For this activity, you will imagine that you are involved in a debate—only, instead of representing just one issue, you will argue both sides! For this debate, you will consider which issue is most important to understand when studying the formation and motion of the planets and their satellites. Is Newton’s law of universal gravitation or Kepler’s laws of planetary motion more important when trying to understand the formation and motion of the planets and their satellites? You’ll represent both sides of this argument. You will verbally argue for each position as you would in a traditional debate and will film your final presentation. After that, you will reflect on the points you made during the debate, and see if you can come to a conclusion about which aspect of planetary formation and motion is more important. Keep in mind that these forces keep planets close to the Sun (so that, at times, life can develop). There is really no right or wrong answer; the point is to get you thinking about the impact that these concepts have on our solar system!
