Kesler Science Station Lab Comets, Meteors, and Asteroids Teacher Directions Explore It! I will spend much of my time at this station making sure that the students are doing the orbits correctly. I have included a template, but this is best done on a large piece of paper that you make. You will need a red and blue piece of yarn for this station to represent the orbits. Illustrate It! You will need to set out colored pencil and markers at this station. Read It! Print several different copies (I use 6) of the reading passage so that multiple students can read at different paces. Organize It! The cards for this activity are attached near the end of this file. Print several sets and then just put them in the basket/baggies for kids to pull from. This is also a good one for later in the week to demonstrate mastery too! Students should be encouraged to do the Research and Explore station before attempting this one. Write It! Students should be encouraged to do the Research and Explore station before attempting this one. Research It! The goo.gl link on the task card is case-sensitive. The original link is http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/space/solarsystem/asteroids-comets-article/ Watch It! The video is on YouTube and my Google drive. Use YouTube unless your school is blocked. The original link is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqomaa0hlem Note that both URL s are case-sensitive. Assess It! Students should be encouraged to do the Research and Explore station before attempting this one. If I grade anything I usually take a close look at the answers from this station.
Write It! Station Directions It is recommended that you have completed at least two of the following stations before working at this station. -Read It! -Explore It! -Watch It! -Research It! Answer each of the task card questions on the lab sheet in complete sentences.
In your own words describe the difference between a comet, asteroid, and a meteor. Compare the orbit of a comet to the orbit of a planet. Describe the difference between a meteoroid, meteor, and a meteorite
Assess It! Station Directions It is recommended that you have completed at least two of the following stations before working at this station. -Read It! -Explore It! -Watch It! -Research It! Each member will answer the questions from the task cards on the lab sheet in the Assess It! section.
How does a meteor compare to a meteorite? A. A meteor is moving through the Earth s atmosphere and the meteorite actually lands on Earth B. A meteorite is moving through the Earth s atmosphere and the meteor actually lands on Earth C. Meteors are made up of Carbon and meteorites are made of ice D. They are the same thing What is the composition of most comets? A. rock, ice, salt, carbon B. rock, ice, magma, frozen gases C. Ice, dust, rock, frozen gases D. Ice, dust, rock, soil Describe a comets origin and orbit. Describe an asteroids origin and orbit. A. Between Mars and Jupiter, longelliptical orbit B. Oort cloud or Kuiper belt, circular orbit similar to a planet C. Another galaxy, long-elliptical orbit D. Oort cloud or Kuiper belt, longelliptical orbit A. Between Mars and Jupiter, longelliptical orbit B. Between Mars and Jupiter, circular orbit C. Another galaxy, long-elliptical orbit D. Oort cloud, long-elliptical orbit
Read It! Station Directions Each member of the group will read the passage and answer the questions from the task cards on the lab sheet in the Read It! section. It is important to remember that the answers will come directly from the reading passage.
Comets, Meteors, and Asteroids There are many different objects floating around in our solar system that are not classified as planets or moons. This article will help summarize the differences between asteroids, meteors, and comets. It will provide you some factual information about each of them. Asteroids are generally larger chunks of rock that come from the asteroid belt located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Sometimes their orbits get altered and some asteroids end up coming closer to the Sun, and therefore closer to Earth. Comets are much like asteroids, but have a more ice, methane, ammonia, and other compounds that help it to develop a fuzzy, cloud-like shell called a coma as well as a tail when it gets closer to the Sun. Comets are thought to originate from two different sources: Long-period comets (those which take more than 200 years to complete an orbit around the Sun) originate from the Oort Cloud. Short-period comets (those which take less than 200 years to complete an orbit around the Sun) originate from the Kuiper Belt. Space debris smaller than an asteroid are called meteoroids. A meteoroid is a piece of interplanetary matter that is smaller than a kilometer and frequently only millimeters in size. If the meteoroid enters the Earth s atmosphere it is called a meteor (also known as a shooting star). If the meteor makes it past the atmosphere without completely disintegrating it is called a meteorite. The meteorites that hit the Earth can be a valuable item for a collector.
A. Connect B. Put together C. Combine D. Break down In the last paragraph the term disintegrating means to. light up when they hit the atmosphere but are called if they land on Earth. A. Meteorites, meteoroid B. Meteors, meteorites C. Meteors, meteoroids D. Meteorites, meteors A. Asteroid B. Meteoroid C. Comet D. Meteorite An object described as a ball of dust, ice, and gases, and usually has a tail is called a. Another title for this passage could be? A. The Parts of a Comet B. An Overview of the Comets, Meteors, and Asteroids C. The difference between Meteoroids, Meteors & Meteorites D. How Comets Impact Earth
Watch It! Station Directions Each member of the group will go to the website listed on task card #1 Complete the task cards in order. Every student will answer the questions from the task cards on the lab sheet in the Watch It! section of the lab sheet.
