The Round Earth
How do we know the Earth is round? "It's obvious, look at the pictures." you may say. But we have only been able to take pictures of the Earth from space for about 50 years. Mankind has used scientific observation to infer that the Earth is round for more than 2,000 years. What is the proof?
Let's begin by examining what we already know. We will make the claim that the Earth is round. What evidence supports this claim? Use a C.E.R. (claims, evidence, and reasoning) graphic organizer to prove that the Earth is round.
Now, let's examine some of the evidence that led scientists to infer that the Earth was round. In this class, we will study the following evidence in depth.
Vanishing Point at the Horizon
Mariners have known for a long time that the surface of the Earth curved. One observation that led them to this knowledge involves the way that objects appear and disappear at the horizon when looking at the ocean. After watching a video of a ship sailing over the horizon line, complete an observation lab sheet by drawing or describing how the ship appears at the horizon line. Afterwards, extend your understanding by viewing a ship vanishing at the horizon from several viewpoints.
Shadow Length and Solar Incidence
Erastothenes was a scientist in ancient Greece (actually, he lived in the part of the Greek empire that is now Egypt.) He realized that the length of shadows at different places on Earth at different times of year proved that the surface of the Earth was curved. Not only did his observation support the conclusion that the Earth is round, he used his observations to calculate the size of our planet- 2,000 years ago.
Part One:
Use a model of the Earth to observe how the curvature of the Earth and something called the solar incidence, or the angle that light hits the Earth at different times of year, creates different shadow lengths. Record your observations on a lab report.
Part Two:
Read about Erastothenes
Watch a short film about Erastosthenes' discovery. Write a response summarizing the main ideas.
Watch a Spanish Language video about Erastothenes work. Summarize it in English.
Extension:
Build a Sundial
Circumnavigation
Circumnavigation is a word used to describe sailing around the Earth. Ferdinand Magellan's expedition was the first to circumnavigate the globe.
Watch a short film from BBC about Magellan's circumnavigation of the globe.
Watch a illustrated version of the Magellan story.
Lunar Eclipse
Early astronomers studied lunar eclipses, when the Earth passes between the Sun and the Moon and casts a shadow on the moon. The shape of Earth's shadow on the moon, or umbra, provided evidence that the Earth was spherical.
Part One
View slides explaining the phenomenon of lunar eclipse.
Restate the important ideas on a note-taking guide.
Part Two:
Watch videos depicting a lunar eclipse.
1st lunar eclipse of 2014
A lunar eclipse in 2011
Watch a NASA informational video explaining lunar eclipse.
Part Three:
Use a lunar eclipse interactive from McGraw/Hill to study the positions of the Sun, Earth, and Moon during eclipse.
Review Proofs for a Round Earth
Who Wants to be a Millionaire
Round Earth Claim Graphic Organizer
The Seasons
View a powerpoint introducing key vocabulary and concepts related to seasons on Earth.
Model of the Earth:
Complete a lab report in which we view a model of the Earth to describe how the length of the day changes in different locations on Earth throughout the year.
View a powerpoint explaining the concepts of solar incidence and the seasons.
Seasons Model Response Lab:
Independently use the model to create another lab response manipulating the variables that create seasons.
Review the key concepts of Earth's Seasons using a cloze exercise.
Time Zones
View a powerpoint explaining the key concept of time zones.
2014 Science C.E.R. Common Writing Assignment
Not everyone has been convinced by the evidence that the Earth is a sphere. The Flat Earth Society is an actual group founded in 1956. It's mission is to use "scientific" evidence to prove that the Earth is NOT a sphere, but is in fact a circular disc.
First, read 3 of their counter-arguments to the major evidences that we have discussed for a spherical Earth.
Circumnavigation of the Globe
Lunar Eclipse
Ships Vanishing Beneath the Horizon
In addition, there are many other arguments that they use which can be refuted with scientific evidence. For example, why there are seasons? Here's a link to a summary of 10 great proofs for a spherical Earth.
You will choose at least three of the F.E.S.' claims to refute. Refuting means "to argue against." This means that you will state why their claim is wrong by giving evidence for the correct claim.
You may also use a graphic organizer that presents the F.E.S.' arguments in simplified language.
Putting it all together....
Presenting arguments and counterarguments
Read an example of an argument and counter-argument: Should schools require students to wear uniforms?
Highlight the argument and the counter-argument.
