Unit 1: Universe and the Solar System
Vocabulary, Standards, and Checklist
Vocabulary Words
Heliocentric / Milky Way / Atmosphere / AsteroidGeocentric / Galaxy / Orbit / Asteroid belt
Big Bang Theory / Orion Belt / Elliptical / Comet
Singularity / Local Group / Revolution / Meteor
Universe / Super Cluster / Rotation / Meteoroid
Kilometer / Gravity / Terrestrial / Meteorite
Light Year / Density / Planet / Mesosphere
Astronomical Unit / Mass / Gas Giant / Satellite
Volume / Inertia
Georgia Standards of Excellence
S6E1. Students will explore current scientific views of the universe and how those views evolved.
a. Relate the Nature of Science to the progression of basic historical scientific models (geocentric, heliocentric) as they describe our solar system, and the Big Bang as it describes the formation of the universe.
b. Describe the position of the solar system in the Milky Way galaxy and the universe.
c. Compare and contrast the planets in terms of Size relative to the earth Surface and atmospheric features Relative distance from the sun Ability to support life
d. Explain the motion of objects in the day/night sky in terms of relative position.
e. Explain that gravity is the force that governs the motion in the solar system.
f. Describe the characteristics of comets, asteroids, and meteors.
Textbook sections which accompany this unit:
Formation of the Universe: Chapter 19, Section 4, pp. 600-603
Heliocentric and Geocentric Theories: Chapter 18, Section 1, pp. 554-557
Structure of the Universe: Chapter 19, Section 4, pp. 602-603
The Law of Universal Gravitation: Chapter 20, Section 4, p.
Planetary Motion: Chapter 20, Section 4, p. 630
The Inner Planets: Chapter 21, Section 2, pp. 648-653
The Outer Planets: Chapter 21, Section 3, pp. 654-659
Small Bodies in the Solar System: Chapter 21, Section 5, pp. 668-673
Vocabulary Word / Definition / ExampleHeliocentric / Copernicus theory that Sun is the center of the universe.
Kilometer / A unit to measure length. 1000 meters
The Big Bang / The theory that the universe began with a tremendous explosion.
Geocentric / Ptolemy theory that Earth is the center of the universe.
Singularity / Very dense point in the center of the universe
Universe / All the seen and unseen material in space.
Light year / A unit of length equal to the distance that light travels in 1 year.
Astronomical Unit / The average distance between the sun and Earth.
______km
Vocabulary Word / Definition / Example
Volume / The measure of the size of a body or region in three dimensional space
Milky Way / The galaxy in which our solar system is located, spiral galaxy.
Local Group / The Milky Way is part of this cluster of galaxies
Density / The ratio of the mass of a substance to the volume of the substance
Orion’s Belt / A minor spiral of the Milky Way where the solar system and Earth is in space
Galaxy / Large groups of stars, dust, and gas.
Mass / A measure of the amount of matter in an object
Super Cluster / Region of space that is 10 million light-years thick and has a diameter of 100 million light-years
Gravity / The force that attracts objects to one another. It is determined by the masses of two objects and the distance the two objects are apart
Vocabulary Word / Definition / Example
Vocabulary Word / Definition / Example
Solar system- The Sun and the planets orbiting the Sun
Comet-small body of ice, rock, and cosmic dust that follows an elliptical orbit around the sun and that gives off gas and dust in the form of a tail as it passes close to the sun
Meteor-a bright streak of light that results when a meteoroid burns up in Earth's atmosphere.
Meteoroid- a relatively small, rocky body that travels through space
Asteroid-small, rocky object that orbits the sun
Gravity- Force that holds the planets in orbit. The force that holds the universe together