5.Asteroid Introduction Lesson
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GRADE LEVEL: 

7-12

OVERVIEW:

Students will become familiar with the Highland Road Park Observatory as they learn about the asteroid Baton Rouge that was discovered with the Observatory’s telescope.

PURPOSE:

Many students do not know about the scientific research being carried out on outer space. This lesson not only covers the importance of studying asteroids but also that this research is being conducted by scientist very near them in Baton Rouge. This also shows how scientists need to be connected to other scientist around the world

OBJECTIVE:

Students will:
  1. Analyze rock samples and through research they will discover most asteroids are basically chunks of stone or metal.
  2. Model the position of the Earth in relationship to other objects in the solar system.
  3. Discuss how asteroids are found by viewing actual video of the asteroid Baton Rouge

CURRICULUM STANDARDS:

SI-M-A4, SI-M-B6, ESS-M-C2, ESS-M-C5
SI-H-B1, SI-H-B6, ESS-H-D6, ESS-H-D7

MATERIALS:

Rocks, Measuring tools, Solar System Image, String
Question sheets for Articles 1 and 2; if students do not have access to computers they will need copies of The Advocate Online articles
http://www.theadvocate.com/archive/story.asp?storyid=13315
http://www.theadvocate.com/news/story.asp?StoryID=10664

PROCEDURE:

  1. Have students bring various sizes of rocks to school (none too large to “hang” in asteroid belt)
  2. Using their “asteroid”, have students collect data about their asteroid. Size, mass, color, volume, density.
  3. Using a map of the solar system direct the students to locate where the asteroid belt is.
  4. Assign three groups to construct a model of Earth, Mars and Jupiter (or you may supply to save time)
  5. Hang the models of the Earth; Mars, and Jupiter in an area that will allow the asteroids to be displayed and at the same time do not pose a threat of falling on students.
    You can use the following solar system data to hang the models to scale or refer to Project Astro Resource Book D-5, Solar System Scale Activity. Remember to tell the students this is a distance scale and not scaled to size of the planets.

    Data Table 1 AU = 12”
    PlanetDistancefrom the Sun in AU
    SUN
    MERCURY 0.39
    VENUS 0.72
    EARTH 1.0
    MARS I.52
    JUPITER 5.20
    SATURN 9.54
    URANUS 19.2
    NEPTUNE 30.1
    PLUTO 39.4
  6. Give students string to tie to their asteroid leaving enough string hanging to place their asteroid between the two planets.
  7. Introduce the Highland Road Park Observatory Asteroid Work chart to the students. Read over the top portion and introduce the chart of asteroids. LINK
  8. Hand out questions to Article 1. Print out the articles at the top of this lesson or have students link to the Advocate here . 

    Article 1 - NEWS: Asteroid hunters: Amateur makes discoveries with LSU, BREC aid.
    http://www.theadvocate.com/archive/story.asp?storyid=13315

    If your class does not have access to computers you can print out the article and run copies for the students to use to answer the questions.

  9. Repeat step 8 with Article 2.

    Article 2 – NEWS: Space Rock found in 1998
    http://www.theadvocate.com/news/story.asp?StoryID=10664

  10. Discuss articles in class or teachers can pick up answers for a grade.
  11. Teachers make an overhead of the two Images of the Baton Rouge (attached). You can display this on the overhead or pass it around the class telling the students to line up the “stars”. They will find that one “star” does not line up at all. Overhead one is the first picture taken on the night of 11/28/99, of the asteroid Baton Rouge. Give them overhead two, this is the picture taken 67 minutes later. Can they find which is the Asteroid Baton Rouge?
  12. If class has access to computers have the students view and discuss the short video clip of the asteroid Baton Rouge taken from the HRPO.

    LINK

    Images – Solar System

    Go to A frame animation that is 67 minutes long of travel by 11739 Baton Rouge on the night of 11/28/99 and read the caption that goes with the video clip then click on the video frame to download the video. 

    Possible class discussion questions about the video clip:
    1. Have the students’ brainstorm what is happening in the video clip and list what they think various objects are.
    2. Which object is the asteroid Baton Rouge?
    3. How long did it take the Baton Rouge to travel the distance shown in the video?
    4. What does it mean the exposures were each 3 minutes long?
    5. When was this video taken?
    Teachers you can show the students the next animated video of Laurel and Amber asteroids.

    Evaluation:

    Questions answered correctly If at all possible complete the extension with the class. For extension evaluation students can answer discussion question about video in a journal.

    Internet Resources:

    http://www.gettysburg.edu/academics/physics/clea/CLEAsoft.overview.html
    This exercise incorporates software designed to find asteroids using digital images of the sky taken at different times, along with software designed to measure the precise positions of stars on images. It also includes several digital images of asteroids taken at research observatories and documentation for both the students and the instructor.