Identify the author's claim, evidence, and reasoning.
Here is another video link called Preserving Night Skies from Stardate.com. After watching the video, analyze the author's argument.
Here is a graphic organizer that will help you develop your body paragraphs.
Practice writing a CWA slides.
A list of useful transition phrases.
Evaluate student essays using a persuasive writing rubric.
Phases of the Moon
Like many other planets, Earth has a satellite or moon. Our moon orbits close to the Earth and is large in comparison to the moons of other planets.
Our moon was made when Earth collided with another planet. Watch a video depicting this cosmic collision to see how the debris from the impact became our moon.
We are all familiar with the phases of the moon. But do you know why the moon goes through phases? For example, why do we see a full or a crescent moon?
Watch a Flocabulary rap video describing the phases of the moon and label the moon phases. After the song there is a short segment on measuring distances in the solar system.
Read about the basics- what are moon phases?
Name the phases of the moon and identify when they are visible during the lunar cycle.
Begin recording the phase of the moon. If the moon isn't visible, stardate is a website that calculates the moon phase for any date.
Use this model to study the motions of the Earth and Moon around the Sun to make observations about the position of the moon in relation to the Earth and Sun during different phases.
Watch a video at brainpop.com and complete a quiz
Review the lunar cycle with a Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? game.
What would life be like without our moon? This 45-minute video depicts life on Earth without our satellite.
Moon History and Astrophysics
Part 1: Literacy
How was the surface of the moon formed?
1. Watch NASA's LRO series short film "The Evolution of the Moon."
2. Complete notes to respond to the film.
3. Take a short quiz about the information presented in the film.
Part 2: Investigation
The moon's most noticeable features are its craters.
We will complete a lab together in class to study the effects of size, speed, and angle of impact on crater formation.
We will discuss and test variables to determine how they affect force of impact.
The Solar System
Our solar system is the "neighborhood" that we live in. Even though the celestial bodies in the solar system are the closest things to us, they are still really, really far apart.
Part 1: Cosmos Cards/Where in the Galaxy?
Students will discuss their prior knowledge of phenomena in the solar system as they are introduced to 36 images of objects in the Universe.
Begin by sorting the cards into any categories that the students want to sort them in based on criteria they determine.
They will then sort the cards into the following categories: With vs. without craters, distance from Sun, objects in orbit vs. not in orbit, etc.
Introduce orbit radius as the distance from the Sun (in our solar system.) The units provided are AUs (astronomical units) and ly (light years.) One AU is 1.5 X 10^8 kilometers. One light year is 6.4 x 10^4 AUs (9.5 x 10^9 kilometers). Use a virtual map to demonstrate the magnitude of distances.
Introduce the groupings "solar system" objects within the solar system measured in AUs, intragalactic objects in the Milky Way Galaxy measured in light years (10-10^3 ly); and extragalactic (10^6-10^9 ly).
Students complete a graphic organizer listing solar system, intra, and extragalactic items.
We use scientific notation to write large distances in space. This powerpoint will introduce the concept of scientific notation and give us some chances to practice writing it together.
Here is a worksheet for guided practice.
To illustrate the actual distances of objects in the solar system, here is a scale converter for a classic activity where our class will create a scale model of the solar system.
We will use a Museum of Science activity to compare and contrast the planets of our solar system. We will also reinforce our ability to create graphs to represent data.
Students will gather data to complete a chart using planet cards. They will then graph correlations between distance from the Sun (as orbital radius) and temperature, and distance vs. orbital period.
Part 2: How the Universe Formed/Orbits and Astrophysics
How the Universe Works is a Discovery Channel series that gives a good overview of current theories in the field of astronomy. As we study the history of the solar system and physical laws in outer space, we will refer to the episode "Alien Solar Systems" to make connections. By the conclusion of our short unit, we will complete a scaffolded note-taking exercise.
Neil Armstrong piloted the lunar landing module, Apollo 11. Very precise calculations needed to be made to ensure that the lunar lander touched down at a safe velocity on the moon and had enough fuel. Students will watch an interview with Armstrong to engage them in thinking about the challenges of controlling the force and motion of an object in space.
Forces are more easily observable in space because forces such as gravity and friction do not interfere with the interaction of net forces. To help students picture Newton's 3 laws of force and motion in space, they will watch a NASA e-clips video that utilizes films from the International Space Station (ISS).
