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Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools
Astronomy Science Elective
Resource Guide
North Carolina Essential Standards & NGSS
Overview of Astronomy
Unit(Chapters)
Introduction to Astronomy (Preview, 1)
Telescopes & Light (3,4)
Formation of the Solar System & Planets (7-9)
Moon & Minor Members (6,10)
Properties of Stars & the Sun (11,12)
Stellar Evolution (13,14)
Galaxies & the Milky Way (15,16)
Formation of Universe/Cosmology (17)
Review
Suggested Pacing
7 days
10 days
10 days
7 days
10 days
10 days
10 days
10 days
6 days
Resources:
Explorations: An Introduction to Astronomy, by Thomas T. Arny, 4th Ed.
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
AAAS Benchmarks for Science Literacy (AAAS)
UNIT TOPIC:
Introduction to Astronomy
Essential Standard:
As.1 Understand Earth’s place in the universe, and how its location impacts our perspective of the night sky.
Clarifying Objectives:
As.1.1 Develop and use a model of the Earth-sun-moon system to describe the cyclic patterns of lunar phases, eclipses of the sun and moon, and
seasonal changes of the constellations. <NGSS MS-ESS1-1>
As.1.2 Analyze and interpret data to determine scale properties of objects in the solar system, galaxy, and universe. <NGSS MS-ESS1-3>
As.1.3 Use mathematical or computational representations to predict the motion of orbiting objects in the solar system. <NGSS HS-ESS1-4>
As.1.4 Use basic observational astronomy to find direction of north, latitude, bright stars, and constellations in the night sky.
Unpacking:
As.1.1
 Use the ecliptic and the celestial sphere to explain the positions that lead to lunar and solar eclipses.
 Match cycles of the moon to corresponding positions of Earth, moon, and sun.
 Explain why the constellations visible in the night sky change throughout the year.
As.1.2
 Use scientific notation and astronomical units (AU, light year) to compare distances.
 Place astronomic objects (planets, moons, stars, solar systems, star clusters, galaxies) in relative size and distance order.
 Understand that the sun is a medium-sized star located near the edge of a disc-shaped galaxy of stars, part of which can be seen as a
glowing band of light that spans the sky on a very clear night. <AAAS 4A/M1a>
 Understand that the universe contains many billions of galaxies, and each galaxy contains many billions of stars. To the naked eye, even
the closest of these galaxies is no more than a dim, fuzzy spot. <AAAS 4A/M1bc>
 Understand that the sun is many thousands of times closer to the earth than any other star. Light from the sun takes a few minutes to
reach the earth, but light from the next nearest star takes a few years to arrive. The trip to that star would take the fastest rocket
thousands of years. <AAAS 4A/M2abc>
 Understand that some distant galaxies are so far away that their light takes several billion years to reach the earth. People on earth,
therefore, see them as they were that long ago in the past. <AAAS 4A/M2de>
As.1.3
 Use Kepler’s Laws to describe common features of the motions of orbiting objects, including their elliptical paths around the sun. <NGSS
HS-ESS1-4>
 Understand that orbits may change due to the gravitational effects from, or collisions with, other objects in the solar system. <NGSS HSESS1-4>
As.1.4





Distinguish between constellations and asterisms.
Be able to use the big dipper to locate the North Star (Polaris).
Identify the circumpolar constellations: Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, Cassiopeia, Cepheus, Draco
Use finger and fist widths to approximate angular size.
Use the position of the North Star (Polaris) to estimate latitude.
Essential Vocabulary:
Angular size
Asterism
Astronomical unit (AU)
Celestial equator
Celestial poles
Celestial sphere
Equinoxes
Focus
Kepler's Laws
Constellation
Ecliptic
Ellipse
Light year
Lunar eclipse
Parallax
Phases
Revolution
Rotation axis
Semimajor axis
Solar eclipse
Solstices
Zodiac
Essential Questions:
Suggested Resources & Activities:
1. How do you tell the difference between planets and stars in the sky?
Visit Planetarium
2. How do planets, sun, and the moon move through the sky?
Visit Planetarium
3. What kind of galaxy do we live in? Where is the sun within our galaxy?
http://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/download-view.cfm?Doc_ID=334
What features of our galaxy can be observed in the sky?
4. How do solar and lunar eclipses form?
http://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/download-view.cfm?Doc_ID=327
5. How does the size of Earth compare with the rest of the solar system?
Peppercorn Earth Scale Model of the Solar System
Helpful Websites and/or Resources:
http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/pao/skyreport/
http://www.skymaps.com/downloads.html
http://quizlet.com/16406826/astronomy-lesson-1-constellations-flash-cards/
http://quizlet.com/16505017/astronomy-lesson-2-constellations-flash-cards/
http://quizlet.com/16550293/astronomy-lesson-3-constellations-flash-cards/
http://quizlet.com/16552639/astronomy-lesson-4-constellations-flash-cards/
http://quizlet.com/17165015/astronomy-lesson-5-constellations-flash-cards/
http://quizlet.com/17166447/astronomy-lesson-6-constellations-flash-cards/
Identified Student Misconceptions:
 The solar system includes multiple stars.
 The moon is only visible at night time.
 The stars visible in the night sky without magnification come from many different galaxies.
 Certain planets are always visible in the same place in the sky at the same time of year.
 The North Star is the brightest star in the sky.
 The Big Dipper is the most important constellation in the sky. (It’s not even a constellation.)
 The positions of the stars relative to each other never changes.
 All points of light in the sky are stars.
UNIT TOPIC:
Telescopes & Light
Essential Standard:
As.2 Understand how astronomers collect and interpret light to learn about the universe.
Clarifying Objectives:
As.2.1 Use stars’ light spectra and brightness to identify compositional elements of stars and interpret their movements. <NSGS HS-ESS12,HS-ESS1-3>
As.2.2 Link astronomical phenomena with the type of telescope/wavelength best suited for studying them.
As.2.3 Assess the strengths and limitations of telescopes based on type (reflecting/refracting), collecting power, resolution, and position
(ground/space).
Unpacking:
As2.1
 Using a reference spectrum, determine if an unknown spectrum is red-shifted or blue-shifted. (Extension: determine the speed of the
object).
 Using a reference spectrum (or spectra), identify element(s) in an unknown spectrum.
As2.2
 Describe the advantages of radio telescopes, especially for observing cold clouds of gas.
 Describe the advantages of infrared telescopes, especially for observing dust clouds.
 Describe the advantages of x-ray telescopes, especially for observing hot gas.
 Describe the advantages of interferometers.
 Describe the advantages of space-based telescopes, including how atmospheric windows and “seeing” limit ground-based telescopes.
As2.3
 Compare and contrast reflecting and refracting telescopes.
 Identify the relationships between collecting power, weight, and telescope size.
 Identify the relationships between resolution, dispersion, and size of scope opening.
Essential Vocabulary:
Absorption
Atmospheric Window
Blackbody
CCD
Continuous Spectrum
Dark-line or AbsorptionLine Spectrum
Diffraction
Dispersion
Emission-Line Spectrum
Energy Levels
Nanometer
Protons
Seeing
Spectroscopy
Doppler Shift
Electromagnetic radiation
Electromagnetic spectrum
Electromagnetic wave
Emission
Excited
Frequency
Infrared
Interferometer
Light-Gathering Power
Quantized
Reflectors
Refraction
Refractors
Resolving Power
Ultraviolet
Visible spectrum
Wavelength
Wave-particle duality
White light
Essential Questions:
1. How do astronomers use light to learn about astronomical objects?
2. How can we determine the temperature of a star and the composition of both
heated and cool gasses by studying the visible spectrum it emits or that of light
passing through it?
3. Describe the kind of observatory that might be used and why it would be a good
choice for studying each of the following: A planet in our solar system, a pulsar,
and a black hole.
4. Why are most telescopes reflectors?
Helpful Websites and/or Resources:
http://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/
Suggested Resources & Activities:
Caltech's Cool Cosmos
http://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/download-view.cfm?Doc_ID=481
http://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/download-view.cfm?Doc_ID=396
Identified Student Misconceptions:
 All stars are white.
 The only important feature of a telescope is magnification.
 The spectrum from all light sources is the same.
 We see all objects in space the way they are right now, regardless of distance.
UNIT TOPIC:
Formation of the Solar System & Planets
Essential Standard:
As.3 Understand the formation of the Solar System and the key characteristics of objects within the solar system.
Clarifying Objectives:
As.3.1 Map the order of events that led to the formation of our solar system, according to the Nebular Hypothesis.
As.3.2 Use the presence/absence of plate tectonics, magnetic field, or atmosphere/greenhouse effect to make inferences about planets and
moons.
As.3.3 Compare and contrast terrestrial and jovian planets.
