Download Black Holes - University of Dayton

Cathi Thomas
WeExcel-UD/WSU
Black Holes- Black Holes: The Ultimate Abyss. Discovery Channel School(Unitedstreaming: http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/ )
This lesson was modified for use in a CD resource room located in a high school with a
high poverty rate. Students in the class read at a k-4 grade level.
Standards hit upon were: Grade 9-Ohio 1 Explain how stars and other celestial objects
provide information about the processes that cause changes in composition and scale of
the universe.
We began the lesson with a pretest to see what the students knew about black holes.
(Without the answers of course!)
1
To detect black holes, astronomers look for _____. (Choose only one answer)
ultraviolet radiation they emit
objects falling out of space-time
nuclear reactions at their centers
stars circling massive compact objects
2
Astronomers theorize that when our sun runs out of nuclear fuel, it will become
a _____. (Choose only one answer)
black hole
neutron star
white dwarf
frozen planet
3
According to Einstein's theory of gravity, why does the earth revolve around the
sun? (Choose only one answer)
The earth travels along a curvature of space-time.
The earth is pulled by the sun's enormous mass.
The earth is pulled through space by a magnetic field.
The earth is moved by the heat of the sun's nuclear reactions.
4
The place deep within a black hole, where everything is destroyed, is called the
_____. (Choose only one answer)
space trap
singularity
event horizon
gravitational ghost
5
When a star emits X-rays while circling an invisible compact object,
astronomers can calculate the mass of the compact object by measuring the
_____. (Choose only one answer)
speed of the star
density of the star
intensity of X-rays emitted
frequency of X-rays emitted
6
Theory suggests that if you could get close to the center of a stellar-mass black
hole, you may be converted into something like a _____. (Choose only one
answer)
cube of ice
ball of wax
doughnut ring
string of spaghetti
7
To zoom from one galaxy to another faster than the speed of light, some
astrophysicists have proposed that we need to _____. (Choose only one answer)
squeeze the time dimension of space-time
make worm holes that connect black holes
build a spaceship that can travel faster than light
find the entry and exit points of parallel universes
8
Astronomers suspect that the strongest radio signals from the hearts of distant
galaxies are coming from _____ black holes releasing jets of energized particles.
(Choose only one answer)
micro
mini
stellar-mass
supermassive
We then watched a video downloaded from United Streaming :
(http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/ ) called, “Black Holes, the Ultimate Abyss”.
It was a total of 51 minutes long. After the 1st and 2nd part, we had a class discussion
asking the following:
1. Describe how a black hole is formed from the time a massive star begins its
collapse. We discussed, as we saw in the movie, that first there was a huge
explosion, followed by huge implosion and then an incredible concentration of
mass. What was previously the size of 10 of our suns is now the size of
Washington D. C. We discussed prior lab with the sun and showing how many
earths we could line across it. Then we drew the pinpoint on just one of those
earths representing something the size of Washington DC.
2. Describe the steps involved in determining the mass of a black hole. What do
you have to measure or observe in order to estimate the mass? We discussed that
when scientists see a star orbiting an invisible object, we determine this objects
mass by how fast the start is orbiting it. This was reiterated at the white board
with a drawing.
3. If you were observing a probe entering the event horizon of a black hole, you
would see it “hovering for an eternity and destroyed in an instant.” Discuss the
meaning of this phrase as it applies to conditions near a black hole. We
discussed how the “Event Horizon” is the point of no return. The concept of
hovering for an eternity and being destroyed in an instant was one that we had a
very hard time grasping. Discussed here was also singularity with is the
destruction of everything, deep in the center of a black hole.
4. Discuss Einstein’s theory of gravity and the curvature of space time. We
discussed what we saw in the video and compared it to stretching out a sheet
and putting a basketball, representing the sun, in the middle, while at the same
time adding the other smaller planets, for example, tennis balls, marbles, etc.
What happened? They all fall toward the larger massed item, that being the sun.
Project: Divide class into 3 groups of 4, giving each a different kind of black hole to
research. Group one did Stellar Mass black holes. Group 2 did Super Mass black holes
and group 3 did mini black holes.
They were assessed on the research project using the following rubrics:
Use the following three-point rubric to evaluate students' work during this lesson.
• 3 points: report well-researched, information clearly and logically organized,
presentation interesting and lively
• 2 points: report adequately researched, information sufficiently organized,
presentation dull
• 1 point: report insufficiently researched, information inadequately organized,
presentation poorly prepared
After project was completed, we had our final exam. This was basically the same test the
students were given at the beginning, however, there were modifications made in the
vocabulary of the test. Substitutions were made. For example, “emitting gases” was
changed to “spitting out gases” and “scientists theorized” to “scientists think” and “when
our sun runs out of nuclear fuel to” “when our sun burns out” Here is how it looked
retyped:
Discovery Education Streaming
_________________________
Circle the best answer
1.
