Plutoed
Assessment
In 2006, seventy-six years after its discovery, Pluto was demoted from its status as a plant to that of a dwarf planet. As science instruments improved over time, scientists built a more complete picture of our solar system with more precise measurements. This assessment uses data to compare properties and scale of solar system objects. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): 1. Organize data to illustrate differences in scale of solar system objects. 2. Interpret data to describe similarities and differences among solar system objects. 3. Describe patterns in data to aid in predicting likely characteristics of solar system objects.
In 2006, seventy-six years after its discovery, Pluto was demoted from its status as a plant to that of a dwarf planet. Now, people use the term “plutoed” to refer to something or someone getting demoted or removed from a group of high standing. As science instruments improved over time, scientists built a more complete picture of our solar system with more precise measurements. Let’s explore some of the data scientists used to come to their decision as we compare scale properties of solar system objects.
Topics and standards: Solar System, Earth Science, ESS1.B, Earth in Space, MS-ESS1-3, Analyzing & Interpreting Data, Scale Proportion Quantity, Grades 6-8, 3D Science Tasks, Tuva Assessment Tasks, TEKS Science 7.9.C, TEKS Science 8.9.B, 8-ETS2-1, Assessment, 3.3.6-8.C