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Stargazing: A Graphic Guide to the Heavens: How The Sky Works: Teacher’s Guide Grade Level: 7-12 Curriculum Focus: Space Science Lesson Duration: Two class periods Program Description Stargazing: How The Sky Works is an overview of how the stars, planets, and galaxies are recorded and tracked. The program covers the reason for the apparent "movement" of the constellations, how the ecliptic plane affects our view of the sun and moon, the importance of the zodiac star groupings to astronomers in locating various galactic phenomena, and star map "longitude" and "latitude." Accurate and colorful images from the VLT, Hubble and other powerful telescopes illustrate the educational points with clarity and precision. Discussion Questions • Why have humans grouped, named, and looked for explanations of the nature of the stars? • For what purpose have these groupings, names, and explanations been used throughout history? • What makes the stars appear to move and change over time? • What constellations are currently visible in the sky where you live? Lesson Plan Student Objectives • Understand why and where stars “move.” • Identify the methods by which people view the stars. • Examine the place of the earth in the solar system, the galaxy, and the universe. • Present oral reports on lunar and solar eclipses. Write a report on the precession cycle. Materials • Stargazing: How the Sky Works video and VCR, or DVD and DVD player, or access to the program in downloadable or streaming format online • Copies of a star map of the night sky as currently visible • A diagram or model of the solar system Stargazing: A Graphic Guide to the Heavens: How The Sky Works: Teacher’s Guide • 2 An image of the Milky Way galaxy seen from above, either printed out or projected onto a large screen Procedures 1. Project or display the image of the Milky Way galaxy. Have students give brief oral presentations describing its shape and the location of our solar system within it. Extension: Display pictures of several other galaxies. Have students compare and contrast them with the Milky Way, either orally or in writing. 2. In groups or as a class have students look at a copy of the star map and locate Polaris. Ask them to name and label as many constellations as possible and describe where they are located in relation to Polaris. Have a student write the information on the board, or have a student from each group write down their findings, then present them orally. Discuss how these relative positions change during the seasons and at what rate they change. 3. Using the library, the Web sites below and other available research tools, have two students or two groups of students research solar and lunar eclipses respectively. Ask them to present an illustrated oral report to the class on how, when, and where eclipses occur, and when one has been or will be visible in your area. http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/eclipse.html http://www.mreclipse.com/MrEclipse.html http://documents.wolfram.com/applications/astronomer/Notebooks/FamousEclipse.html http://www.exploratorium.edu/eclipse/why.html http://www.kidseclipse.com/pages/a1b3c0d0.htm 4. Using a diagram or a model of the solar system, look at and discuss the rotation and orbits of the planets including the speed and size of each. Clear a large space and place a student or object in the center, representing the sun. Choose a student to “play” Mercury and “orbit” very quickly around the “sun.” Choose a second person to play Venus with a slightly slower orbit. One by one put students into the “solar system” until all the planets and their speed of orbit are represented. Students representing the outer planets should move as though they were in a slow-motion film. 5. Have a student, or group of students, research the precession cycle. What does this cycle affect and in what way? What is “the Age of Aquarius”? More advanced students may research the mathematical principles that govern the precession cycle and/or relate the cycle to declination and right ascension lines. http://www.crystalinks.com/precession.html; http://wwwistp.gsfc.nasa.gov/stargaze/Sprecess.htm; http://www.perceptions.couk.com/precess.html 6. When students have completed their initial research, ask them to summarize their findings in a one-page report or ask students to write a summary of the material covered in class. 7. As an assessment for this lesson, formulate a quiz or worksheet using the support resources available on the DiscoverySchool.com Web site. Please visit http://school.discovery.com/teachingtools/teachingtools.html Assessment Use the following three-point rubric to evaluate students' work during this lesson. Published by Discovery Education. © 2005. All rights reserved. Stargazing: A Graphic Guide to the Heavens: How The Sky Works: Teacher’s Guide 3 • 3 points: Students were highly engaged in class discussions; participated fully in research projects; displayed genuine understanding in their reports and summaries, not just rote knowledge of facts and principles related to star movement; completed at least 90% of the quiz or worksheet correctly. • 2 points: Students contributed to class discussions; participated adequately in research projects; displayed relevant knowledge of facts and principles related to star movement in reports and summaries; completed at least 75% of the quiz or worksheet correctly. • 1 point: Students contributed little to class discussions; participated poorly or disruptively in research projects; displayed poor or incorrect knowledge of facts and principles related to star movement in reports and summaries; completed 60% or less of the quiz or worksheet correctly. Vocabulary constellation Definition: A group of stars seen as a figure used to locate points and features of the sky, often given names from mythology Context: The constellation of Orion, the Hunter, is surrounded by a cloud of space dust called the Orion Nebula. ecliptic Definition: The plane defined by the path of the sun as it appears to move through the constellations. Context: When the moon crosses the ecliptic on the light side of the Earth, we experience an eclipse of the sun. galaxy Definition: A group of billions of stars, often round or spiral-shaped, orbiting a center; astronomers believe that this center is a black hole. Context: Earth’s home galaxy, the Milky Way, is a spiral galaxy. Our solar system is located towards the end of one of the spiral arms, about 30,000 light-years from the center. lines of declination Definition: On a star map, the lines equivalent to latitude on an Earth map Context: The lines of declination are measured in degrees north or south from the celestial equator. lines of right ascension Definition: On a star map, the lines equivalent to longitude on an Earth map Context: The lines of right ascension are measured in hours, minutes and seconds eastward from the intersection of the celestial equator and the ecliptic. Published by Discovery Education. © 2005. All rights reserved. Stargazing: A Graphic Guide to the Heavens: How The Sky Works: Teacher’s Guide 4 Polaris Definition: The northern pole star, which barely “moves” in comparison to the rest of the stars Context: Polaris is visible from anywhere in the Northern Hemisphere and appears closer to the horizon the farther south the viewer is located. precession Definition: The process by which the position of the pole star and the constellations change over 26,000 years, caused primarily by the effect of the moon’s gravity on Earth’s orbit Context: Due to precession, the position of the pole star changes and eventually another star appears in its place. Polaris replaced Thuban as the pole star and someday Alderamain will replace Polaris. Academic Standards National Academy of Sciences The National Science Education Standards provide guidelines for teaching science as well as a coherent vision of what it means to be scientifically literate for students in grades K-12. To view the standards, visit http://books.nap.edu. This lesson plan addresses the following science standards: Science—Earth and Space Science: Origin and evolution of the universe • Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL) McREL's Content Knowledge: A Compendium of Standards and Benchmarks for K-12 Education addresses 14 content areas. To view the standards and benchmarks, visit http://www.mcrel.org/. This lesson plan addresses the following national standards: • Science—Earth and Space Sciences: Understands the composition and structure of the universe and the Earth's place in it Support Materials Develop custom worksheets, educational puzzles, online quizzes, and more with the free teaching tools offered on the DiscoverySchool.com Web site. Create and print support materials, or save them to a Custom Classroom account for future use. To learn more, visit • http://school.discovery.com/teachingtools/teachingtools.html Credit Sylvia Alloway, education writer and former middle school teacher Published by Discovery Education. © 2005. All rights reserved.