Through Time and Space: The Evolution of Our Solar System

This class will go over the evolution of our solar system through time and space. We will begin 5 billion years ago when our solar system was nothing more than a cloud of dust, and work our way outward from the centre through both time and space. 

Some questions we will cover are: Where did the sun come from? How did the sun start to shine and produce heat? Where did the planets come from, and why do some of them behave so oddly? Why are the gas giants so much different from Earth and our closest neighbours? What's up with the asteroid belt? Where do comets come from? 

This class is structured as an interactive dialogue using visual elements as a guide. In order to understand more complex topics, I first explain basic physical processes and use Socratic questioning to help children use this information to arrive at complicated conclusions. For example, I will explain how gravity attracts everything in the universe together, and then ask a series of questions related to how gravity pulled atoms together to make the sun. 

There will be plenty of discussion and interaction with me as we answer questions and try to come to conclusions scientifically! I love to let kids express their ideas and ask questions, so this class may run a bit overtime if we get into a great discussion. 

Learners should have some basic understanding of our solar system, such as the fact that we have planets, a sun, and moons. Learners should have basic knowledge of at least some of the planets in our solar system. If your learner has limited knowledge of the solar system, they may want to take my introductory class: “Our Stellar Neighborhood: an Introduction to Our Solar System.” https://outschool.com/classes/our-stellar-neighborhood-an-introduction-to-our-solar-system-LZbsFrRy?usid=iDzYQofH&signup=true&utm_campaign=share_activity_link