Space Physics and Scale of the Universe
The scale of the solar system and universe presents challenges of visualisation for students (and teachers) with the distances involved having little or no reference point in everyday life. The light year is used as a more practical unit of distance but its name, implying a time measurement, and the size of a light year presents challenges of its own. Helping students appreciate the size and scale of the universe can be a challenge and it is often more beneficial to take an approach based on comparative rather than absolute size.
This topic provides a good opportunity to trace the history and development of science and measurement devices with our developing understanding of the solar system and beyond. The connection between observations and evidence and theory can be clearly made here.
Whilst this list provides a source of information and ideas for experimental work, it is important to note that recommendations can date very quickly. Do NOT follow suggestions which conflict with current advice from CLEAPSS, SSERC or recent safety guides. eLibrary users are responsible for ensuring that any activity, including practical work, which they carry out is consistent with current regulations related to Health and Safety and that they carry an appropriate risk assessment. Further information is provided in our Health and Safety guidance.
Scale of the Universe
Perhaps the most accessible and attractive of the online resources designed to help students visualise the comparative size of various object in the universe from the smallest to the largest. A simple slider allows you to zoom in and out as much as you wish. The realisation that some unexpected things are on the same scale (e.g. USA/Mercury, Earth-Sun Distance/Single Star) can be rather surprising.
Strengthening Teaching and Learning of Earth, Space and Beyond
This document provides a useful and comprehensive resource for the teaching of Earth, Space and related topics providing classroom specific advice and guidance and well and highlighting more general considerations for teaching this topic. The section on Barriers to learning on pages 13-16 is particularly useful.
Solar System Image and Information Set *suitable for home teaching*
This is a complete collection of high quality images, interesting facts and information about the solar system which you can use to develop your own subject knowledge and add interest to presentations. The language is at a suitable level for students to use for reference material and the content is thorough. For some students it might be best to set the task of comparing a short list of key facts such as what it is, size and distance from the Sun. You could also support its use with a set of questions to guide reading and by having students work in groups.
Pluto: a planet no more
This is a fun Science upd8 resource which allows students to explore the structure of the solar system. It could be used with lower ability students as an alternative way to learn about the solar system. Data on planets, dwarf planets and moons can be used to learn about the solar system before devising their own criteria for classifying a solar system body and finding out why Pluto isn’t considered a planet any more.
The International Space Station and Skylab
This collection of NASA video clips can be used as a discussion point to allow students to marvel at the experience of weightlessness and to add to their understanding of how the force of gravity can produce a stable orbit. You can use these clips to start discussions about what weightlessness in orbit really means.
Satellites
This video from NASA shows why satellites are used and how they work. You could use it to explain what an artificial satellite is as well as the difference between geostationary and orbiting satellites.
Solar System: Images of Individual Planets
These high resolution images from NASA of the planets of our solar system could be used by students or teachers to produce a summative display of the topic.
Elliptical Orbits
This illustrates a simple demonstration showing how the orbits of the planets form an ellipse around the sun. It enables students to see why comets have a much more eccentric elliptical orbit and you can use it to explain how the orbital speed of a comet will vary as the orbit radius varies.
Big Bang Theory *suitable for home teaching*
This short animated video provides a good introduction to the Big Bang theory and subsequent formation of the Universe. The video can be used by to compare to Newton’s Steady State theory of the Universe and initiate a discussion of the two theories.
Big Bang Evidence *suitable for home teaching*
This second animated video presents the evidence for the Big Bang Theory. It covers both red shift and cosmological microwave background radiation. The video is visually attractive and the narration is both informative and accessible. Understanding the implications of Red shift and Cosmological Microwave Background Radiation gives plenty of opportunity for discussions on the evolution of the Universe which students love.
Redshift
This video clip shows a simple demonstration that can be used to help students understand red shift and blue shift of waves emitted by a moving object. Using the school yard, students move as if they are light waves being emitted by a star. The clip shows that if a wave source is moving relative to an observer there will be a change in observed wavelength.
The Sun and Stars
This is a good resource produced by Teachers TV. You can show the first 10 minutes of this film to look at the life cycle of the Sun and other stars. The end of the film is aimed at teachers, and here you’ll find some ideas for practical activities and demonstrations. The demonstration of the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram is a particularly good physical activity which helps students thinks about what happens to a star during its life cycle. You can find the teachers notes for it here.
Collisions and Explosions in the Universe
This short video clip explains how the Universe is constantly changing and the evidence that shows the explosions and collisions which have taken place over billions of years.
