Download Asteroids, Comets, and Pluto: The Small Pieces

Asteroids, Comets, and Pluto:
The Small Pieces
from
A Spin Around the Solar System Series
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Maslowski Wildlife Productions
Teacher’s guide by...
Lauren LaComb
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Table of Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
Links to Curriculum Standards . . . . . . . .1
Summary of the Program . . . . . . . . . . . .1
Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Student Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Instructional Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Student Preparation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Introducing the Program . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Follow-Up Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Extended Learning Activities . . . . . . . . .7
Internet Sites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Reference Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Answer Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Script of Narration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
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Asteroids, Comets, and Pluto: The Small Pieces
from A Spin Around the Solar System Series
Grades 5-8
Viewing Time: 15 minutes with a three-minute,
ten-question, Video Quiz
INTRODUCTION
This in-depth series covers a wide range of essential matters about the solar system. Such topics as planet formation, gravity, nuclear fusion, and the Big Bang theory are
presented concisely with the help of specially designed
graphics and animations. Each of the eight shows can be
presented as a free-standing lesson on its own, but the
shows also work together to reinforce important concepts
and to add breadth and depth to a student’s cumulative
knowledge.
LINKS TO CURRICULUM STANDARDS
This lesson correlates to the following standards, outlined
by the National Science Education Standards, for students in grades 5-8. Use individual state standard outlines to specify correlations to your state's guidelines.
Earth & Space Science (Content Standard D)
• Gravity is the force that keeps objects in the solar system in motion.
• Pluto is one of the nine planets that orbit the sun.
• The solar system includes smaller objects, such as
comets and asteroids.
SUMMARY OF PROGRAM
The solar system is a complex system, comprised of billions of objects. This program teaches students' about
asteroids, accretion, asteroid belt, meteors, Pluto,
comets, Kuiper Belt objects, and the Oort Cloud.
1
Over 200 years ago, scientists began to research the
large gap between Mars and Jupiter. According to the
spacing of the planets, scientists figured there should be
another planet between Mars and Jupiter. They discovered Ceres, a tiny planet. Eventually they found more
than 10,000 of these tiny planets. These are called asteroids and are classified into two categories: metal and
rock. There are three theories behind the existence of
asteroids. One theory suggests that there once was a
planet in between Mars and Jupiter, but it was smashed
into asteroids by a huge meteor. Another theory suggests
that asteroids came from a planet that got too close to a
bigger planet. The gravity from the larger planet pulled
apart the smaller object. The third theory suggests that
asteroids were starting to form into the shape of a planet,
but Jupiter interfered with accretion.
Accretion is the process through which planets are
formed. Fragments float around in space and are drawn
together by the force of gravity. This gravitational pull
forms the fragments into a sphere. In the case of asteroids, Jupiter's gravity prevented accretion of asteroids
into a single planet.
The gap between Mars and Jupiter is known as the asteroid belt. Most of the asteroids in the solar system are
found in the asteroid belt. Many asteroids found outside
of the asteroid belt have elliptical orbits. It takes a long
time to cross Earth's path. Every 25,000 years, a sizeable
asteroid will strike Earth. Many scientists believe that this
was the cause of the extinction of dinosaurs.
Asteroids also hit each other and break apart into fragments. Most fragments are the size of a grain of sand.
When these fragments enter Earth's atmosphere, friction
with the air causes them to burn. These are known as
shooting stars, scientifically known as meteors. Meteors
usually burn and disintegrate before they hit the ground.
If a meteor hits the earth it becomes a meteorite.
Meteorites are useful to scientists for research. It allows
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them to discover the composition of objects found deep in
space.
Pluto is a solar system oddity. The other eight planets are
divided into either rocky planets or gas giants. Pluto is a
tiny sphere of rock and ice. It is the smallest of the planets and has an elliptical orbit. Other planets have a circular path. Pluto's origin is puzzling. Scientists suggest
that Pluto may be an escaped moon from a gas giant. It
could also be a comet that got captured by the sun's gravity. Pluto has a large moon almost equal its size and
shares its orbit area with Kuiper Belt objects.
Comets lie beyond the Kuiper Belt. Comets look like a
streaking fireball. Comets have three main parts: a nucleus, coma, and a tail. The nucleus is the head of the
comet. It is made of frozen water and gasses, and bits of
rock and metal dust. The coma surrounds the nucleus.
