OUTSIDE THE SOLAR SYSTEM

Transcription

1 OUTSIDE THE SOLAR SYSTEM UNIT OVERVIEW The uiverse is a icomprehesibly large space. It is filled with coutless stars, galaxies, ad other features. The uit helps studets uderstad more about what lies beyod the reaches of our solar system, i deep space. The uit addresses the life cycle of stars, the existece of faraway plaets ad plaetary systems, ebulas, superovas, black holes, ad galaxies. It also discusses the history of space exploratio ad theories about the origis of the uiverse. Certai readig resources are provided at three readig levels withi the uit to support differetiated istructio. Other resources are provided as a set, with differet titles offered at each readig level. Dots o studet resources idicate the readig level as follows: low readig level middle readig level high readig level THE BIG IDEA SPARK As log as humas have existed, we have looked ito the ight sky with curiosity ad woder. At this poit i history, we are fortuate to beefit from techology that allows us to see ad study parts of the uiverse that earlier cultures ever could have. However, we are also limited by our curret kowledge ad techology. As time marches o, humakid will cotiue to pursue a uderstadig of the uiverse ad its may amazig features. Someday perhaps eve i studets lifetimes we may get aswers to some key questios, icludig how the uiverse bega ad whether life exists aywhere beyod Earth. Other topics This uit also addresses topics such as: measurig great distaces, exoplaets, telescopes, the Voyager program, ad products developed as a result of space exploratio. The spark is desiged to get studets thikig about the uit s topics ad to geerate curiosity ad discussio. Materials posters of deep-space features or computer with Iteret coectio projector or iteractive whiteboard (optioal) Learig A Z All rights reserved. 1

2 Activity Discuss studets prior kowledge of our solar system ad the ask what exists beyod it. Explai to studets that the images you are goig to show are photos ad/or illustratios of features foud i deep space the area beyod our solar system. Display a variety of colorful images of features from deep space for the class. Viewig will be easiest if you obtai large posters or ca display Web pages o a projector scree or iteractive whiteboard. May great space images ca be foud olie, icludig i the archive of the Astroomy Picture of the Day, which is hosted by NASA: While each image is displayed, ivite studets to describe what they see, icludig what they thik the image shows, what makes the image iterestig, how they thik the subject of the image formed, how large they thik the subject of the image might be, what else the image looks like, ad ay other observatios they wish to share. You ca have studets respod to each image orally ad/or i a sciece joural with a brief writte respose ad a accompayig sketch. Although you may wat to share more iformatio about each image after the discussio, the focus of this task does ot have to be a deep uderstadig of what each picture shows. Istead, this spark is iteded to simply get studets excited to lear about the amazig features i the uiverse. Below are questios to spark discussio. Which features that you saw would you most wat to see i perso if you could travel ito space? Why? Which of the features that you saw ca be see with just your eyes, ad which would require special tools? What kids of tools? Do you thik you will ever be able to go ito space durig your lifetime? Why or why ot? If there were studets i a classroom o some faraway plaet, do you thik they would be iterested i seeig pictures from our solar system? Which parts? Use this activity to begi a itroductory discussio about the uiverse. Throughout the uit, studets will lear more about space exploratio ad what lies outside the solar system. May of the uit s vocabulary terms are related to the spark activity ad ca be itroduced durig the spark. For vocabulary work, see the Vocabulary sectio i this Uit Guide. Learig A Z All rights reserved. 2

3 (ou) (ou) WORD CARD WORD CARD (ou) WORD CARD Cut or Fold DEFINITION CARD DEFINITION CARD DEFINITION CARD Learig A Z All rights reserved. UNIT GUIDE PRIOR KNOWLEDGE Ivite studets to explai their uderstadig of what our solar system cosists of ad what exists beyod it. Discuss what space looks like from Earth ad what it might look like if people could travel ito deep space. Probig Questios to Thik About Use the followig questios to have studets begi thikig of what they kow about what lies outside the solar system. What is iside our solar system? How do the differet parts move i relatio to oe aother? What is outer space made of? What is the differece betwee a plaet ad a star? Which is larger, a plaet or a star? A solar system or a galaxy? Are the plaets i our solar system the oly plaets i the uiverse? What else would you see i outer space besides stars ad plaets? How big is our solar system compared to the Milky Way Galaxy? How big is the Milky Way Galaxy compared to the whole uiverse? What dagers might you face if you traveled deep ito space? Have people ever left Earth? Where have they goe? How do we kow what exists far out i space if we ve ever bee there? Tell studets they will lear more about these topics soo. UNIT MATERIALS Each uit provides a wide variety of resources related to the uit topic. Studets may read books ad other passages, work i groups to complete hads-o experimets ad ivestigatios, discuss sciece ideas as a class, watch videos, complete writig tasks, ad take assessmets. Resources are available for pritig or projectig, ad may studet resources are also available for studets to access digitally o. Selected uit resources are available i more tha oe laguage. For a complete list of materials provided with the uit, see the Outside the Solar System uit page o the Sciece A Z website. VOCABULARY $ $ astroaut astroomer big bag theory someoe traied to travel ad perform tasks i space a scietist who studies plaets, stars, galaxies, ad other objects i space a theory that suggests that the uiverse bega from a sigle, eormous explosio ad is still expadig Use the terms below for vocabulary developmet throughout the uit. They ca be foud i boldface i the Nofictio Book, the Quick Reads, ad/or other uit resources. These terms ad defiitios are available o Vocabulary Cards for studet practice. Additioal vocabulary lists are provided i the teachig tips for Ivestigatio Packs ad FOCUS Books. Core Sciece Terms These terms are crucial to uderstadig the uit. Learig A Z All rights reserved. 3

