Grade level: 7th
Tools needed: pictures of galaxies from website,
Web resources:
http://www.pbs.org/seeinginthedark/pdfs/galaxy_sorting_activity.pdfGoogle Earth
Strategy: Students have trouble even beginning to imagine the objects that are in space and I found that my students really started to grasp at least the size and variety of objects in the universe with this activity. There are 20 galaxies in photos from Hubble that you can download from the website above. Make sure you have a set of 20 for each group of 4-5 students. The instructions are very specific on the website, however, I had to modify them somewhat because of no access to the computer lab.
The students spend some time looking at the photos and discussing in their group what similarities and differences they notice. We make a web on the board of some of these characteristics. Then I ask each group to come up with a system they would like to use to classify these galaxies and place them accordingly. The teacher moves from group to group asking each to discuss what their reasoning was on their classification system.
Then the teacher selects two or three groups to present their system to the class. Give students an opportunity to ask questions, discuss ways to improve the system. Now discuss ways that astronomers used to figure out a system to classify galaxies. Remember, there is no "right" way to classify galaxies.
Discuss Edwin Hubble and the scheme he came up with to classify galaxies: spirals, barred spirals, ellipticals, and irregulars. Did any group come up with something similar? Students now use Hubble's system to classify the 20 photos.
The next day I brought up google earth on the board and we went to the "sky." Be sure to check Backyard Astronomy and turn on Constellations, Messier Catalog, New General Catalog, and Yale Bright Star Catalog. Then use the list of 20 galaxies, given on the website for Galaxy Sorting, and type in each. Have students try to classify the type of galaxy and provide them with some of the interesting information given on list or at the actual google earth site.
Posted by Stargazer
No comments:
Post a Comment