The coma is created by gas and dust that boil off the
nucleus as the comet approaches the sun. The tail also
forms when a comet approaches the sun. Heat and pressure from the sun push out long streaks of the melting
nucleus's gas and dust. As a result, the tail is always
pointing away from the sun.
The majority of comets stay within the Oort Cloud. The
Oort Cloud includes the farthest reaches of the solar system and covers a vast amount of space. Comets are
pulled by the sun's gravity and pushed away by its heat
and pressure. The comets we see have been dislodged
from the Oort Cloud. Some comets appear regularly, such
as Halley's Comet that appears every 76 years. Several
times a year, Earth crosses the path of old comets. These
paths are littered with dust, which we see as meteor
showers.
Notes:
Underlined words are identified vocabulary words to
enhance student understanding.
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VOCABULARY
asteroids
accretion
Pluto
comets
fragments
sphere
friction
meteorite
tail
tail
meteor showers
asteroid belt
Kuiper Belt
elliptical
nucleus
Oort Cloud
meteors
gravity
orbits
coma
STUDENT OBJECTIVES
After viewing the program and participating in the followup activities, students should be able to:
• Define key terminology and utilize context.
• Explain the difference between Pluto and the other eight
planets.
• Describe the process of accretion.
• Explain the difference between asteroids, meteors, and
meteorites.
• Identify the location and purpose of the asteroid belt,
Oort Cloud, and Kuiper Belt.
• Explain the effect gravity has on objects in outer space.
INSTRUCTIONAL NOTES
Before presenting this lesson to your students, we suggest that you preview the program, review the guide, and
the accompanying blackline master activities in order to
familiarize yourself with their content.
As you review the materials presented in this guide, you
may find it necessary to make some changes, additions
or deletions to meet the specific needs of your class. We
encourage you to do so; for only by tailoring this program
to your class will they obtain the maximum instructional
benefits afforded by the materials.
4
STUDENT PREPARATION
You may want the students to view the vocabulary words
addressed in the program prior to showing the program.
This may be accomplished by implementing a Word
Splash. Word Splash is an active learning activity that
introduces to the students vocabulary words to which they
will be be exposed in the program. By doing this activity,
students are given the chance to show what words they
know well, and to become aware the words they need to
find meaning. This is a good pre- and post-activity. It
excites the students and gets them thinking. We suggest
writing all of the vocabulary words on an overhead (see
Blackline Master 1) or individually on pieces of paper.
Have students create sentences using as many words as
possible. This may be done individually, in partners, or in
small groups. Have the students share their sentences
and post them. By exposing the students to vocabulary
prior to viewing the program, students will be prepared to
listen for these words in the program. Additionally, they
will want to find the correct meaning.
Note:
Word Splash may be done at the conclusion of the entire
lesson, to compare learning accomplished by students.
INTRODUCING THE VIDEO
An optional pre-test is provided on Blackline Master 2,
Anticipation Guide. This will help you determine the
level of student comprehension prior to participating in
this lesson. An answer key begins on page 9 of this
Teacher's Guide.
Ask students to share what they know about the scientific explanation, what is in the universe besides planets
and the sun? Tell them that they will complete the
Anticipation Guide on this concept prior to viewing the
program. Explain that they are not expected to get all
answers correct, but they are expected to try their best.
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Present the program. The length is 15 minutes and
includes an optional, three-minute program quiz at the
end.
FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES
The following Blackline Master sheets are included with
this guide. They correlate with the learning objectives
outlined on page one of this guide. You may replicate and
distribute them as needed.
Following the program, students may have additional
questions. The facilitator may want to hold off questions
until follow-up activities are completed. They may write
these answers down and the class may review them prior
to the post-test. By doing so, the students may find the
answers on their own.
This program concludes with a ten-question Video Quiz,
which may be used to gauge student comprehension
immediately after the presentation of the program.
Blackline Master 3, Video Quiz, provides students with
a printed copy of the questions and a list from which to
choose correct answers.
As a class, you may wish to discuss questions that
appear on Blackline Master 4, Discussion Questions.
These questions should be copied onto an overhead or
distributed to students, in order to meet the needs of your
visual learners.
In order to enforce vocabulary, review words from Word
Splash (Blackline Master 1, Word Splash) as a class.
Students can then fill out Blackline Master 5, Cloze
Activity. This activity also covers the concepts of gravity
and inertia.
