Now it’s time for your class to shine out! Test your knowledge on astronomy and observatories in “The Universe and I” quiz.
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Keywords: quiz, astronomy, space
Universe and I quiz
Classifying the Universe
This is a great activity to do prior to a visit to an observatory.
In this activity, students will learn different ways of roughly separating the features of observable structures in the universe and will gain the tools needed for identifying what kinds of objects they can observe through telescopes when visiting the observatory.
Age Range: 10 – 13 years
Prep. Time: 30 minutes
Lesson Time: 35 minutes
Cost per activity: Cost of printing and optionally laminating the cards
Includes the use of: Printed cards
Slide Pack
Teacher Guide
Student Guide
Activity Resources
Life cycle of Stars
This session uses a mixture of group and individual work to explore Stellar Evolution. Students will learn about stars, comparing their life cycles of birth, life and death to that of humans. They will get to see how mass effects the type of star and the knock-on effect this has on the timeline of its life.
Age Range: 9-12
Prep. Time: 10 minutes
Lesson Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Cost per activity: Low (print cost only)
Includes the use of: Paper
Teacher Guide
Student Guide
Activity Resources
Stellar Heartbeats
This activity covers pulsating variable star cycles, considering how their brightness varies as if it were a heartbeat. Students will be asked to estimate data from an image and then convert it into a graph. They will then need to read data from the graph and consider what this implies.
Age Range: 12-16
Prep. Time: 10 minutes
Lesson Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
Cost per activity: Low (printer cost)
Includes the use of: Graph paper, ruler, pencil, print outs
Slide Pack
Teacher Guide
Student Guide
Activity Resources
Galaxy Distances using Tully-Fisher
The distance to the spiral galaxy NGC7331 can be estimated using the Tully-Fisher Relationship. In this activity we will calculate the distance to this spiral galaxy. Students will determine the rate of rotation of the galaxy, revealing its mass and likely luminosity. The apparent magnitude of the galaxy, as viewed from Earth can be used with the absolute magnitude to find the distance to NGC7331.
Age Range: 14-18
Prep. Time: 30 minutes
Lesson Time: 1 hour
Cost per activity: Low (printing costs)
Includes the use of: Calculator, pen, ruler, etc.
Teacher Guide and Model Answers
Student Guide
Dark Matter in Spiral Galaxies
In this project the students will gain insight into why astronomers think there are large amounts of dark matter in galaxies. Dark matter is material that is “dark” in the sense that it neither absorbs nor emits electromagnetic radiation (“light”). We can infer its presence through the gravitational effect it has on the matter we can see (stars and gas).
MATERIALS
Nebula in a Bottle
In this activity, the students will gain knowledge of the observable universe and the spectacular sights to be discovered when observing it. They get to unleash their creativity with creating nebulae and along with this learn that the Universe can come in a variety of colors, structures and shapes.
MATERIALS
3D model of Orion
In this activity we are going to calculate the distances between the stars in the Orion constellation. We use simple mathematics to convert real distances between the stars in space to 3-dimensional positions in a model built on a table in your classroom. Through this excercise we will experience how astronomers find distances using parallax and how much a constellation will change if we change our perspective.
Age range: 12 – 16 years
Prep. time: 30 minutes
Lesson time: 90 minutes
Cost per activity: low budget
Student guide
Download these instructions with your students/pupils.
Classification of the Universe
In this activity, the students will learn different ways of roughly separating the features of observable structures in the universe and will gain the tools needed for identifying what kinds of objects they can observe through telescopes when visiting the observatory.
MATERIALS
Cosmic Calendar
Turn an old wall calendar into a timeline of the universe!
In this assignment, you will try to fit the entire history of the universe from the Big Bang to present day into one calendar year from January to December. Were you surprised to see how late humans enter the picture?
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Keywords: calendar, timeline, universe