The Universe At Your Fingertips Activity: Cosmic Calendar

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Linda Carr
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1 The Universe At Your Fingertips Activity: Cosmic Calendar Introduction Cosmology - the study of our universe, how it began, and how it has evolved - can seem incomprehensible to students because of the vast eons of time between today and the beginning of the universe. This activity will provide a "bridge" across time that will make the numbers more meaningful. Couple this lesson with one of the Solar System scale model activities and Your Galactic Address (both described in The Universe At Your Fingertips) to give students a staggering - and humbling - perspective of their place in space and time. In "Cosmic Calendar", students scale the evolution of the universe to a one year calendar, with the Big Bang occuring on the first moment of January 1st. Students estimate where on this one year time line significant events (like the formation of the solar system, the appearance of dinosaurs and the emergence of humanity) should be placed. More advanced students can research the dates of significant events and calculate when in the model timeline these events occurred. This activity was written by Therese Puyau Blanchard and the staff of Project ASTRO. Copyright 1995, Astronomical Society of the Pacific, 390 Ashton Ave., San Francisco, CA This activity may be reproduced for nonprofit purposes. Activity Description Introduction While there is currently some controversy about the exact numbers, astronomers estimate that the universe began some 12 to 20 billion years ago in the explosion of space, time, matter and energy we call the Big Bang. Such numbers are hard to visualize. Despite the fact that the national debt is even larger, most students have difficulty grasping how large a span of time this is compared to their own lifetimes or to the events they read about in history. One way to visualize large expanses of geological or astronomical time is to draw an analogy between the time scale since the creation of the cosmos and a more familiar stretch of time. Geology educators have used this technique for a while, but in astronomy the idea was pioneered by Cornell University astronomer, Carl Sagan. In Chapter 1 of his Pulitzer-prize winning Book, The Dragons of Eden (1977, Random House hard cover; Ballantine paperback), Sagan proposes compressing the history of the universe into one year and then seeing where in that year various events of interest fall. Based on this model, Sagan calculates that if the Big Bang takes place at the first moment of January 1, the origin of our solar system will be in mid- September, and the first appearance of humans on Earth does not take place until late evening on the 31st of December. Procedure 1. Present the concept of a time line by displaying the 12 month calendar hung along a wall or across the room on a clothes line.

2 2. Explain that January 1st of our one-year "Cosmic Calendar" represents the Big Bang, which scientists theorize is the beginning of cosmic time. Explain that "today" is represented by the last possible moment on December 31st. 3. Depending on your students' background, brainstorm about some of the important events that happened between the Big Bang and now. 4. Divide the class into groups and distribute a Cosmic Calendar handout to each group. Have groups cut and paste the calendar on to the large piece of construction paper to create one long time line. 5. Each group should then cutout the major events listed on the Cosmic Calendar hand-out and decide on the probable order of occurence. Have the groups place each event next to the month they predict the event occurred. Groups that finish first can predict the day of the month also. 6. Then, select a volunteer group to be a "living time line". Give each person in the group a larger sign or picture of one of the major events (with the Cosmic Calendar date on the back of each picture) and have the students stand under the large time line in the order decided on by the group. 7. Hold a class discussion on the order of the events portrayed. A student who disagrees with the order of a certain event may change places with the person holding that card. Continue the discussion until a majority of the students agree with each other. 8. Have each person in the "living time line" uncover the appropriate date on the back of their card and position themselves on the time line. 9. Point out significant events and discuss these questions: Humans arrived on the scene about 7 minutes before midnight on "New Year's Eve" according to our model. How does this change your perspective of our importance? Dinosaurs ruled the Earth for almost two hundred million years - from December 25 to December 30 on our time line. How does this change your thinking about dinosaurs? How old is the Sun compared to other stars? If there are older stars than the Sun out there (and there are many), might they have older life forms on them? What might we be like today if hominids on Earth had evolved a million years earlier? Goals and Tips Tips and Suggestions For earlier grades, give students the selected set of events or have them create pictures for the events provided.