4 astroomer a scietist who studies plaets, stars, galaxies, ad other objects i space big bag theory a theory that suggests that the uiverse bega from a sigle, eormous explosio ad is still expadig black hole cluster cosmologist deep space exoplaet galaxy light-year lumiosity ebula orbit solar system star superova telescope Other Key Sciece Terms a regio of space with a gravitatioal field so itese that othig ca escape it a close group of similar objects a scietist who studies the origi ad structure of the uiverse the ope areas betwee solid bodies i the uiverse beyod the solar system ay plaet that exists outside the solar system a large collectio of plaets, gas, dust, ad millios or billios of stars, boud together by gravity a uit of distace i astroomy equal to the distace that light travels i oe year a measure of the amout of radiatig or reflected light comig off a star or other celestial object; brightess a regio or cloud of iterstellar dust ad gas appearig as a bright or dark patch to revolve aroud aother object a star ad the celestial bodies that revolve aroud it; a plaetary system a body i outer space, made of hot gases, that shies i the ight sky the death explosio of a massive star, resultig i a sharp icrease i brightess followed by a gradual fadig a istrumet used to make distat objects look closer The followig vocabulary is ot essetial for comprehedig the uit but may erich studets vocabulary. astroaut costellatio cosmos someoe traied to travel ad perform tasks i space a group of stars that forms a shape ad is amed for that shape the whole uiverse elliptical galaxy a oval-shaped galaxy Learig A Z All rights reserved. 4

