The activities we have selected are congruent with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), and are arranged to build upon one another. Therefore, to follow the storyline we recommend that teachers complete the activities in the order provided. To open an activity in a new tab or window, right click the activity link and select the preferred option.
TEDEd: The Most Astounding Fact - Neil deGrasse Tyson
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http://ed.ted.com/on/3iIQxtXb Astrophysicist Dr. Neil DeGrasse Tyson was asked in an interview with TIME magazine, "What is the most astounding fact you can share with us about the Universe?" This is his answer.
Instructional Strategies: Lecture
Resource Type: Video
Time Required: 5 minutes
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Science (TEKS) 112.36-- Earth and Space Science
4.B explain how the Sun and other stars transform matter into energy through nuclear fusion
Earth Science Literacy Principles
2.2 Our Solar System formed from a vast cloud of gas and dust 4.6 billion years ago.
The Cosmic Calendar
View Activity
https://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/time/activities/61056.html In this activity, ALL of time, from the beginning of time (i.e., the Big Bang) all the way up to today, is compressed into one year.
Instructional Strategies: Modeling
Resource Type: Classroom learning activity
Time Required: 180 minutes
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Science (TEKS) 112.36-- Earth and Space Science
3.A in all fields of science, analyze, evaluate, and critique scientific explanations by using empirical evidence, logical reasoning, and experimental and observational testing, including examining all sides of scientific evidence of those scientific explanations, so as to encourage critical thinking by the student;
7.C understand how multiple dating methods are used to construct the geologic time scale, which represents Earth's approximate 4.6-billion-year history
Earth Science Literacy Principles
2.2 Our Solar System formed from a vast cloud of gas and dust 4.6 billion years ago.
2.6 Life on Earth began more than 3.5 billion years ago.
2.7 Over Earth’s vast history, both gradual and catastrophic processes have produced enormous changes.
The Expanding Universe
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http://btc.montana.edu/ceres/html/Universe/uni1.html This activity is composed of 5 separate learning activities or labs that are designed to help students gain a deeper understanding of cosmology. Students develop authentic models and gather evidence supporting the Big Bang theory by creating a model of the expanding universe, analyzing and explaining what happens when using different measuring devices, and creating an electronic report of Hubble Space Telescope findings. In summary, this learning experience uses observation, interactive media, and scientific models.
Instructional Strategies: Inquiry, Debate, Modeling
Resource Type: Laboratory investigation, experiment or demonstration
Time Required: 300 minutes
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Science (TEKS) 112.36-- Earth and Space Science
2.B know that scientific hypotheses are tentative and testable statements that must be capable of being supported or not supported by observational evidence. Hypotheses of durable explanatory power which have been tested over a wide variety of conditions are incorporated into theories;
2.C know that scientific theories are based on natural and physical phenomena and are capable of being tested by multiple independent researchers. Unlike hypotheses, scientific theories are well-established and highly-reliable explanations, but may be subject to change as new areas of science and new technologies are developed;
2.E demonstrate the use of course equipment, techniques, and procedures, including computers and web-based computer applications;
2.G organize, analyze, evaluate, make inferences, and predict trends from data;
2.H use mathematical procedures such as algebra, statistics, scientific notation, and significant figures to analyze data using the International System (SI) units
2.I communicate valid conclusions supported by data using several formats such as technical reports, lab reports, labeled drawings, graphic organizers, journals, presentations, and technical posters.
3.A in all fields of science, analyze, evaluate, and critique scientific explanations by using empirical evidence, logical reasoning, and experimental and observational testing, including examining all sides of scientific evidence of those scientific explanations, so as to encourage critical thinking by the student;
3.B communicate and apply scientific information extracted from various sources such as current events, news reports, published journal articles, and marketing materials
3.C draw inferences based on data related to promotional materials for products and services
4.A evaluate the evidence concerning the Big Bang model such as red shift and cosmic microwave background radiation and current theories of the evolution of the universe, including estimates for the age of the universe
Earth Science Literacy Principles
1.7 Technological advances, breakthroughs in interpretation, and new observations continuously refine our understanding of Earth.
Measuring the Age of the Universe
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https://lcogt.net/measuring-the-age-of-the-universe/ This activity, from Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network, has learners using real supernova spectra to create a famous Hubble Diagram.
Instructional Strategies: Inquiry
Resource Type: Laboratory investigation, experiment or demonstration
Time Required: 120 minutes
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Science (TEKS) 112.36-- Earth and Space Science
2.G organize, analyze, evaluate, make inferences, and predict trends from data;
2.H use mathematical procedures such as algebra, statistics, scientific notation, and significant figures to analyze data using the International System (SI) units
2.I communicate valid conclusions supported by data using several formats such as technical reports, lab reports, labeled drawings, graphic organizers, journals, presentations, and technical posters.
3.A in all fields of science, analyze, evaluate, and critique scientific explanations by using empirical evidence, logical reasoning, and experimental and observational testing, including examining all sides of scientific evidence of those scientific explanations, so as to encourage critical thinking by the student;
3.F learn and understand the contributions of scientists to the historical development of Earth and space sciences
4.A evaluate the evidence concerning the Big Bang model such as red shift and cosmic microwave background radiation and current theories of the evolution of the universe, including estimates for the age of the universe
Earth Science Literacy Principles
1.3 Earth science investigations take many different forms.
1.4 Earth scientists must use indirect methods to examine and understand the structure, composition, and dynamics of Earth’s interior.
