Space Colony Pre-Visit Materials and Activities

Transcription

1 Space Colony Pre-Visit Materials and Activities Grade 4 Howard B. Owens Science Center 0

2 Contents Introduction es Program Lesson Planner... 3 Pre-Visit Activity 1 The Planets of Our Solar System-Are They Habitable?... 6 The Planets of Our Solar System-Are They Habitable? Student Worksheet... 7 Pre-Visit Activity 2: Problems in Space OPTIONAL Problems in Space Student Worksheet Problems in Space Expert Answer Page from NASA

3 Space Colony Introduction Program Name: Space Colony Grade: 4 Approximate time-required: 120 min. Materials and Resources needed: all on-site materials needed will be provided by the Owens Science Center. Introduction Space Colony is course for fourth grade students, in which they will explore a hypothetical solar system and attempt to colonize one or more of its planets. This course gives the student the opportunity to learn about planets and their characteristics. Additionally, students will learn about the elements necessary to maintain human life. The students will then put that kwledge to use in selecting a planet for colonization. Prerequisite Skills and Kwledge Kw that all living things, including human beings, require certain things to keep them alive Recognize food as a source of nutrients that all living things need to grow and survive Be aware that different planets have different environments and different characteristics Students must be able to compare the conditions on a planet with those required for living things Alignment of this program to Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and Maryland College and Career Readiness Standards (MCCRS) can be found on the website of the Howard B. Owens Science Center (HBOSC) under 4 th quarter program listings. 2

4 Program Title: Space Colony Grade Level: 4 1. Science Discipline: Astromy/Earth/Space Science Date: 4 th Quarter Time Program Lesson Planner Statement of Objective: What should students kw and do as a result of the lesson? 5 min. Objective: Today we will explore a hypothetical solar system and seek a new planet for colonization. Students should be able to state at least four elements necessary for human survival on ather planet: food, water, oxygen, and shelter. Engagement Warm-Up: How will you engage students in learning? How will you connect the lesson to their prior kwledge? Have you ever heard about explorers of old who sailed in ships across the seas? We are going to simulate an activity like that, only using spaceships. Ask: What do we call the sun and the planets which revolve around it? (The solar system). What kind of celestial object is the sun? (A star). Do you think other stars could have planets revolving around them? (Yes). In fact, astromers have discovered more than 1500 such stars (as of Oct. 2014), but we kw almost thing about their planets. We will try to determine if any of these planets is suitable for human habitation. (*The planets used in this lesson are hypothetical). Exploration Time 10 min. Teacher Monitored Activities: What will students do together to use new concepts or skills? How will you assist them in this process? Ask What things should we take with us on our journey? (We need to take things that keep us alive). Look at a list of items suggested by PG County students. Working in teams, the students select 6 items from the list they deem most necessary for survival. After making the selections, reveal the point values assigned to each item. Teams with a point value of 80 or more will have selected well. The most valuable items (determined by Science Center staff) are food, water, oxygen, and shelter. Seeds and animals also receive high point values because they are ultimately sources of food. 3

5 Program Title: Space Colony Grade Level: 4 2. Science Discipline: Astromy/Earth/Space Science Date: 4 th Quarter Program Lesson Planner Time Teacher Directed Activities: How will you aid students in constructing the meaning of new concepts? How will you introduce/model new skills or procedures? Explanation 20 min. Having arrived at the target solar system, students will once again work in teams to evaluate each of the hypothetical planets, searching for one or more that can sustain human life. Students should be on the lookout for a planet having at least the four essential items listed above. After making their selections, students will be awarded points according to which planets they selected. A total of 80 points once again indicates good choices. Elaboration Time Extension, Refinement, and Practice Activities: What opportunities will students have to use the new skills and concepts in a meaningful way? How will students expand and solidify their understanding of the concept and apply it to a real-world situation? How will students demonstrate their mastery of the essential learning outcomes? 20 min. The instructor will lead a review of each planet, eliciting from students their reasons for selecting each for colonization or t. Additionally, students will be challenged to describe how they would construct a shelter using only materials available on the planet. 4

