Earth and Space Science (The Study of the Universe)

Grade 9 (Applied) Overall Expectations:

1 – Assess some of the costs, hazards, and benefits of space exploration and the contributions of Canadians to space research and technology.

• Assess, on the basis of research, and report on the contributions of Canadian governments, organizations, businesses, and/or individuals to space technology, research, and/or exploration (e.g., as part of the International Space Station mission; in the fields of telecommunications and satellite technology) [IP, PR, AI, C].
  • Space Technology (The Canadian Encyclopedia)
  • Canadian Space Agency (The Canadian Encyclopedia)
  • Canadian Space Agency (Government of Canada)
  • How Canada Made the Moon Landing Possible (Reader’s Digest)
  • Canada and the International Space Station (Government of Canada)
  • Canadian Space Agency Facts and Information (Space.com)

• Assess some of the costs, hazards, and benefits of space exploration (e.g., the expense of developing new technologies, accidents resulting in loss of life, contributions to our knowledge of the universe), taking into account the benefits of technologies that were developed for the space program but that can be used to address environmental and other practical challenges on Earth (e.g., radiation monitors and barriers, sensors to monitor air and water quality, remote sensing technology, fire-resistant materials) [AI, C]
  • Canadian Space Agency (Government of Canada)
  • Top 10 NASA Inventions (HowStuffWorks)
  • 20 Things We Wouldn’t Have Without Space Travel (California Institute of Technology)
  • The Human Body in Space (NASA)
  • 5 Hazards of Human Spaceflight (NASA)
  • Canadarm (The Canadian Encyclopedia)
  • Why Explore Space? (European Space Agency)

2 – Investigate the characteristics and properties of a variety of celestial objects visible from Earth in the night sky.

• Use appropriate terminology related to the study of the universe, including, but not limited to: celestial objects, orbital radius, retrograde motion, and satellite [C]
  • Glossary of Astronomy Terms (Sea and Sky)
  • Milky Way Galaxy (Space.com)
  • Planets (NASA)
  • Meteors and Meteorites (NASA)
  • Sun (NASA)
  • Moons (NASA)
  • Stars (National Geographic)
  • The Universe Big Bang to Now (Space.com)
  • What is the Nebular Theory? (Seattle Pi)
  • What Does it Mean When They Say the Universe is Expanding? (Library of Congress)

• Use direct observation, computer simulation, or star charts to determine the location, appearance, and motion of well-known stars and other celestial objects that are visible in the night sky (e.g., the stars Polaris, Sirius, Betelgeuse; the planet Venus) [PR, AI]
  • Canadian Space Agency (Government of Canada)
  • How to Observe the Planets with a Telescope (Astronomy.com)
  • View Space (Viewspace.org)
  • How to Use a Star Chart (Astronomy.com)
  • Solar System Exploration (NASA)
  • Solar System Scope (Solar System Scope)
  • Celestial Objects You Have to Observe (Sky and Telescope)

• Plan and conduct a simulation that illustrates the interrelationships between various properties of celestial objects visible in the night sky (e.g., set up flashlights of various intensities at different distances from an observation point to help illustrate why the brightness of a star viewed from Earth is a function of both its actual brightness and its distance from Earth) [IP, PR, AI]
  • Canadian Space Agency (Government of Canada)
  • Science Project on the Life Cycle of Stars (Sciencing)
  • How Does Light Intensity Change with Distance? (Science Buddies)
  • Sun Track Model (NASA)
  • More on Brightness as a Function of Distance (NASA)
• Gather and record data, using an inquiry or research process, on the properties of specific celestial objects within the solar system (e.g., the composition of their atmosphere, if any; the composition of their surface; the strength of their gravitational pull) [IP, PR, C]
  • Canadian Space Agency (Government of Canada)
  • Solar System Exploration (NASA)
  • Celestial Objects (Sea and Sky)

• Compare and contrast properties of celestial objects visible in the night sky, drawing on information gathered through research and using an appropriate format (e.g., compare the size of planets; represent the distance of stars from Earth using scientific notation; compare star temperatures and colour) [PR, AI, C]
  • Solar System Exploration (NASA)
  • Celestial Objects (Sea and Sky)
  • Scientific Notation (Lumen Learning)

• Describe the major components of the solar system and the universe (e.g., planets, stars, galaxies), using appropriate scientific terminology and units (e.g., astronomical units, scientific notation, light years).
  • Solar System Exploration (NASA)
  • Celestial Objects (Sea and Sky)
  • Scientific Notation (Lumen Learning)
  • What is a Light Year? (NASA)
  • What is an Astronomical Unit? (Earth Sky)

• Describe the sun’s composition and energy source, and explain how its energy warms Earth and supports life on the planet (e.g., with reference to the types of radiation the sun emits and the interaction of the sun’s energy with Earth’s atmosphere).
  • Earth’s Sun (Space.com)
  • How Does Earth Receive Warmth from the Sun? (Sciencing)
  • The Sun’s Impact on the Earth (World Meteorological Organization)
  • Radiation from the Sun (Universe Today)

• Explain the causes of astronomical phenomena (e.g., the aurora borealis, solar eclipses, phases of the moon, comets) and how various phenomena can best be observed from Earth (e.g., solar eclipses should be viewed through a suitable solar filter or by projection, not with the naked eye).
  • A Complete Guide to Astronomical Phenomena (We Love Weather)
  • Northern Lights: What Causes the Aurora Borealis & Where to See It (Space.com)
  • Lunar Phases and Eclipses (NASA)
  • Eclipses and Transits (NASA)
  • Comets (NASA)
  • How to View a Solar Eclipse (Exploratorium)

• Describe various reasons that humankind has had for studying space (e.g., to develop calendars for agricultural purposes, to forecast weather, for celestial navigation, for religious inspiration) and the conceptions of the universe held by various cultures and civilizations (e.g., Indigenous peoples; ancient Greek, Mayan civilizations).
  • Why We Explore (NASA)
  • Astronomical Basis of Calendars (Calendars Through the Ages)
  • Weather Forecasting Through the Ages (NASA)
  • Celestial Navigation (Celestialnavigation.net)
  • Reverence for the Heavens: How Astronomy and Religion Intersect (Space.com)
  • ‘We Come from the Stars’: How Indigenous Peoples are Taking Back Astronomy (CBC)
  • Sky Stories: Indigenous Astronomy (Virtual Museum)
  • Cosmological Theories Through History (Physics of the Universe)
  • Ancient Greek Astronomy and Cosmology (Library of Congress)
  • Ancient Mayan Astronomy (Thought Co.)

3 – Demonstrate an understanding of the major scientific theories about the structure, formation, and evolution of the universe and its components and of the evidence that supports these theories.

• Describe observational and theoretical evidence relating to the origin and evolution of the universe (e.g., evidence supporting the big bang theory).
  • The Big Bang (NASA)
  • The Universe Big Bang to Now (Space.com)
  • The Origin of the Universe (Scholastic)
  • Evidence for the Big Bang (School Observatory)

• Describe observational and theoretical evidence relating to the formation of the solar system (e.g., evidence that supports the theory that the solar system was formed from a contracting, spinning disc of dust and gas).
  • Our Solar System (NASA)
  • How Did the Solar System Form? (Science.com)
  • The Formation of the Solar System and Structure of the Sun (YouTube)