Ch 24: MTTC Integrated Science (Secondary): The Solar System
About This Chapter
MTTC Integrated Science (Secondary): The Solar System - Chapter Summary
This series of videos will help you prepare for questions on the Michigan Test for Teacher Certification (MTTC) Integrated Science (Secondary) exam about the solar system, astronomical influences on tides and various structures in the galaxy. These lessons are taught by our professional instructors and are mobile device compatible so that you have an effective and versatile way of reviewing:
- Characteristics and orbits of the planets in the solar system
- Details of the inner and outer planets
- Properties of dwarf planets
- Structure of the sun
- Phases of the moon and the effects of the Earth and sun on the moon
- Lunar, annular and solar eclipses
- Effects of the sun and moon on tides
- Structure of the galaxy
After completing these lessons, be sure to test your understanding with the quizzes. Using the video tags found within your quiz results, return to the locations in the videos that explained any of topics you missed. Before you move on to the next chapter of this study guide, be sure to take the practice chapter exam to see if you know what you need to know about the structures of our solar systems and galaxy for the MTTC Integrated Science (Secondary) exam.
MTTC Integrated Science (Secondary): The Solar System Chapter Objectives
The objective of the MTTC Integrated Science (Secondary) exam is to assess educators' understanding of the natural sciences before they are certified as high school science teachers in the state of Michigan. This certification exam asks 100 multiple-choice questions, 25% of which are part of the earth and space science domain. Use this chapter to prepare for some of these questions in this section to ask you about the structures of our solar system and galaxy.

1. Solar System Overview
This lesson will go over the major aspects of our solar system, including the sun, planets, moons, asteroids, comets, meteors, meteorites, and meteoroids.

2. Major Characteristics of Planets in the Solar System
This lesson will go over some characteristics of the planets in our solar system with respect to their masses, diameters, temperatures, densities, and rotation.

3. Inner Planets of the Solar System: Mercury, Venus, Earth & Mars
Take a tour of the four inner planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. Known as the terrestrial planets, find out what makes each of them unique and how they are different from the outer planets, the gas giants.

4. Outer Planets of the Solar System: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
Take a tour of the outer planets of our solar system: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Find out what makes each of these gas giants unique and learn about Pluto, a dwarf planet.

5. Dwarf Planets of the Solar System: Pluto, Eris, Haumea & Ceres
Discover why Pluto had to leave the league of planets and was downgraded to a dwarf planet. Learn the definitions for planet and dwarf planet. Find out about the currently classified dwarf planets in our solar system: Pluto, Eris, Ceres, Haumea and Makemake.

6. Planets of the Solar System: Orbits & Visibility
This lesson will tell you which planets in our solar system you can see with the naked eye and which ones you cannot. You'll also learn how they appear to move in our sky and why we can see them in the first place.

7. Structure of the Sun
Discover the layers of the sun, including the core, radiative zone, convective zone, photosphere, chromosphere, and corona. Find out which layers you can see from Earth. Investigate what sunspots and solar flares are.

8. How Earth & the Sun Affect the Phases of the Moon
This lesson will describe how the moon, Earth, and sun combine to form the phases of the moon. We'll also discuss the important concept of synchronous rotation.

9. Moon Phases: Names & Sequence
This lesson will go over the phases of the moon. The full moon, new moon, waxing, waning, and gibbous phases and the order in which they occur and what they look like are discussed.

10. The Cycle of the Seasons in Astronomy
This lesson will explain to you why the Earth has different seasons, what the equinoxes and solstices are, their names, and if the distance the Earth is from the Sun influences the seasons.

11. Lunar Eclipse: Definition & Types
This lesson will teach you about the lunar eclipse. You'll learn the difference between a penumbral, partial, and total lunar eclipse, and see what totality means with respect to a total lunar eclipse.

12. What Is a Solar Eclipse?
This lesson will describe what a solar eclipse is, why it's possible, when a partial or a total one will occur, and what cool effects occur during one.

13. Annular Eclipse: The Changing Size of the Moon
This lesson will explain what an annular eclipse is and why it occurs with respect to the sizes of the Moon, the Sun, and the position of the Moon during its orbit.

14. How Gravity, the Moon & the Sun Influence Tides
This lesson will define tides, the tidal force, neap tide, and spring tide. It will also talk about how the sun, moon, and Earth interact to produce tidal bulges.

15. The Structure of Our Galaxy
If you ever looked up at the night sky far away from city lights, you would've seen a band of light across the night sky and lots of stars scattered around the rest of the sky. Why? The structure of our galaxy will explain exactly why.
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Other Chapters
Other chapters within the MTTC Integrated Science (Secondary)(094): Practice & Study Guide course
- MTTC Integrated Science (Secondary): Scientific Research & Data
- MTTC Integrated Science (Secondary): Lab Safety & Procedures
- MTTC Integrated Science (Secondary): Scientific Thought & Inquiry
- MTTC Integrated Science (Secondary): Influential Scientists
- MTTC Integrated Science (Secondary): Science, Technology & Society
- MTTC Integrated Science (Secondary): Cell Structure & Function
- MTTC Integrated Science (Secondary): Structure & Function of Living Things
- MTTC Integrated Science (Secondary): Basic Human Anatomy
- MTTC Integrated Science (Secondary): Disease & Prevention
- MTTC Integrated Science (Secondary): Reproductive Systems
- MTTC Integrated Science (Secondary): Physical Health & Nutrition
- MTTC Integrated Science (Secondary): Human Population Characteristics
- MTTC Integrated Science (Secondary): Genetics & Heredity
- MTTC Integrated Science (Secondary): Evolutionary Principles
- MTTC Integrated Science (Secondary): Ecological Systems
- MTTC Integrated Science (Secondary): Ecosystem Chemical Cycles
- MTTC Integrated Science (Secondary): History of Earth & Plate Tectonics
- MTTC Integrated Science (Secondary): Rocks, Minerals & Topography
- MTTC Integrated Science (Secondary): The Hydrosphere
- MTTC Integrated Science (Secondary): Earth's Atmosphere, Weather & Climate
- MTTC Integrated Science (Secondary): Basic Weather Concepts
- MTTC Integrated Science (Secondary): Formation of the Solar System & Universe
- MTTC Integrated Science (Secondary): Formation & Characteristics of Stars
- MTTC Integrated Science (Secondary): Properties of Matter
- MTTC Integrated Science (Secondary): Chemical Bonds
- MTTC Integrated Science (Secondary): Chemical Changes in Matter
- MTTC Integrated Science (Secondary): States of Matter & Phase Changes
- MTTC Integrated Science (Secondary): Mechanics
- MTTC Integrated Science (Secondary): Electricity
- MTTC Integrated Science (Secondary): Magnetism
- MTTC Integrated Science (Secondary): Thermodynamics
- MTTC Integrated Science (Secondary): Waves, Light & Sound
- MTTC Integrated Science (Secondary) Flashcards