Table of Contents

Module 7: Astronomers and Their Tools

Lesson 2: Hubble Space Telescope WebQuest

Timeframe:

This activity requires approximately one 30-minute classe

• 1 Class for the WebQuest activity

Objectives:  Pan-Canadian Curriculum Objectives

106-3: describe examples of improvements to the tools and techniques of scientific investigation that have led to new discoveries (e.g., describe examples, such as the lunar buggy, the Canadarm, the Hubble telescope, and space probes, which have extended scientific knowledge)

205-8: identify and use a variety of sources and technologies to gather pertinent information (e.g., use electronic and print resources or visit a planetarium to gather information on the visual characteristics of planets)

207-2: communicate procedures and results, using lists, notes in point form, sentences, charts, graphs, drawings, and oral language (e.g., write a postcard describing your holiday on a planet other than Earth and include in the description the key characteristics of that planet)

General Objectives:

Through this lesson, students will learn of the intricate workings of the Hubble Space Telescope and how the telescope has come to bring us so many beautiful and amazing images.

Curricular Connections:

• Information and Communication Technologie
  • Internet Searching
• Language Arts
  • Writing descriptive paragraphs

Lesson Overview:

This activity is involves having students complete a WebQuest, or Internet research activity in which they will complete a guided research worksheet. The students will only be given a single class period for the research so they must stay on task to complete all elements of the worksheet.

WebQuest URL: hubble.stsci.edu

Materials and Resources:

Nota : This page contains documents for which the access may require a particular software. If the software is not installed, you can download it and follow the instructions for installation.

• Student WebQuest Handout (PDF format, 30 KB)

• Seasonal star charts

Vocabulary:   Astronomy Glossary

• optics
• spectrograph
• infrared

Developing the Lesson:

1. Comment that this is an group investigative activity

2. Handout resources…
   • Student WebQuest sheet
     
     
3. Explain time frames
   • approx. 1 class for WebQuest
     
     
4. Explain lab protocol
   • what students can and cannot do in the computer lab.
   • no off-task surfing
   • stop when the time is up
     
     
5. Assign students to group
   • 2 students per group
     
     

6. Dismiss students to their groups to begin their task

7. After 40 mins. reassemble the class and commence the closure activity

Closure:

Teacher reassembles the class and reviews the WebQuest handout that students completed. The teacher should emphasis that there is really a whole lot more to the workings of the HST than what was researched in the WebQuest. The teacher could discuss such things as the how the telescope got into and maintains its orbit.

Evaluation:

Rubric template