To help students identify the difference between gas
giants, rocky planets, and Pluto, have students complete
Blackline Master 6, Venn Diagram. Students can start
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by filling out the Venn Diagram individually. Once the students have done as much as possible on their own, have
students put Two Heads Together. This active learning
strategy allows students to pair up and teach one another what they know, and provides the opportunity to add to
their own Venn Diagram. This can be done again by putting Four Heads Together and so on.
To practice the concept of the purpose of the sun, complete Blackline Master 7, What's in Space Dust? This
experiment is fun to do and easy to administer. It is essential the facilitator get a rain sample prior to the activity. It
is suggested that the facilitator do the experiment prior to
the students, in order to become familiar with the activity.
The goal is for students to find little objects that stick to
the magnet. This supports the idea that meteorites are
made of metal.
Students confuse the difference between meteors, meteorites, and asteroids. To help students practice their
knowledge of each one, use Blackline Master 8, Asteroids, Meteors, and Meteorites. This is a cooperative
learning activity that gets students writing about these different space objects. It is suggested that answers be
reviewed as a class to ensure that all students have the
same definitions.
To conclude your study A Spin in the Solar System:
Asteroids, Comets and Pluto: The Small Pieces, use
Blackline Master 9, Post-Test. This should be given to
your students after viewing the program and completing
additional activities to assess their knowledge of the topic.
EXTENDED LEARNING ACTIVITIES
SCIENCE EXTENSIONS: Students can research different meteorites that have impacted planets and moons.
Students can find comets that pass Earth regularly and
share their findings with the class.
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ART CONNECTION: Have students bring in music or
visual art that contains words that are related to the solar
system, emphasizing comets, asteroids, Pluto. Share
their findings. Discuss why this topic would be the focus
of art.
MATH CONNECTION: Study the difference between an
elliptical orbit and a circular orbit. Have students find
examples of these motions in their everyday lives. Pose
the question, which one is better? Have students conduct
their own investigations.
CREATIVE WRITING CONNECTION: Students act as
reporters and write an article on space objects other than
the sun and planets. Articles should be fact based, not fictional. Students can personify the space objects, as long
as they use scientific facts. Make a classroom newspaper
or magazine.
SOCIAL STUDIES CONNECTION: Research comets that
are viewed from the northern hemisphere and southern
hemisphere. Have students report their findings in an all
class World Space Summit Special Focus on Comets.
TECHNOLOGY CONNECTION: Have students create
questions based on the topics covered in this program.
Type the list of questions for the entire class. Have the
students research the Internet for answers to the questions. It may help if you assign students to specific questions. Have a sharing session at the conclusion of class.
INTERNET SITES
http://quest.arc.nasa.gov (Nasa's K-12 internet initiative)
http://www.nsta.org/ (National Science Teacher's
Association)
http://www.nasa.gov (NASA)
http://www.sln.org/ (Science Learning Network)
http://ajkids.com (Resource for students to use when
searching the Internet)
http://K12.njin.net/educationlinks.html (Collaborative
projects throughout the United States)
http://www.smv.org/hastings/galaxy.htm
(Science
8
Learning Network)
REFERENCE MATERIALS
The Origin Of The Universe. Andres L. Ruiz. Sterling
Publishing Co., INC., NY. 1996. 0-8069-9744-3.
Exploring The Reaches of the Solar System. Ray Spangenburg & Diane Moser. Fact on File, NY, Oxford,
Sydney. 1990. 0-8160-1850-2.
Merlin's Tour of the Universe. Neil de Grasse Tyson.
Doubleday, NY. 1989. 0-385-48835-1.
Black Holes. Heather Couper & Nigel Henbest. DK
Publishing, London. 1996. 0-7894-0451-6.
Comets and Meteor Showers. Paul Sipiera. Children's
Press: A Division of Grolier, NY, London, Hong Kong,
Sydney, and Danburg, Connecticut. 1997. 0516-20330-4.
ANSWER KEY
Blackline Master 1, Word Splash
Answers to the Word Splash will vary. When you use it
before viewing the program, do not expect correct connections. After viewing the program and completion of
Blackline Masters, expect correct connections.
Blackline Master 2, Anticipation Guide
1. T
2. F; Asteroids have two categories: metal and rock
3.T
4. F; The asteroid belt lies between Jupiter and Mars
5. F; The eight planets have a circular orbit. Pluto has an
elliptical orbit.
