Standard 1: Students will understand the scientific evidence that supports
theories that explain how the universe and the solar system developed. They will
compare Earth to other objects in the solar system.
Objective 1: Describe both the big bang theory of universe formation and the nebular
theory of solar system formation and evidence supporting them.
a. Identify the scientific evidence for the age of the solar system (4.6 billion years),
including Earth (e.g., radioactive decay).
b. Describe the big bang theory and the evidence that supports this theory (e.g., cosmic
background radiation, abundance of elements, distance/redshift relation for galaxies).
c. Describe the nebular theory of solar system formation and the evidence supporting it
(e.g., solar system structure due to gravity, motion and temperature; composition and age
of meteorites; observations of newly forming stars).
d. Explain that heavy elements found on Earth are formed in stars.
e. Investigate and report how science has changed the accepted ideas regarding the nature of the
universe throughout history.
f. Provide an example of how technology has helped scientists investigate the universe.
Objective 2: Analyze Earth as part of the solar system, which is part of the Milky Way
galaxy.
a. Relate the composition of objects in the solar system to their distance from the Sun.
b. Compare the size of the solar system to the Milky Way galaxy.
c. Compare the size and scale of objects within the solar system.
d. Evaluate the conditions that currently support life on Earth (biosphere) and compare
them to the conditions that exist on other planets and moons in the solar system (e.g.,
atmosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere, amounts of incoming solar energy, habitable zone).
theories that explain how the universe and the solar system developed. They will
compare Earth to other objects in the solar system.
Objective 1: Describe both the big bang theory of universe formation and the nebular
theory of solar system formation and evidence supporting them.
a. Identify the scientific evidence for the age of the solar system (4.6 billion years),
including Earth (e.g., radioactive decay).
b. Describe the big bang theory and the evidence that supports this theory (e.g., cosmic
background radiation, abundance of elements, distance/redshift relation for galaxies).
c. Describe the nebular theory of solar system formation and the evidence supporting it
(e.g., solar system structure due to gravity, motion and temperature; composition and age
of meteorites; observations of newly forming stars).
d. Explain that heavy elements found on Earth are formed in stars.
e. Investigate and report how science has changed the accepted ideas regarding the nature of the
universe throughout history.
f. Provide an example of how technology has helped scientists investigate the universe.
Objective 2: Analyze Earth as part of the solar system, which is part of the Milky Way
galaxy.
a. Relate the composition of objects in the solar system to their distance from the Sun.
b. Compare the size of the solar system to the Milky Way galaxy.
c. Compare the size and scale of objects within the solar system.
d. Evaluate the conditions that currently support life on Earth (biosphere) and compare
them to the conditions that exist on other planets and moons in the solar system (e.g.,
atmosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere, amounts of incoming solar energy, habitable zone).