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OVERVIEW
PREPARATION TIME:
Allow 1-2 weeks minimum to:
- Obtain equipment for in-class activities (Parts 1 and 2)
- Download and print and/or modify worksheets (Parts 1, 2, and 3)
To set up each activity in the classroom allow:
- 30 min-2 hours for Part 1 (depends on number of stations)
- 1 hour for Part 2
- 30 min for Part 3
CLASS TIME:
Each activity takes approximately 90 minutes to complete. An additional
hour of discussion following the completion of all of the activities
might be useful.
HANDOUTS:
Student
worksheets may be downloaded and printed out. These worksheets may
either be used as they are or modified.
Answers to the questions on the student worksheets are also available.
VOCABULARY:
Many of the following vocabulary words are defined at The Imagine
Dictionary:
astronomy, atom, electromagnetic spectrum, electron,
element, energy, galaxy, spectra, spectral, star, supernova, universe,
velocity, wavelength, waves
TECHNICAL SUPPORT:
If you have any questions about this activity, please send email to cfpaedu@cfpa.berkeley.edy.
We would be happy to assist in locating places to order the harder to
find materials. We are also available to help you out should you have
difficulties setting up the activities.
TEACHER'S PROCEDURES
Hands-on Activities:
- Read through the student
activities and decide which part(s) you will
do.
- Obtain the materials necessary for the activities you have chosen.
- Go through the student
activities to try each out. Detailed photos showing the proper
set-up for each part are available here.
- If your school has limited bandwidth, the instructions for the
student activities can be downloaded to a local computer, or the pages
could be printed out. The hands-on activities can be done entirely off-line, if
necessary.
- Divide the class into groups (four students per group is a good size). To
limit the amount of hardware that needs to be purchased, you could have
some groups working on Part 1 while others work on Part 2. Students
could either share their results or switch parts after 90 minutes.
- Choose one or more of the Internet Activities described below for
the students to do as a follow-up. To do the activtiy, students need
only follow the links below.
Internet Activities:
- Internet Research Project:
New Discoveries in Science: Students research a recent
astronomical discovery of their choice and summarize their findings in
a one page report. Starting links are provided.
- Recommended reading list:
Students are presented with a list of recommended reading to follow up
on what they have learned. Students are encouraged to find a book not
on the list, read it, and send a paragraph summary to us. We will
gladly add student and teacher contributions to this page.
- Apply your Knowledge!:
Students read a recent press release which discusses the current
research on which the Desktop Stars activity is based. Students
identify five items in the press release that relate to what they have
done in the activity and write a paragraph explaining what they have
learned about this topic and developing questions they have about the
topic.
STUDENT'S PROCEDURES
Detailed instructions for students for each part can be found in the activity
itself. Presented below is an outline of what the students will do.
Part 1:
- Open a web browser and go to the
Desktop Stars page.
- Follow the link to:
"Brightness and Distance"
- As you read through the material answer the worksheet questions
and fill out your data tables by doing the hands-on experiment.
Part 2:
- Open a web browser and go to the
Desktop Stars page.
- Follow the link to:
"Light and Spectrum"
- As you read through the material answer the worksheet questions
and fill out your data tables by doing the hands-on experiment.
Part 3:
- Open a web browser and go to the
Desktop Stars page.
- Follow the link to:
"The Expanding Universe"
- Read the introductory material, then fill out the worksheet,
following the on-sccreen instructions.
Internet Writing Activity:
- You teacher will ask you to do one or more of the activities below:
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