5 Thikstock UNIT GUIDE gravity the force that draws objects toward the ceter of Earth or ay other large celestial body irregular galaxy a galaxy without a regular shape life cycle mass matter Milky Way Galaxy plaet spacecraft spiral galaxy uiverse the stages of chage that somethig goes through as time passes the measure of the amout of matter i a object aythig that takes up space ad has weight the galaxy that icludes the Su ad our solar system a celestial body i orbit aroud a star a vehicle used for travelig i space a galaxy with curved arms that exted from a cetral axis all thigs that exist i space Credits: all: Jupiterimages Corporatio Name Date Across 1. a close group of similar objects 5. a body i outer space, made of hot gases, that shies i the ight sky 7. a scietist who studies plaets, stars, galaxies, ad other objects i space 10. ay plaet that exists outside the solar system OUTSIDE THE SOLAR SYSTEM Uscramble Name Date Directios: To aswer the riddle, uscramble each word ad write i the squares. The write the circled letters i order o the umbered spaces below. 1 2 akcbl hloe 2. a measure of the amout of radiatig or reflected light comig off a star or other celestial object; brightess 3. a istrumet used to make distat objects look closer 4. the death explosio of a massive star, resultig i a sharp icrease i brightess followed by a gradual fadig 6. a large collectio of plaets, gas, dust, ad millios or billios of stars, boud together by gravity 8. to revolve aroud aother object Dow 9. a regio or cloud of iterstellar dust ad gas appearig as a bright or dark patch Learig A Z All rights reserved a regio of space with a gravitatioal field so itese that othig ca escape it 3 tsgilocoosm a scietist who studies the origi ad structure of the uiverse 5 lagxay 3 13 a large collectio of plaets, gas, dust, ad millios or billios of stars, boud together by gravity btiro to revolve aroud aother object Riddle: Why did the studets wear earplugs i sciece class? Aswer: The teacher was explaiig the Credits: left: Aliaksadr Autayeu/iStock/Thikstock; right: Petro Feketa/iStock/ abule a regio or cloud of iterstellar dust ad gas appearig as a bright or dark patch Learig A Z All rights reserved. Learig A Z All rights reserved. OUTSIDE THE SOLAR SYSTEM Crossword OUTSIDE THE SOLAR SYSTEM Name Date Directios: Match each term o the left with its defiitio o the right. Write the letter of the correct defiitio o the space i frot of the term. 1. astroomer 2. big bag theory 3. black hole 4. cluster 5. cosmologist 6. deep space 7. galaxy 8. light-year 9. solar system 10. telescope A. a regio of space with a gravitatioal field so itese that othig ca escape it B. a close group of similar objects C. a large collectio of plaets, gas, dust, ad millios or billios of stars, boud together by gravity D. a theory that suggests that the uiverse bega from a sigle, eormous explosio ad is still expadig E. the ope areas betwee solid bodies i the uiverse beyod the solar system F. a istrumet used to make distat objects look closer G. a scietist who studies plaets, stars, galaxies, ad other objects i space H. a uit of distace i astroomy equal to the distace that light travels i oe year I. a star ad the celestial bodies that revolve aroud it; a plaetary system J. a scietist who studies the origi ad structure of the uiverse Matchig Vocabulary Activities You may choose to itroduce all the terms that will be ecoutered i the uit before assigig ay of the readig compoets. Vocabulary Cards with the key sciece terms ad defiitios are provided. Dots o the cards idicate the readig levels of the Nofictio Book or the Quick Reads i which each term ca be foud. If all level dots appear, the term may come from aother resource i the uit. Studets ca use these cards to review ad practice the terms i small groups or pairs. The cards ca also be used for ceter activity games such as Cocetratio. The Word Work activity sheets offer fu puzzles ad practice with key vocabulary terms from the uit. For further vocabulary practice ad reiforcemet, you ca choose from the vocabulary Graphic Orgaizers. To build customized vocabulary lessos with terms related to the topic, see. Studets ca use the Word Smart vocabulary Graphic Orgaizer to orgaize iformatio o the sciece terms. You may wat to assig each studet oe to three words to share his or her Word Smart kowledge with classmates. Studets who have the same word should first compare their Word Smart sheets with each other ad the report to the larger group. The sciece terms ca be used i oral practice. Have studets use each term i a spoke setece. As studets read, ecourage them to create a sciece dictioary by recordig ew vocabulary terms ad defiitios i their SAZ Joural. Learig A Z All rights reserved. 5

6 A Sciece A Z Earth Series Word Cout: 2,064 Visit Writte by Patricia Walsh ad Ro Fridell UNIT GUIDE OUTSIDE THE SOLAR SYSTEM BACKGROUND ad MISCONCEPTIONS Outside the Solar System Use this sectio as a resource for more backgroud kowledge o uit cotet ad to clarify the cotet for studets if miscoceptios arise. Refer to Usig the Iteret below for more ways to exted the learig. Q: Are stars really white, as they appear to be i the ight sky? A: Actually, they are ot. White light is a combiatio of all the other colors i the visible light spectrum. Whe lookig through a telescope, it s evidet that stars come i may colors. However, the uaided huma eye teds to combie these colors ito white light. Q: Should I be worried about the Su dyig? Will I eed a warmer coat? A: As scietists have observed i other stars, the Su goes through life cycle stages. Evetually it will die. But before we ever have to worry about its warmth fadig out, we might have to be cocered with the Su growig eormously ad cosumig Earth i its fiery gases. It may become a red giat log before it cools ad becomes a ebula ad fially a dwarf. However, ad fortuately for us, these chages happe over millios or billios of years. The Su should be roughly the same as it is ow for the ext billio years or so. Thus, i our lifetimes, there are ot expected to be ay chages to the Su that would affect life o Earth. Q: Do stars twikle because they give off light uevely? A: While some stars, such as pulsars, give off light uevely, most stars we see i the ight sky give off fairly steady visible light. They appear to twikle because their light passes through movig gases i our atmosphere. The refractio of the light as it passes through the movig medium makes the light waves bed i may directios, which causes the twiklig effect. The movemet i the atmosphere ca also make the light from stars chage colors by the time it reaches Earth s surface. Q: Why do t plaets twikle? A: Actually, plaets do twikle. We geerally do t see the twiklig because plaets are so much closer to Earth tha stars are. Ay twikle effect is overwhelmed by the sheer amout of light comig to our eyes. Stars sed comparatively more light but over vastly greater distaces. Thus, the smaller amout of light that reaches Earth from a star is more affected by atmospheric movemet. Learig A Z All rights reserved. 6

