Astronomy

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Week 1: April 6-10

Learning Goal:

I can identify the basic properties of light and relate the different bands of electromagnetic radiation to visible light and to each other.

Estimated Time for The Week: 60 minutes

Learn & Practice:

  • Watch this Khan Academy Video that will introduce you to light!
  • Watch this Crash Course Astronomy Video about light and then complete the Quizziz over the episode.
  • Read this article about the electromagnetic spectrum! Think of all of the wonderful ways that we use all of the wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation in our daily lives!
  • Try this experiment from home from Spangler Science! If you have a clear tank and a flashlight and some milk you can see why the sky is blue and why sunsets and sunrises are red.
  • Watch the NASA video-Tour of the Electromagnetic Spectrum
  • Please let your astronomy teacher know if you have any questions!


Week 2: April 13-17

Learning Goal:

I can name the parts of the sun and describe how energy travels through the sun.

I am familiar with the fusion reaction in the sun and how it produces helium and energy.

Estimated Time for The Week: 60 minutes

Learn & Practice:

  1. Read the slides About The Sun & Parts Of The Sun.
  2. Study the diagram on slide #11.
  3. Read about Nuclear Fusion In The Sun on slide #12.
  4. Review your knowledge with this Layers of the Sun Quizlet -- complete the Flashcards, Match, and Test).
  5. Watch this The Sun: Crash Course in Astronomy video.
  6. Complete the Quizizz over the episode.
  7. Solve the riddle on slide #15. (The answer is on the final slide.)

Week 3: April 20-24

Learning Goal:

  • I will learn how the study of a star's spectrum helps to identify a star's composition, temperature and distance from Earth.
  • I will also understand how elements other than helium are created during fusion.

Estimated Time for The Week: 100 minutes

Learn & Practice:

Week 4: April 27 - May 1

Learning Goal:

  1. I can classify galaxies according to their appearance and compare how stars, gas, and dust contribute to their differences.
  2. I can also explain how galaxies can be studied at different stages of their evolution by observing distant galaxies.

Estimated Time for The Week: 60-90 minutes

Learn & Practice:

  1. Engage:
    • Our star, the Sun, is one of several hundred billion stars that make up the Milky Way Galaxy, our galactic home. Read this article to get some background on the Milky Way!
    • If the Milky Way is just one galaxy, how many galaxies are there in the universe? The number may astound you!
  2. Explore:
    • Spend a couple of minutes writing down as many questions as you can think of about galaxies (size, shape, number of stars, etc.)
    • Spend 15-20 minutes investigating, observing, and researching, as much as your can about galaxies.
  3. Learn & Explain: Use the content below to learn some key information. Take notes as you learn:
    • Crash Course Astronomy has three wonderful videos about galaxies! Watch them here, here, and here.
    • Once you have watched the videos linked above, answer the questions in the Quizizz here, here, and here!
    • If you have a pair of binoculars or, better yet, a telescope, try locating the Andromeda Galaxy. It is the closest full size galaxy to the Milky Way at a mere 2.5 million light years away and heading this way! Here’s how to find it in the nighttime sky!
  4. Elaborate: Use the resources below to go deeper and apply the learning to new levels.
  5. Do & Connect:
    • Play with this galaxy simulator. Be sure to click on “Take a tour” in the upper left hand corner!

Week 5: May 4-8

Learning Goal:

I can explain what it means that the Universe is expanding and provide evidence that the Universe began in a hot, dense state and has been expanding ever since.

Estimated Time for The Week: 60-90 minutes

Learn & Practice:

  1. Engage:
    • Where did the Universe come from, and what was it like in its earliest stages? This video will give you a quick explanation.
    • What evidence is there that the Big Bang occurred? This article covers some of the important observations that supports the Big Bang model
  2. Explore:
    • Spend a couple of minutes writing down as many questions as you can think of about the origin of the Universe (age, shape, future, size, etc.)
    • Spend 15-20 minutes investigating, observing, and researching, as much as you can about the Big Bang model and cosmology (the study of the structure and evolution of the Universe as a whole).
  3. Learn & Explain: Use the content below to learn some key information. Take notes as you learn:
    • Crash Course Astronomy has two wonderful videos about the Big Bang and cosmology! Watch them here and here.
    • Once you have watched the videos linked above, answer the questions in the Quizizz here and here!
    • One way we can visualize the Big Bang model is with a balloon. This video demonstrates how!
  4. Elaborate: Use the resources below to go deeper and apply the learning to new levels.
  5. Do & Connect:
    • This is an excellent explanation about how the light from stars moving away from us gets redder and light from stars that are moving towards us gets bluer. This is how we know that the Universe is expanding!! Red light waves are further apart and blue light waves are closer together! Brilliant!

Week 6: May 11-13

Learning Goal:

I can name the conditions that made life possible on early Earth and apply them to looking for life on other planets.

Estimated Time for The Week: 1 hour

Learn & Practice

Engage:

    • Use this Build Your Own Solar System website to see if you can create conditions where life can exist on your planet.
    • Reflect on these questions:
      1. Are all planets in a solar system capable of sustaining life?
      2. Think about our planet. Why do you think it is the only one in our solar system that can support living things? You should think about the conditions that make our planet unique in the solar system.
      3. Earth contains carbon-based life forms. Do you think that other places in the universe could support other types of life forms?
      4. What types of planets are found in our solar system? Are all of the planets alike?
      5. How many solar systems do you think the universe contains?

Explore:

    • Spend 90 seconds writing down as many questions as you can think of about solar systems.
    • Spend 15-20 minutes doing some research to answer the questions you came up with about solar systems.

Learn & Explain: Use the content below to learn some key information. Take notes as you learn:

Elaborate: Use the resources below to go deeper and apply the learning to new levels.

Do & Connect:

    • Read this article that describes NASA’s new test for life on other planets.
    • Solve this riddle. The answer is on the final slide.