Unpacking:
As.3.1
 Understand that as the earth and other planets formed, the heavier elements fell to their centers. On planets close to the sun
(Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars), the lightest elements were mostly blown or boiled away by radiation from the newly formed sun;
on the outer planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto) the lighter elements still surround them as deep atmospheres of
gas or as frozen solid layers. <AAAS 4A/H5** (SFAA) >

Understand that our solar system coalesced out of a giant cloud of gas and debris left in the wake of exploding stars about five billion
years ago. Everything in and on the earth, including living organisms, is made of this material. <AAAS 4A/H6** (SFAA) >
As.3.2
 Describe how many differences between planets arise from difference in mass, density, and temperature; link to escape velocity and
formation of atmosphere.
As.3.3
 Compare and contrast size, density, moons, rings, and composition of terrestrial and jovian planets.
 Explain differences among terrestrial planets, especially related to atmospheric composition, greenhouse effect, and evidence for
water.
Essential Vocabulary:
Accretion
Condensation
Interstellar cloud
Outer Planets
Shepherding Satellites
Asteroid Belt
Escape velocity
Interstellar grains
Photo-dissociation
Solar Nebula
Asteroids
Extra-solar Planets
Jovian Planets
Planetesimals
Solar Nebula Hypothesis
Bode's Law
Greenhouse Effect
Kuiper Belt
Resonance
Solar System
Comets
Inner Planets
Oort Cloud
Roche Limit
Terrestrial Planets
Essential Questions:
1. How did our solar system form? Where did our solar
system’s planets come from?
2. How do the inner (terrestrial) and outer (gas giant)
planets compare?
3. How do astronomers find planets around other stars?
Helpful Websites and/or Resources:
http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/index.cfm
Suggested Resources & Activities:
http://genesismission.jpl.nasa.gov/educate/scimodule/PlanetaryDiversity/index.html
http://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/download-view.cfm?Doc_ID=392
http://kepler.nasa.gov/education/activities/
Identified Student Misconceptions:
 The Big Bang describes the formation of our solar system and Earth.
 The solar system has always been about the same and will never change.
 Pluto is no longer called a planet because something bad happened to it: it blew up; got hit by something; etc.
 Pluto is the only dwarf planet.
 Our sun is the only star with planets.
 Saturn is the only planet with rings.
UNIT TOPIC:
Moon & Minor Members
Essential Standard:
As.4 Understand the origin and characteristics of the moon, asteroids, meteors, comets, and Oort Cloud.
Clarifying Objectives:
As.4.1 Assess the evidence for competing hypotheses for the origin of the moon.
As.4.2 Compare and contrast the origin and composition of minor members of the solar system, including asteroids, meteors, and comets.
Unpacking:
As.4.1
 Compare the impact hypothesis of moon formation to the capture, twin, and fission hypothesis. Identify key pieces of evidence that
favor the impact hypothesis, especially abundance of iron, water, high-melting point materials, and low melting-point materials.
 Relate the features of the moon such as internal structure, lack of plate tectonics or atmosphere, craters, and maria, to the moon’s
origin and history.
As.4.2
 Explain why meteors and comets are important to understanding the origin of the solar system.
 Describe the structure and orbit of a comet, and how comets are related to meteor showers.
 Compare and contrast stony, iron, and chondritic meteorites.
 Compare and contrast the structure and origin of the Kuiper Belt and Oort Cloud.
Essential Vocabulary:
Craters
Differential Gravitational
Force
Highland
Apollo Asteroids
Asteroid Belt
Asteroids
Chondritic meteorites
Chondrules
Coma
Fluorescence
Maria
Rays
Regolith
Rilles
Synchronous
Rotation
Kirkwood Gaps
Kuiper Belt
Meteor
Meteor showers
Meteorites
Meteoroid
Nucleus
Tidal Braking
Tidal Bulge
Tides
Oort Cloud
Radiant
Radiation pressure
Short Period Comet
Solar Wind
Tail
Carbonaceous chondrites
Essential Questions:
1. What happened on the moon to make some parts of the
surface a darker shade of grey?
2. What happens to comets when they move close to the sun?
Is it possible to predict the behavior of a comet?
Suggested Resources & Activities:
http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/58199main_Exploring.The.Moon.pdf
http://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/download-view.cfm?Doc_ID=258
3. What is the difference between a comet, asteroid,
meteoroid, meteor, and meteorite?
Helpful Websites and/or Resources:
http://moon.nasa.gov/home.cfm
http://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/download-view.cfm?Doc_ID=459
Identified Student Misconceptions:
 There is a total vacuum between the planets.