6. T
7. T
8. T
9. F; Pluto is neither a gas giant nor rocky planet
9
10. T
11. F; Comets have three parts: a nucleus, a coma, and a
tail.
12. T
13. T
14. F: The tail is always moving away from the sun.
15. T
Blackline Master 3, Video Quiz
1. Mars and Jupiter 6. smallest
2. accretion
7. Pluto
3. gravity
8. nucleus
4. dinosaurs
9. Oort CLoud
5. meteor
10. true
Blackline Master 4, Discussion Questions
1. According to a mathematical formula created by Johann Bode over 200 years ago, there should be a planet
between Mars and Jupiter.
2. The asteroid belt.
3. A theory is a proposed explanation that is debatable of
certainty.A fact can be proven at any time, whereas a theory cannot.
4. One theory suggests that there once was a planet
between Mars and Jupiter, but it was smashed into asteroids by a huge meteor. Another theory suggests that
asteroids came from a planet that got too close to a bigger planet. The gravity from the larger planet pulled apart
the smaller object. The third theory suggests that asteroids were starting to form into the shape of a planet, but
Jupiter interfered with accretion.
5. Accretion is the process through which planets are
formed. Fragments float around in space and are drawn
together by the force of gravity. This gravitational pull
forms the fragments into a sphere.
6. A shooting star is caused by asteroid fragments hitting
Earth's atmosphere. The friction causes them to burn.
Meteor.
7. Since meteors come from outer space, scientists can
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learn about the metals and dusts in outer space by studying meteorites.
8. Pluto is the smallest planet, made up of ice and rock,
and has an elliptical orbit.
9. Answers will vary. Look for scientific evidence.
10. The comet has a nucleus, coma, and tail.
11. The Oort Cloud includes the farthest reaches of our
solar system. Comets are found within the Oort Cloud.
12. The Kuiper Belt is where Pluto lies. It includes Pluto
and objects that are similar to icy asteroids.
13. 1) Few comets come close enough to see with an
unaided eye. 2) They are beautiful to watch. Heat and
pressure from the sun push out long streaks of the melting nucleus's gas and dust. Light from the sun make the
dust and gas particles glow.
14. Meteor showers are caused by the Earth passing by
old comets. The paths are littered with dust, which hit the
Earth's atmosphere. The friction from the fragments hitting our atmosphere makes them glow.
15. Answers will vary. Guide students to give scientific
answers.
Blackline Master 5, Cloze Activity
1. Gravity
7. asteroids
2. accretion
8. extinction
3. fragments
9. shooting stars
4. sphere
10. meteors
5. Jupiter
11. meteorites
6. asteroid belt
Blackline Master 6, Venn Diagram
Answers will vary. Encourage students to share ideas
and add to their Venn Diagram. Make sure that they have
the correct qualities under each type of planet.
Blackline Master 7, Experiment: What's in Space
Dust? This is a great opportunity to observe cooperative
behavior. Answers and pictures will vary. Look for thorough observations and scientific answers. The answers
to the questions are: 1) Students should say that there are
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some types of metal because the magnet picked them up.
2) Answers should include that the friction from the meteorite hitting the Earth's atmosphere shaped the objects.
The magnet.
Blackline Master 8, Asteroids, Meteors, and Meteorites
The students' answers will vary. Highlight scientific
responses. Encourage cooperative work. This is a great
time to observe cooperative behavior and to grasp students' understanding of the three objects.
Blackline Master 8, Post-Test
1. D
6. D
2. A
7. A
3. B
8. D
4. B
9. B
5. C
10. A
Scrip Narration
We generally think of the solar system as a neat, tidy,
package of nine planets that orbit the sun. But many
astronomers say the solar system more closely resembles a construction site, where the area is littered with leftover scraps, unused parts, and other odds and ends. We
are not always sure what's being made or where the parts
came from, except to feel that somehow they all make
sense. Lets look at the solar system, ignoring the sun and
most planets, to examine all the small pieces scattered
around.
Two hundred years ago, Johann Bode was in search of
logic and order for the solar system when he developed a
mathematical formula for the spacing of the planets. This
formula indicated that a planet was missing between
Mars and Jupiter, where there was an unusually large
gap. Astronomers began searching for the missing planet, and soon found one, which they named Ceres. But
Ceres was tiny, barely 600 miles (1000 kilometers) in
diameter. It's less than a third the size of the moon.
