Next Generation Science Standards
Science literacy and critical thinking skills
Developing and using models
Analyzing and interpreting data
Using mathematical and computational thinking
Three dimensional lesson summary for an astronomy or physics class:
Students use mathematical and computational representations of the physical and orbital properties of asteroids to reason how gravitational interactions, kinetic energy, and changes to asteroid orbits allow one to determine whether an asteroid will be potentially hazardous for Earth, and the overall damage it may cause.
Building towards:
HS-ESS1-4 Use mathematical or computational representations to predict the motion of orbiting objects in the solar system.
Science and Engineering Practices Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking | Use mathematical, computational, and/or algorithmic representations of phenomena to describe and/or support claims and/or explanations.
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Disciplinary Core Ideas | Kepler’s laws describe common features of the motions of orbiting objects, including their elliptical paths around the sun. Orbits may change due to the gravitational effects from, or collisions with, other objects in the solar system. Students apply their understanding of the minimum orbit intersection distance to decide if an asteroid might experience a change in orbit, causing it to become a threat to Earth. | |
Forces at a distance are explained by gravitational fields permeating space that can transfer energy through space. Students apply their understanding about how mass and distance affect gravitational forces to reason why orbits of some asteroids change over time. | ||
Energy is continually transferred from one object to another and between its various possible forms. At the macroscopic scale, energy manifests itself in multiple ways, such as in motion, sound, light, and thermal energy. Students are asked to evaluate the potential damage to structures and harm to humans that could occur when the kinetic energy of an asteroid is converted to other forms of energy upon Earth impact. | ||
Crosscutting Concept Scale, Proportion, and Quantity | Students use algebraic thinking to examine scientific data and predict the effect of a change in one variable on another.
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Three dimensional lesson summary for a geoscience class:
Students analyze data on the physical and orbital properties of an asteroid to predict whether the asteroid is likely to strike Earth. They calculate the incoming asteroid’s kinetic energy and consider what will happen when kinetic energy converts to other forms of energy on impact. Students then construct an explanation based on evidence of the potential damage and harm to life if the asteroid were to impact Earth.
Building towards:
HS-ESS3-1 Construct an explanation based on evidence for how the availability of natural resources, occurrence of natural hazards, and changes in climate have influenced human activity.
MS-ESS3-2 Analyze and interpret data on natural hazards to forecast future catastrophic events and inform the development of technologies to mitigate their effects.
Science and Engineering Practices |
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Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions (HS) | Construct and revise an explanation based on valid and reliable evidence obtained from a variety of sources (including students’ own investigations, models, theories, simulations, peer review) and the assumption that theories and laws that describe the natural world operate today as they did in the past and will continue to do so in the future. | |
Disciplinary Core Ideas | Natural hazards and other geological events have shaped the course of human history at local, regional, and global scales. | |
Mapping the history of natural hazards in a region and understanding related geological forces can help forecast the locations and likelihoods of future events. | ||
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Energy and Matter |
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Connections to Engineering | HS: Modern civilization depends on major technological systems. | |
Connections to Nature of Science |
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Physics - Earth-Space Science Correlation Table
Are you working on integrating Earth-Space Science standards into your Physics class? Click on the link below and make of a copy of this Google Sheet to search by Performance Expectation (PE), Disciplinary Core Idea (DCI), or Rubin Observatory investigation.