Students explore eclipses and design a storyboard that uses a model of the Earth-sun-moon system to explain what causes eclipses of the sun and the moon and why these eclipses are infrequent. (ESS1.A) (ESS1.B)
Students understand why celestial objects appear to move in distinct patterns from Earth and can explain patterns of the apparent motion of the sun, the moon, and stars in the sky as well as eclipses of the sun and moon.
Performance Assessment
DCI
Eclipses Sometimes the sun appears to be blocked by the moon.
Lesson Phenomenon
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Students record a video presentation of their model of the Earthsun-moon system to participate in a contest to educate adults about a celestial pattern that can be observed from Earth.
Students use foam balls in the classroom planetarium to find patterns that explain why eclipses occur and model the orbital plane of the moon to find patterns that reveal why eclipses are rare.
CCC
PE
Students develop a model to repre- MS-ESS1-1 sent the position of celestial bodies in the Earth-sun-moon system, including their orientation, movement, and location with respect to Earth’s orbital plane.
Students develop and revise models MS-ESS1-1 that can describe, test, and predict information about eclipses. Then, students plan and carry out an investigation to show why the moon and sun appear about the same size from Earth.
SEP
What causes the appearance of the sun rising and setting each day? Why does the amount of sunlight reaching one location on Earth vary seasonally? How is it that we can predict what parts of celestial objects will be hit by sunlight? How can a small object block light from a large object? Students should review their answers to these questions to summarize their findings and make revisions to their model of the integrated phenomenon.
A solar eclipse occurs when the moon blocks the sun’s light from reaching Earth. The moon is much smaller than the sun, but since it is closer it can block the sun completely. But only for a short time, because when it moves slightly, it no longer blocks the sun. The green flash is not related to an eclipse, because it happens at sunset when Earth’s horizon blocks the sun’s light.
Connection to Segment Phenomenon
8 T H G R A D E L E A R N I N G S E Q U E N C E
8th Grade Integrated 123