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EDUCATOR’S GUIDE

Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics Museum of Science, Boston

Cosmic

Questions

Our place in space and time

Cosmic

Questions

Our place in space and time

Table of Contents

Introduction to this Guide....................................... 3 Introduction to the Exhibit...................................... 3 Goals of the Exhibit............................................ 3 Cosmic Questions Exhibit Descriptions............................... 4 National Science and Math Standards.............................. 6

Classroom Activities........................................... 7 What are Your Ideas About the Universe? Cosmic Survey................ 9 Modeling the Universe......................................... 17 Exploring the Spectrum........................................ 21 A Multi-Wavelength Exploration of the Universe..................... 29 Modeling the Expanding Universe................................ 39 Evidence for the Expanding Universe.............................. 47 Is There Life on Other Worlds? The Drake Equation................... 59 Is There Life Out There? Community Survey........................ 65

Visiting theCosmic Questions Exhibit............................ 69 Your Cosmic Questions–Partner Interviews......................... 71

Resources.................................................. 73

“The universe is made of stories,

not atoms.”

• Muriel Rukeyser 20 th^ c. poet

Acknowledgments Cosmic Questions: Our Place in Space and Time was developed by the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, a collaboration of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and the Harvard College Observatory. The exhibit was designed by Jeff Kennedy Associates and its national tour is managed by the Association of Science-Technology Centers. Supporting educational programs and materials, including this guide, were developed by the Museum of Science, Boston.Cosmic Questions has been made possible by the generous support of the National Science Foundation and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

EDUCATOR’S GUIDE grades 7–

Cosmic Questions Educator’s Guide 3

INTRODUCTION TO THIS GUIDE

The Cosmic Questions Educator’s Guide is a resource for teachers of students in grades 7–12. A wealth of excellent astronomy and astrophysics curricula has been developed by many educational, research and government agencies. We have drawn from these existing resources and assembled activities that best introduce and teach the complex concepts presented in the Cosmic Questions exhibit. This is not intended to be a comprehensive curriculum. Resources are listed that direct you to more information. The guide was developed in conjunction with the exhibit and complements a Museum visit. However, the activities can also be used independently. The format is flexible, and you can pick and choose the materials that are most appropriate for you.

The Guide includes:

• information about the Cosmic Questions exhibit.
• activities to do with your class before or after you visit the exhibit.
• activities to do during a visit to the exhibit.
• additional resources for exploring your own cosmic questions.

INTRODUCTION TO THE EXHIBIT

What is the universe like? Was there a beginning to time? How do we fit into the cosmos? Ancient human questions remain at the heart of modern cosmology, the study of the universe as a whole. This exhibit invites you to explore the emerging portrait of our magnificent universe. Like astronomers who observe the galaxies in awe and wonder, you too just might find yourself asking new questions about space, time and our place in the spectacular cosmos.

From interactive computer stations to stunning astronomical murals, the traveling exhibit Cosmic Questions: Our Place in Space and Time takes visitors behind the scenes of modern cosmological science and urges them to explore their own connection to the universe. Cosmic Questions has four thematic areas: Our Place in Space; Observing the Universe; Our Place in Time; and Great Cosmic Mysteries. Each area introduces new answers to old questions and inspires more questions that will further define ou place in the cosmos.

GOALS OF THE EXHIBIT

Cosmic Questions employs a diverse set of exhibit experiences and interpretive strategies that invite visi- tors to join the human quest to understand our place in space and time. The exhibit highlights new dis- coveries in astronomy while providing visitors with opportunities to:

• Learn about key astronomical and scientific concepts, including:

  the composition of the universe and its vast scales of space and time. “learning from light,” the physical and analytical tools of the astronomer. the interplay of models, evidence and explanation in forming our understanding of the universe.

• Increase their understanding of the nature of scientific inquiry by engaging in activities that explore “how we know” about the universe.
• Encounter various human perspectives (historical, personal, cultural, artistic, etc.) on age-old cosmic questions.
• Reflect upon their own ideas about the universe and the meaning and relevancy of the ongoing human search for answers to cosmic questions.

Our Place in Space In this introductory area, visitors begin at our own Milky Way galaxy and travel outward to billions of galaxies as far as our eyes can see. The question of how we fit into the vast web that is our universe has intrigued observers for many cen- turies. It is with modern tools and instruments that we are beginning to truly understand how vast the universe really is and how important our questions are.

