1. The orbit of Earth around the sun is responsible for which of the following:

• The cycle of day and night
• Changes in the length and direction of shadows throughout the day
• Lunar eclipses
• Changing seasons throughout the year

2. Draw arrows on the diagram to show the direction of the force responsible for keeping all of these objects in orbit.

3. Explain the thinking that you used to add arrows to the diagram.

4. How would the asteroids most likely behave if Jupiter were to suddenly disappear?

• They would rush inwards towards the inner planets.
• They would continue along the same orbital path.
• They would move outward towards Saturn.
• They would move away from the solar system out into space.

5. Use this model to explain why planets may be visible in our night sky, but not all of the time.

6. Explain how this model correctly shows the scale of distance between objects, but does not accurately show scale in terms of the size of the objects.

7. A classmate states that the orbital behavior of the planets in our solar system is similar to how our solar system orbits the Milky Way. Using what you have learned, how would you respond to his claim?

• He is incorrect; our sun and solar system are at the center of the Milky Way, with other star systems orbiting around it.
• He is incorrect; our solar system moves, but not in an orbital path.
• He is correct; our sun orbits around the center of the Milky Way.
• He is incorrect; our solar system is stationary.

8. A classmate wonders why the asteroids don’t come crashing into the inner planets due to the sun’s gravitational pull. Using what you have learned and what you observe in the model, how should you respond to his question?

• Jupiter’s gravity pulls the asteroids outwards from the sun.
• The asteroids are far enough away from the sun that the sun’s gravity has no effect on them.
• If the asteroids fell out of orbit they would instead move in a straight line out into space.
• When asteroids fall out of orbit, they all crash into Jupiter because it’s so large.

9. Based on the data table, which of the following statements best describes how the model would look if we expanded it to include the orbits of the rest of the outer planets?

• It is impossible to create a model big enough to show the orbits of all of the planets relative to one another.
• The outer planets would be spread apart, with the distance increasing between planets as we move outward.
• The outer planets would be close to Jupiter, similar to the grouping of the inner planets.
• The outer planets would be evenly spaced apart, with the same distance between each planet’s orbital path.

10. Which of the following statements best describes the behavior of gravitational forces in our solar system?

• All objects in our solar system have gravity, the strength of the force depends on the object's mass, and decreases with distance between objects.
• The sun and some planets have gravity, and its strength is based on the mass of the objects.
• Only the largest objects with the greatest mass have gravity, and the strength of the force decreases with distance between objects.
• Objects with great mass, such as the sun, have gravity, and the strength of its pull is the same on all of the objects in our solar system.

11. Looking at the model of part of the Solar system, what are 2 patterns you see in the movement of the asteroids?

12. Based on what you know about how objects move in the Solar System, explain what is happening in this image among the Sun, Jupiter, and the colored asteroids.