6 Program Title: Space Colony Grade Level: 4 3. Science Discipline: Astromy/Earth/Space Science Date: 4 th Quarter Program Lesson Planner Time Ongoing Assessment: How will you monitor student progress throughout the lesson? 10 min. Evaluation will take place primarily by ting how well the students defend their choices, both on the list of items to take and in their selection of planets. Evaluation Culminating Assessment: How will you ensure that all students have mastered the identified learning indicators? How will you assess their learning? 20 min. Assessment materials will be included as part of the Post-visit materials, to be used by the classroom teacher following the visit. Closure Time 5 min. Closure Activities: Through this teacher-guided activity, how will you assist students in reflecting upon what they learned today and preparing for tomorrow s lesson? What homework will be assigned to help students practice, prepare, or elaborate on a concept or skill taught? The instructor will display the current night sky using the planetarium star projector, pointing out the locations of real stars with planets. This closure activity will be supplemented with slides and video as appropriate. 5

7 Pre-Visit Activity 1 The Planets of Our Solar System-Are They Habitable? Suggested Length of the Activity: 45 Minutes Teacher Materials: Printed copy of this Pre-Visit packet Access and print Planet Lithographs at Howard B. Owens Science Center website, under the program description for Space Colony. They feature images of the planets and information (beware: some of the information is outdated). Student Materials: Printed copies of The Planets of Our Solar System-Are They Habitable? Student Worksheet Books about the solar system in your school library Access fundamental information about planets at web site: StarChild Group students in pairs. 6

8 The Planets of Our Solar System-Are They Habitable? Student Worksheet NAMES Here is a description of seven planets of our solar system. Read about each planet and answer the questions. The Appendix at the end of this activity has more detailed information about the planets. Check there if you need help answering the questions. Mercury Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun. It is covered with craters like the Moon. Mercury has a very thin atmosphere and water. During the day, it is 600 degrees F. At night it is 400 degrees below zero. Could you live on Mercury? Circle the good things about Mercury. Draw a line through the bad things. Don t put anything on the things that don t matter. close to Sun air craters water 7

9 Venus photo by ESA Venus is always covered by clouds. The clouds are like a blanket that keeps heat in. The on Venus is 900 degrees F. Venus doesn t have oxygen to breathe. Could you live on Venus? Circle the good things about Venus. Draw a line through the bad things. Don t put anything on the things that don t matter. clouds oxygen Mars Mars is smaller than Earth so it has less gravity. The air is thin and there is t eugh oxygen to breathe. Most of the time, the is below zero. Mars has rocks, sand, craters, sw, and ice. Could you live on Mars? Circle the good things about Mars. Draw a line through the bad things. Don t put anything on the things that don t matter. can t breathe air ice, sw craters sand less gravity 8

10 Jupiter Jupiter is the biggest planet so it has strong gravity. It is covered by colorful clouds. You could never land a spaceship on Jupiter. It doesn t have any dirt or rocks, just clouds! The clouds are very cold. Could you live on Jupiter? Circle the good things about Jupiter. Draw a line through the bad things. Don t put anything on the things that don t matter. clouds strong gravity biggest planet place to land Saturn Saturn is the second biggest planet. It has beautiful rings around it! Saturn is like Jupiter, but it is further from the Sun so it is colder. Could you live on Saturn? Circle the good things about Saturn. Draw a line through the bad things. Don t put anything on the things that don t matter. clouds rings place to land 9

11 Uranus Uranus is about four times bigger than Earth. It is made of clouds like Jupiter and Saturn. It is very cold. The air has oxygen to breathe. Could you live on Uranus? Circle the good things about Uranus. Draw a line through the bad things. Don t put anything on the things that don t matter. clouds strong gravity bigger than Earth place to land Neptune Neptune is like Uranus, except it is a little bit smaller and colder. Could you live on Neptune? Circle the good things about Uranus. Draw a line through the bad things. Don t put anything on the things that don t matter. clouds strong gravity place to land One of the planets is missing from this list. Which one is it? 10

12 Appendix A: More Detailed Information on the Planets of Our Solar System Source: StarChild A Learning Center for Young Astromers Text adapted for HBOSC by R. Waugh Illustration from Discovery Education Techbook Mercury is the smallest planet in our solar system. Mercury is about the same size as our Moon. It is very close to the Sun. Mercury travels around the Sun faster than any other planet. That is how it got its name. It was named after Mercury, the swift messenger of the gods in ancient Roman mythology. Mercury can only be seen from Earth just before sunrise or just after sunset, 11