Welcome Home gives scale and context for our place in our local “cosmic neighborhood” using a large mural of the Milky Way and our nearest neighbors. Explore an interactive map and a tactile bronze model with audio narration.

Mapping the Universe shows how our ideas about our place in the universe have been expanding throughout time with a display detailing the human quest to map our place in the cosmos. View the universe of galaxies in 3D using a stereo viewer; see an astro- labe, a kind of instrument used by astronomers 1000 years ago.

Wall of Galaxies illustrates that the Milky Way is just one of billions of galaxies in the universe with a photo gallery of beautiful galaxies and galaxy clusters beyond our local neighbor- hood. Launch from Earth and journey through the universe using state-of- the-art scientific visualizations of the cosmos.

Human Reflections connects visitors to various interpretations of cosmic themes and allows them to reflect on their own views. See artistic, spiritual and intellectual reflections on universal cosmic questions; listen in on a video of artists and scientists; use a magnetic word board to create your own cosmic poetry.

Observing the Universe In this highly interactive section, visitors explore the universe using the tools of some of the world’s foremost ground-based and space- borne observatories. With help from modern tools and the scientists who use them, we see how to piece together the story of the universe using the faint light of deep space.

Mauna Kea highlights the ways we observe the universe from Earth through a multimedia exploration of the Mauna Kea mountaintop in Hawaii, with a special focus on the Gemini Observatory. Use an interactive CD- ROM to meet scientists who use and operate Mauna Kea telescopes; see a telescope mirror in the making; view beautiful telescope images; and con- trol a telescope yourself — request an image to be taken tonight and emailed to you tomorrow!

Chandra highlights the ways we observe the universe from space with a multi-media exploration of the Chandra X-ray Observatory. Use an interactive CD-ROM to meet scientists who use and operate Chandra; examine a model of this new space telescope; view beautiful x-ray images of the universe.

Multi-Wavelength Astronomy shows how astronomers use different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum to learn new things about the universe and the objects in it. This area is an introduc- tion to the rainbow of light beyond what our eyes can see and an explo- ration of what different objects look like in those wavelengths. Use special multi-wavelength viewers to explore the night sky; compare different views of stars, nebulae and galaxies on CD-ROM with an astronomer as your guide; listen to an audio analogy for the electromagnetic spectrum.

Spectra Interactive demonstrates what light tells us about an object through a display about the informa- tion contained in a star’s spectrum. Use a real spectroscope to analyze the light coming from different sources in a simulated star field.

Infrared Astronomy shows how infrared “eyes” can help us learn to observe the world around us in new ways. This multi-wavelength activity highlights the infrared band of the electromagnetic spectrum. Use a near- infrared camera to see phenomena invisible to your eyes.

Sky-watchers, Then & Now illustrates astronomical awareness throughout history and across cultures, focussing on observations of the supernova explosion of 1054 A.D. Observe a reproduction of an ancient Native American bowl thought to document the supernova’s appearance.

Beyond Hubble provides up-to-date information about the latest develop- ments in space science. Use a computer station and bulletin board to explore current astronomy news. 4 Cosmic Questions Educator’s Guide

COSMIC QUESTIONS EXHIBIT DESCRIPTIONS

6 Cosmic Questions Educator’s Guide

NATIONAL SCIENCE AND MATH STANDARDS The exhibit and these activities can be used to support the following National Science Standards*

Standards

Unifying Concepts and Processes

Science as Inquiry

Physical Science

Earth and Space Science

Science and Technology

Science in Personal and Social Perspectives

History and Nature of Science

Grades 5 – 8 Evidence, models and explanation

Understanding about scientific inquiry

Motions and forces Transfer of energy Earth in the solar system

Understanding about science and technology

Science and technology in society

Nature of science

Grades 9 – 12 Evidence, models and explanation

Understanding about scientific inquiry

Motions and forces Interactions of energy and matter Origin and evolution of the universe

Understanding about science and technology

Science and technology in local, national and global challenges

Nature of scientific knowledge

Principles and Standards Grades 6 – 12

Numbers and Operators Understand numbers, ways of representing numbers, relationships among numbers and number systems.

Algebra Understand patterns, relations and functions. Use mathematical models to represent and understand quantitative relationships. Analyze change in various contexts.

Geometry Specify locations and describe spatial relationships using coordinate geometry and other representational systems. Use visualization, spatial reasoning and geometric modeling to solve problems.