Inertia is the physical force of matter traveling at a velocity. In this lesson, we will define inertia, vectors, velocity, acceleration, and momentum.
For homework, we will read a short text section about Newton's 1st, 2nd, and 3rd laws and will summarize these laws.
Students may select:
1) A less challenging on-line reading with animations.
2) A more challenging reading from Encyclopedia Britannica.
3) A much more comprehensive reading from Physics Classroom.
We will review students' mastery of the concepts related to Newton's 3 laws by using them to explain cancel momentum using a Mythbusters Clip.
We will explore an interactive lunar lander model at phET to study motion when the variables of gravity, velocity, and acceleration are manipulated. Students will relate their observations to Sir Isaac Newton's 2nd law and will communicate their findings using a lab report.
First, we will engage our thinking by watching How the Universe Works: Alien Solar Systems from 17:50-23:00 to discuss current theories related to the formation of the Universe. The interaction between velocity and gravitational attraction is a key concept in this lesson. We will define the term "momentum" and discuss how it preserves the orbit of planets. Then, we will use a phET manipulative called My Solar System to investigate how vector, velocity, and gravitational attraction/mass interact to create orbits for comets, planets, moons or to create escape trajectories and collisions. Students will follow an investigation and communicate their findings using a lab report. Students will relate their observations about planetary bodies to Newton's laws.
We will review concepts related to the formation of and features in our solar system and the laws of force and motion as they are observed in space using a Jeopardy Game.
We will virtually explore the solar system (since interplanetary space travel is still in development) using:
1. kidsastronomy.com. This is a site intended for elementary and middle school students with basic information about the planets.
2. NASA Solar System Exploration. This is a more in-depth site at a higher reading level with information about all features in our solar system.
For a project, students can create a persuasive slide show that describes important information about a planet or other celestial body in the solar system and convinces people to travel there. Here is a powerpoint template with prompts for each slide.
Other project ideas:
Create a news report for your planet.
Create a travel brochure to your planet (here is a sample travel brochure to Thailand.)
Here's an example of a presentation
completed by another McKinley student.
Our solar system is the "neighborhood" that we live in. Even though the celestial bodies in the solar system are the closest things to us, they are still really, really far apart.
Part 1: Cosmos Cards/Where in the Galaxy?
Students will discuss their prior knowledge of phenomena in the solar system as they are introduced to 36 images of objects in the Universe.
Begin by sorting the cards into any categories that the students want to sort them in based on criteria they determine.
They will then sort the cards into the following categories: With vs. without craters, distance from Sun, objects in orbit vs. not in orbit, etc.
Introduce orbit radius as the distance from the Sun (in our solar system.) The units provided are AUs (astronomical units) and ly (light years.) One AU is 1.5 X 10^8 kilometers. One light year is 6.4 x 10^4 AUs (9.5 x 10^9 kilometers). Use a virtual map to demonstrate the magnitude of distances.
Introduce the groupings "solar system" objects within the solar system measured in AUs, intragalactic objects in the Milky Way Galaxy measured in light years (10-10^3 ly); and extragalactic (10^6-10^9 ly).
Students complete a graphic organizer listing solar system, intra, and extragalactic items.
We use scientific notation to write large distances in space. This powerpoint will introduce the concept of scientific notation and give us some chances to practice writing it together.
Here is a worksheet for guided practice.
To illustrate the actual distances of objects in the solar system, here is a scale converter for a classic activity where our class will create a scale model of the solar system.
We will use a Museum of Science activity to compare and contrast the planets of our solar system. We will also reinforce our ability to create graphs to represent data.
Students will gather data to complete a chart using planet cards. They will then graph correlations between distance from the Sun (as orbital radius) and temperature, and distance vs. orbital period.
Part 2: How the Universe Formed/Orbits and Astrophysics
How the Universe Works is a Discovery Channel series that gives a good overview of current theories in the field of astronomy. As we study the history of the solar system and physical laws in outer space, we will refer to the episode "Alien Solar Systems" to make connections. By the conclusion of our short unit, we will complete a scaffolded note-taking exercise.
Neil Armstrong piloted the lunar landing module, Apollo 11. Very precise calculations needed to be made to ensure that the lunar lander touched down at a safe velocity on the moon and had enough fuel. Students will watch an interview with Armstrong to engage them in thinking about the challenges of controlling the force and motion of an object in space.
