Unit Overview
How have collisions with objects from space changed Earth in the past, and how could they affect our future?
This unit uses the 2013 Chelyabinsk meteor as a context for exploring how and why objects from space collide with Earth. Students study gravity, orbital motion, energy transfer, and Earth’s history to understand past impacts and potential future risks.
*This performance expectation is developed across multiple units.
†This performance expectation is developed across multiple courses.
Performance Expectations:
HS-PS2-4†, HS-PS3-1 (NYSSLS), HS-PS3-2†, HS-ESS1-4, †
Coming Soon!
We are putting the finishing touches on this unit! Fully aligned adapted materials—crafted specifically for NYCPS and NY State standards—will be ready in late-September. Make sure you’ve registered for an account, and we’ll email you when the links are live.
Lesson Set 1: what causes collisions between Earth and objects in space?
Lesson 1
Why is stuff falling from the sky?
Lesson 2
How far does Earth’s gravity extend into space?
Lesson 3
How does gravity cause only some objects to orbit?
Lesson 4
Why do objects sometimes collide in space?
Lesson 5
How do objects travel within their orbit paths?
Lesson 6
How can force interactions in space change the orbital path of a space object?
Lesson 7
What can we do if an orbiting object poses a significant risk for Earth?
Lesson Set 2: how can we know if Earth is at risk for future large-scale, high-energy collisions?
Lesson 8
What is the probability of a future or past meteor event impacting Earth?
Lesson 9
What happened to all the meteors that reached Earth over its history?
Lesson 10
What determines the size of the crater made on impact?
Lesson 11
What happens to the thousands of objects the size of the Chelyabinsk meteor and smaller that enter Earth’s atmosphere every year?