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| This science module focuses on the planets
of our Solar System. If you are using Genesis science modules
for the first time, read the User's
Guide thoroughly before you begin. (View User's Guide
as a PDF.)
The Portable Document Format (PDF) is used
to distribute fully formatted, print-quality
documents electronically. The following information
is available to view and print as a PDF file
with Adobe's Acrobat reader. To install the
FREE Adobe Acrobat Reader, visit the Adobe
Web site.
Take a look at other science
modules available. All technical terms
in the science modules are compiled in the Glossary for
easy access.
Technology
Applications are available for this module.
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Adobe's
Acrobat Reader©
The
Portable Document Format (PDF) is used to distribute
fully formatted, print-quality documents. |
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Teacher Resources |
| For a listing of additional resources that includes
URLs, books, and periodicals, click
here. |
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| The primary objective of the Genesis
mission is to collect samples of solar wind particles and return
them to Earth for detailed analysis. Precise analysis of these
particles, which will provide solar isotopic and elemental abundances,
will form a basis for testing models of solar system formation
and evolution and early nebular composition.
It has been presumed that the nine planets, among other highly
diverse objects of our solar system, originated from a relatively
homogeneous solar nebula. However, evolutionary processes resulted
in rocky planets with varying strengths of magnetospheres,
giant gaseous planets, satellites, comets, and asteroids. The
atmospheres surrounding these bodies are as varied as the bodies
themselves. Many models have been developed to explain not
only the origins, but also the changes necessary to produce
such diversity. None of these models fits all the known planetary
data.
It is assumed that the sun has changed the least. Therefore,
Genesis is designed to determine solar particle abundances
at the precision required to explain scientific data from other
space missions and to test fundamental assumptions, such as
whether or not solar and nebular compositions are identical.
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Curriculum
Connections
National Standards Addressed
National
Science Education Standards
Grades 5-8
Science as Inquiry |
- Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
- Understandings about scientific inquiry
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Physical Science |
- Properties and changes of properties in matter
- Transfer of Energy
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Earth and
Space Science |
- Structure of the Earth System
- Earth's history
- Earth in the Solar System
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| Science and
Technology |
- Abilities of Technological Design
- Understandings about Science and Technology
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| History and
Nature of Science |
- Science as a Human Endeavor
- Nature of Science
- History of Science
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Curriculum
Connections
National Standards Addressed
National
Science Education Standards
Grades 9-12
Science as Inquiry |
- Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
- Understandings about scientific inquiry
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| Physical Science |
- Structure of atoms
- Structure and properties of matter
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| Earth and Space
Science |
- Energy in the Earth System
- The Origin and Evolution of the Earth System
- The Origin and Evolution of the Universe
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| Science and
Technology |
- Abilities of Technological Design
- Understandings about Science and Technology
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| History and
Nature of Science |
- Science as a Human Endeavor
- Nature of Scientific Knowledge
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Just as scientists like Mendeleev
found order and patterns in a seemingly chaotic set of information (see
Genesis module, Cosmic
Chemistry: An Elemental Question), astronomers, astrophysicists,
and astrochemists are trying to "order" overwhelming amounts
of cosmic data from multiple sources.
The teacher's primary instructional role is socratic in the
activities of this Cosmic Chemistry: Planetary Diversity module.
Through effective verbal and written questioning, students
will explore the role of infrared radiation in determining
planetary characteristics in "Here Comes the Heat." This activity
not only serves as an introduction to the study of planetary
diversity, but can also serve as a link between this Genesis
module and the previous one entitled, Cosmic
Chemistry: The Sun and Solar Wind.
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| In following activities students will
explore: |
- Planetary data that has the greatest consensus of interpretation
by astronomers. In the activity, "Are We Related?" students
look for patterns in planet diversity. Students will be looking
for evidence that differences in planetary characteristics
are related to their distances from the sun.
- Differences in planetary magnetospheres in "Plasma
Wars," impact cratering in "Ouch! That Hurts!" and
greenhouse effects in "Hot and Cold Running Planets" using
models to study the influence of planetary atmospheres on their
formation and evolution.
- Stochastic (random) processes and their
possible relevance to the origin of planetary diversity in "Out
of Chaos."
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 Students interact with peers to
accomplish the tasks assigned in the Exploration and Development
sections above. Each activity contains work to be done in groups,
with the whole class participating in preliminary and summary
discussions.
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| The known planets are spaced fairly regularly
around the sun, but there is an obvious gap between Mars and
Jupiter. All the mathematical formulae for modeling the distances
of the planets from the sun suggest that there should be a planet
somewhere between 2.8 AU and 3.5 AU. At this distance, however,
we have found more than 4000 asteroids rather than a planet.
The position of the asteroid belt in space
is the transition point between the terrestrial planets and
the large gaseous planets. Prediction of the properties of
the planet that could have formed in the asteroid belt, "the
missing planet", provides an interesting question to
pose for students' consideration as the final assessment
activity of this Planetary Diversity module.
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| Writers: |
WEE3
of Kansas
~ Dr. Donna Bogner
~ Dr. B.J. McCormick
~ Dr. L. Raymond Fox
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| Graphics: |
~Judy Counley, McREL
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| Special thanks to the following reviewers: |
~Dr. Marcia Neugebauer, Jet Propulsion
Laboratory
~Gil Yanow, Jet Propulsion Laboratory
~Howard Schaeffer, LaPorte (TX) H.S.
~John Ristvey, McREL
~Alice Krueger, McREL
~Jacinta Behne, McREL
~Claire Heidema, McREL
~Greg Rawls, McREL
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This
education module,