Flash drive: Comets, Asteroids or Meteor? 1. Answer questions from cards #2-4 on your lab sheet. 1. What are comets mostly made up of? 2. What causes a comet to have a tail? 1. What do many scientists believe about the purpose for asteroids? 2. Where are most asteroids located in the solar system? 1. What is an asteroid called that is smaller than a couple meters wide? 2. What is the object called that burns as it enters the atmosphere and causes as shooting star? 3. What is the object called once it hits Earth?
Research It! Station Directions Each member of the group will go to the website listed on task card #1 Complete the task cards in order. Every student will answer the questions from the task cards on the lab sheet in the Research It! section.
1. Go to: http:// science.nationalgeographic.com/ science/space/solar-system/ asteroids-comets-article/ 2. Click on Learn More: Asteroids 3. What size are most of the asteroids in the asteroid belt? 1. Click on Notable Asteroids 2. Read through the 4 notable asteroids and list 2-3 things you learned on your lab sheet. 1. Click Moons 2. List one thing you learned about asteroid moons. 1. Click Explore Comets then Parts of a Comet 2. Describe the parts of the comet.
1. Click on Size Comparison. Read. 2. Click on See Comparison 1. After viewing the size comparison to a football stadium how do you think a comet would compare to a. your school b. your neighborhood c. your town/city
Explore It! Station Directions One member of the group will read the task cards in order. The group will be responsible for completing each of the tasks that are being read. Each member of the group will then write their conclusions down on the lab sheet in the Explore It! section.
Use the map of the solar system and blue and red yarn for the following tasks. 1. Place the blue yarn in a circular orbit around the Sun between Jupiter and Mars. This represents where most asteroids in the solar system are found. 1. Place the red yarn in an elliptical orbit beginning in either the Kuiper belt or the Oort cloud. This represents the orbit of many comets in the solar system. Hint: Once the comet revolves around the Sun it immediately heads back to its origin 1. Take the image of the comet and move it along its orbit (red yarn). 2. As you are moving the comet be sure the tail is always pointed AWAY from the Sun. The tail points away from the Sun because of solar wind. The electromagnetic waves coming off the Sun push the tail in the direction opposite of the Sun. 1. Draw the Sun on your lab sheet and quickly sketch the orbit of asteroids and the orbit of comets.
Look at the diagram of the comet. The nucleus is the solid, central part of a comet, popularly termed a dirty snowball or an icy dirtball. A comet nucleus is composed of rock, dust, and frozen gases. As the comet gets closer to the Sun, some of the ice starts to melt and boil off, along with particles of dust. These particles and gases make a cloud around the nucleus, called a coma Solar wind sweeps past the comet at about 500 km/s, causing the ion tail to be swept almost exactly in the opposite direction. The dust tail consists of dust particles that have been pushed out of the coma by radiation pressure from the sun. 1. Why do you think the comets coma and tail grow as it gets closer and closer to the Sun?
Oort cloud Oort cloud Kuiper Belt (beyond dwarf planets) Oort cloud Oort cloud NOT TO SCALE
Dust Tail Nucleus Coma Ion Tail
These comets can be used for your solar system model.
Illustrate It! Station Directions Each member of the group will draw a quick sketch on the lab sheet the shows they understand the concept that is being taught. Use the colored pencils and markers that are provided. The directions for the sketch are provided on the task card at the table.
Illustrate It! Station Directions 1. Draw an illustration of a comet, asteroid, and meteor. 2. Label the comet parts (coma, nucleus, ion tail, dust tail) 3. Distinguish the difference in size of the asteroid and meteor.
Organize It! Station Directions It is recommended that you have completed at least two of the following stations before working at this station. -Read It! -Explore It! -Watch It! -Research It! Every student will answer the questions from the task cards on the lab sheet in the Organize It! Section. Please mix up the cards again before the next group arrives at this station.
Match the 3 different solar system objects with the correct term. Write 3 of the matches on your lab sheet. Have the teacher check your matched sets.
Asteroids Generally found between Mars and Jupiter Large objects that orbit the Sun like a planet Shooting Stars Meteors Called meteorites when they land on Earth Burn up as they enter the atmosphere Composed of a nucleus, coma & tail Comets Have an elliptical orbit of the Sun Form in the Oort cloud or Kuiper belt
Comets, Meteors & Asteroids Explore It! Task Card #4 Sketch the orbits of asteroids and comets below. Name Task Card #8 1. Write It! Task Card #1: Task Card #2: Task Card #3:
Comets, Meteors & Asteroids Illustrate It! Assess It! #1 #3 Research It! Task Card #1: 3. Task Card #2: 2. #2 #4 Name Comet Asteroid Meteor Organize It! 1. 2. 3. Read It! #1 #3 #2 #4 Task Card #3: 2. Task Card #4: 2. Task Card #5 a. b. c.
Comets, Meteors & Asteroids Name Watch It! Task Card #2: Task Card #3: Task Card #4: