Standard Area - MST:
Math, Science & Technology
- Standard - MST4: Students will understand and apply scientific concepts, principles, and theories pertaining to the physical setting and living environment and recognize the historical development of ideas in science.
- Key Idea Code - MST4.PS:
- Key Idea - MST4.PS1: The Earth and celestial phenomena can be described by principles of relative motion and perspective.
- Academic Level - MST4.I.PS1:
- Performance Indicator - MST4.I.PS1A: Students explain daily, monthly, and seasonal changes on Earth.
- Major Understandings - 1.1a : Earth's Sun is an average-sized star. The Sun is more than a million times greater
in volume than Earth.
- Major Understandings - 1.1b : Other stars are like the Sun but are so far away that they look like points of light.
Distances between stars are vast compared to distances within our solar system.
- Major Understandings - 1.1c : The Sun and the planets that revolve around it are the major bodies in the solar system. Other members include comets, moons, and asteroids. Earth's orbit is nearly circular.
- Major Understandings - 1.1d : Gravity is the force that keeps planets in orbit around the Sun and the Moon in
orbit around the Earth.
- Major Understandings - 1.1e : Most objects in the solar system have a regular and predictable motion. These
motions explain such phenomena as a day, a year, phases of the Moon, eclipses, tides,
meteor showers, and comets.
- Major Understandings - 1.1f : The latitude/longitude coordinate system and our system of time are based on
celestial observations.
- Major Understandings - 1.1g : Moons are seen by reflected light. Our Moon orbits Earth, while Earth orbits the
Sun. The Moon's phases as observed from Earth are the result of seeing different portions of the lighted area of the Moon's surface. The phases repeat in a cyclic pattern in
about one month.
- Major Understandings - 1.1h : The apparent motions of the Sun, Moon, planets, and stars across the sky can be
explained by Earth's rotation and revolution. Earth's rotation causes the length of one
day to be approximately 24 hours. This rotation also causes the Sun and Moon to appear
to rise along the eastern horizon and to set along the western horizon. Earth's revolution
around the Sun defines the length of the year as 365 1/4 days.
- Major Understandings - 1.1i : The tilt of Earth's axis of rotation and the revolution of Earth around the Sun cause
seasons on Earth. The length of daylight varies depending on latitude and season.
- Major Understandings - 1.1j : The shape of Earth, the other planets, and stars is nearly spherical.
