in the past and continues to change today.
    • The life that exists on the Earth is an active component in planet-wide systems and cycles.
    • The Earth has shaped life and life has shaped the Earth.
    • The impact of humans on Earth is unique both in terms of its scale and the rate at which it occurs.
    • It is essential that we understand the role humans play in Earth’s systems; the decisions we make in this role can be positive or negative.

    Course-Level Scope & Sequence (Units &/or Skills)

    Unit 1: Patterns in the Sky

    Patterns exist in the positions and motions of objects in the sky. These patterns can be identified through observation and data collection and used to make predictions about future events. Human recognition and use of these patterns established a way of thinking about the world that led to the development of science as a process.  Students will be able to:

    • Locate a point on a map when given longitude and latitude
    • State the longitude and latitude of a given point on a map
    • Locate a point in the sky when given Alt/Az
    • State the longitude and latitude of an object visible in the sky
    • Construct models and use them to explain patterns in the sky
    • Construct models and use them to explain patterns in the moon
    • Construct models and use them to explain how the Earth’s tilt causes changes in the sun’s path across the sky and causes changes in hours of day light, surface temperature, and seasonal conditions.

    Unit 2: Cosmic Distance Ladder Part 1

    Using knowledge of the patterns studied in Unit 1 and mathematical/proportional reasoning enables us to indirectly measure the sizes of and distance to astronomical objects.  Students will be able to:

    • Reconstruct the process followed by early astronomers to determine the diameters of and distances between the Earth, Moon, and Sun.
    • Use the phenomena of parallax to make quantitative calculations of distance (in lab situations and using data from stars)
    • Explain why there is a limit to the distances that can be measured with parallax.

    Unit 3: The Solar System, Orbits, and Gravity

    The self-correcting nature of science and our ability to build on the discoveries of previous generations led to an accurate and complete model of our solar system and understanding of orbits and gravity.  Students will be able to:

    • Summarize the evidence and reasoning used to support both models of the Solar System.
    • Describe the scientific and social pressures that made the shift from a Geo- to Heliocentric model so difficult.
    • Use Kepler’s Laws to answer conceptual and numerical questions.
    • Use Newton’s Law of Gravitation to answer conceptual and numerical questions.

    Unit 4: Light

    From our vantage point on Earth, we are able to observe and analyze only the light that comes to us from distant astronomical objects. Our ability to collect and analyze this light has enabled us to access a great deal of information hidden within it and construct an understanding of objects and phenomena that are very distant or old.  Students will be able to:

    • Answer qualitative and quantitative questions about the relationship between wave speed, frequency, and wavelength.
    • Conduct and experiment to collect evidence that supports the claim that light exhibits wave properties.
    • Determine the elements present in a sample by the spectrum of light it emits or absorbs.
    • Quantitatively and quantitatively, use the Doppler Effect to determine the speed and direction of an object.
    • Use the wavelength of light emitted by an object to calculate its temperature.
    • Quantitatively, use the apparent brightness of a light source to determine its distance.
    • Use the distance modulus relationship to determine the distance to a star.
    • Summarize the barriers to using telescopes to observe each type of wave in the EM Spectrum.
    • Describe the characteristics of the ideal location for telescopes designed to observe each type of wave in the EM Spectrum.
    • Show how to arrange curved mirrors and lenses to create a telescope.
    • Trace the path that light rays take through a refracting or reflecting telescope.
    • Describe the strengths and weaknesses of various telescope designs and variables.

    Unit 5: The Sun

    The sun is a dynamic object. By studying its observable features, we can draw conclusions about its internal structures and processes, history and future. We can also develop an understanding of how activity on the sun impacts conditions, life and human-constructed infrastructure on Earth.  Students will be able to:

    • Explain the changes that will occur in the sun over time that will result in fusion processes no longer being sustained.
    • Construct a model of the sun in its current state (as a balance between gravitational and thermal pressure) and use this model to illustrate its life span and future evolution.
    • Use historical and current data to describe impact of solar conditions and activity on Earth.
    • Explain how the Earth’s magnetic field provides protection from solar activity.