Forces are more easily observable in space because forces such as gravity and friction do not interfere with the interaction of net forces. To help students picture Newton's 3 laws of force and motion in space, they will watch a NASA e-clips video that utilizes films from the International Space Station (ISS).
Inertia is the physical force of matter traveling at a velocity. In this lesson, we will define inertia, vectors, velocity, acceleration, and momentum.
For homework, we will read a short text section about Newton's 1st, 2nd, and 3rd laws and will summarize these laws.
Students may select:
1) A less challenging on-line reading with animations.
2) A more challenging reading from Encyclopedia Britannica.
3) A much more comprehensive reading from Physics Classroom.
We will review students' mastery of the concepts related to Newton's 3 laws by using them to explain cancel momentum using a Mythbusters Clip.
We will explore an interactive lunar lander model at phET to study motion when the variables of gravity, velocity, and acceleration are manipulated. Students will relate their observations to Sir Isaac Newton's 2nd law and will communicate their findings using a lab report.
First, we will engage our thinking by watching How the Universe Works: Alien Solar Systems from 17:50-23:00 to discuss current theories related to the formation of the Universe. The interaction between velocity and gravitational attraction is a key concept in this lesson. We will define the term "momentum" and discuss how it preserves the orbit of planets. Then, we will use a phET manipulative called My Solar System to investigate how vector, velocity, and gravitational attraction/mass interact to create orbits for comets, planets, moons or to create escape trajectories and collisions. Students will follow an investigation and communicate their findings using a lab report. Students will relate their observations about planetary bodies to Newton's laws.
We will review concepts related to the formation of and features in our solar system and the laws of force and motion as they are observed in space using a Jeopardy Game.
We will virtually explore the solar system (since interplanetary space travel is still in development) using:
1. kidsastronomy.com. This is a site intended for elementary and middle school students with basic information about the planets.
2. NASA Solar System Exploration. This is a more in-depth site at a higher reading level with information about all features in our solar system.
For a project, students can create a persuasive slide show that describes important information about a planet or other celestial body in the solar system and convinces people to travel there. Here is a powerpoint template with prompts for each slide.
Other project ideas:
Create a news report for your planet.
Create a travel brochure to your planet (here is a sample travel brochure to Thailand.)
Here's an example of a presentation
completed by another McKinley student.
Famous Scientists
Students will look through some resources to locate important details in the life of Erastothenes, Galileo Galilei, Isaac Newton, and Albert Einstein. All of these scientists made important contributions in the field of planetary science. They will have a choice of projects to complete that identify the scientist's contribution to the field and demonstrate an understanding of their theories and work.
Graphic Organizer for a Research Paper
Graphic Organizer for a Poster
Powerpoint Template
Here are some student powerpoint exemplars:
Hannah: Galileo Galilei
Brynn and Irma: Isaac Newton
If students have time after finishing their project, they can watch the "100 Greatest Discoveries of Astronomy" produced by Mr. Bill Nye (the science guy!)
After students submit their projects, they will work with students that studied a different scientist to collaboratively play "Who Wants to be a Millionaire: Planetary Scientists."
Students can also recall key details from the work of planetary scientists (astronomers, mathematicians, and physicists) as they play a stump-trivia-style game of "Who Am I?"
Students will look through some resources to locate important details in the life of Erastothenes, Galileo Galilei, Isaac Newton, and Albert Einstein. All of these scientists made important contributions in the field of planetary science. They will have a choice of projects to complete that identify the scientist's contribution to the field and demonstrate an understanding of their theories and work.
Graphic Organizer for a Research Paper
Graphic Organizer for a Poster
Powerpoint Template
Here are some student powerpoint exemplars:
Hannah: Galileo Galilei
Brynn and Irma: Isaac Newton
If students have time after finishing their project, they can watch the "100 Greatest Discoveries of Astronomy" produced by Mr. Bill Nye (the science guy!)
After students submit their projects, they will work with students that studied a different scientist to collaboratively play "Who Wants to be a Millionaire: Planetary Scientists."
Students can also recall key details from the work of planetary scientists (astronomers, mathematicians, and physicists) as they play a stump-trivia-style game of "Who Am I?"
Light
The elements or atoms in each light emit and absorb specific spectra. A spectroscope allows us to view the specific wavelengths of light that are emitted as colors and to see which wavelengths of light are absorbed by polarizing the light.