7 Q: Would costellatios look the same from other agles? A: No. Costellatios are huma-made ivetios based o how stars appear i the sky from Earth. But i reality, the stars that make up a give costellatio are very far from oe aother i space. From ay vatage poit except o or ear Earth, the same group of stars would look completely differet. (You ca demostrate this by placig objects i a group that produces a visual patter, the havig studets observe the group from differet vatage poits.) Q: A year is a measuremet of time, so does t a light-year also measure time? A: No. A light-year actually measures distace, despite havig the word year i its ame. Oe light-year is the distace that light ca travel i oe year. This is such a great distace that people sometimes use the term to refer to ay great distace or large amout. For example, Our dog is lightyears ahead of where we expected she would be i her traiig by ow. Q: If o humas have ever goe ito deep space, how ca we be sure what exists there? A: Some deep-space features ca actually be see ad verified through moder telescopes. Other features ca be prove to exist ad ca be described based o measuremets of the electromagetic eergy they give off ad by collectig other data. However, humas are quite far from uderstadig everythig there is to kow about the uiverse. May theories exist about how the uiverse bega, what the future holds for the uiverse, how space ad time are related, types of matter, mysterious pheomea i space, ad much more. As with other fields of study i sciece, the quest for uderstadig drives humaity s efforts to test theories ad to build a greater uderstadig of the uiverse. Jupiterimages Corporatio EXTENSION ACTIVITIES Usig the Iteret Most search egies will yield may results whe a term such as uiverse or deep space is etered. You ca also search for more o a specific deepspace feature, such as ebulas, superovas, or galaxies. Be aware that some sites may ot be educatioal or iteded for the elemetary classroom. More specific iquiries are recommeded, such as: star life cycles astroomy pictures Horseshoe Nebula closest stars to Earth timelie of space exploratio famous astroauts covert light-years to miles/kilometers cosmology for kids Learig A Z All rights reserved. 7

8 Below are some liks with excellet resources for studets ad/or teachers. The Natioal Aeroautics ad Space Admiistratio (NASA) provides a multitude of resources o space ad space exploratio. Follow liks to the Web page for educators or for studets to fid curret ews articles, iformatio o space-related careers, multimedia optios, ad aoucemets about special evets ad cotests. Use the Educatio Materials Fider to search for teachig resources by grade spa ad subject matter. NASA Kids Club ad NASA Space Place are two sites that offer games ad resources that youger studets may ejoy explorig. Kids Club has a picture dictioary, updates o curret ad future NASA missios, ad iformatio for teachers. Space Place icludes may fu games, projects, ad amazig facts. The Europea Space Agecy s website is a valuable resource for articles ad research o a myriad of astroomical topics, icludig the Iteratioal Space Statio. The educatioal sectio offers kits ad olie lessos, some provided i multiple laguages. The Ceter for Sciece Educatio, at the Uiversity of Califoria at Berkeley s Space Scieces Laboratory, offers classroom resources ad educatioal programs related to space sciece o its website. It also liks to NASA s Space Sciece Educatio Resource Directory, which ca be searched for educatioal materials. Projects ad Activities Arts: Cover a wall or door with black butcher paper ad allow studets to create a deep-space mural complete with colorful features they leared about i the uit. Project: Ivite studets to create board games or sports related to the exploratio of deep space. Project: Ecourage studets to moitor ewspapers ad selected websites for curret ews related to space exploratio. The have groups of studets each create a ewscast of real ad/or iveted space ews, icludig weather, sports, ad huma-iterest stories. Project/Home Coectio/Guest: Hold a star party o the school playgroud i which studets ad their families ca look through telescopes o a clear ight. Ivite amateur astroomers to brig their equipmet ad share their astroomical expertise with studets. Field Trip: Brig studets to a plaetarium or sciece ceter to lear about the tools of space exploratio ad to view displays o deep-space features. Learig A Z All rights reserved. 8

9 Writig: Have studets write a sciece fictio arrative about a jourey through space i which they demostrate a uderstadig of the structure ad systems of the uiverse. See for extesive writig istructio. Math: Challege studets to ivet a uit of measuremet similar i scale to a light-year but that measures a large amout of somethig other tha distace. Research/ELL: Compile a list of ames of galaxies, stars, plaets, ad other space features with foreig word origis, such as Lati. Challege studets to idetify similarities betwee these ames ad Eglish words or ames. Research/Techology: Assig specific deep-space features to idividuals or groups to research i the library/media ceter or olie. Have studets create a class presetatio o what they leared, complete with iterestig details ad appealig visuals. Research/Home Coectio: Studets ca coduct research as a family/home project or i the library/ media ceter to exted the learig about a topic i oe of the Quick Reads or other uit resources. Learig A Z All rights reserved. 9