12
Astronomers eventually found many more of these midget
planets, which they called asteroids. Presently, tens of
thousand of asteroids have been located between Mars
and Jupiter, and there may be hundreds of thousands of
others. Ceres remains the largest. Some are barely the
size of a peanut. Most fall into one of two basic groups.
There are dark ones, made of metal, especially iron and
nickel; and there are light-colored ones made of rock.
Why, instead of a planet, are asteroids here in this MarsJupiter gap? Astronomers offer a few theories. First,
perhaps the asteroids once did form a planet, but the
planet was smashed by a huge meteor. The volume of
the varying sized fragments and their rock and metal
composition are what we might expect from a planet
somewhat smaller than Mars. Another theory says that
asteroids came from a planet that got too close to Jupiter.
Small orbiting bodies that get too close to big ones can be
pulled apart by the larger planet's gravity. A third theory
suggests that asteroids were starting to gather together to
form a planet, but never finished, because Jupiter interfered with accretion. Accretion is the process through
which Earth and other planets formed 4.5 billion years
ago.
During accretion, fragments floating in space much like
asteroids today, were drawn together by the force of gravity into a growing sphere for each planet.
In the case of asteroids, gravity was perhaps unable to
assemble a new planet because of Jupiter's gravity.
Jupiter's gravity is several times stronger than Earth's. It's
pull could have prevented accretion of asteroids into a
single planet.
Today we call the gap between Mars and Jupiter the
asteroid belt. While the concentration of asteroids is
heaviest here, small numbers are scattered across the
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solar system. Many asteroids outside the Mars-Jupiter
belt have egg-shaped elliptical orbits. This takes some of
them across the Earth's path. In fact, on average every
250,000 years, a sizeable asteroid strikes us. A hit by
even a moderate-sized asteroid could replace a big city
with a deep crater.
Many scientists believe a huge asteroid strike occurring
65 million years ago helped cause the extinction of
dinosaurs by creating a worldwide cloud of pulverized
rock and metal that changed Earth's climate. Asteroids
also hit each other. The collisions scatter blizzards of
fragments, most of them about the size of a grain of sand.
Every day, some of these fragments enter the Earth's
atmosphere, traveling up to 10 times faster than a rifle
bullet. Friction with the air causes them to burn. We call
these flaming streaks shooting stars, or more properly,
meteors. Most shooting stars are asteroid fragments, but
some come from another source, as we'll see later.
Meteors usually burn and disintegrate before they hit the
ground. If a meteor reaches Earth, it becomes a meteorite. Meteorites, like these brick-sized ones, are hard to
find, and give us rare chances to inspect deep space
objects first hand. Even though most meteors burn and
disintegrate, an estimated 10 tons of space dust still falls
on Earth every day.
Well beyond the asteroid belt, we meet another solar system oddity. This is the planet Pluto. How and why is Pluto
different? First, the other eight planets can be neatly
divided into two groups. The four planets nearest the sun,
including Earth, are small, dense, and have lots of rock
and metals. The next four planets, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus
and Neptune, are enormous globes of gas, hundreds of
times the size of Earth. And then there is Pluto, a tiny
sphere of ice and rock. In size, it is the smallest of all
planets, but in location and composition, it's like a gas
giant, or even a comet. Pluto also has a peculiar, strongly elliptical orbit. Other planets have almost circular paths
14
but Pluto's is like a stretched circle. Only a few years ago,
Pluto was closer to the sun than Neptune because its
path cut inside Neptune's. Not surprisingly, Pluto's origin
is puzzling. Pluto may be an escaped moon from a gas
planet, or a comet that got captured by the sun's gravity.
Or maybe Pluto is made of material left over from the
early formation of the solar system that just didn't fit anywhere else.
Recently astronomers have also discovered that Pluto is
not entirely alone. Pluto has a large moon almost equal
its size, and shares its orbit area with hundreds or thousands of smaller objects called Kuiper Belt objects, which
are like icy asteroids. The Kuiper Belt covers a broad
band 30 to 100 times farther from the sun than Earth.
Pluto's odd character, and the discoveries in the Kuiper
and Asteroid belts blur the definition of what is a planet. At
what size, and what kind of orbit do asteroids and objects
become planets? These small pieces also help us realize
the solar system is not simple, and has more construction, remodeling or cleaning up in store in the future.