The sun emits the total spectrum of light.
Part 1: Light and the elecromagnetic spectrum.
We will complete the FOSS Light Spectra lab with modifications and extensions found in an investigation guide.
Extension: What is a Wave?
Waves transmit energy. Students should receive an overview of waves in the Forces and Motion course. This 40-minute literacy jigsaw will reinforce students' understanding of waves. Wave Form Slides and links. Venn diagram for compare and contrast exercise.
Part 2: Understanding electromagnetic waves.
Light travels in waves. Waves are characterized by 3 properties: Wavelength, amplitude, and frequency.
Light has a visible and an invisible spectrum. We are only able to perceive a range, or a fraction of light waves with our eyes.
Light is composed of photons, the physical particles from which light is composed. Photons are produced when electrons, a subatomic particle, drops an energy level and releases energy. The level of energy that is released by the atom corresponds to its wavelength which is perceived as a color.
Mini-Lesson: Frequency, amplitude, and wavelength ppt
We will refer back to the light and electromagnetic spectrum ppt to define key terms for the investigation: Frequency, amplitude, and wavelength.
Investigation:
We will complete a lab using Slinkies and jumpropes. Our guiding question is: How are frequency, wavelength, and amplitude related? How do these terms describe the quantity of energy in a wave? Students will also be exposed to the terms inverse and direct relationship.
We will use phET's Wave on a String resource to illustrate the properties of EM waves vs. mechanical waves in terms of their overall energy as a function of frequency and amplitude. We will engage in the scientific process as we make and test hypothesis related to the frequency, wavelength, and amplitude of waves using a lab report.
Extensions/Resources for Independent Study:
Readings:
Videos:
Review key concepts and apply them to answer quiz questions with:
Alternate Readings/Activities:
Further Enrichment:
Are you a scientist and a philosopher? Perhaps you would be interested in learning about string theory? It's an explanation of the invisible forces that tie the universe together brought to you by Brighton's own WGBH.
Part 3: Refraction, Diffraction, Reflection, and Transmission.
Refraction is the bending of light, or a shift in it's direction. Diffraction is the spreading of waves from a source or around an obstacle. X-ray diffraction is used to infer the location and movement of distant bodies that emit radiation.
We will preview vocabulary relevant to our new investigation: Refraction, diffraction, incidence, transmission, and reflection.
Groups will complete a jigsaw activity. Group members will choose a resource to watch or read and teach their group members.
Finally, each group will receive a model of refraction, diffraction, reflection, or transmission of light rays. They will use this model to explain the behavior of EM radiation in their model to the larger group.
Homework/Extensions:
Lesson:
We will use absorption and reflection slides to review key concepts and vocabulary related to our investigation and will preview the learning goals for the lesson.
We will distribute planet cards. Using these cards, we will first predict how each planet's temperature range will compare to the Earth's and then compare and contrast the temperature range of each planet to the Earth.
We will organize this information into a visual chart.
We will use this chart to identify patterns related to each planet's temperature range, answering the following:
Group Work:
Divide responsibilities in your group. Using atmospheric composition data from NASA, have one group answer comprehension questions and 1 group create a pie chart using create-a-graph.com to show the composition of one planet's atmosphere.
Part 4: Using spectra to explore the universe.
Because distances in the universe are too vast to be traveled by humans, we rely on the behavior of light to learn about celestial bodies that are far away.
When elements are energized, they emit photons. Each element emits photons with specific wavelengths. Because they contain different elements, every substance has its own light signature or spectrum. Astronomers can make conclusions about the nature and distance of celestial bodies by observing their spectrum.
Multi-Media Extensions:
Review:
Play a jeopardy game to review the vocabulary and key concepts from the wave unit.
Assessment:
Take the Waves quiz on Quizstar.
The elements or atoms in each light emit and absorb specific spectra. A spectroscope allows us to view the specific wavelengths of light that are emitted as colors and to see which wavelengths of light are absorbed by polarizing the light.
The sun emits the total spectrum of light.
Part 1: Light and the elecromagnetic spectrum.
We will complete the FOSS Light Spectra lab with modifications and extensions found in an investigation guide.
- We will review objectives for the investigation and preview important concepts and vocabulary with a powerpoint.
- We will compare the light emitted by an LED flashlight, a fluorescent lightbulb, a tungsten-type lightbulb, a UV heat lamp, and the sun using a spectrometer by creating electromagnetic spectrum drawings for each light source using an electromagnetic frequency chart.
