Standards
Idaho State Standards
Here are correlations to the Idaho State Language and Math standards and to the Idaho State Science Standards. For more information about the overall standards, see the complete Idaho Content Standards for Science, the Next Generation Science Standards, and the alignment between Idaho and NGSS Science Standards. You may also access the Idaho English Language Arts/Literacy Standards and Mathematics Standards.
Language
First Grade
ELA-1.W.RW.1
Routinely write or dictate writing for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences (e.g., expressing a view or preference, supplying some information about the topic, stories that recount an event or tell a story).
Suggested Lesson
Have students create an exoplanet using their imagination. Draw a picture and name the exoplanet. Name one feature that the planet has that would indicate that it could have life on it.
Second Grade
ELA-2.W.RW.2
Write arguments that express an opinion supported by details and reasons and provide a concluding sentence.
Suggested Lesson
Write your opinion about Pluto no longer being considered a planet in our solar system. Should it be called a dwarf planet or a regular planet? Why?
Third Grade
ELA-3.RS.IP.1
Conduct short research tasks to take some action or share findings orally or in writing by gathering and recording information on a specific topic from reference texts or through interviews, and using text features and search tools (e.g., key words, sidebars, hyperlinks) to locate information efficiently.
Suggested Lesson
Research an exoplanet and write down five facts about it. Facts might include how it was it found, how big it is, how it got its name, etc.
Fifth Grade
ELA-5.W.RW.5
Produce clear and coherent organizational structures of multiple paragraphs in which facts and details are logically grouped and linking words and phrases connect details and ideas.
Suggested Lesson
Write about the specific details that scientists are searching for that would indicate an exoplanet might have life on it.
Math
Kindergarten
Math-K.MD.A.1
Describe measurable attributes of objects, such as length or weight. Describe several measurable attributes of a single object.
Suggested Lesson
Using images of the planets of our solar system, place them in order of size from smallest to largest. Then place them in order of distance from the sun.
Fifth Grade
Math-5.MD.A.1
Convert among different-sized standard measurement units within a given measurement system. Use conversions in solving multi-step, real world problems.
Suggested Lesson
Measure and create scale images of all of the planets in our solar system, according to size. Scale the planets up to a size that is workable with common resources such as paper and other supplies as needed. Include the sun if resources allow.
Sixth Grade
Math-6.EE.A.1
Write and evaluate numerical expressions involving whole-number exponents.
Suggested Lesson
Read how far away exoplanets are from the earth at the Exoplanets Facts page. Write the numbers as exponents.
Seventh Grade
Math-7.G.B.4c
Informally derive and know the formulas for the area and circumference of a circle and use them to solve problems.
Suggested Lesson
Using the lesson “Solar Sleuth: Pi in the Sky”, utilize the math constant pi and data from the Kepler mission to calculate the size of an exoplanet.
Science
First Grade
Earth and Space Sciences: 1-ESS-1.1
Use observations of the sun, moon, and stars to describe patterns that can be predicted.
Supporting Content
Stars other than our sun are visible at night but not during the day.
Third Grade
Physical Sciences: 3-PS-1.2
Make observations and/or measurements of an object's motion to provide evidence that a pattern can be used to predict future motion.
Supporting Content
The patterns of an object's motion in various situations can be observed and measured; when that past motion exhibits a regular pattern, future motion can be predicted from it.
Fifth Grade
Earth and Space Sciences: 5-ESS-1.1
Support an argument that differences in the apparent brightness of the sun compared to other stars is due to their relative distances from the Earth.
Supporting Content
The sun is a star that appears larger and brighter than other stars because it is closer. Stars range greatly in their distance from Earth.
Sixth Grade
Physical Sciences: MS-PS-2.4
Construct and present arguments using evidence to support the claim that gravitational interactions are attractive and depend on the masses of interacting objects.
Supporting Content
Gravitational forces are always attractive. There is a gravitational force between any two masses, but it is very small except when one or both of the objects have large mass (such as planet and its star.) Examples of evidence for arguments could include data generated from simulations or digital tools; and charts displaying mass, strength of interaction, distance from the star, and orbital periods of objects.
Earth and Space Sciences: MS-ESS-1.2
Develop and use a model to describe the role of gravity in the orbital motions within galaxies and the solar system.
Supporting Content
Earth and its solar system are part of the Milky Way galaxy, which is only one of many galaxies in the universe.
The solar system consists of the Sun and a collection of objects, including planets, their moons, and asteroids that are held in orbit around the star by its gravitational pull on them.
Emphasis for the model is on gravity as the force that holds together the solar system and galaxies, and controls orbital motions within them. Evidences of models can be physical (such as computer visualizations of elliptical orbits) or conceptual (such as mathematical proportions relative to the size of familiar objects such as students' school or state.)