Space Exploration

On this page is all the information you might need to support your learning in this unit.  At the top of the page will be helpful links to things like Google Presentations, e-textbooks, vocabulary, YouTube videos and screencasts.  Below are pictures of our Interactive Notebook for Space Exploration.  If there is something you would like to see here, let me know!

Assignments & Other Tasks:

Sustaining Energy on Mars Project

Construct a Simple Telescope Activity

Tomatosphere Germination Analysis Spreadsheet Template

Tomatosphere Germination Spreadsheet Instructions

Tomatosphere Germination Written Analysis

Interactive Notebook/Doodle Notes:

We will be using a hybrid of an Interactive Notebook model with Doodle Notes. All templates can be found above.

Introduction:

Here we introduce the solar system as we know it now, and discuss earlier models and the evidence that supported them.

Finding Our Way to Mars:

One of the fun ways we have introduced this topic in the past is to have students create an "Explore Mars" travel brochure! They have to learn some facts about Mars and the rest of the solar system to ensure their brochure is comprehensive. This also gives students experience reading for correct information and evaluating sources of information for validity and reliability.

Space Rocks doodle note template from The Morehouse Magic.

Heliocentric vs Geocentric Models:

The specific people and dates are not the crucial information. Instead, we should focus on how and why the models of the universe evolved as we gained more information through observations and improved technological advances.

Read Alouds used to contextualize information:

Mista Muskwa from Tipiskawi Kisik: Night Sky Star Stories by Wilfred Buck

Chelyabinsk Meteor : A Wake-Up Call for Earth on Space.com

Eratosthenes discovers the Earth is round from Cosmos by Carl Sagan

Observing Mars (and the rest of space)

  Now that we know how early observations with the naked eye were used to form models of our Solar System, we can take the next step and examine how assisted observations have changed our perceptions.  We start with the simple optical telescope!  We will sketch some brief notes about the parts of a telescope and then you will construct and use a simple optical telescope yourself.  

Comparing Telescopes

Now that you have had some practice constructing and using a simple telescope, we will learn about how telescope design has changed over time and how we have managed to use different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum to see farther into our universe!

Spectral Analysis

Thanks to work by Kirchoff and Bunsen, we have the spectra that are emitted by all elements on the periodic table.  By comparing the lines of individual elements to the lines found in a star's spectrum, we can determine which elements that star is made of.

Videos to help visualize concepts:

Spectroscopy Introduction

Doppler Effect

The Doppler Effect is the apparent shift in frequency of wavelengths due to movement between an object and the observer.  

Videos to help visualize concepts:

The Doppler Effect

 Locating Objects In Space - Sky Coordinates

Here we learn how to locate objects in space using the Azimuth and Altitude coordinates.

SKY Chart Activity:

Practice locating objects in space using a local Sky Chart

Estimating Distance - Parallax & Triangulation

The disadvantage we found in trying to locate objects around the classroom (different viewpoints gave different measurements) can be taken advantage of to estimate distance of objects using the parallax technique!

Getting Airborne - Newton's Third Law

Students combine theory and observation to understand how Newton's Third Law works to propel rockets.  They will build balloon staged rockets to watch the effect staging has on rocket propulsion.

Watch this compilation of different rockets we've launched in class:

Exploring Space - Satellites & Space Probes & Rovers

Rockets are often used to launch things into space that will help our understanding.  Satellites are one type of payload for rockets.  

Here we discuss the difference between Geosynchronous, Low Earth Orbit and GPS Satellites and give examples of each.

Space Probes & Rovers are briefly touched on.

Gravity Assist helps spacecraft gain momentum while conserving fuel.

Life in Space

Putting humans in space has been a challenge for many reasons.  On this page we look at inventions that have come out of the space program that benefit us, what happens to the human body in space, how we try to protect ourselves and Canadian contributions to space exploration.

Topic Notes - these documents were made to accompany the ScienceFocus 9 Textbook.  We will not use these in class but they are available to you should you require some extra review or supplemental material.