Beyond Pluto and the Kuiper Bel, we encounter yet
another group of solar oddities, the comets. A comet, we
see, looks like a giant streaking fireball in the night sky. A
comet has three main parts. First, there is the head, or
nucleus. The nucleus resembles a huge dirty snowball,
perhaps 20 miles, or 36 kilometers across. The nucleus
is made of frozen water and gases, mixed with bits of rock
and metal dust. The contents of the nucleus are a lot like
Pluto's. Surrounding the nucleus is the coma. The coma
is created by gas and dust that boil off the nucleus as the
comet approaches the sun. The coma can swell out from
the nucleus hundreds of miles or kilometers. A comet's
long tail also forms as it approaches the sun. Heat and
pressure from the sun push out long streaks of the melting nucleus's gas and dust. The resulting tail faces
straight away from the sun. So a comet's tail does not
necessarily point to its direction of travel. Light from the
sun makes the dust and gas particles of the tail appear to
15
glow.
Seeing a comet with unaided eyes is rare, because few
comets come close enough. The vast majority of them, in
untold billions, stay in and form what is called the Oort
Cloud. The Oort Cloud includes the farthest reaches of
our solar system. If Pluto's orbit were the size of a quarter, the Oort Cloud would be nearly twice the size of an
average classroom. In the Oort Cloud, comets are both
pulled by the sun's gravity and pushed away by its heat
and pressure. Comets we see have been dislodged from
the Oort Cloud, perhaps by a collision with another comet,
or the gravitational pull of a passing star, or even the gravitational pull of Neptune.
Some comets reappear regularly for centuries. Halley's
comet, for example, shows up every 76 years. Other
comets appear once and disappear forever. Eventually,
any comet that regularly swings near the sun breaks up or
melts. Several times a year, Earth crosses paths of old
comets. The paths are littered with dust, which turns into
dramatic meteor showers with many times more streaks
per hour than we get from asteroid fragments.
If the solar system is ever fully completed and packaged,
we will no longer see comets or shooting stars. The fragments and snowballs will have burned up, melted, or settled into a safe, permanent orbit. But this is unlikely to
happen. The solar system has billions of parts. Slowly,
over billions of years, they are getting used in a remarkable construction project that probably will always
change, and never run out of small pieces.
SMALL PIECES: Video Quiz
1. The asteroid belt lies between the planets of _____ and
____.
2. _____ is the process through which fragments in space
are drawn together to form planets.
16
3. One theory about asteroids says that Jupiter's strong
____ prevented the asteroids from forming a planet.
4. Many scientists believe a strike by an asteroid 65 million years ago helped cause the extinction of ____ on
Earth.
5. Another, more proper, name for a shooting star is
_____.
6. In size, Pluto is the _____ of all planets.
7. Kuiper Belt objects are like icy asteroids that share an
orbit with which planet? _____
8. A comet has three main parts: the _____, the coma
and the tail.
9. Billions of comets occur in the ____ _____, which lies
beyond Pluto and the Kuiper Belt.
10. True or False: A comet's tail always points away from
the sun. ____
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1
Name _____________________
Asteroids, Comets, and Pluto: The Small Pieces
Word Splash
accretion
asteroids
asteroid belt
Kuiper Belt
gravity
sphere
elliptical
friction
orbits
meteorite
meteor showers
coma
nucleus
tail
Pluto
fragments
© 2001 Maslowski Wildlife Productions
Published and Distributed by United Learning
All rights to print materials cleared for classroom duplication and distribution.
2
Name _____________________
Asteroids, Comets, and Pluto: The Small Pieces
Anticipation Guide
Directions: Answer the following questions by circling the correct response. Do your best!
1. There is a mathematical formula for the spacing of planets.
True False
2. Asteroids are categorized into 5 basic groups.
True False
3. Accretion is the process through which planets are formed.
True False
4. The asteroid belt lies between Jupiter and Saturn.
True False
5. Most planets orbit in an elliptical pattern.
True False
6. Scientists suggest that an asteroid hitting the earth caused the
extinction of dinosaurs.
True False
7. There are three theories explaining why there is no planet
in the asteroid belt area.
True False
8. If a meteor hits the earth it is called a meteorite.
True False
9. Pluto is categorized as a gas giant.
True False
10. Pluto shares its orbit with Kuiper Belt objects.
True False
11. Comets have five parts.
True False
12. The Oort Cloud can be found in the farthest reaches of the solar system.
True False
13.The Oort Cloud is affected by the sun's gravitational pull.