Measurement Understand measurable attributes of objects and the units, systems and processes of measurement.

Data Analysis and Formulate questions that can be addressed with data and collect, organize and Probability display relevant data to answer them. Develop and evaluate inferences and predictions that are based on data.

Problem Solving Apply and adapt a variety of appropriate strategies to solve problems.

Communication Analyze and evaluate the mathematical thinking and strategies of others. Use the language of mathematics to express mathematical ideas precisely.

Connections Recognize and apply mathematics in contexts outside mathematics.

Representations Use representations to model and interpret physical, social and mathematical phenomena.

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Principles and Standards**

• http://www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/nses/html/index.html ** http://standards.nctm.org/index.html

Classroom Activities^7

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES

Cosmic Questions: Our Place in Space and Time is organized into four thematic areas. The activities in this guide have been chosen to teach concepts presented in each of these areas.

1. Our Place in Space - What are Your Ideas About the Universe? Cosmic Survey - Modeling the Universe These activities lay the foundation for thinking about the size and scale of the universe. They can be used to assess students’ understanding and introduce concepts before a visit to the exhibit. 2. Observing the Universe, Learning from Light - Exploring the Spectrum - A Multi-Wavelength Exploration of the Universe Everything we know about the universe beyond Earth we learn from light and electromagnetic radiation. Astronomers use different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum to learn about the universe and celestial objects. These activities assume students have some prior experience with the electromagnetic spectrum. The first activity leads students through experiments with light and filters, demonstrating that the broader the range of the electromagnetic spectrum we can detect, the more information we gather. In the second activity, students work with spectacular images taken with telescopes sensitive to different wavelengths of light. These activities are appropriate before or after a visit to the exhibit. While visiting the exhibit students can see even more stunning images of the universe. 3. Our Place in Time - Modeling the Expanding Universe - Evidence for the Expanding Universe What does it mean to say the universe is expanding? How do we know the age of the universe? What is the evidence for the Big Bang? Students will create conceptual models of the expanding universe and use actual galactic spectra to calculate the movement of galaxies through space. These activities could be introduced before a visit to Cosmic Questions and returned to in greater depth after viewing the Cosmic Kitchen Theater and other information presented in the exhibit. 4. Great Cosmic Mysteries - Is There Life on Other Worlds? The Drake Equation - Is There Life Out There? Community Survey The universe is full of mysteries that have no answers yet. These activities introduce students to a framework for examining the possibility of life on other worlds, and connect to a visitor poll about these same questions.

Each activity begins with connections to the Cosmic Questions exhibit, goals , and a list of materials. Background for teachers offers information about the topic and tips for conducting the activity. Suggestions for introducing the activity are included. Depending on students’ experience, some activities may require teaching or review of concepts that are not covered in this guide, such as objects in the solar system or the physics of light and electromagnetic radiation. Procedures provide step by step instructions for the activity. Discussion notes serve as the basis for group discussions and help students reflect on their learning. Student Worksheets and some suggested answers to the questions presented in the activities are included.

The Resources at the end of the guide direct you to more information to help you get started or to conduct further investigations on each of these topics.

A note about distances. We know that teachers often encourage students to use kilometers in their work. However, we have included both kilometers and miles in this guide to provide an intuitive sense about distances in the universe. Because the universe is so large, astronomers use the light year to express very large distances. A light year is the distance light travels in a year, which is equal to approximately 6 trillion miles or 9.5 trillion kilometers.

9

WHAT ARE YOUR IDEAS ABOUT THE UNIVERSE? COSMIC SURVEY*

Exhibit Connections: Welcome Home, Mapping the Universe, Cosmic Calendar

Goal

• to introduce the concepts of the structure and evolution of the universe

Materials

For each student

• one set of seven Cosmic Survey images
• scissors
• one copy each of the three Cosmic Survey Student Worksheets–How Big? How Far? How Old?

Background

We could live in an infinite universe. No one yet knows the true size of our universe. Our view is limited not by a physical edge to space, but by how far light has traveled since the time our universe was born. The observable universe is just a portion of the whole.

Many people, adults and students alike, are familiar with the names of objects in space, but they have an incomplete mental model of where those objects are in space, their relative size and scale, and how they fit into the cosmic scheme of things. Understanding the sizes and distances of celestial objects can be tricky because in our everyday experience, the stars all seem the same distance away, and the moon can appear close or far away depending on whether you observe it near the horizon or higher in the sky. Most people’s knowledge of dim and distant objects such as nebulae and galaxies comes mainly from images in books, where all the images are about the same size with no indication of scale.

