Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v4 - JHS 3
THE SOLAR SYSTEM
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THE SOLAR SYSTEM
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Subject: Science
Class: JHS 3
Term: 2nd Term
Week: 1
Grade code: B9.3.2.1.1
Strand code: 3
Sub-strand code: 2
Content standard code: B9.3.2.1
Indicator code: B9.3.2.1.1
Theme: SYSTEMS
Subtheme: THE SOLAR SYSTEM
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In the Solar System, not everything that moves around the Sun is a planet. Many smaller bodies—especially asteroids and comets—also travel through space in predictable ways. Understanding how these non-planetary bodies move helps learners to: explain why we sometimes see “shooting stars” (meteors), understand why some objects can come close to Earth, appreciate how scientists use information (including digital sources) to make decisions about space hazards and opportunities (e.g., mining asteroids, protecting satellites).
2.1 What are non-planetary bodies? Non-planetary bodies are objects in the Solar System that are not planets. They include: Asteroids: rocky/metallic bodies, mostly found between Mars and Jupiter. Comets: icy bodies that develop a glowing head and tail when near the Sun. Meteoroids: small pieces of rock/metal moving in space (often from asteroids or comets). Meteors: streaks of light seen when meteoroids burn in Earth’s atmosphere (“shooting stars”). Meteorites: meteoroids that survive and land on Earth.
> Important: The indicator focuses on understanding the movement of non-planetary bodies, especially asteroids and comets.
2.2 Movement in the Solar System: the basic idea Most objects in the Solar System move because of gravity, mainly from the Sun. They follow orbits. Orbit An orbit is the path an object follows around another object due to gravity. Elliptical orbit Most orbits are ellipses (oval-shaped), not perfect circles. The Sun is usually at one focus of the ellipse. Objects move faster when closer to the Sun and slower when farther away.
This is a simplified idea from Kepler’s laws (you do not need the full laws, but you must understand the effect).