ASTR.SCI.7.C
Model the scale, sizes, and distances of the Sun and the planets in our solar system and identify the limitations of physical models.
Astronomy · Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) · TEKS 2022
Standard Unwrapping
AI-generated as a starting point — sign in to edit.Vocabulary
scalesizesdistancesSunplanetssolar systemlimitationsphysical models
Skills
- model (the scale, sizes, and distances of the Sun and planets in the solar system) #dok2
- identify (limitations of physical models) #dok2
- compare (physical models to actual solar system measurements) #dok2
- explain (relationships between model and real-world scale, size, and distance) #dok3
- evaluate (how well a physical model represents the solar system) #dok3
Learning Targets
- I can model the scale, sizes, and distances of the Sun and planets in our solar system. #dok2
- I can identify the limitations of physical models of the solar system. #dok2
- I can compare physical models of the solar system to actual measurements. #dok2
- I can explain how scale affects our understanding of solar system distances and sizes. #dok3
- I can evaluate how accurately a physical model represents the relationships in the solar system. #dok3
Big Ideas
- Physical models are useful tools to help us understand the vast differences in the scale, sizes, and distances among objects in our solar system.
- All models have limitations, and understanding these helps us critically assess what models can and cannot teach us about astronomical systems.
Essential Questions
- How do physical models help us understand the sizes and distances of the Sun and planets in our solar system?
- What are the main limitations of physical models when representing astronomical objects?
- Why is it challenging to create an accurate scale model of the solar system?
- How can comparing physical models to real measurements improve our understanding of the solar system?
- In what ways does the use of different scales in models affect what we learn about the solar system?