How can the Sun help us explore other planets?

How can the Sun help us explore other planets?

Lesson narration:
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DISCUSS:

What’s in outer space? List everything you can think of.

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DISCUSS:

What might be difficult about sending humans to another planet?

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DISCUSS:

What could you use to power a machine in space?

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DISCUSS:

Do you think a solar panel would work everywhere in outer space like it works here on Earth?

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Step
01/21
You’ll work with a partner.
Decide who will get the codename Cosmo and who will get the
codename Rocket.
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Step
02/21
Get your supplies. (You’ll get more later.)
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Step
03/21
Decide on a name for your team rover. Then write it on the line that
says “Rover name” on your Brightness Test worksheet.
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Step
04/21
Cosmo: Cut along the dotted lines on the paper with gray letters “A
through F.” Rocket: Cut along the dotted lines on the paper with gray
letters “G through K.”
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Step
05/21
Both: Peel the backs off your stickers. Stick them on the edge of
your desk so that most of the sticker is hanging off.
Do this for all of your stickers.
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Step
06/21
Both: Put the white letter on top of the matching gray letter. Tape
them together using a sticker. Try your best to line up the letters and
keep the paper straight.
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Step
07/21
Both: Connect the two pieces of your Solar System together at the
letter “F.” Tape it to make one long line of paper with the Sun at the
beginning and planet #8 at the end.
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Step
08/21
When your teacher tells you, move to a large, flat space and lay your
Solar System down. Make sure you have enough room to move
forward and backward next to your Solar System.
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Step
09/21
Cosmo: Find planet #1 on the Brightness Test worksheet.
Rocket: Write “Mercury” underneath planet #1 on your model Solar
System. Both: Do this for all 8 planets.
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Step
10/21
Get the rest of your supplies.
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Step
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Cosmo: Hold the test rover at Earth. Rocket: Hold the flashlight
above the “Sun” line and shine it at the test rover. Both: Look at the
light shining on your test rover. Discuss:
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Step
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Here’s what we thought.
Circle the option “Bright” for Earth on your Brightness Test
worksheet.
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Step
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Cosmo: Move your test rover to Venus. Rocket: Shine the Sun on the
rover. Both: Discuss how bright the Sun looks and choose an answer
on your worksheet. Repeat for Mercury.
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Step
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Partners switch jobs. Then measure the brightness of the Sun on the
planet Mars. Continue testing the brightness of the Sun on Jupiter,
Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
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Step
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Explore the Solar System one more time with your test rover.
Discuss:
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Step
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Here’s what we noticed.
The closer we are to the Sun, the brighter the light looks. The farther
away we move from the Sun, the dimmer the light looks.
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Step
17/21
Cross out the name of any planets on your Brightness Test
worksheet where the Sun’s light looked “Barely Visible.”
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Step
18/21
Take all of your supplies back to your desk.
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Step
19/21
Write down the length of one night for each planet
in the “More data” section on your Brightness Test worksheet.
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Discuss:
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Step
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Talk with your partner and make your final decision on which planet
to send your solar-powered rover to. Answer the questions at the
bottom of your worksheet.
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DISCUSS:

What else would be good to know about a planet before we land a rover there?

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planet


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a large, round object in outer space that orbits a star
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orbit (revolve)


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to circle another object, like the Earth around the Sun
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Mercury


3 of 17

the first planet from the Sun in our solar system
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Venus


4 of 17

the second planet from the Sun in our solar system
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Earth


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the third planet from the Sun in our solar system
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Mars


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the fourth planet from the Sun in our solar system
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Jupiter


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the fifth planet from the Sun in our solar system
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Saturn


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the sixth planet from the Sun in our solar system
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Uranus


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the seventh planet from the Sun in our solar system
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Neptune


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the eighth planet from the Sun in our solar system
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solar system


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all the planets and other objects that orbit around a star
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model


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a pretend version of something that scientists use when the real thing is too big, small, or complicated to work with
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distance


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the amount of space between two things
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bright


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describes when there is a lot of visible light; the opposite of dim
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dim


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describes when there is not a lot of visible light; the opposite of bright
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solar energy (solar power)


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energy from the Sun that can warm things up and be made into electricity; a renewable resource
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solar panel


17 of 17

a panel that can absorb the Sun's light to use as a source of energy
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Lesson narration:

Activity Prep

Print Prep

THIS LESSON WAS REVISED ON DEC 14, 2022. Here is a link to the previous version.
In this lesson, students gather evidence to support an argument that the apparent brightness of the Sun is dependent upon an observer’s distance from the Sun. In the activity, Solar Energy Explorer, students construct a model solar system and gather observations of the Sun’s apparent brightness from each planet within their model. Students then use those observations as evidence to support a claim about which planet is best suited to explore with a solar-powered planetary rover.

Preview activity

Exploration

15 mins

Wrap-Up

12 mins

Extend this lesson

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