Power Point Presentation

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Power Point Presentation

• Jennifer Simoes
• 11-14-00
• Rocky Peaks
• Unicer_at_aol.com

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Goals and Objectives

• This lesson is designed to teach about the
  solar system. It includes all aspects of the
  solar system and a brief description of each.
  This presentation is not meant to be introduced
  in one session. It is a lesson designed to be
  used throughout a length of time appropriate for
  the students in your class.
• This target level for this unit is grades
  2-6. There is a lot of background associated
  with this lesson that is necessary before
  teaching it. Therefore, it is essential that it
  be taught prior to the introducing it.

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What is a Solar System?

• It is our sun, and everything that travels around
  it.
• Nine known planets
• Comets
• Asteroids
• Other space objects that orbit the sun.
• Our solar system is elliptical in shape.
• The sun is the center.
• It is always in motion.

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What is a Solar System (cont.)

• Astronomers think the solar system is more than 4
  billion years old.

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The Sun

• The sun is our closest star. It is a yellow dwarf
  star (which means its a medium size star)
• It is a member of the Milky Way Galaxy
• Astronomers believe it to be over 4 billion years
  old.
• It spins slowly on its axis as it revolves around
  the galaxy

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The Sun (cont.)

• The center of the Sun, or core, is VERY hot.
• Nuclear fusion takes place on the Sun, this
  produces a lot of energy
• Some of this energy travels out into space as
  heat and light-some even reaches the Earth!
• On the Suns surface we can see storms, called
  sun spots. These look like dark spots on the
  Suns surface.

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The Sun (cont.)

• The Sun also produces big explosions of energy
  called solar flares which shoot fast moving
  particles off the Suns surface.
• If these particles hit the Earths atmosphere
  they can cause a glow called an aurora.

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The Moon Earths Satellite

• The Moon is like a desert with plains, mountains,
  valleys, and many craters.
• There is no air to breathe on the moon
• Recently, water ice was discovered at the poles
  of the moon.
• It is buried beneath some of the dust of the
  Moons surface.
• Scientists think the ice may be left over from a
  comet that once collided with the Moon.
• The Moon travels around the Earth in an oval
  shaped orbit.

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The Moon (cont.)

• It is a little lopsided
• The crust is thicker on one side than the other.
• The Moon is smaller than the earth, but the pull
  of its gravity can affect the Earths ocean
  tides.
• We always see the same side of the moon from
  earth. You have to go into space to see the
  other side.

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The Moon (cont.).

• The Moon is the only place in our Solar System
  humans have visited.

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Meteoroids

• A meteoroid is a piece of stone-like or
  metal-like debris that travels in outer space.
• Most are no bigger than a pebble.
• Larger ones are believed to come from the
  Asteroid Belt.
• If a meteoroid falls into the Earths atmosphere,
  it will begin to heat up and glow. This is
  called a meteor.
• If you have ever seen a falling star you were
  actually seeing a meteor!

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Meteoroids (cont.)

• Left over parts that may hit the Earths surface
  are meteorites.
• These can make a hole, or a crater in the ground
• In Greenland, people dig up meteorites and use
  the iron in them to make tools.

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The Planets

• A planet is a large space object which revolves
  around a star.
• It reflects the stars light
• Nine planets have been discovered in our Solar
  System
• Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars are the planets
  closest to the Sun, called the inner planets.
  They are mostly made up of rock
• Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto are
  the outer planets. These are large balls of
  gases with rings around them

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The Planets (cont.)

• All nine planets travel around the Sun in a
  different orbit.
• Mnemonic Phrase for remembering the planets
• Matilda Visits Every Monday, Just Stays Until
  Noon, Period

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MercuryThe Planet Closest to the Sun

• This is the second smallest planet in the Solar
  System
• It is about the same size as our Moon.
• It is the closest planet to the Sun.
• Travels around the Sun faster than any planet
• Mercury can be seen from Earth just before
  sunrise or just after sunset.
• It has a very thin atmosphere so humans could not
  survive there.

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Mercury (cont.)

• The surface of Mercury has holes created by
  meteorites and asteroids.
• The temperature on Mercury gets so hot it could
  melt a tin pan!