    Unit 6: Stars

    By analyzing the light from stars, we can discover patterns in their properties. These patterns enable us to classify stars, predict how they will change over time, and discover how aging and dying stars create new elements, including those from which we are made.  Students will be able to:

    • Use the mathematical relationships between radius, temperature, mass, and luminosity to answer quantitative questions.
    • Quantitatively analyze a binary star system to determine the orbital properties and star masses.
    • Describe how the mass of a star determines the fusion processes that occur in a star, which in turn affect its temperature, radius, and luminosity.
    • Describe how differences in the mass of a star affect the types and rates of fusion reaction it can sustain, which in turn affects its life cycle.
    • Describe how the balance of gravitational and thermal pressure change over the life cycle of a star and how these changes impact the star’s characteristics.

    Unit 7: Cosmology

    Scientific discoveries made since the end of the 19th century have led to new understandings of the early universe and the nature of space and time. Many of these understandings are incomplete and are the focus of research in astronomy today.  Students will be able to:

    • Construct and use an evidence-based model to illustrate the chronological scale of the history of the universe from the Big Bang to the evolution of humans.
    • Apply an understanding of gravity to explain the formation of galaxies, stars, solar systems, and planets.
    • Construct and use an evidence-based model to illustrate the distances between and sizes of objects ranging from the solar system to the entire universe.
    • Construct an explanation of the Big Bang theory based on astronomical evidence of light spectra, motion of distant galaxies, and composition of matter in the universe.
    • Qualitatively describe the predictions made by Einstein’s explanation of gravity and the experimental evidence that was collected in the 20th and 21st centuries that supported this explanation.

    Unit 8: Abiotic Causes of Change 

    Planets are dynamic objects. By studying planets’ internal and external structures we can develop an understanding of the processes that cause them to change over time and draw conclusions about their past and future conditions. Students will be able to:

    • Use a rock identification key to identify given rock samples as metamorphic, igneous, or sedimentary.
    • Evaluate and summarize the evidence used to support models of the Earth’s interior structure, models of the cycling of matter by thermal convection in the Earth’s interior, and the theory of plate tectonics.
    • Plan and conduct an investigation to show the mechanical and chemical effects water has on Earth’s surface materials.
    • Apply scientific methods for determining relative ages (principles of stratigraphy) and numeric age (radiometric dating) of the Earth
    • Apply scientific reasoning and evidence from ancient earth materials, meteorites, and other planetary surfaces to determine the age of the Earth and construct an account of the Earth’s formation and early history.

    Unit 9: Planetary Systems and Cycles

    The processes that occur on, in, and around the earth are all interconnected in planet-wide systems and cycles. Understanding the components of and connections between these systems leads to the development of models of how the Earth has changed in the past and continues to change today.  Students will be able to:

    • Develop a quantitative model to describe the cycling of carbon among the hydrosphere, atmosphere, geosphere, and biosphere.
    • Use a model to predict how a change in a component or condition of the carbon cycle can affect other parts of the cycle
    • Use geoscience data* to support a claim about the climate of a particular region.
    • Use a model to describe how variations in the flow of energy into and out of Earth’s systems result in changes in climate.

    Unit 10: Interconnectedness of Life and the Earth

    The life that exists on the Earth is an active component in planet-wide systems and cycles - the Earth has shaped life and life has shaped the Earth. The impact of humans on Earth is unique both in terms of its scale and the rate at which it occurs. It is essential that we understand the role humans play in Earth’s systems and that the decisions we can make in this role can be positive or negative.  Students will be able to:

    • Describe the evolution of humans and explain how it was shaped by the conditions and ingredients.
    • Describe the unique ways human activity has changed planetary systems and cycles.
    • Analyze geoscientific data and the results from global climate models to make an evidence-based forecast of the current rate of global or regional climate change and associated future impacts to Earth systems.

    Course Resources & Materials:  District and/or teacher-made materials

    Date Last Revised/Approved:  May 2019