13 but t in the middle of the night. That is because Mercury always appears near the Sun when viewed from Earth. Mercury has a very thin atmosphere. Humans would t be able to live there. The surface of Mercury has holes in it where objects such as meteorites and asteroids crashed into it. The on Mercury gets so hot it could melt a tin pan. Venus and Earth are almost the same size. Venus is the closest planet to Earth, but it does t have oceans or human life like Earth. Venus gets so hot during the day that it could melt a lead cannball. The rises to 484 degrees Celsius on the side facing the Sun. Venus has very thick, rapidly spinning clouds which cover its surface. These clouds hold heat in. That is why Venus gets so hot. These clouds also reflect sunlight. That is why Venus appears so bright to us here on Earth. There are constant thunderstorms in these clouds. Venus has several large inactive volcaes. Much of the surface is covered by old lava flows from these volcaes. Venus is called the Evening Star. It is called this because it looks so bright to us from Earth. The on Mars can be very, very cold. On its warmest day, Mars can still be a very cold place. At the top and bottom of the planet are poles just like on Earth. During the Martian winter, ice caps can be seen at the poles. Space probes have landed on Mars. These probes were sent on a fact-finding mission by the United States. They performed experiments on the Martian dirt and atmosphere. The dirt was found to contain clay which was rich in iron. The iron is what gives Mars its red color. Mars has many craters which were formed by meteorites or asteroids hitting it. Mars also has some of the tallest volcaes and some of the deepest valleys in our solar system. Mars has two moons, Phobos and Deimos which have unusual shapes. Scientists think these potato-shaped moons were once asteroids captured by Mars' gravitational pull. Some of the meteorites found on Earth are actually pieces of the planet Mars. As of June 2006, thirty-four "Martian meteorites" have been found. Jupiter is a large gas planet whose clouds change colors daily. Jupiter is so large that all of the other planets in the solar system could fit inside of it. This planet is made mostly of hydrogen and helium gases. Jupiter gives off two times more heat than it gets from the Sun. It shines very brightly in the night sky for nine months of the year when it is closest to Earth. Huge areas of swirling gases can be found in Jupiter's atmosphere. The largest swirling area of gas is called the Great Red Spot. Scientists believe this is a large hurricane-like storm which has lasted for hundreds of years. Large bolts of lightning have also been seen in Jupiter's atmosphere. Pictures taken by space probes have shown thin rings around Jupiter. As of January 2011, Jupiter has 50 named moons. 13 more have been discovered but t given official status or names. One of Jupiter's moons, Io, has active volcaes on it. Areas on Io that are near the volcaes are very, very hot. 12

14 Saturn is a very large gas planet which spins very rapidly on its axis. It spins so fast that it flattens out the top and the bottom of the planet. The fast spin also causes Saturn to bulge at its equator. Saturn's atmosphere has winds which can blow at over 1800 kilometers per hour! The white spots on Saturn are believed to be powerful storms. Saturn is surrounded by over 1000 rings made of ice and dust. Some of the rings are very thin and some are very thick. The size of the particles in the rings range from pebble-size to house-size. Scientists believe that the particles came from the destruction of moons circling the planet. As comets and meteorites smashed the moons, Saturn's gravitational pull shaped the particles into rings. Saturn has at least 53 moons. Some of these moons orbit the planet within the rings, creating gaps in the rings. Uranus tilts over so far on its axis that it rotates on its side. Because of this, its poles are sometimes pointed almost directly at the Sun. Uranus' atmosphere is made up of hydrogen, helium, and methane. The in the upper atmosphere is very cold. The cold methane gas is what gives Uranus its blue-green color. The rapid rotation of Uranus causes winds up to 600 kilometers per hour to blow in its atmosphere. Uranus has eleven kwn rings which contain dark, boulder-sized particles. Uranus has 27 named moons. Some of these moons are less than 100 kilometers wide and black as coal. Uranus is one of the smaller gas giants in our solar system, but it is still large eugh to hold 64 planets the size of Earth. Neptune and Uranus are very much alike. They are both large gas planets that look like big bluegreen balls in the sky. Neptune has winds in its atmosphere which blow at over 2000 kilometers per hour! This planet has large, dark circles on its surface which astromers believe to be storms. Neptune has two thick and two thin rings which surround it. Neptune also has thirteen kwn moons. Four of these moons orbit the planet within the rings. One of Neptune's moons, Triton, orbits the planet in a direction opposite to Neptune's other moons. Neptune is the farthest planet from the Sun. It is so cold on Neptune that you would need skin thicker than a polar bear's to stay warm. 13

15 The Planets of Our Solar System TEACHER S ANSWER PAGES NOTE: This reading activity is designed to get students thinking about the conditions needed for human beings and other living things to survive. Some discussion of the answers will reveal that the only planet in our solar system capable of supporting life is Earth. Be generous in accepting student answers. Some of the choices indicated on this answer sheet are debatable. For example, a small planet such as Mars has less gravity than Earth. This is t really important as far as survival is concerned, but students might point out that it would be easier to move around, so they might consider it a good thing. Mercury Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun. It is covered with craters like the Moon. Mercury has air or water. During the day, it is 600 degrees F. At night it is 400 degrees below zero. Could you live on Mercury? Circle the good things about Mercury. Draw a line through the bad things. Don t put anything on the things that don t matter. close to Sun air craters water 14