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Venus Earths twin

• Venus is the closest planet to Earth.
• It is almost the same size as Earth.
• It is different from Earth because there are are
  no oceans, or human life because it gets so hot
  during the day.
• Temperatures can get so hot they could melt a
  lead cannon ball!
• This planet has very thick, rapidly spinning
  clouds which cover the surface.

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Venus (cont.)

• The clouds hold in the heat.
• They reflect sunlight.
• There are constant storms in the clouds.
• The surface of Venus has many craters made by
  meteorites and asteroids and volcanoes.
• This planet rotates in direction opposite to all
  the other planets.
• It spins very slowly

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Earth The Water Planet

• Earth is the third closest planet to the Sun.
• It has an atmosphere made up of many different
  gases (mainly nitrogen and oxygen).
• That atmosphere supplies the air to those who
  live on Earth.
• Earth orbits around the Sun.
• Takes one year to go around the Sun one complete
  time.
• Earth rotates on its axis.
• Takes on day to spin around the Sun on complete
  time.

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Earth (cont.)

• The axis it rotates on is tilted a little bit.
• This tilt is responsible for us having seasons.
• 70 of the surface is covered by water. The
  other 30 is covered by mountains, volcanoes,
  deserts, plains, and valleys.

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MarsThe Red Planet

• During the Martian winter, the temperatures on
  Mars can be very, very cold. Ice caps can even
  be seen at the poles!
• The United States sent space probes to land on
  Mars.
• These probes performed experiments on the Martian
  dirt and atmosphere.
• They found the dirt to contain clay which is rich
  in iron (the iron is what gives Mars its red
  color).
• The surface has many craters formed by meteorites
  and asteroids.

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Mars (cont.)

• Mars has some of the tallest volcanoes and
  deepest valleys in our Solar System.
• Mars has 2 moons which have unusual shapes (they
  are shaped like potatoes!).
• Scientists think that these moons were captured
  by mars gravitational pull.

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Jupiter The Largest Planet

• Jupiter is so large that all the other planets in
  our Solar System would fit inside of it!
• The planet is made mostly of hydrogen and helium.
• It gives off twice the heat that it gets from the
  Sun.
• 9 months out of the year when it is closest to
  the Earth it shines very brightly in the night
  sky.

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Jupiter (cont.)

• Areas of Swirling gases can be found in Jupiters
  atmosphere.
• Great Red Spot is the largest swirling area of
  gas.
• Scientists believe this is a large hurricane-like
  storm which has lasted for hundreds of years.
• Large bolts of lightening have been seen in
  Jupiters atmosphere
• Space probes have taken pictures of the rings
  around Jupiter

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Jupiter (cont.)

• Jupiter has 16 known moons
• The clouds of Jupiter change colors daily.

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SaturnThe Ringed Planet

• This is a very large gas planet.
• It spins very rapidly on its axis
• It spins so fast that it flattens out the top and
  bottom of the planet and causes a bulge at its
  equator.
• White spots on Saturn are thought to be powerful
  storms.
• Saturn is surrounded by over 1000 rings.
• These rings are made of ice and dust.
• Some rings are very thin, others are very thick.

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Saturn (cont.)

• Particles in the rings cab be as small as a
  pebble or as big as a house
• Saturn has at least 18 known moons
• Some of these moons orbit the planet inside the
  rings

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UranusNeptunes Twin

• This planet tilts over so far on its axis that it
  rotates on its side.
• Because of this the poles are pointed directly at
  the Sun.
• The rotation causes very fast winds.
• The atmosphere is made up of hydrogen, helium,
  and methane.
• Temperatures are very cold here.
• Cold methane gas gives this planet its blue-green
  color.

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Uranus (cont.)

• Uranus has 18 known moons
• Some of these are very small and black like
  charcoal.

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NeptuneThe Blue Planet

• Neptune is very much like Uranus
• It is a gas planet with blue-green color
• Winds are VERY strong!
• Large dark circles on the surface are believed to
  be storms.
• Neptune has 2 thick and 2 thin rings that
  surround it
• This planet has 8 moons

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Neptune (cont.)