1.7 Technological advances, breakthroughs in interpretation, and new observations continuously refine our understanding of Earth.
Star in a Box
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https://astroedu.iau.org/en/activities/1306/ The Star in a Box application from the Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network lets students explore the life cycle of stars. It animates stars with different starting masses as they change during their lives and visualizes the changes in mass, size, brightness and temperature for all these different stages.
Instructional Strategies: Inquiry
Resource Type: Classroom learning activity
Time Required: 90 minutes
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Science (TEKS) 112.36-- Earth and Space Science
1.C use the school's technology and information systems in a wise and ethical manner.
2.E demonstrate the use of course equipment, techniques, and procedures, including computers and web-based computer applications;
4.B explain how the Sun and other stars transform matter into energy through nuclear fusion
Earth Science Literacy Principles
1.3 Earth science investigations take many different forms.
2.2 Our Solar System formed from a vast cloud of gas and dust 4.6 billion years ago.
Investigating Supernova Remnants
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http://chandra.harvard.edu/edu/formal/snr/ This activity from NASA/CXC/SAO uses Chandra data to investigate several supernova remnants in order to determine if the supernova was a Type II core collapse or a Type Ia thermonuclear event. There are two versions of this activity; a pencil and paper version, and a version that uses the Chandra ds9 image analysis software.
Instructional Strategies: Inquiry, Challenge or problem-solving
Resource Type: Laboratory investigation, experiment or demonstration
Time Required: 80 minutes
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Science (TEKS) 112.36-- Earth and Space Science
2.E demonstrate the use of course equipment, techniques, and procedures, including computers and web-based computer applications;
2.I communicate valid conclusions supported by data using several formats such as technical reports, lab reports, labeled drawings, graphic organizers, journals, presentations, and technical posters.
4.C investigate the process by which a supernova can lead to the formation of successive generation stars and planets.
Earth Science Literacy Principles
2.2 Our Solar System formed from a vast cloud of gas and dust 4.6 billion years ago.
The Strange Attraction of Hot Jupiters
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https://vimeo.com/71999187 This video gives a brief history of satellites and the hunt for exoplanets, specifically hot Jupiters throughout the universe. Some of the questions that are addressed are what causes these planets to run hot, the impact of these planets on further planetary discoveries and the interactions of these planets with their home suns.
Instructional Strategies: Lecture
Resource Type: Video
Time Required: 5 minutes
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Science (TEKS) 112.36-- Earth and Space Science
5.F compare extra-solar planets with planets in our solar system and describe how such planets are detected
Field Trips
Studies that examine how geologists think and learn about the Earth point to the value of field experiences in helping students develop practices that constitute geologic reasoning. We encourage teachers to take students into the field as much as possible. The former recognizes the limitations of the K-12 classroom setting. Field learning provides a chance to encourage the ability to see features that are important to professional practice. In the case of space exploration, teachers may be able to organize visits to a local science center, museum, college or university with planetarium and/or observatory facilities. Teachers can check with their own school district to see if they have access to a travelling planetarium.
Virtual Field Trip
Supernova Explosion
This animation of a supernova explosion demonstrates what happens when a massive star explodes and creates a shell of hot gas that glows brightly in X-rays. These X-rays reveal the dynamics of the explosion.
Actual Field Trips
The University of Texas McDonald Observatory offers educational twilight programs and daily tours of its research telescopes.
Space Center Houston offers a variety of education programs and hosts school visits.
Careers
Meet Chief Meteorologist
Alan Sealls and listen as he discusses his typical day at work, the qualifications needed for the job, and the best and worst parts of the job. A very important part of his job is keeping the public informed about the weather, especially hurricanes.
Meet Geoscience Ambassador
Thomas Quintero who as a Boy Scout developed a deep love and appreciation for the outdoors. n high school he participated int eh GeoFORCE Program where he learned about geology and its relevance to the lives of people every day.
Meet Geoscience Ambassador
Preston Fusee-Durham. Preston graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a B.Sc in Geological Sciences, a B.Sc in Mathematical Sciences, and two certificates in Computational Science and Engineering as well as Scientific Computation and Data Science. Preston currently works as a Computational Engineer in Houston, Texas. He plans to pursue a graduate degree in Computational and Mathematical Engineering to develop efficient and robust numerical solutions to Earth Science problems using high-performance computing.
Meet Geoscience Ambassador
Sophie Goliber. Sophie graduated from the Minisink Valley High School in 2013 and went on to the University of Buffalo for my B.S. in Geology. She was excited to move to a city, although she missed the beautiful outdoors of her hometown. During her undergraduate education, she focused on research in planetary and polar remote sensing. Now at the University of Texas at Austin, she is studying glaciers in Greenland and will be receiving her Ph.D. in Geology in 2022. After that, she would like to pursue a career in Science Policy in Washington, D.C.
