Download Space+-+the+final+frontier

Wow.
That must be some
telescope.
But I’m having
trouble putting this
into some kind of
perspective?
So am I.
Perhaps we need to
start a little closer to
home.
1 AU = 149 597 871 km.
mean distance from
Sun (AU)
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Mars Jupiter
Saturn
AU,
which
stands
for ‘astronomical
unit’,
is a unit for measuring distance. One AU
0.39
0.72
1
1.52
5.20
9.54
is the average distance from the Sun's
centre to the Earth's centre.
Uranus
Neptune
Pluto
19.18
30.06
39.44
It is equal to 149 597 871 km.
Would it be possible to somehow
represent these
relative
The
distance from the Sun to other
distances?
planets within our solar system can also
For example, if I was the Sun
and
be measure
in AUs.
you were the Earth, how far away
would Jupiter For
have
to stand?
example,
Saturn is a mean distance
of 9.54 AU from the Sun.
Light travels at approximately
1 079 253 000 km/hour,
and the Earth’s distance from
the Sun is
149 597 871 km.
Let’s work it out.
Since we are talking
about such great
distances, how long
does it take for the
Sun’s light to reach
Earth?
Approximate speed of light = 1 079 253 000 km/hour
I now have some idea
of the distance planets
in our solar system are
from one another, but
what is a
light-year?
A light-year is the
distance travelled by
light in a year.
So how far is that?
Approximate Speed of Light = 1 079 253 000 km/hour
Approximate distance from the
Sun:
So,
am I right in thinking that as this new
found star is 13 billion light-years away,
Earth = 150 000 000 km
this is also the time taken for the light to
Pluto = 58 790 000 000 km
reach us?
That’s right. Even theThat must mean we are looking into the
closest star to the Sun is 4 past – almost to the time of the
light-years away. Worth
Big Bang!
So if I when
could you
look at the Earth through a
thinking about
telescope
next look into
the nightfrom
sky. the Sun, I would be
looking approximately
8 minutes into the past.
How far into the past would I be looking
if stood on Pluto?
My own birth
So how far would I have to
travel to look back on Earth
and view…
The Great Fire of
London in 1666
England winning the
World Cup in 1966
Up2d8 maths
Space, the final frontier
Teacher Notes
Space, the final frontier
Introduction:
Through the wonders of science, astronomers have recently discovered a star that is 13 billion light-years from Earth. The light
seen from this star is estimated to be around the time the universe was created. The size of our universe can be difficult to comprehend. This
Up2d8 puts these distances into context, allowing students to visualise the relative distances involved.
Content objectives:
•
use rounding to make estimates and to give solutions to problems to an appropriate degree of accuracy
•
express numbers in standard index form, both in conventional notation and on a calculator display
•
round to a given number of significant figures
•
rnderstand and use measures of speed.
Process objectives:
These will depend on the amount of freedom you allow your class with the activity. It might be worth considering how you’re going to deliver the
activity and highlighting the processes that this will allow on the diagram below:
Activity: Students are introduced to the star story. In order to put such large numbers into context, they initially examine the relative distance
between planets within our solar system. They then calculate the time it takes for light to travel from the Sun to Earth and other planets. This will
provide some context to how far a light-year is and the distance the recently discovered star is from Earth.
Differentiation: You may decide to change the level of challenge for your group.
To make the task easier you could consider:
•
using AU units to visualise the relative distance planets within our solar system are from one another
•
representing the planets within our solar system on a number line/as a display
•
researching possible correlations of facts relating to planets within our solar system (eg, size of planet vs distance from Sun)
To make the task more complex, you could consider:
•
calculating the distance light travels over a given time period
•
the benefits of representing large numbers using Standard Form
•
why the distance between Earth and the Sun is described as ‘average’.
This resource is designed to be adapted to your requirements.
Outcomes: The outcome of the task ,may vary depending upon the line of enquiry taken. The students may wish to illustrate their findings
diagramatically and/or through calculation. This could be:
•
displays of the relative distances of the planets within our solar system
•
presentations to demonstrate the students’ understanding of the quantities and concepts discussed, including findings from research
Working in groups: This activity lends itself to paired or small group work and, by encouraging students to work collaboratively, it is likely that
you will allow them access to more of the key processes than if they were to work individually.
You will need to think about how your class will work on this task. Will they work in pairs, threes or larger groups? If pupils are not used to
working in groups in mathematics, you may wish to spend some time talking about their rules and procedures to maximise the effectiveness and
engagement of pupils in group work (You may wish to look at the SNS Pedagogy and practice pack Unit 10: Guidance for Groupwork). You
may wish to encourage the groups to delegate different areas of responsibility to specific group members.
Assessment: You may wish to consider how you will assess the task and how you will record your assessment. This could include developing
the assessment criteria with your class. You might choose to focus on the content objectives or on the process objectives. You might decide that
this activity lends itself to comment only marking or to student self-assessment. If you decide that the outcome is to be a presentation or a
poster, then you may find that this lends itself to peer assessment
Probing questions: Initially students could brainstorm issues to consider. You may wish to introduce some points into the discussion that
might include:
•
Why do planets orbit the Sun?
•
How can the relative distance of planets from the Sun be placed into context?
•
How are the size of planet, its speed and distance from the Sun related, if at all?
You will need:
The PowerPoint display which you might read through with your class to set the scene at the beginning of the activity. There are six slides:
Introduction to the star story
Calculating a light-year
Distance between planets in our
solar system
Is it possible to view the past?
Considering the speed of light
Calculating potential time
travel!