 There is a side of the moon that is always dark.
 The moon goes through phases because the Earth is blocking the sun’s light from different parts of the lunar surface.
 Comets are on fire.
UNIT TOPIC:
Properties of Stars & the Sun
Essential Standard:
As.5 Understand basic properties of stars, and the nature of our sun as a star.
Clarifying Objectives:
As.5.1 Describe the nuclear fusion processes in the center of the sun that release the energy that ultimately reaches Earth as radiation.
<NGSS PS3.D HS-ESS1-1>
As.5.2 Illustrate the structure of the sun and solar surface features.
As.5.3 Describe the methods astronomers use to study the nature of stars: distance, temperature, mass, composition, radius, and luminosity.
Unpacking:
As.5.1
 Develop a model based on evidence to illustrate the role of nuclear fusion in the sun’s core to release energy that eventually reaches
Earth in the form of radiation. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on the energy transfer mechanisms that allow energy from
nuclear fusion in the sun’s core to reach Earth. Examples of evidence for the model include observations of the masses and lifetimes
of other stars, as well as the ways that the sun’s radiation varies due to sudden solar flares (“space weather”), the 11-year sunspot
cycle, and neutrinos.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include details of the atomic and sub-atomic processes involved
with the sun’s nuclear fusion.] <NGSSS HS-ESS1-1>
As.5.2
 Identify solar surface features (spots, flares, prominences, granulation) and link them to their cause (magnetic field/convection).
 Explain how activity in the sun’s atmosphere (spots, flares, prominences, solar wind) effect earth; especially climate variability with
the sunspot cycle, aurora, and solar wind.
As.5.3
 Use H-R diagram as a graphical way to reveal the three major types of stars: main-sequence stars, red giants, and white dwarfs.
 Compare and contrast the advantages of using parallax and standard candles to determine distance.
 Describe how luminosity varies with mass, distance, and radius.
 Describe how binary stars are used to determine stellar mass.
Essential Vocabulary:
Binary Stars
Chromosphere
Granulation
H-R Diagram
Method of Standard Candles
Neutrinos
Pressure
Prominences
Spectral Classes
Spectroscopic Binary
Convection Zone
Corona
Coronal Holes
Cosmic Rays
Dwarfs
Hydrostatic Equilibrium
Inverse-square Law
Luminosity
Magnitudes
Main Sequence
Nuclear Force or Strong Force
Nuclear Fusion
Parallax
Parsec
Perfect Gas Law or Ideal Gas Law
Proton-proton Chain
Radial Velocity
Radiative Zone
Red Giants
Solar Cycle
Spicules
Sunspot
Triangulation
Variable Star
Visual Binaries
Eclipsing Binary
Giants
Mass-luminosity Relation
Maunder Minimum
Period
Photosphere
Solar Flares
Solar Wind
White Dwarfs
Zeeman Effect
Essential Questions:
1. How do astronomers use solar wind to learn about the sun?
Suggested Resources & Activities:
http://genesismission.jpl.nasa.gov/educate/scimodule/SunandSolar/index.html
2. Draw a simple diagram of the sun’s interior and briefly describe
what happens in each layer. Include observable surface features.
3. What can be determined about a star by observing the
absorption lines from the light they emit?
4. How can an increase or decrease in solar activity affect the Earth?
5. Draw a simple H-R diagram and show the approximate location of
the main classifications of stars. There is no need to include specific
stars.
Helpful Websites and/or Resources:
http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/
http://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/
http://www.spaceweather.com/
http://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/download-view.cfm?Doc_ID=494
http://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/download-view.cfm?Doc_ID=481
http://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/download-view.cfm?Doc_ID=492
http://lcogt.net/files/flash/hr-diagram/main.html
Identified Student Misconceptions:
 Stars burn like fire.
 The sun is static.
 All stars are similar to our sun.
 Many of the objects in the sky we can see with our unaided eye are in other galaxies or are other galaxies. (There are only three.)
UNIT TOPIC:
Stellar Evolution
Essential Standard:
As.6 Understand the life cycles of solar-mass and massive stars, and the role stars play in nucleosynthesis.
Clarifying Objectives:
As.6.1 Model the life cycle of the sun.
As.6.2 Model the life cycle of a massive star, including the potential to end as a neutron star or black hole, depending on mass.