3 The mathematics used to determine a relative date on the time line can be done as a class rather than as an individual activity. However, encourage students in later grades to do the math and use division and remainders to identify the actual date or time for particular events. You can add additional events for later grades corresponding to material already covered in class. Present the activities as hall displays. Encourage your students to think about how they could explain the model calendar to others. One way is to annotate each event and include what evidence scientists have to support their estimates. For example, the age of the solar system is based on the radioactive dating of meteorites and moon rocks. \ Have students research a particular era on the model calendar and develop a more detailed "inset" or "zoom-in" view. For example, the age of the dinosaurs from 200+million years ago could be broken into specific geological periods (Triassic, Jurassic, Cretaceous, etc.). Preparation Materials For the classroom demonstration you need: 1. Twelve monthly calendars 2. Clothesline and clothespins (optional - to string the calendar across the classroom) 3. Cosmic Cards for each major event with the date of the event written on the back (covered with a piece of paper). Each student group will need: 1. Cosmic Calendar handout 2. Large sheet of construction paper 3. Glue 4. Scissors 5. Optional: Cosmic Spinner Extending the Activity 1. Have younger students (third to fifth graders) assemble and decorate the Cosmic Spinner. They can make additional bottom disks with different events and dates. 2. Have students design their own cosmic timelines in their notebooks and include information and scale drawings.

4 3. Have students work in groups to design mobiles using hangers and string. 4. Designate an entire hall in the school as a cosmic timeline. Have students create drawings and captions to describe the major events and hang these along the time line. Have one group make a poster to explain the timeline concept to other students. Extensions for Older Students (Grades 7-9) 1. After students have been introduced to the idea of compressing the events since the Big Bang into a single year, have the students brainstorm about some of the most important events that happened between the Big Bang and now. 2. Have students do library research to determine how long ago the various events they have selected happened. Each student or group can be responsible for a manageable number of events to research. If time is short, you may need to provide the times associated with the major events in cosmic history. 3. Have students calculate where in the cosmic calendar year the various events will be placed. To do this, the students need to know the age of the universe. You might have students research this, or simply use 15 billion years (the value Sagan uses in his book). Note that this is currently under debate as new data comes in from the Hubble Space Telescope and other instruments. You can print out the two Cosmic Calendar Math worksheets to help students set up the equations for this calculation. Online resources: Basic cosmology primer from NASA. A Solar System scale model activity The Earth as a Peppercorn Cosmic Spinner 1. Print out the cosmic spinner by clicking on each disk and using "File" and "Print" from your browser menu. 2. Cut along the circular outlines on both pages. 3. Cut out the larger rectangular window on the top "Cosmic Spinner" disk. 4. Cut along 3 sides of the smaller rectangular window and fold along the line to make a window that can be covered. 5. Punch a hole in the center of both disks with the point of a pencil or scissors and connect the two disks with a small brass fastener so the events and corresponding dates on the bottom disk can be seen through the windows of the top disk. Cosmic Spinner - Top disk Cosmic Spinner - Bottom disk

5 Appendix Cosmic Calendar Cards Make larger, more visible versions of these calendar cards by writing the events on one side of an index card and concealing the calendar dates on the back of the card. Or: Print this page from your browser. Cut out the two tables. Cut along the vertical lines in each table and fold on the top horizontal line to hide the dates. Jan 1 15 Billion years ago Feb 9 13 Billion years ago Mar Billion years ago Sept Billion years ago Sept 25 4 Billion years ago The Big Bang The First Galaxies Globular Clusters The Sun and Solar System The First Life on Earth Dec Billion years ago Dec Million years ago Dec Million years ago Dec 31 11:53pm 200,000 yrs ago Dec 31 11:59pm 30,000 yrs ago Airbreathing Life Appeared Marine Plant and Animal Life The Earliest Dinosaurs Appeared Homo Sapiens Appeared First Human Hunter- Gatherer Societies

6 Cosmic Calendar Handout Cut out the 3 rows of calendar months. Glue the 4-month strips end-to-end on a large piece of paper so you have one long row - a 12 month "timeline". Where on this timeline do you think the events at the bottom of the page should be placed? JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCH APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER

7 The First Galaxies The Earliest Dinosaurs Appeared Homo Sapiens Appeared The Big Bang Air-breathing Life Appeared Globular Clusters Marine Plant and Animal Life The Solar System First Human Hunter- Gatherers The First Life on Earth back Cosmic Spinner Top Disk

