Topic Hotlist

Amy Bohman
EDMT 380-002 Topic Hotlist
Fall 2005

Solar System

Grade: 6th
Summary and Description of Use
This Topic Hotlist focuses on websites relating to the solar system. The students will focusing on the solar system and discovering how the early astronomers came to the conclusions about the solar system compared to what we know today.

This topic hotlist will allow students to explore different websites about the solar system. As part of their cumulative grade, the students will choose a planet, small body or constellation and create a timeline of the knowledge of that planet. They will also be able to explore the astronomers of the past and present to outline how our knowledge of the solar system has changed.

General: Col, Jananda. Enchanted Learning
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/astronomy
Collection of informational pages containing links to all aspects of astronomy.
: Convex Groups How Stuff Works
http://science.howstuffworks.com/46010-solar-system-explained.htm
Introduces different aspects of our solar system. Includes an argument for a 10 th planet

Absolute Astronomy
http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/
Includes information on the planet, constellation, or star of the researcher’s choice.

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The Planets/Small Bodies: Arnett, William. Nine (Ten) Planets
http://www.nineplanets.org/
Contains an overview of the nine + one planets.

NASA. Welcome to the Planets
http://pds.jpl.nasa.gov/planets/welcome.htm
Contains information sheets on each planet and some small bodies as well as an image gallery for each planet.
: BBC. Science and Nature: Space
http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/space/solarsystem/
Includes a travel guide through the solar system with rest stops at all the planets, and a few rest stops at asteroids and comets.
: Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_planetary_exploration
Includes a time-line of the discovery of the planets and other small bodies in space.

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Stars/Constellations: Col, Jananda. Enchanted Learning. http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/astronomy/stars/lifecycle/
Diagram of the life cycle of stars with a written explanation.
: Dibon-Smith, Richard.
http://www.dibonsmith.com/stars.htm
Information on 88 constellations and how they got their names.
: The Mythology of the Constellations
http://www.comfychair.org/~cmbell/myth/myth.html
Describes the significant meaning behind the constellations’ names and the myths they represent.

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Astronomers

Think Quest.
http://library.thinkquest.org/23830/astronomers.htm
Links to astronomers such as Galileo, Kepler, Thombaugh, Copernicus, Halley, Ptolemy, and more.

Info Please
http://www.infoplease.com/spot/scibio6.html
Includes a list of famous astronomers that links to biographies

Info Please
http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/people/A0840425.html
Life and findings of Ptolemy.

Info Please
http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/people/A0827427.html
Life and findings of Kepler with links explaining his laws.

Info Please
http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/people/A0858326.html
Summary of Galileo’s contributions to astronomy.

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Space in the News: Space News
http://www.space.com/spacenews/
Provides the latest news stories involving the solar system.
: Space Exploration
http://my.execpc.com/~culp/space/timeline.html
Has a timeline of space exploration starting with Sputnik 1 on October 4, 1957.
: CNN
http://www.cnn.com/TECH/space/
Current news releases relating to space.

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Last updated on December 14, 2005
Any Questions? Email bohmanac@uwec.edu