Students should have been previously introduced to the concepts of Kepler’s Laws of Planetary Motion.

Students should have been previously introduced to the concepts of Newton’s Laws, including the law of gravity.

Students should be acquainted with the idea that the Solar System formed from the collapse of a cloud of gas and dust.

Students analyze and interpret Solar System objects' orbital properties to identify the group of objects to which they belong.

Students construct explanations regarding the role of gravity in orbital motions and interactions between Solar System objects.

Students provide evidence that supports the solar nebula theory of the Solar System’s formation.