Science: 4-3.2
Compare the properties (including the type of surface and atmosphere) and the location of Earth to the Sun, which is a star, and the Moon.
The Earth, Sun, and Moon have different properties.
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Comparing the Sun, Earth, and the Moon
Essential Question:
How are the Earth, the Moon, and the Sun similar and different in location, its surface and its movement?
The Sun
The sun is a star – a huge ball of hot gases that is extremely hot and gives off its own light. It is located at the center of our solar system. Earth and seven other planets revolve around the sun.
The sun does not have a rocky surface. The surface of the sun is so hot that no solid or liquid can exist there. The sun is made up of layers of gases. The sun’s atmosphere glows and gives off light and heat.
The Key to the Sun is its Huge Size
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the sun in our solar system. Earth is made up mainly of rock.
Liquid water covers almost ¾ of Earth’s surface. Earth is the only planet in our solar system that has liquid water on its surface.
The blanket of air that surrounds Earth is called its atmosphere. Earth’s atmosphere is made up of gases.
Earth orbits millions of miles from the Sun as the third planet in the solar system.
The Moon
A moon is a natural satellite that orbits a planet. To orbit means to move in a curved path around another object. Earth has one moon. The Moon orbits around the Earth while Earth orbits the sun. Earth and the moon travel around together.
The moon is much smaller than Earth. About 50 moons would fit inside our planet. The moon is much closer to Earth than the sun is.
Like Earth, the moon is made up of rock. Unlike Earth, the moon’s surface is rocky and dusty, with no liquid water and no living things. It has hollow pits called craters.
Unlike Earth, the moon has no atmosphere. With no atmosphere, the moon gets much hotter and much colder than Earth.
Essential Question:
How are the Earth, the Moon, and the Sun similar and different in location, its surface and its movement?
The Sun
The sun is a star – a huge ball of hot gases that is extremely hot and gives off its own light. It is located at the center of our solar system. Earth and seven other planets revolve around the sun.
The sun does not have a rocky surface. The surface of the sun is so hot that no solid or liquid can exist there. The sun is made up of layers of gases. The sun’s atmosphere glows and gives off light and heat.
The Key to the Sun is its Huge Size
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the sun in our solar system. Earth is made up mainly of rock.
Liquid water covers almost ¾ of Earth’s surface. Earth is the only planet in our solar system that has liquid water on its surface.
The blanket of air that surrounds Earth is called its atmosphere. Earth’s atmosphere is made up of gases.
Earth orbits millions of miles from the Sun as the third planet in the solar system.
The Moon
A moon is a natural satellite that orbits a planet. To orbit means to move in a curved path around another object. Earth has one moon. The Moon orbits around the Earth while Earth orbits the sun. Earth and the moon travel around together.
The moon is much smaller than Earth. About 50 moons would fit inside our planet. The moon is much closer to Earth than the sun is.
Like Earth, the moon is made up of rock. Unlike Earth, the moon’s surface is rocky and dusty, with no liquid water and no living things. It has hollow pits called craters.
Unlike Earth, the moon has no atmosphere. With no atmosphere, the moon gets much hotter and much colder than Earth.
Learning Tasks & Assessments:
Notebook Entry: (Reading A-Z Articles on Sun, Earth and Moon) Read informational text to create a description of the Sun, Moon and Earth. (DOK 3) Notebook Entry: Use a Venn Diagram to compare the properties and location of the Earth, the Moon and the Sun. (DOK 2) Formative Assessment: Write Like a Scientist: Compare and Contrast - Sun, Earth & Moon (DOK 2) Assessment Guidelines: The objective of this indicator is to compare the properties and locations of Earth, the Moon, and the Sun; therefore, the primary focus of assessment should be to detect ways that these objects are alike and different as to type of surface, atmosphere, and location. However, appropriate assessments should also require students to identify the object based on its description; or illustrate the objects by their location in the solar system. |
It is essential for students to know that even though the Sun, the Moon and Earth are all in the
solar system, they have different properties. Earth Earth has a rocky surface as a planet and also has water on it. It has an atmosphere of gases around it. It orbits millions of miles from the Sun as the third planet in the solar system. Sun The Sun is a star, a large ball of glowing gases that is extremely hot. It does not have a rocky surface and its atmosphere glows and gives off light. It is located at the center of the solar system. Earth and other planets revolve around it. Moon The Moon is the natural satellite that orbits the Earth. It has a rocky, dusty surface with many craters and no water. It has no atmosphere. |
Resources:
Google Slide Share Reading A-Z Passages: Discovery Ed Video Discovery Interactive Activity: Primary Games Interactive Site: The Earth and Beyond: Sun, Moon and Earth Orbits A Closer Look at Space – The Sun and Stars Earth The Moon Write Like a Scientist: Compare and Contrast - Sun, Earth, Moon |