As.6.3 Communicate scientific ideas about the way stars, over their life cycle, produce elements. [Clarification Statement:
Emphasis is on the way nucleosynthesis, and therefore the different elements created, varies as a function of the mass of a star and the stage
of its lifetime. Assessment Boundary: Details of the many different nucleosynthesis pathways for stars of differing masses are not assessed.]
in the relationship between stellar evolution and nucleosynthesis. <NGSS HS-ESS1-3>
Unpacking:
As.6.1
 Understand that the sun is changing and will burn out over a lifespan of approximately 10 billion years. <NGSS HSESS1-1>
 Identify the sun as an average main sequence star that will expand to a red giant phase, and then collapse into a white dwarf.
As.6.2
 Discuss why some stars end up as white dwarfs, neutron stars or black holes; describe properties of each and approximate sizes.
 Clarify difference in evolution for low- and high-mass star and sketch changes of star's properties in HR diagram with an evolutionary
track.
 Describe causes for stellar collapse (“death”) and the features of supernova explosions, including the emergence of new planetary
nebulas and protostars.
As.6.3
 Stars condensed by gravity out of clouds of molecules of the lightest elements until nuclear fusion of the light elements into heavier
ones began to occur. Fusion released great amounts of energy over millions of years. <AAAS 4A/H2cd>
 Eventually, some stars exploded, producing clouds containing heavy elements from which other stars and planets orbiting them could
later condense. The process of star formation and destruction continues. <AAAS 4A/H2ef>
 Other than the hydrogen and helium formed at the time of the Big Bang, nuclear fusion within stars produces all atomic nuclei lighter
than and including iron, and the process releases electromagnetic energy. Heavier elements are produced when certain massive stars
achieve a supernova stage and explode. <NGSS (HS-ESS1-2),(HS-ESS1-3)>
Essential Vocabulary:
Accretion Disk
Black Dwarfs
Black Hole
Chandrasekhar Limit
Compact Stars
Conservation of Angular
Momentum
Curvature of Space
Degeneracy Pressure
Escape Velocity
Event Horizon
Gravitational Waves
Hawking Radiation
Helium Flash
Interstellar Cloud
Main Sequence
Lifetime
Neutron Star
Non-thermal Radiation
Nova
Nucleosynthesis
Planetary Nebulas
Protostar
Pulsars
Red Giant
Schwarzschild Radius
Essential Questions:
1. What role to stars play in the formation of
elements?
Suggested Resources & Activities:
http://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/download-view.cfm?Doc_ID=340
http://genesismission.jpl.nasa.gov/educate/scimodule/indexCC-EQ.html
2. Describe the life cycle of our sun. How does it
compare to the evolutionary stages of more
massive stars?
3. List the different kinds of objects created when
stars use up their fuel and briefly describe each
one.
4. Name the structures that can form as matter
approaches a black hole and the kinds of
emissions that can come from them.
Helpful Websites and/or Resources:
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/education
http://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/download-view.cfm?Doc_ID=393
http://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/download-view.cfm?Doc_ID=393
http://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/download-view.cfm?Doc_ID=319
Identified Student Misconceptions:
 All stars will end in a supernova and become black holes.
 Black holes suck objects in (rather than objects falling by the pull of gravity).
 Black holes are tunnels to other dimensions or other parts of space.
 All of the elements on Earth were formed on the Earth.
Supernova
Supernova Remnant
Turn-off Point
Type I Supernova
White Dwarfs
X-ray Binaries
UNIT TOPIC:
Galaxies & the Milky Way
Essential Standard:
As.7 Describe the types of galaxies and their properties.
Clarifying Objectives:
As.7.1 Describe the structure and properties of the Milky Way Galaxy.
As.7.2 Compare and contrast spiral, elliptical, and irregular galaxies.
As.7.3 Assess hypotheses that explain galaxy formation, including the role of merging galaxies.
As.7.4 Describe relevant data for studying galaxies, including Cepheid variables (distance), rotation curves (dark matter), and Hubble’s Law.
Unpacking:
As.7.1
 Compare and contrast Populaton I and Population II stars.
 Use models to demonstrate how we know the shape of our galaxy.
As.7.2
 Compare stellar populations and relative abundance of gas and dust among the three types of galaxies.
As.7.3
 Understand that gravity is the force that holds galaxies together and drives the interactions between merging galaxies.
 Describe how merging galaxies can help explain the variety of ages of Population II stars in galaxies like the Milky Way.
As.7.4
 Describe the properties of Cepheid variables that allow them to be used as standard candles.
 Explain the evidence that leads astronomers to conclude the existence of dark matter (rotation curves), despite not knowing what
dark matter is composed of.