8 Cosmic Spinner Bottom Disk

9 The Universe At Your Fingertips Activities Table of Contents A B C D E F G H I J K L M A - MOON AND PHASES A-1 Predicting Phases and Features A-2 Observing Phases and Features A-3 Modeling Moon Phases A-4 Modeling Eclipses B - SUN AND SEASONS

10 B-1 The Sun B-2 Observing the Sun Safely B-3 Observing Where the Sun Sets B-4 Sunrises at Stonehenge B-5 The Reasons for Seasons B-6 Making Pictures of Motion B-7 Making a Sun Clock B-8 Plotting the Apparent Daily Motion of the Sun B-9 Solar Motion Detector B-10 Modeling the Reasons for Seasons C - THE PLANETS C-1 The Earth's Shape and Gravity C-2 What Shape is the Earth? C-3 How Big is the Earth? C-4 Observing a Planet C-5 Staying Up While Falling Down C-6 Morning Star and Evening Star C-7 Venus Topography Box C-8 Martian Canals C-9 Planet Picking C-10 Solar System Bingo C-11 Can You Planet? C-12 How High Can You Jump on Another Planet? D - SCALE OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM D-1 A Question of Scale

11 D-2 3-D Model of the Earth and Moon D-3 How Big is the Moon? D-4 Finding the Size of the Sun and Moon D-5 Solar System Scale Model Scaled to Your Room D-6 Toilet Paper Solar System Scale Model D-7 The Thousand Yard Model D-8 Extraterrestial Excursions D-9 Time Traveler E - COMETS AND METEORS E-1 Experimenting with Craters E-2 Make a Model Comet E-3 Making a Comet in the Classroom E-4 Make a Comet Motion Flip Book F - STAR-FINDING AND CONSTELLATIONS F-1 Looking Up: Observing the Nighttime Sky with the Unaided Eye F-2 Locating the Big Dipper F-3 Star Clocks F-4 What's Your Latitude F-5 Star Finding with a Star Finder F-6 Star Frames F-7 Creating Constellations F-8 Three Dimensional Constellations G - STARS

12 G-1 Compare the Sizes of Stars G-2 Among the Stars G-3 Investigating Types of Stars H - GALAXIES AND THE UNIVERSE H-1 Your Galactic Address H-2 Cosmic Calendar and Time Line Scale Model of the Age of the Earth H-3 How many Stars? H-4 A Ballooning Universe H-5 The Expanding Universe H-6 Visualizing the Expansion of Space I - SPACE EXPLORATION AND SETI I-1 Designing a Planetary Probe I-2 Decoding and Extraterrestial Message I-3 Pack Up for a Trip to the Moon I-4 Building a Lunar Settlement I-5 Hello Out There: Message From Space I-6 Invent an Alien J - TOOLS OF THE ASTRONOMER J-1 Making Measurements of Objects in the Sky J-2 Parallax - How Far Is It? J-3 Hello Out There! J-4 Light and Color - Activities from the FOSTER Project J-5 Seeing the Invisible: Studying Infrared and

13 Ultraviolet Radiation J-6 Infrared Light J-7 Spectroscopes and Spectrometers J-8 Light Collecting Model J-9 What Makes Good Viewing? J-10 Building an Optical Telescope; Making a Simple "Parabolic" Reflector K - DEBUNKING PSEUDOSCIENCE K-1 What's Your Sign? K-2 Activities about Astrology K-3 UFO Detective L - ASTRONOMY IN DIFFERENT CULTURES L-1 Create A Constellation L-2 Stories in the Stars L-3 Ancient Models of the World L-4 The Astronomical Tourist: An Activity about What and Where in the World to Visit L-5 Teaching with Stories and Symbols M - ACROSS THE CURRICULUM M-1 Who Was Right? M-2 The Twelve Tourist Wonders of the Solar System M-3 Astronomy in the Marketplace M-4 M-5 Finding the Music of the Spheres: Astronomy in Music Women in Astronomy: Some Activities to Get Students Thinking

14 M-6 Picturing an Astronomer M-7 Puzzling Space Collection home about us society news membership publications events education resources support astroshop search Privacy & Legal Statements Site Index Copyright Astronomical Society of the Pacific

History of the universe

History of the universe Time H 70 time 60 minutes learning outcomes To: learn that the universe is very old discover that the Earth was created relatively recently learn that humans have been on the planet