In this activity, a three-part questionnaire launches students on discussions about where objects in space are located, and when they formed. By physically manipulating images of objects in space, students represent their own mental models of space and time.

When you lead discussions with students, please keep in mind that ideas and insights about the three- dimensional organization of the universe develop gradually. Getting the “right answer” is not as impor- tant as the critical thinking skills that students develop as they confront the questions that arise as they struggle with their mental models of the universe.

This survey can serve as a great assessment activity for you to find out how your students think about the universe, and you can use it to help design follow-up activities to improve their understanding.

Suggestions for Introducing the Activity This is an introductory activity that guides students as they begin to think about where we fit in the universe. Students should be familiar with the objects in our solar system and the terms for celestial objects beyond our solar system. Ask students to name some objects in the universe. What might we want to know about objects in the universe? What kind of information could we gather about objects in the universe?

What are Your Ideas About the Universe? Cosmic Survey

• Images courtesy of NASA: Isaac Newton Telescope; Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. ©2001 Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. This activity was developed with support from NASA Grant No. NCC5-261. Universe! Education Forum. http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/seuforum.

10 Cosmic Questions Educator’s Guide

Procedure

• Make enough copies of the Cosmic Survey images for each student to have a set of seven images. You do not need to cut these images from the book; a separate set of both the large and small images are found in the pocket at the back. Part 1. What are your ideas?
• Hand out copies of the three data sheets and the sets of seven images. Have students cut the images apart so they can physically manipulate them as they fill out their data sheets. They should answer the survey questions in the following order: How Big? How Far? How Old? (This order represents increasing levels of conceptual difficulty for most students). Collect the students’ papers so you can look over their ideas.
• Organize the class into discussion groups of three to five students. Give each group a set of survey data sheets. Explain that each team is to discuss the three survey questions and come to an agreement, if possible, on the best order of images for each question. One member of each team should record questions that arise as they order the images.
• Circulate among the groups of students, encouraging them to discuss any disagree- ments fully and to write down arguments in support of their answers. Part 2: Discussion
• Lead the class in a discussion about the 3 different survey questions. Play the role of moderator, requiring each group to explain why they chose that order. (Ensure that students are also comfortable saying, “we really didn’t know about these objects.”) See the discussion notes for “correct” answers and frequent student ideas.
• After discussing each question, poll the students on the alternative orders of images suggested. Do not announce the correct order at this time; students should be encour- aged to think for themselves.
• After getting a class consensus on all three questions, let students know the correct answers and observations of astronomers.
• Try this activity again with your students after a visit to the Cosmic Questions exhibit or as a post-astronomy unit assessment, to see whether their ideas and understanding have changed.

Discussion Notes Question 1: How Big? The correct order for the 7 images, from smallest to largest is:

Telescope 40 feet long (12 meters) Moon 2 thousand miles diameter (3,200 kilometers) Saturn 75 thousand miles diameter (121,000 kilometers) Sun 875 thousand miles diameter (1,408,000 kilometers) Pleiades 60 trillion miles across the cluster (1 x 10^14 kilometers) Galaxy 600 thousand trillion miles across (1 x 10^18 kilometers) Hubble galaxies 600 million trillion miles across the cluster (1 x 10^21 kilometers)

It’s hard to tell the size of objects from many of the images we see because they look about the same size in the pictures. But the Sun is much larger than Saturn or any of the planets. In fact, a million Earths would fit inside the Sun. Size counts in nature. Objects much larger than Saturn or Jupiter are fated to turn into stars such as our Sun. They collapse under their own weight and grow fiercely hot as their nuclear fires are kindled. Students may also wonder whether in the image of the Pleiades, we are talking about the sizes of the individual stars, or all the stars in the picture. For this picture and the Hubble galaxies, the challenge is to figure out the relative size of the “field of view” – all the stars or galaxies in the cluster.

12 Cosmic Questions Educator’s Guide

You have been provided with images of seven different objects in space. Try arranging the pictures in order of actual size of the object (or field of objects) pictured. Order the objects so that the smallest is on the top, largest is on the bottom. Write down and keep track of questions that arise as you order the images. When you are satisfied that you have the best order, record the names of the objects in the spaces below.