Scaffolding Notes
Teachers must develop their own individual plan for how they will teach the unit. The learning activities and educational resources in this unit are intended to complement other instructional activities led by the teacher. Many of the selected learning experiences provide links to excellent background preparatory materials, additional hands-on resources, teaching tips, and cross-curricular connections.
Teachers will need to create their own multimedia presentations, deliver lectures and assign ancillary work to their students in order to set the stage for effective use of the learning activities contained herein. Therefore, it is imperative to allocate time to review the activities and background material prior to using the learning experiences in this unit and to probe students for their prior knowledge before starting an activity.
In addition, although some activities may incorporate assessments, teachers may need to create their own assessments to ensure that are appropriate for the students they teach.
Asterisks (*) indicate teacher resource and background information recommendations for activity support.
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In TED-Ed's The Most Astounding Fact, American astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson shares his answer to the question, "What is the most astounding fact you can share with us about the Universe?" His answer is that the atoms all around and within us are traceable to crucibles that "cooked" light elements into heavier elements under extreme pressure in the cores of stars. This short video serves as an excellent lead-in to the unit, and encourages students to think about the interconnected nature of the universe.
The Cosmic Calendar helps learners grasp the history of the universe, from the Big Bang 13.7 billion years ago through the development of the various structures in the cosmos and on to the present. Students engage in dimensional analysis. The amount of time allocated for this activity depends in part on how much work teachers want students to do in figuring out which events to include, exactly when they should take place on the Cosmic Calendar, and how they should be displayed. This activity can also be utilized as a group or independent project. Some of the steps may be assigned as out-of-class work.
NASA's Cool Cosmos: Redshift is a short article that explains the concept of redshift and blueshift, terms astronomers use when describing whether distant celestial objects are moving toward or away from Earth. The article also has links to review other related concepts, such as the electromagnetic spectrum and absorption and emission lines.
The Expanding Universe has links to myths and legends about the origin and evolution of our universe. Teachers will need to preview the activities as there are additional materials necessary for the activities. It is also necessary to review the units of measurement for distance used in cosmology.
Measuring the Age of the Universe requires computer and internet access to retrieve spectral data from a web archive which is then used to derive Doppler shifts for different Type 1a supernovae. Students will also need access to spreadsheet software for calculations and generation of graphs. Detailed instructions are included for the teacher and student. It is important that the teacher work through the activity prior to implementation to determine pacing and develop a thorough understanding of the activity. This activity is excellent for using real data to determine Hubble's Law. Before beginning this activity, we recommend that the teacher check for the updated Hubble's constant value at NASA's Universe 101.
*The animation video Cosmic Inflation Exlained from PhD Comics discusses "BICEP2" and the Cosmic Inflation theory.
The Star in a Box activity consists of two parts: an introductory multimedia presentation that discusses the life cycle of stars, and an interactive browser application that allows students to view a star's Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, in which a star's luminosity is plotted against its temperature. The information panels then allow students to compare our Sun's relative radius, surface temperature, brightness (luminosity) and mass to that of stars with the masses of their choice.
*The Star Life interactive consists of two parts; one part discusses life cycle of stars, while the other discusses the H-R Diagram and utilizes exercises to practice its interpretation. It includes multiple opportunities for formative assessment. Teachers will need to provide an overview of nucleosynthesis and may need to review the definitions of fusion and isotope.
Stephen Hawking's Stellar Factories video is a great hook for helping students to understand how supernovae yield the elements that form all that we know, including life. This video is a good way to introduce the concepts in the Investigating Supernova Remnants activity.
Investigating Supernova Remnants is a product of NASA's Chandra X-Ray Observatory. The website includes links to background information for both the student and teacher and download instructions for the free software, should teachers choose to utilize this version of the activity. There are also additional extension activities for use with the software. The teacher needs to be familiar with all instructions and have worked through using the software prior to use in the classroom. The paper and pencil version of the activity is an excellent alternative when technology or time constraints prohibit the download and review of the software.
The Strange Attraction of Hot Jupiters is a video that gives a brief history of satellites and the hunt for exoplanets, specifically hot Jupiters throughout the universe. Teachers may wish to discuss with their students some of the questions addressed in the video, such as what causes these planets to run hot, the impact of these planets on further planetary discoveries, and the interactions of these planets with their home suns. The transcript page for this activity is at NASA's Science News webpage, The Strange Attraction of Hot Jupiters. The YouTube link can also be found on this page.
*The PhD Comic's animation video, There are Billions of Planets in Our Galaxy, discusses the techniques used for discovery exoplanets. Additionally, Detecting ExtraSolar Planets from the Astronomy Education at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln website contains information about exoplanet detection and an interactive simulation that allows one to see the effects of the gravitational effects that the planets have on the sun looking down on the plane of the solar system.
Standards: ESS TEKS: 1.C, 2.B, 2.C, 2.E, 2.G, 2.H, 2.I, 3.A, 3.B, 3.C, 3.F, 4.A, 4.B, 4.C, 5.F, 7.C ES Literacy: 1.3, 1.4, 1.7, 2.2, 2.6, 2.7
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