• Due to Plutos elliptical shaped orbit, Neptune
  is the farthest planet from the Sun for a 20 year
  period out of every 248 Earth years.
• It is so cold on Neptune that you would need skin
  thicker than a polar bears to stay warm!

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PlutoThe Ice Planet

• This is the farthest planet from the Sun.
• Once every 248 Earth years, Pluto swings inside
  the orbit of Neptune (it stays there for 20
  years).
• During these 20 years, Pluto is closer to the Sun
  than Neptune.
• At this time Pluto has an atmosphere
• Methane and nitrogen frozen at the poles thaw
  out. Rise, and temperatures form an atmosphere.
• As it moves further from the Sun, its atmosphere
  freezes and falls back on the surface of the
  planet.

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Pluto (cont.)

• Pluto has only one moon.
• Some scientists believe Pluto is really a moon
  which escaped Neptunes gravitational pull.

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The Asteroid Belt

• An asteroid is a bit of rock.
• Most of the asteroids in our Solar System can be
  found orbiting the Sun between the orbits of Mars
  and Jupiter (this is called the Asteroid Belt).
• This asteroid belt is like a big highway in a
  circle around the Sun (think of the asteroids as
  cars on the highway)

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The Asteroid Belt

• Sometimes, the asteroid cars run into one
  another (this can cause them to break up into
  smaller asteroids).
• If an asteroid is captured by the gravitational
  pull of a planet it can be pulled out of the belt
  and go into orbit as a moon around the planet
  that pulled on it.

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The Asteroid Belt (cont.)
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Comets

• About 100,000 million comets probably orbit the
  Sun
• Some orbit the sun like planets
• Some are very close to the Sun and some are very
  far away
• Comets are made of dirty ice, dust, and gas.
• When a comet gets close enough to the Sun some of
  the ice starts to melt, solar winds then push the
  dust and gas away from the comet which forms the
  comets tail.

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Comets (cont.)

• Comets do not give off any light of its own.
• The light we see as the tail is actually the
  Suns light bouncing off the comets ice
  particles.
• Some comets come close enough to Earth so we can
  see them with our eyes.
• Halleys Comet is one comet that can be see from
  Earth every 76 years.

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Glossary

• Atmosphere All the gases which surround a star,
  like our Sun, or a planet, like our Earth.
• Axis An imaginary straight line around which an
  object spins.
• Crater A hole caused by an object hitting the
  surface of a planet or moon.
• GalaxyA giant collection of gas, dust, and
  millions or billions of stars.
• GasA form of matter which is not a liquid or a
  solid. A gas will spread out to fill up all of
• the space that is open to it.

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Glossary (cont.)

• Gravity The invisible force between objects that
  makes objects attract each other.
• Gravitational PullThe attraction that one object
  has for another object due to the invisible
• force of gravity.
• Nuclear Fusion A process where atoms are joined
  and tremendous amounts of energy
• are released.
• Orbit The path followed by an object in space as
  it goes around another object to travel
• around another object in a single path.

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Glossary (cont.)

• Pole The point at either end of the invisible
  line known as the axis. Planets have a south
• pole and a north pole.
• Revolve To move in an orbit or circle around
  something.
• Rotate To turn around a center point, or axis,
  like a wheel turns on a bicycle.
• Satellite An object that moves around a larger
  object. There are natural satellites such as

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Glossary (cont.)

• moons and there are man-made satellites such as
  the Hubble Space Telescope.
• Solar Flare A storm or eruption of hot gases on
  the Sun.
• Solar Wind Streams of gas particles flowing out
  from the Sun.
• Space Probe An unmanned research craft sent into
  space.

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Activities

• These are just a few ideas to use with this
  lesson.
• Solar System Tic-Tac-Toe Student picks a
  partner. The teacher asks trivia questions about
  the Solar System. If the students answers
  correctly he or she may then mark their box.
• Build a Model of the Solar System

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Activities

• Planetary Scavenger Hunt Students try to find
  planets in the grass outside their school by
  using a length of string that they have cut to
  the relative distance that the planets should be
  from the sun.
• Join an internet project such as 2001 Mums
  Space Ottersey (Mrs. Burns)

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References

• NASA Star Child Site
• Http//starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov
• Mrs. Burns website
• Http//www.mrsburns.com