Unit 5: Sun, Earth, and Moon System
Duration of Days: 21
Students will know how to:
-Explain how the Sun’s energy output drives Earth’s climate systems and surface conditions
-Analyze how Earth’s rotation and revolution, combined with axial tilt, produce day/night cycles, seasons, and variations in solar intensity
-Use models to explain the motion of the Sun, Earth, and Moon and predict observable phenomena
-Interpret data to explain Moon phases, eclipses, and tides as results of gravitational interactions and orbital positions
-Analyze patterns in lunar cycles and connect them to predictable time cycles on Earth
-Apply gravitational concepts to explain interactions within the Sun–Earth–Moon system
Core Topics
-Sun’s structure and energy output (basic solar processes and radiation)
-Earth’s rotation and revolution
-Axial tilt and seasonal variation
-Moon phases and lunar cycles
-Solar and lunar eclipses
-Tides and gravitational interactions
-System modeling of Sun–Earth–Moon relationships
NGSS Performance Expectations
HS-ESS1-1 – Develop and use models of the Sun–Earth–Moon system
HS-ESS1-2 – Use data to explain cyclical patterns such as seasons, lunar phases, and eclipses
HS-PS2-4 – Use gravitational interactions to explain orbital motion and tidal effects
Essential Questions students will be able to answer:
-How does the Sun’s energy influence systems on Earth?
-How do Earth’s rotation and revolution produce predictable daily and seasonal patterns?
-How do the relative positions of the Sun, Earth, and Moon create lunar phases?
-What causes solar and lunar eclipses, and how can they be predicted?
-How do gravitational forces between Earth and the Moon produce tides?
-How can models and data be used to predict celestial cycles?
Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs):
-Developing and Using Models
-Analyzing and Interpreting Data
-Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking
-Constructing Explanations
Crosscutting Concepts (CCCs):
-Patterns
-Cause and Effect
-Systems and System Models
-Scale, Proportion, and Quantity
-Unit test with modeling and data interpretation of celestial cycles
-Moon phase simulation with predictive analysis tasks
-Eclipse modeling using Sun–Earth–Moon system simulations
-Tide prediction analysis using real or simulated data sets
-Constructed explanations linking axial tilt to seasonal variation
-CER writing explaining gravitational interactions in the Earth–Moon system
| Lesson # | Lesson Title | Duration of Days |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Earth’s Rotation, Revolution, and Seasonal Patterns | 5 |
| 2 | Moon Phases and the Lunar Cycle | 5 |
| 3 | Solar and Lunar Eclipses | 6 |
| 4 | Tides and Gravitational Interactions in the Sun–Earth–Moon System | 5 |