Extension: What is a Wave?
Waves transmit energy. Students should receive an overview of waves in the Forces and Motion course. This 40-minute literacy jigsaw will reinforce students' understanding of waves. Wave Form Slides and links. Venn diagram for compare and contrast exercise.
- We will review the definition of wave by comparing and contrasting 3 types of waves: Sound waves, ocean waves, and electromagnetic waves.
We will develop a working definition for all waves.
Part 2: Understanding electromagnetic waves.
Light travels in waves. Waves are characterized by 3 properties: Wavelength, amplitude, and frequency.
Light has a visible and an invisible spectrum. We are only able to perceive a range, or a fraction of light waves with our eyes.
Light is composed of photons, the physical particles from which light is composed. Photons are produced when electrons, a subatomic particle, drops an energy level and releases energy. The level of energy that is released by the atom corresponds to its wavelength which is perceived as a color.
Mini-Lesson: Frequency, amplitude, and wavelength ppt
We will refer back to the light and electromagnetic spectrum ppt to define key terms for the investigation: Frequency, amplitude, and wavelength.
Investigation:
We will complete a lab using Slinkies and jumpropes. Our guiding question is: How are frequency, wavelength, and amplitude related? How do these terms describe the quantity of energy in a wave? Students will also be exposed to the terms inverse and direct relationship.
We will use phET's Wave on a String resource to illustrate the properties of EM waves vs. mechanical waves in terms of their overall energy as a function of frequency and amplitude. We will engage in the scientific process as we make and test hypothesis related to the frequency, wavelength, and amplitude of waves using a lab report.
Extensions/Resources for Independent Study:
- Perform operations with scientific notation and apply your understanding of wavelength and frequency. View a wavelength measurement chart and use it to answer math word problems.
- Use NOVA's Tour the Electromagnetic Spectrum and complete a scavenger hunt.
Readings:
- Read "Waves and Wavelike Motions" sections 1&2 and answer comprehension questions following section 2.
- Read "The Anatomy of a Wave" from Physics Classroom and answer the comprehension questions.
- Read "Polarization" from Physics Classroom and answer 3 comprehension questions.
- Read "The Electromagnetic and Visible Spectra" from Physics classroom and answer comprehension questions.
Videos:
Review key concepts and apply them to answer quiz questions with:
- Brainpop "Electromagnetic Spectrum"
- Brainpop "Waves"
Alternate Readings/Activities:
- Read about wave measurements and answer questions about waves using BBC's bitesize physics.
- Read sonoma.edu's waveforms and complete slinky labs.
- FOSS Resources pages 68-70 and response.
Further Enrichment:
Are you a scientist and a philosopher? Perhaps you would be interested in learning about string theory? It's an explanation of the invisible forces that tie the universe together brought to you by Brighton's own WGBH.
Part 3: Refraction, Diffraction, Reflection, and Transmission.
Refraction is the bending of light, or a shift in it's direction. Diffraction is the spreading of waves from a source or around an obstacle. X-ray diffraction is used to infer the location and movement of distant bodies that emit radiation.
We will preview vocabulary relevant to our new investigation: Refraction, diffraction, incidence, transmission, and reflection.
Groups will complete a jigsaw activity. Group members will choose a resource to watch or read and teach their group members.
- Resource 1: Introduction to Light video lecture slides.
- Resource 2: Brainpop Refraction and Diffraction.
- Resource 3: Radio-electronics.com technical article.
Finally, each group will receive a model of refraction, diffraction, reflection, or transmission of light rays. They will use this model to explain the behavior of EM radiation in their model to the larger group.
Homework/Extensions:
- Complete Brainpop's Refraction and Diffraction Activity Page (print only.)
- Use physics to write a short explaination: Why is the sky is blue but sunsets are red? Read Physics Classroom's Blue Skies and Red Sunsets.
Lesson:
We will use absorption and reflection slides to review key concepts and vocabulary related to our investigation and will preview the learning goals for the lesson.
We will distribute planet cards. Using these cards, we will first predict how each planet's temperature range will compare to the Earth's and then compare and contrast the temperature range of each planet to the Earth.
We will organize this information into a visual chart.
We will use this chart to identify patterns related to each planet's temperature range, answering the following:
- Which planet's average temperature is the highest?