Name:
To find black holes, astronomers look for _______.
Ultraviolet radiation they spit out
Objects falling out of space and time
Nuclear reactions at their centers
Stars circling huge invisible objects
2. Astronomers think that when our sun burns out, if will become a _________.
Black hole
Neutron star
White dwarf
Frozen planet
3. According to Einstein’s theory of gravity, why does the earth revolve around the sun?
The earth travels along a curvature of space time
The earth is pulled by the suns gravity
The earth is pulled through space by a magnetic field
The earth is moved by the heat of the sun
4. The place deep within a black hole, where everything is destroyed, is called the _____.
Space trap
Singularity
Even Horizon
Gravitational Ghost
5. When a star is circling an invisible object, astronomers can find the mass of the invisible
object by measuring the _______.
Speed of the star
Density of the star
Intensity of x-rays
Frequency of X-rays
6. If you get close to the center of a stellar-mass black hole, you may be changed into
something like a _________________.
Cube of ice
Ball of wax
Doughnut ring
String of spaghetti
7. To zoom from one galaxy to another, faster than the speed of light, some scientists have
said we need to ___________________.
Squeezed the time dimension
Make worm holes that connect black holes
Build a spaceship that can travel faster than the speed of light
find where you enter and leave a universe
8. Astronomers suspect that the strongest radio signals from distant galaxies are coming
from _______black holes releasing jets of gas.
Micro
Mini
Stellar-Mass
Supermassive
9. The point near the black hole where you cannot turn back is the______________.
Act of accretion
Gas
Event Horizon
Space Trap
Modifications made:
Simplified questions for example:
2. Astronomers theorize that when our sun runs out of nuclear fuel, it will become
a____.
To
2. Astronomers think that when our sun burns out, if will become a _________.
Data: (Names were changed)
Ms. Smith
Student Pretest Grade
Andy
Shone
0
50
Science-2nd Block
Final Test Grade Increase
63
88
63
38
Shayla
Sue
Curtis
Sekka
Brandy
Mattie
Al
Josie
Danni
38
38
50
25
25
25
25
*50
*25
* Not
included
in totals
Total
Average
276
31
100
75
63
88
88
100
88
Absent
Suspended
753
84
62
37
13
63
63
75
63
Students’ grades improved vastly. This also is reiterated in discussions.
As for the research, all of the sites were way above their reading level. They ended up
just basically copying down whatever site they had, not being able to scan the site for
exactly what was needed. So, what we have now are 3 charts of summaries that the
students have made, but these charts have words that they cannot read, let alone, words
that they can understand.
A venn diagram was to be made of the similiarities and differences of 3 different
types of black holes. They were able to get a few of these and the Venn diagram will be
made this week. Thus, more time is needed for this project and not the 2 class periods the
lesson plan from United Streaming said we would need. I did think the research task
would be easier on the students if more charts or graphs were found in the research but
this didn’t happen, so they were left on their own to seek out information that was
needed. I also tried to find sites that were high interest/low readability, but didn’t find
enough. (However, A to Z reading is in the process of setting up sites for science for
hi/lo reading.) I had them print out their sites and then I had them highlight the main facts
that pertained to we needed, i.e., facts from each black hole that we could easily put into
a Venn diagram.
There are learning moments in copying information. There is a chance to put
hand/eye coordination to work. And hopefully when they were writing the words down
they recognized parts of words.
The pretest, the movie, the discussion, the research and the poster making all
together took 3 blocks which was more than my Excel assignment was supposed to take.
It will take another partial block period to have students present their posters and create a
Venn diagram as a class. Problems, for example, were: if the student was looking up
mini black holes, he would find the site okay, but was not able to scan the site to find the
info on mini black holes alone. He or she would just start writing anything they see on
the site.
I did get some great pictures from the students. Some that were reluctant to draw
where more confident when I told them that every picture we see of a black hole is
just an artist’s rendering. To make this go better next time, I will work one-on-one
with each student during roc (studyhall) to show them how to scan websites for what they
need.
The below is a copy of the actual lesson plan:
This is a lesson plan from “United Streaming” (Discovery
Education, 2004) with some activities modified or deleted for
use in a high school resource for students with a cognitive
delay. For full lesson plan as given by Discovery Education,
please go to:
http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/videos/21399/D9D
DB615-9B20-5CA7-C60629FE323A428E.pdf
Onscreen Activities
Segment 2, Black Holes, The Ultimate Abyss: Part 2
• Pre-viewing: With your classmates, speculate on what might happen if you fell
into a black hole. What about a wormhole? As you watch the documentary, keep
track of the black hole and wormhole theories that are proposed and the
evidence used to support them. How different are they from your ideas?
