The Same and Different Challenge: Sun, Earth and Jupiter

The “Same and Different” Challenge: Sun, Earth and Jupiter

Teacher Background Our solar system basically contains three types of objects: * Sun: our star, a giant ball of plasma, primarily composed of hydrogen and helium * Jovian planets: named after Jupiter, also includes Saturn, Uranus and Neptune: huge compared to Earth, but not the Sun; also balls of gas and primarily composed of hydrogen and helium, but not large enough to have caught fire with nuclear fusion *Terrestrial objects: includes the rocky planets Earth, Mercury, Venus, Mars and icy Pluto, Earth’s Moon and the moons of other planets such as Jupiter’s mini-solar system of large satellites, as well as comets, and asteroids—all composed of solid matter.

This Activity is a challenging Compare and Contrast between three of these objects. In researching the more obvious features, students will also be challenged to encounter some unknowns and uncertainties, as well as the more obvious similarities and differences.

For example, do all three objects have a core? Yes. Is that core solid? Yes, for Earth. No, for the Sun, though pressure at its center is so great that the plasma of ions and electrons is 13 times denser than lead. Does that make it solid? No. As for Jupiter, we don’t know, but researchers think there might be a core and a layer of metallic hydrogen, a liquid behaving like a metal! So, a perfectly good response might be, “Yes they all have cores. Are they solid? It depends what you mean by solid. This is an Activity in which “talking heads” as well as computer jocks with a taste for odd facts will be valued team members.

Objectives  Students will construct a concept map of key features and processes on planet Earth.  Students will work in teams and use local and online materials to compare and contrast a chosen subset of possibly similar or different features and processes on the Sun, Earth and Jupiter.  Students will work together as a class to create an integrated display of similarities and differences for the three major categories of objects in our solar system.

Materials Blackline master (an interplanetary “Cliff’s Notes”) online access or other reference materials art materials to record the findings

Vocabulary atmosphere, climate, core, jovian, moon, rotation, revolution, satellite, terrestrial

Engage Pick a familiar topic for a concept map which allows you to review how they work. Let’s say “Living Things.” Have students concept map all the characteristics that living things have in common. Although plants, fish, fungi, and humans are quite different, they have a lot in common, and a few key characteristics that make them different. Can the same be true for objects in the solar system? Explore/Explain Have students as a group do a concept map focusing on the structure and workings of the Earth. From past experiences they probably know it has a core, a rocky mantle, an atmosphere, continents that move, a magnetic field, etc. Brainstorm with students, accept all categories, fill the chalkboard or overhead display with possibilities, and establish a set of features that incorporate and extend the list cited above.

Now issue the challenge. How does Earth compare with two major objects in the solar system, the Sun and Jupiter?

An initial list of features to compare and contrast might include:  a core (solid or not)  interior structure  one or many magnetic field(s)  magnetosphere  atmosphere  internal heat source  weather (and climate), including clouds, storms, hurricanes, jet streams  eruptions/ejections  natural satellites  research satellites from Earth in orbit  moves through space relative to the core of the Milky Way  is impacted by comets, asteroids, etc.  has craters and other surface features  period of rotation (and revolution around the Sun)  lightning  life  generates radio waves  and, a host of other surprising similarities and differences that your students will discover.

Through interaction with students add to or remove from, the list of possible topics. Depending on your preferred classroom practice, either assign or let teams of 2-6 students choose features to research and report to the whole class. This can be homework or an in school activity. Presentations can be verbal or reports or run the gamut to full multimedia displays.

Expand/Adapt/Connect Options: You can also split the class into three groups: Sun, Earth (terrestrial planets), Jupiter (Jovian planets). Based on the concept map the class generated for the Earth, each group is to research their object and discover how it compares to the Earth, and report back. Each “Feature Team” might make a verbal or multimedia presentation to the class that would accept, question or reject their evidence for similarity and difference. A large wall-chart with “Features” on the left and 3 vertical columns for Sun, Earth and Jupiter might provide a ready reference. Go online to research more.

Have students use their journals to record class findings, including those where students are uncertain. (Tell them they may find this useful for review at the end of the unit and that you’ll be checking their journals as part of your review of their work.) Suggested URLs http://www.seds.org/billa/tnp/ It's all here! The ‘Nine Planets’ site is a great reference for this project. It contains the most up to date information on all objects in the solar system, as well as historical data. http://windows.ivv.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/tour.cgi/windows3but.map(sw=false&sn=1&d =/images&edu=mid&br=graphic&cd=false&fr=f&tour=)?108,85 Windows to the Universe: easy to understand reference material, a comparison between Earth and other planets and great images. http://spaceart.com/solar/eng/homepage.htm Views of the Solar System: a good site for information on the planets and good graphics.