- Which planet's average temperature is the lowest?
- Which planet has the largest temperature range?
- Which planet has the smallest temperature range?
- What trends do you see in the data?
- What is strange about the data?
Group Work:
Divide responsibilities in your group. Using atmospheric composition data from NASA, have one group answer comprehension questions and 1 group create a pie chart using create-a-graph.com to show the composition of one planet's atmosphere.
Part 4: Using spectra to explore the universe.
Because distances in the universe are too vast to be traveled by humans, we rely on the behavior of light to learn about celestial bodies that are far away.
When elements are energized, they emit photons. Each element emits photons with specific wavelengths. Because they contain different elements, every substance has its own light signature or spectrum. Astronomers can make conclusions about the nature and distance of celestial bodies by observing their spectrum.
- We will compare the spectra of elements using the FOSS Comparing Spectra multimedia resource.
- Read FOSS Science Resources: Hunt for Water Using Spectra.
- We will discuss how scientists use blackbody emission spectra to catalog stars.
- We will investigate blackbody emission spectra using a University of Colorado phET resource.
- We will collaboratively complete a lab report reflecting on our phET resource with a gradual release to independent work.
Multi-Media Extensions:
- Watch a treatment of Newton's continuation of Rene DesCartes experiments to find the prism of visible light from "The Physics of Light: Episode 3" minutes 22-30 & Maxwell's calculation of the speed of electromagnetic waves at minutes 40-44. Answer key questions based on the documentary.
- How has our understanding of light changed over time?
- How did Isaac Newton's experiment change our understanding of light?
- Describe Newton's experiments using prisms.
- Why can light be "dispersed into colors?"
- How did Isaac Newton prove that prisms don't create the spectrum but refract visible light?
- Describe the relationship between wavelength and amplitude using the terms "direct" and "inverse."
- Watch an explanation of Max Planck's work investigating black body spectra from "The Physics of Light: Episode 4) minutes 24-28
Review:
Play a jeopardy game to review the vocabulary and key concepts from the wave unit.
Assessment:
Take the Waves quiz on Quizstar.
Planetary Exploration
Interpreting and creating topographical maps
Students will define and describe topographical maps and elevation profiles.
They will define and use vocabulary related to these maps.
Applications:
They will complete activities that require them to use topographical maps as references and to create elevation profiles from topographical maps.
They will use a 3-D model to create a topographical map and complete a lab report.
They will read about topographical maps and complete online quizzes.
Students will complete a project that requires them to analyze a topographical map by creating a grid and programming Microsoft Excel to produce a 3D surface map. (Directions & Topo Maps)
Extensions:
Calculating gradient is a skill that requires students to use percentages, calculate "rise over run" slope changes in y and x coordinates. Practice these skills with an interactive developed by Carleton College: How can I Use Topographic Maps?
Interpreting and creating topographical maps
Students will define and describe topographical maps and elevation profiles.
They will define and use vocabulary related to these maps.
Applications:
They will complete activities that require them to use topographical maps as references and to create elevation profiles from topographical maps.
They will use a 3-D model to create a topographical map and complete a lab report.
They will read about topographical maps and complete online quizzes.
Students will complete a project that requires them to analyze a topographical map by creating a grid and programming Microsoft Excel to produce a 3D surface map. (Directions & Topo Maps)
Extensions:
Calculating gradient is a skill that requires students to use percentages, calculate "rise over run" slope changes in y and x coordinates. Practice these skills with an interactive developed by Carleton College: How can I Use Topographic Maps?
How the Universe Works
Watch an episode of How the Universe Works dealing with moons in our solar system. Then complete a note-taking exercise.
Black holes
Watch an episode of How the Universe Works dealing with moons in our solar system. Then complete a note-taking exercise.
Black holes
Unit Review:
- Review student work using a powerpoint. Correct and improve student work focusing on academic vocabulary and concepts.
- Play planetary science review Jeopardy.
- Practice writing open response questions using MCAS Planetary Science questions.
- Watch How the Universe Works videos on the Discovery Channel website.
- PBS Learning Media: Nasa Planetary Science.
- Watch Why do we Have Seasons and complete a response.
- The following resources on this site are also helpful
- Tour the Solar System
- The Structure and Scale of the Solar System
- Crater Science Investigations
- The Evolution of the Moon
- Watch these or other links on the PBS site and write a multiple-choice, short-answer, and open-response question.