Essential Vocabulary:
Barred Spirals
Dark Matter
Bulge
Dark Matter
Dark Nebula
Density Wave Model
Disk
Elliptical Galaxies
Emission Nebulas
Galactic Cannibalism
Galaxy Clusters
Globular Clusters
Gravitational Lens
Interstellar Matter
Irregular Galaxies
Jets
Local Group
Megaparsecs
Population I Stars
Population II Stars
Population III Stars
Radio Galaxies
Recession Velocity
Scattering
Self-propagating Star
Formation
Spiral Arms
Spiral Galaxies
Halo
Hubble Constant
Hubble’s Law
Milky Way
Nucleus
Open Clusters
Reddening
Redshift
Rotation Curve
Star Clusters
Supercluster
Essential Questions:
1. Draw a simple Hubble Tuning-Fork diagram showing the basic kinds of
galaxies. It is not necessary to include all subclasses.
2. Discuss what can happen to stars, nebulas, clusters, and the basic
shapes of galaxies when the move close enough to gravitationally interact.
3. Describe the basic structure of our Milky Way galaxy, including what lies
at the center, the location of our sun, and any satellite structures.
4. Describe how redshift is used to explain the expansion of the universe.
How does this effect change with the distance of the galaxy away from
Earth?
Helpful Websites and/or Resources:
Suggested Resources & Activities:
http://lcogt.net/education/activity/create-hubble-tuning-fork-diagram
Visit Planetarium
http://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/download-view.cfm?Doc_ID=334
http://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/download-view.cfm?Doc_ID=389
Identified Student Misconceptions:
 Galaxies are close to each other.
 All galaxies look similar to the Milky Way.
 There are only a few galaxies in the universe.
 The band of light in the sky called the Milky Way is a cloud, either in the Earth’s atmosphere or out in space.
UNIT TOPIC:
Formation of Universe/Cosmology
Essential Standard:
As.8 Understand the evidence for the Big Bang Theory and the age of the universe.
Clarifying Objectives:
As.8.1 Construct an explanation of the Big Bang theory based on astronomical evidence of light spectra, motion of distant galaxies, and
composition of matter in the universe. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on the astronomical evidence of the red shift of light from
galaxies as an indication that the universe is currently expanding, the cosmic microwave background as the remnant radiation from the Big
Bang, and the observed composition of ordinary matter of the universe, primarily found in stars and interstellar gases (from the spectra of
electromagnetic radiation from stars), which matches that predicted by the Big Bang theory (3/4 hydrogen and 1/4 helium).] <NGSS HS-ESS12>
As.8.2 Describe the age and size of the universe.
Unpacking:
8.1
 Understand that the Big Bang theory is supported by observations of distant galaxies receding from our own, of the measured
composition of stars and non-stellar gases, and of the maps of spectra of the primordial radiation (cosmic microwave background)
that still fills the universe. <NGSS HS-ESS1-2>
 Use the graph of Hubble’s law to compare the evidence for a shrinking, stead-state, or expanding universe.
8.2


Understand that the universe is estimated to be about fourteen billion years old. <AAAS 4A/H2ab>
Understand that the cosmic horizon is the maximum distance observable from Earth, given the limitation on the speed of light and the
expansion of the universe.
Essential Vocabulary:
Antimatter
Cosmic Background Radiation (CBR)
Big Bang
Cosmological Constant
Cosmic Horizon
Cosmology
Essential Questions:
1. What does an expanding universe look like?
How do we know our universe is expanding?
2. How did the universe form?
3. List the factors that will determine if the
universe will expand forever or eventually
contract.
4. Why does it appear that the universe is
expanding away from us in all directions? Is that
really the case?
Helpful Websites and/or Resources:
http://map.gsfc.nasa.gov/universe/
Critical Density
Curved Space
Dark Energy
Flat Universe
Inflation
Negative Curvature
Suggested Resources & Activities:
Harvard-Smithsonian’s Cosmic Questions, especially “Modeling the Expanding Universe,” and
“Evidence for the Expanding Universe”
http://genesismission.jpl.nasa.gov/educate/scimodule/Cosmogony.html
http://btc.montana.edu/ceres/html/Universe/uni1.html
http://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/download-view.cfm?Doc_ID=303
Identified Student Misconceptions:
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Olbers' Paradox
Positive Curvature
Radius of the Universe
All the galaxies, stars, planets, moons, and atoms of all elements were formed in the Big Bang.
The distance and position between major objects in space does not change much.