True False
14. Comets are always moving towards the sun.
True False
15. An estimated ten tons of space dust fall on Earth every day.
True False
After viewing the program, review your answers. See how many questions you answered correctly.
Review the ones you answered incorrectly.
© 2001 Maslowski Wildlife Productions
Published and Distributed by United Learning
All rights to print materials cleared for classroom duplication and distribution.
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Name _____________________
Asteroids, Comets, and Pluto: The Small Pieces
Video Quiz
Directions: Now that you have viewed the program, let's challenge your memory by answering some
quiz questions. Fill in the blanks with the correct words. Good luck!
1. The asteroid belt lies between the planets of ____________ and __________________ .
2. _____________________ is the process through which fragments in space are drawn together to
form planets.
3. One theory about asteroids says that Jupiter's strong ____________________ prevented the asteroids from forming a planet.
4. Many scientists believe a strike by an asteroid 65 million years ago helped cause the extinction of
______________________ on Earth.
5. Another, more proper name, for a shooting star is ___________________ .
6. In size, Pluto is the ___________________ of all planet.
7. Kuiper Belt objects are like icy asteroids that share an orbit with which planet? ______________
.
8. A comet has three main parts: the ___________________ , the coma, and the tail.
9. Billions of comets occur in the _______________________ , which lies beyond Pluto and the
Kuiper Belt.
10. A comet's tail always points away from the sun. True or False?
© 2001 Maslowski Wildlife Productions
Published and Distributed by United Learning
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Name _____________________
Asteroids, Comets, and Pluto: The Small Pieces
Discussion Questions
Directions: Answer the following questions as directed by your teacher.
1. Why were scientists looking for a planet between Jupiter and Mars over 200 year ago?
2. What was actually found between Jupiter and Mars?
3. Scientists often create theories. What is a theory and how is it different from facts?
4. What is one of the theories behind the existence of the asteroid belt?
5. What is the process of accretion?
6. What is a shooting star? What is the scientific name of a shooting star?
7. What can scientists learn form meteorites?
8. How is Pluto Different from the other eight planets?
9. If you were a scientist, would you classify Pluto as a planet?
10. Describe an experience when you have seen a comet. What did it look like? Now that we have
viewed the program, what are the parts of a comet?
11. Where would you find the Oort Cloud? What would you find in the Oort Cloud?
12. Where would you find the Kuiper Belt? What would you find in Kuiper's Belt?
13. Why are comets so amazing to see? (Hint: There are at least two reasons)
14. What is a meteor shower a result of?
15. Why do you think it is important that scientists study objects in space other than the sun and nine
planets?
© 2001 Maslowski Wildlife Productions
Published and Distributed by United Learning
All rights to print materials cleared for classroom duplication and distribution.
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Name _____________________
Asteroids, Comets, and Pluto: The Small Pieces
Cloze Activity: A Few Scientific Questions
Directions: Choose the correct word from the word box to complete the paragraph below.
asteroids
accretion
meteors
gravity
asteroid belt
meteorite
fragments
Jupiter
extinction
sphere
shooting stars
Our solar system is extremely complex. There are more objects out there than the sun and nine planets. There are many questions scientists research about our solar system, in the past, present and
future. One question that has been researched is how were planets and space objects formed? One
thing is known, all objects need (1.) ____________________ to be held together. (2.)____________
is the process through which Earth and other planets were formed 4.5 billion years ago. During accretion, (3.)____________________ floating in space were drawn together by the force of gravity. As a
result, they grew into a (4. ) ________________________ shaped object. In the case of asteroids,
gravity was perhaps unable to assemble a new planet because of Jupiter's gravity. Another question
scientists have researched is why there is no planet in between Mars and (5.) __________ . Today we
call the gap the (6.) _______________________ . While the concentration of (7.) _____________ are
heaviest here, small numbers are scattered across the solar system. Another question scientists
research is will any of these objects hit Earth? It is rare that a sizeable asteroid would hit Earth. Many
scientists believed that a huge asteroid hit Earth 65 million years ago, which helped cause the
(8.) _____________________ of dinosaurs. Asteroids do hit each other, creating fragments the size
of a grain of sand. These fragments hit Earth's atmosphere daily. Friction with the air causes them to
burn. We call the flaming streaks (9.) ___________________ , or scientifically, (10.) ____________
. These usually burn or disintegrate before they hit the ground. If a meteor hits Earth, it becomes a
(11.)_____________________ . Scientist study these objects to get a better picture on what exists is
outer space. Maybe one day you will be a scientist and find out more information about these puzzling questions or ask some yourselves.
