Unit 6 — Interactions Within the Earth, Sun, and Moon System
Description
Students develop understanding of patterns created by Earth's position and motion relative to the sun and moon. In the first part of the unit, students explore the gravitational force that Earth exerts on objects and support an argument that gravity pulls objects toward the center of the Earth using evidence from dropping objects at various heights and locations. In the second part, students investigate how the distance between objects affects apparent brightness by using a flashlight model and relating this to why the sun appears much brighter than other stars. In the third part, students observe and record patterns of daily changes in shadow length and direction, the position of the sun in the daytime sky, and use media resources to track the moon's appearance, the moon's position in the sky, and seasonal changes in star positions. Students organize all data into graphical displays to describe these patterns and understand how they result from Earth's rotation around its axis and orbit around the sun, and the moon's orbit around Earth.
Essential Questions
- What effect does Earth's gravitational force have on objects?
- Why does the sun appear brighter than other stars?
- What patterns do we notice when observing the sky?
Learning Objectives
- Support an argument that Earth's gravitational force on objects is directed down toward the planet's center
- Support an argument that apparent brightness of the sun and stars is due to their relative distances from Earth
- Identify cause-and-effect relationships to explain how Earth's and moon's motions create observable patterns
- Represent data in graphical displays to reveal patterns of daily changes in shadow length and direction
- Describe patterns in day and night caused by Earth's rotation
- Identify patterns in the moon's appearance and position in the sky over time
- Understand that selected stars are visible only during particular months due to Earth's orbit around the sun
Supplemental Resources
- Markers for labeling shadow diagrams and graphing celestial observations for data visualization
- Chart paper for creating graphs showing shadow length changes, moon phases, and star positions for organization
- Highlighters for marking patterns in graphed data for emphasis
- Index cards for recording daily observations of the sun and moon position for data collection
- Rulers for measuring shadow length during observations for precise measurement
Crosscutting Concepts
Disciplinary Core Ideas
Science and Engineering Practices
Students use informational texts and digital sources to conduct research, gather evidence, and build knowledge across all science units. They quote accurately from texts, draw inferences, summarize and paraphrase information in science notebooks, write opinion pieces supporting claims with evidence, and incorporate multimedia components into presentations. Reading informational texts and writing research-based explanations are explicitly aligned to science performance expectations throughout all six units.
Students apply mathematical reasoning and computational thinking across all units. They measure and graph physical quantities such as weight, volume, and temperature; use coordinate plane graphing to represent scientific data; convert measurement units within standard systems; and reason abstractly and quantitatively when analyzing data as evidence for scientific explanations. Mathematical practices including modeling with mathematics and using appropriate tools strategically are integrated throughout investigation and data analysis activities.
Formative Assessments
- Students conduct investigations dropping objects from various heights and locations to gather evidence about gravity's direction
- Students use flashlight models to explore how distance affects apparent brightness and record observations
- Students make direct observations of shadows at regular intervals and record shadow length and direction
- Students create graphs and charts organizing data about the sun's position, moon's appearance, and star visibility
- Students analyze patterns in graphical data to support arguments about Earth's motions
Summative Assessment
Students design a planetarium combined with a thrill ride that allows people to experience and learn about the sun, moon, Earth, stars, and Earth's motions.
Benchmark Assessment
Students use data displaying time of day and shadow length to make a claim and support it with evidence.
Alternative Assessment
Students may demonstrate understanding through hands-on manipulatives such as models or diagrams showing gravity's direction, or through oral responses explaining the relationship between distance and brightness using teacher-provided sentence frames. Data recording may be simplified with pre-made charts or use of drawings and labels in place of written descriptions.
IEP (Individualized Education Program)
Students may benefit from graphic organizers that help them sequence cause-and-effect relationships between Earth's motions and observable patterns such as shadows, day and night, and moon phases. Providing sentence frames for scientific arguments about gravity and apparent brightness supports students in organizing evidence without being limited by writing demands. Allow oral or recorded responses as alternatives to written data summaries, and offer partially completed graphs or data tables so students can focus on interpreting patterns rather than constructing displays from scratch. Breaking the summative design task into structured checkpoints with visual prompts will help students stay focused and demonstrate their conceptual understanding.
Section 504
Extended time should be provided during observation-based investigations and when students are completing graphical displays of shadow, moon, or star data. Preferential seating near the demonstration area supports students during flashlight modeling and shadow observation activities. Printed copies of any directions or data collection prompts displayed on the board ensure full access during hands-on investigations, and a low-distraction setting may be offered during the summative design task.
ELL / MLL
Visual supports such as labeled diagrams of the Earth-sun-moon system, picture-supported vocabulary cards for terms like rotation, orbit, gravity, and apparent brightness, and annotated data table templates will help students connect scientific language to observable phenomena. Directions for investigations should be given in short, simple steps with visual demonstrations before students begin, and teachers should check for understanding by asking students to restate the task in their own words. Allowing students to discuss observations with a partner who shares their home language before recording supports both comprehension and scientific reasoning.
At Risk (RTI)
Connecting new concepts to familiar experiences — such as noticing how shadows change throughout a school day or how the moon looks different on different nights — helps build entry points into the unit's abstract ideas. Reducing the complexity of data collection by focusing on one variable at a time, such as shadow length before adding direction, allows students to experience success and build confidence with scientific patterns. Providing partially completed graphs with labeled axes gives students a concrete starting point for organizing data, and frequent check-ins during investigations help identify and address misconceptions before they deepen.
Gifted & Talented
Students who quickly grasp the patterns created by Earth's motions can be encouraged to investigate the mathematical relationships between orbital distance, period, and apparent brightness, drawing connections to other planets or star systems beyond our own. Extending the summative design task to include scientifically accurate scale, relative distances, or the mechanics of gravitational force adds meaningful depth and complexity. Students may also explore how ancient or Indigenous cultures used observable sky patterns for navigation or timekeeping, integrating cross-disciplinary thinking with the science content. Encouraging students to pose and investigate their own questions about the Earth-sun-moon system fosters self-directed scientific reasoning appropriate for advanced learners.