16 Venus photo by ESA Venus is always covered by clouds. The clouds are like a blanket that keeps heat in. The on Venus is 900 degrees F. Venus doesn t have oxygen to breathe. Could you live on Venus? Circle the good things about Venus. Draw a line through the bad things. Don t put anything on the things that don t matter. clouds oxygen Mars Mars is smaller than Earth so it has less gravity. The air is thin and there is t eugh oxygen to breathe. Most of the time, the is below zero. Mars has rocks, sand, craters, sw, and ice. Could you live on Mars? Circle the good things about Mars. Draw a line through the bad things. Don t put anything on the things that don t matter. can t breathe air ice, sw craters sand less gravity 15

17 Jupiter Jupiter is the biggest planet so it has strong gravity. It is covered by colorful clouds. You could never land a spaceship on Jupiter. It doesn t have any dirt or rocks, just clouds! The clouds are very cold. Could you live on Jupiter? Circle the good things about Jupiter. Draw a line through the bad things. Don t put anything on the things that don t matter. clouds strong gravity biggest planet place to land Saturn Saturn is the second biggest planet. It has beautiful rings around it! Saturn is like Jupiter, but it is further from the Sun so it is colder. Could you live on Saturn? Circle the good things about Saturn. Draw a line through the bad things. Don t put anything on the things that don t matter. clouds rings place to land 16

18 Uranus Uranus is about four times bigger than Earth. It is made of clouds like Jupiter and Saturn. It is very cold. The air has oxygen to breathe. Could you live on Uranus? Circle the good things about Uranus. Draw a line through the bad things. Don t put anything on the things that don t matter. clouds strong gravity bigger than Earth place to land Neptune Neptune is like Uranus, except it is a little bit smaller and colder. Could you live on Neptune? Circle the good things about Uranus. Draw a line through the bad things. Don t put anything on the things that don t matter. clouds strong gravity place to land One of the planets is missing from this list. Which one is it? EARTH 17

19 Pre-Visit Activity 2: Problems in Space OPTIONAL Suggested Length of the Activity: 45 Minutes Teacher Materials: Problems in Space Answer sheet (in this packet) Student Materials: Printed copies of Problems in Space Student Worksheet Group students according to the arrangement you use in class. 18

20 Problems in Space Student Worksheet Names You are part of a space exploration mission flying from a space station to a base on a moon of an exoplanet. This moon has air, and its gravity is only 1/6 as strong as Earth s. Your ship crashes on the moon on the daylight side about 120 kilometers from the base. Your survival depends upon reaching the base as soon as possible. Of the fifteen items which were t damaged, which would be most important for the trip? Rank the items from most important (#1) to least important (#15), then compare your rankings with those assigned by experts. Item Your Ranks Box matches Food concentrate Eighteen meters of nylon rope Parachute silk Solar-powered heating unit Two.45 caliber pistols One case of powdered milk Two tanks of oxygen Stellar map (of the Moon's constellations) Self-inflating life raft Magnetic compass Fifteen liters of water Signal flares First-aid kit Solar-powered FM Walkie Talkie 19

21 Problems in Space Expert Answer Page from NASA Box matches Item Reasoning No oxygen on Moon to sustain flame: virtually worthless Expert Rank 15 Food concentrate Efficient means of supplying energy requirements 4 Eighteen meters of nylon rope Useful in scaling cliffs and/or tying injured together 6 Parachute silk Protection from the Sun's rays 8 Solar-powered heating unit Not needed unless on dark side 13 Two.45 caliber pistols Possible means of self-propulsion 11 One case of powdered milk Bulkier duplication of food concentrate 12 Two tanks of oxygen Most pressing survival need 1 Stellar map (of the Moon's constellations) Primary means of navigation 3 Self-inflating life raft CO 2 bottle in raft may be used for propulsion 9 Magnetic compass Fifteen liters of water Magnetic field on Moon is t polarized; worthless for navigation Replacement for tremendous liquid loss on lighted side 14 2 Signal flares Can be used as a distress signal 10 First-aid kit Vitamins, medicines, etc. can be used to sustain health 7 Solar-powered FM Walkie Talkie For communication with rescue party; but FM requires line-of-sight transmission and short ranges 5 20