© 2001 Maslowski Wildlife Productions
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Name _____________________
Asteroids, Comets, and Pluto: The Small Pieces
Venn Diagram
Directions: Fill in the Venn Diagram below. Under the circle labeled Rocky Planets, write in everything you know about Rocky Planets. Under the circle labeled Gas Giants, write in everything you
know about Gas Giants. Above the circle labeled Pluto, write everything you know about Pluto. Where
the circles intersect, write any common qualities that they share.
© 2001 Maslowski Wildlife Productions
Published and Distributed by United Learning
All rights to print materials cleared for classroom duplication and distribution.
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Name _____________________
Asteroids, Comets, and Pluto: The Small Pieces
Experiment: What's in Space Dust?
Every day fragments from space enter the earth's atmosphere. Have you ever seen any evidence of
this? Collect some rainwater and see what you can discover!
Materials:
❑ Magnet
❑ Clear sandwich bag
❑ Rainwater collected. If it is winter, collect fresh fallen snow and melt.
❑ Hand lens
❑ Popsicle stick
❑ Microscope
❑ Microscope slide
Directions:
1. Put the magnet inside of the plastic bag. Then run the magnet over the rainwater.
2. Use the hand lens to observe what is outside of the baggie.
3. Use the Popsicle stick to rub off any thing collected onto a microscope slide.
4. Write your observations below and answer the questions.
Observations:
1. Use words and pictures to describe what you have found in your rainwater:
Questions:
1. You have been viewing space dust that comes from meteorites. What do you think meteorites are
made of? What did you use in the experiment that made you make this conclusion?
2. What might have caused the meteorites to shape the way they are?
© 2001 Maslowski Wildlife Productions
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Name _____________________
Asteroids, Comets, and Pluto: The Small Pieces
Asteroids, Meteors, and Meteorites
Our solar system has many fascinating objects. With a partner, write about three well-known space
objects. Include as many facts as you can. You may view the program again or use additional
resources that you may have in your classroom. Use complete sentences and double-check your
work!
Asteroids:
Meteors:
Meteorites:
© 2001 Maslowski Wildlife Productions
Published and Distributed by United Learning
All rights to print materials cleared for classroom duplication and distribution.
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Name _____________________
Asteroids, Comets, and Pluto: The Small Pieces
Post-Test
Directions: Answer the following questions by circling the correct answer. Remember to double-check your work for accuracy after you have completed the test. Do your best!
1. Asteroids fall into which category?
A. planets
B. metal
C. rock
D. both B & C
2. The Asteroid Belt is located between which 2 planets?
A. Mars and Jupiter
B. Venus and Earth
C. Jupiter and Saturn
D. Neptune and Pluto
3. Which theory supports why asteroids did not form into planets?
A. There was not enough material to make a planet.
B. Jupiter's gravity interfered with the accretion process.
C. The amount of gravity was too little to hold the fragments into a sphere.
D. There were enough planets already.
4. Accretion is which process?
A. The process of asteroids forming.
B. The process through which Earth and other planets were formed billions of years ago.
C. The process of how a comet is formed.
D. The process for how meteors hit the earth's surface.
5. What is the scientific name of a shooting star?
A. Meteorite
B. Comet
C. Meteor
D. Space Dust
6. Which is not true about the planet Pluto?
A. Pluto is the smallest planet.
B. Pluto is made up of ice and rock.
C. Pluto has an elliptical orbit.
D. Pluto shares its space with the asteroid belt.
7. Comets are found beyond Pluto?
A. True
B. False
8. A comets three main parts are a ________________ , tail, and a coma.
a. ice
b. rock
c. dust
d. nucleus
9. Which force is needed to keep planets formed and within their orbit?
A. friction
B. gravity
C. electromagnetic energy
10. Which are true about the Oort Cloud?
A It is close to the earth.
B. It is extremely large.
C. Comets exist within the Oort Cloud.
D. Objects in the Oort Cloud are pulled by gravity and pushed by heat and pressure.
© 2001 Maslowski Wildlife Productions
Published and Distributed by United Learning
All rights to print materials cleared for classroom duplication and distribution.