Earth Science II Astronomy · History of Astronomy
Virginia SOL AS.2
Virginia SOL AS.2 is part of the History of Astronomy strand in Earth Science II Astronomy (Science). Under this Standards of Learning objective, students investigate and understand how human curiosity and ingenuity across cultures and time have shaped our understanding of the universe. Below is what AS.2 covers in plain language, the specific skills it is assessed on, the key concepts to review, and how to practice AS.2 for the Virginia SOL test.
What SOL AS.2 means
Investigate and understand how human curiosity and ingenuity across cultures and time have shaped our understanding of the universe.
Skills you’ll practice for AS.2
- Compare the astronomical contributions made by ancient cultures.
- Describe how ancient people determined sizes of Earth, moon, and sun and distances between them, and compare these to current values.
- Make, support, and evaluate a claim about how the heliocentric model of the solar system is a better predictor of planetary motion than the geocentric model.
- Explain how advances in astronomical observations and timekeeping led to more accurate measurements of latitude and longitude, improving navigation and global exploration.
- Explain how Kepler's laws of planetary motion and Newton's law of universal gravitation advanced earlier models of the solar system and allowed for more accurate predictions of orbital motion.
- Research how technological advances in observational tools contribute to the development of more accurate models of the cosmos and support modern applications such as navigation, communication, and Earth monitoring.
Key concepts covered by AS.2
- ancient cultures
- astronomical contributions
- historical comparison
- ancient measurements
- Earth size
- moon size
- sun size
- distance comparison
- heliocentric model
- geocentric model
- planetary motion prediction
- claim evaluation
- astronomical observations
- timekeeping advances
- latitude measurement
- longitude measurement
- navigation improvement
- Kepler's laws
- Newton's law
- planetary motion
- orbital prediction
- model advancement
- technological advances
- observational tools
- cosmic models
- navigation
- communication
- Earth monitoring
How to study and practice SOL AS.2
Start with a quick diagnostic to see whether AS.2 is already solid, then work each skill above with guided notes, flashcards, and SOL-style practice questions. For official released items, see our Virginia SOL practice tests guide and how to study for the SOL test.
Frequently asked questions about SOL AS.2
What is Virginia SOL AS.2?
SOL AS.2 is a Earth Science II Astronomy Standard of Learning in the History of Astronomy strand. It expects students to investigate and understand how human curiosity and ingenuity across cultures and time have shaped our understanding of the universe.
What skills does SOL AS.2 cover?
SOL AS.2 is assessed on 6 skills: compare the astronomical contributions made by ancient cultures; describe how ancient people determined sizes of Earth, moon, and sun and distances between them, and compare these to current values; make, support, and evaluate a claim about how the heliocentric model of the solar system is a better predictor of planetary motion than the geocentric model; explain how advances in astronomical observations and timekeeping led to more accurate measurements of latitude and longitude, improving navigation and global exploration; explain how Kepler's laws of planetary motion and Newton's law of universal gravitation advanced earlier models of the solar system and allowed for more accurate predictions of orbital motion; research how technological advances in observational tools contribute to the development of more accurate models of the cosmos and support modern applications such as navigation, communication, and Earth monitoring.
What strand of Earth Science II Astronomy is SOL AS.2 in?
SOL AS.2 belongs to the History of Astronomy reporting strand of the Earth Science II Astronomy Virginia Standards of Learning.
How do I study and practice for SOL AS.2?
Start with a diagnostic to see whether AS.2 is already solid, then work the 6 skills above with guided notes, flashcards, and SOL-style practice questions. For official released items, see the Virginia SOL practice tests guide.