• Post-viewing: According to the documentary, a wormhole is a theoretical
tunnel connecting two black holes. This would provide a means of traveling to
different locations in short periods of time. If this is possible, do you think
scientists should attempt to create a wormhole? Why or why not?
• Activity: Find out more about the life cycles of stellar mass, supermassive, and
mini black holes. Then prepare a presentation for your class that includes their
individual characteristics, such as original composition and life span.
Curriculum Focus:
Astronomy/Space
Lesson Duration:
Two class periods
Black Holes: The Ultimate Abyss:
Teacher’s Guide
Black Holes: The Ultimate Abyss: Teacher’s Guide 2
Lesson Plan
Student Objectives
Students will understand the following:
• Even though black holes all have characteristics in common, they come in three
different sizes.
• Each size black hole has characteristics different from the others.
Materials
• Black Holes: The Ultimate Abyss video and VCR, or DVD and DVD player
• Library and Internet reference materials on black holes
• A computer with Internet access
Procedures
1. Review with your students what they have learned about black holes.
2. Make sure they understand that, while black holes have characteristics in
common, they differ with regard to size. Explain that black holes come in three
sizes: stellar mass black holes, supermassive black holes, and mini-black holes.
Explain further that particular characteristics are associated with each size.
3. Divide the class into three teams, and assign each team to research one of the
black-hole types discussed above.
4. Tell students that each team will prepare a presentation based on its research,
which should include the following:
• characteristics of the type of black hole
• lifetime of the type of black hole
• locations (or suspected locations) of the type of black hole
• evidence for existence of the type of black hole
5. Tell students to keep track of the sources for their facts so that they or other
interested classmates can go back to those sources for further information.
Encourage students to include visuals in their reports.
6. After each team has presented its report, invite students to participate in
creating on the chalkboard a compare-and-contrast chart showing the similarities
and differences among the three types of black holes.
Discussion Questions
1. Discuss how Newton’s view of gravity differs from Einstein’s view of gravity.
2. Describe how a black hole is formed from the time a massive star begins its
collapse.
3. Describe the steps involved in determining the mass of a black hole. What do
you have to measure or observe in order to estimate the mass?
4. If you were observing a probe entering the event horizon of a black hole, you
would see it “hovering for an eternity and destroyed in an instant.” Discuss the
meaning of this phrase as it applies to conditions near a black hole.
6. Discuss the objective of the Gravity Probe B satellite and its relevance to the
study of gravity.
Assessment
Use the following three-point rubric to evaluate students' work during this lesson.
• 3 points: report well-researched, information clearly and logically organized,
presentation interesting and lively
• 2 points: report adequately researched, information sufficiently organized,
presentation dull
• 1 point: report insufficiently researched, information inadequately organized,
presentation poorly prepared
Vocabulary
black hole
Definition: An object with a gravitational field so strong that light cannot escape
from it. It is believed to be created in the collapse of a very massive star.
Context: Everybody has heard of black holes; no one has really seen them.
galaxy
Definition: A galaxy that is a powerful source of radio waves.
Context: Mighty jets of energized particles are blasted into space from invisible
engines at the hearts of these so-called radio galaxies–further evidence that a
black hole is driving the process.
gravity
Definition: A fundamental physical force that is responsible for interactions that
occur because of mass. The force of gravity from an object is inversely
proportional to the square of the distance away from the object.
Context: Newton reasoned that all matter in the universe has gravity.
mass
Definition: A measure of the amount of material an object contains, which causes
it to have weight in a gravitational field.
Context: The more mass a body has, the more gravity.
Definition: A point or region of infinite mass density at which space and time are
infinitely distorted by gravitational forces and which is thought to be the final
state of matter in a black hole.
Context: The most terrifying concept of astrophysics lurks at the bottom of a black
hole—the singularity—where nothing, not even light, can escape.
space-time
Definition: A system of one temporal (time) and three spatial coordinates by
which any physical object or event can be located. Also called the space-time
continuum.
Context: Space and time seem to be woven together to form the flexible fourdimensional fabric of the universe: so-called space-time.
supernova
Definition: The explosion of a very large star in which the star may reach a
maximum intrinsic luminosity one billion times that of the sun.
Context: When a giant star switches off, it goes out with a bang. While we see the
outward explosion as a supernova, this masks the implosion going on inside.
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:
• 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—Space Science: Understands essential ideas about the composition
and structure of the universe and the Earth’s place in it.
• Science—Physical Science: Understands energy types, sources, and
conversions, and their relationship to heat and temperature.
• Science—Physical Science: Understands basic concepts about the structure
and properties of matter.
• Science—Physical Science: Understands motion and the principles that
explain it.
Citations:
Citation (APA)
Black Holes: The Ultimate Abyss. Discovery Channel School
(1998). Retrieved May 9, 2008, from
unitedstreaming: http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/
Discovery Education Streaming