Objects Ordered by Actual Size

Largest in Actual Size

Smallest in Actual Size

STUDENT WORKSHEET Cosmic Survey—How Big?

Question 1: How Big?

What are Your Ideas About the Universe? Cosmic Survey 13

STUDENT WORKSHEET Cosmic Survey—How Far?

Question 2: How Far?

You have been provided with images of seven different objects in space. Try arranging the pictures in order of distance of the object from Earth. Order the objects so that the object closest to Earth is on the top, farthest is on the bottom. Write down and keep track of questions that arise as you order the images. When you are satisfied that you have the best order, record the names of the objects in the spaces below.

Objects Ordered by Distance from Earth

Farthest from Earth

Closest to Earth

What are Your Ideas About the Universe? Cosmic Survey 15

COSMIC SURVEY IMAGES–LARGE

16 Cosmic Questions Educator’s Guide Cosmic Questions Educator’s Guide

COSMIC SURVEY IMAGES–SMALL

Moon

Whirlpool Galaxy

Hubble Deep FieldGalaxies

Hubble SpaceTelescope

PleiadesStar Cluster

Saturn

Moon

Whirlpool Galaxy

Hubble Deep FieldGalaxies

Hubble SpaceTelescope

PleiadesStar Cluster

Saturn

Moon

Whirlpool Galaxy

Hubble Deep FieldGalaxies

Hubble SpaceTelescope

PleiadesStar Cluster

Saturn

Moon

Whirlpool Galaxy

Hubble Deep FieldGalaxies

Hubble SpaceTelescope

PleiadesStar Cluster

Saturn

Sun Sun Sun Sun

Suggestions for Introducing the Activity This is an introductory activity that helps students think about where we fit in the universe, and model the size, shape and relative position of objects in the universe. Students should be familiar with the objects in our solar system and terms for celestial objects beyond our solar system. This activity begins with students brainstorming about objects in the universe and the concepts of models. Students with less experience with these concepts will require more time and teaching in the discussion part of the activity.

Procedure Part 1. Discussion

• Facilitate a class discussion of what’s in the universe. Ask students “What IS the universe?” Brainstorm a list of objects in the universe that can be viewed with a telescope. As students mention different objects, ask them what they know about them. What is a planet? What is a star? What is a galaxy? How far away are these things, relatively speaking? What do you think they would look like in the telescope? Which ones can we see without the aid of a telescope? How could we group the objects?
• Discuss how scientists use models to suggest how things work and to predict phenomena that might be observed. Ask students to name some familiar models, such as a globe, or a dollhouse. A model is not the real thing. It can always misrepre- sent certain features of the real thing. Different models may represent only part of what is being modeled. Part 2. Modeling
• Divide students into groups of three or four. Each student can have one or more of the following roles; model maker(s), recorder of model features, spokesperson.
• Challenge students to create a model of the universe in less than 30 minutes. You may wish to have some groups choose just a part of the universe to model (such as the solar system, or a galaxy, or perhaps just the earth-moon system). One person in the group should write down the features of the model as it is built, along with questions that arise.
• Students can use the Universe Model Analysis Student Worksheet to record the features of their model as they work. Part 3. Sharing Models with the Class
• As each group presents its model, ask the students to comment on these four questions: > What features of the universe does your model represent? > What things does your model misrepresent? > What things about the universe does your model omit, or not represent at all? > What questions came up as your group worked on your model?

Discussion Notes After sharing all the models, discuss the following questions. Are there any patterns that emerge? What parts of the astronomical models do you think represented the “real thing” particularly well? Why? What parts of the astronomical models do you think misrepresented the “real thing?” Why? Why is representing the whole universe a difficult challenge? What are some things you need to find out to design a better model?

18 Cosmic Questions Educator’s Guide

Modeling the Universe 19

STUDENT WORKSHEET Universe Model Analysis

A model is a simplified imitation of something that helps us understand it better. Because a model is not the real thing, it can always misrepresent certain features of the real thing. Different models may represent only part of what is being modeled.

After your group creates your model, you will be asked to explain your model to the rest of the class, commenting on these four questions:

What features of the universe does your model represent? What things does your model misrepresent? What things about the universe does your model omit, or not represent at all? What questions came up as your group worked on your model?

Use this chart to record the features of your model as your group is working.

Features represented Misrepresented or Features of real thing irrelevant features omitted by model

Questions we had: