Download Lesson Plan Information for Educators

Extraordinary in the Ordinary: Views from the Hubble Space Telescope
Lesson Subject Matter: Astronomy and Hubble Space Telescope
Lesson Time: 1-2 hours (Individual slides from the accompanying PowerPoint presentation can be used as mini-lessons or
content from individual slides can be expanded into multiple hour-long lessons as part of a larger astronomy curriculum.
The referenced website provides a great deal of background information as well links to additional resources.)
Target Audience : 4th grade and up. The lesson can be adapted for many age and ability levels. All of the slides and activities are
suitable for all of the suggested target audience levels, however the content delivered using the slides should be modified to
fit the audience for which the lesson is being used. Throughout the notes for the slides, there are comments that indicate
where modifications can be made. The decision to include some content and leave other pieces out can also be guided by the
National Science Standards outlined below.
Materials Needed: Extraordinary in the Ordinary PowerPoint files (Available at:
http://bork.hampshire.edu/~sam/extraordinary/Extraordinary_in_the_Ordinary.ppt), a few US dimes (optional), 35mm
film camera (optional), 20mw laser pointer (optional), telescope for after presentation (optional), pre/post assessment
questions (included below), grapefruit (optional), ball point pen (optional), 100 tape measure (optional).
National Science Standards:
Earth and Space Science Standards:
LEVELS K-4
LEVELS 5-8
LEVELS 9-12
Objects in the sky
Earth in the solar system
Origin and evolution of the earth system
Changes in earth and sky
LEVELS K-4
Physical Science Standards:
Light
LEVELS 5-8
Properties and changes of properties in matter
Origin and evolution of the universe
LEVELS 9-12
Structure of atoms
Structure and properties of matter
Interactions of energy and matter
Pre and Post Assessment Questions
The following questions have been used as pre and post assessments of the
above astronomy presentation. They have not been used in any specific order and
can be modified to suit the needs of the instructor.
When you look up at dark night sky what do you see? How far away do you think
those object are from Earth?
What is a star? How and why does it shine?
What is light?
When you look up at a dark sky at night how does it make you feel?
What is a planet? How is it different than a star?
How did the planet Earth form?
What do you think are some of the connections between everything you see up in
the night sky and things on Earth?
What are some of the things found in any planetary system?
What is the primary source of energy that sustains life on Earth?
What are the four states of matter? What differentiates those four states?
What is a galaxy? What are some of the things found in galaxies?
What is an atom? What is it made of? What is the nucleus of an atom composed of?
How has the Solar System changed over time? How will it change in the future?
How has the Universe changed over time? How is it changing now on the largest
scale?