Oklahoma Science ES.ESS1.4

ScienceGrades 9–12Earth’s Place in the Universe

The Standard

Use models to determine patterns that can be used to predict the motion of orbiting objects in the Solar System.

Oklahoma Academic Standards for Science (2026)

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students use orbit diagrams, dated positions, and data tables to find patterns in how objects move around the Sun or a planet. They use those patterns to predict a future position or the time needed to complete an orbit.
What Mastery Looks Like: Given dated positions for Mars on an orbit diagram, a student marks a reasonable next position and explains the spacing between the marks. They can use planet data to predict that a planet farther from the Sun takes longer to complete an orbit.
Common Misconceptions: Students may put the Sun at the center of every elliptical orbit or assume a planet moves at the same speed throughout its orbit. They may also think every planet takes one Earth year to orbit the Sun.
How to Assess It: Show four monthly Mars positions on an orbit diagram, with an arrow showing its direction. Ask students to mark its likely position one month later and explain how they chose it.

Lesson moves

Place counters on an elliptical orbit diagram at four dated Mars positions, then move a fifth counter to predict next month's position.
Ask students why equal-time position marks are farther apart near the Sun, and have them support their answer with an orbit diagram.
Give pairs distance-from-Sun and orbital-period cards for six planets to match, then have them check a planet data table.
Use a Moon orbit diagram and two full Moon dates from a calendar to predict the next full Moon.

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