THE GEOGRAPHERS

Lesson 1 Reflection

1

• I learned about the planets in the solar system and how they move around the Sun.

• Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and it is the only one known to support life.

• All planets move in oval-shaped paths (ellipses) because of the Sun’s gravity.

• The Earth spins on its axis, and this causes day and night.

• The Earth also goes around the Sun, and this causes the seasons.

• We studied Johannes Kepler’s three laws of planetary movement.

• His first law says planets move in oval orbits, not perfect circles.

• His second law says planets move faster when they are closer to the Sun.

• His third law shows the link between how far a planet is from the Sun and how long it takes to orbit it.

2

I enjoyed learning about Kepler’s laws the most because they clearly explain why planets move the way they do, and it made the solar system more understandable.

3 I found it most difficult to fully understand how Kepler’s third law works mathematically, because it involves ratios and orbital periods.