A meteoroid is debris located outside Earth's atmosphere; a meteor is debris located within Earth's atmosphere; and a meteorite is debris that has broken apart into smaller pieces before reaching Earth's surface.
The student will investigate and understand the characteristics of Earth and the solar system. Key concepts include a) position of Earth in the solar system; b) sun-Earth-moon relationships (seasons, tides, and eclipses); c) characteristics of the sun, planets and their moons, comets, meteors, and asteroids; and d) the history and contributions of space exploration.