Windows to the Universe - Our Solar System

Use the Windows to the Universe website (http://www.windows2universe.org/) to answer the following questions about our solar system. Click on Solar System (top tab)and answer the following questions.  Remember to paraphrase your answers. 

Name: ________________________________________________________________________________

1.          What is a solar system made up of?  _________________________________________________

            _______________________________________________________________________________

2.         What travels around the sun?  _______________________________________________________

            _______________________________________________________________________________

3.         What is the center of our solar system?   ______________________________________________

            _______________________________________________________________________________

4.         When did the formation of our solar system begin?   _____________________________________

            _______________________________________________________________________________

5.         How did the solar system begin?  ____________________________________________________

            _______________________________________________________________________________

Click on formation in the third paragraph to answer the following questions:

6.         How do scientists believe the solar system was formed? 

            _______________________________________________________________________________   

            _______________________________________________________________________________

            _______________________________________________________________________________

7.         What is new information for you about the formation of the solar system?

            _______________________________________________________________________________

            _______________________________________________________________________________

            _______________________________________________________________________________

Website used is: http://www.windows2universe.org/ -

Creative commons:  Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0)

TEACHER ANSWER KEY

1.          What is a solar system made up of? 

The solar system is made up of the Sun, 8 planets, 5 dwarf planets and their 176 known moons, asteroids, comets, dust and gas. 

2.         What travels around the sun? 

The planets, asteroids, and comets travel around the Sun. 

3.         What is the center of our solar system? 

The Sun is the center of our solar system.

4.         When did the formation of our solar system begin? 

Solar system formation began billions of years ago.  

5.         How did the solar system begin? 

The solar system began when gases and dust began to come together to form the Sun, planets, and other bodies.

Click on formation in the third paragraph to answer the following questions:

6.         How do scientists believe the solar system was formed? 

            Scientists believe the solar system was formed when a cloud of gas and dust in space was disturbed, maybe by the explosion of a nearby star.

7.         What is new information for you about the formation of the solar system?

            Students’ answers will vary.  Take the opportunity to show students others aspects of the website in order to learn more about the solar system.