Galaxy Flashcards and Lesson

If your students can figure something out by themselves, let them.

Too often, teachers give a lecture and take all the fun out of the process of discovery.

Teaching about Hubble's classification system for galaxies is a good example.

Instead of giving the Galaxy Lecture or the Worksheet about galaxies, do this activity instead:

1. Give each small group a set of cards with photos of the different types of galaxies. Have them "play" with them, moving them around on the table. After they are somewhat familiar with the cards, you'll notice they naturally start separating the cards into groups. Encourage any group to do this if they don't start on their own. Once they have them separated, ask them to make labels for each group. (Give them blank squares for labels.) Don't offer any suggestions. Many will know some of the names, such as Spiral, etc. Just let them know it's okay to use the correct term if they know one.
2. Have each group share their system. You might have different arrangements and it would be good to discuss the differences. Just make sure they all know they did a good job! No wrong answers!
3. Then show them Hubble's Classification System! Hand them the Hubble Tuning Fork card. Have them rearrange their cards using the Fork card as a guide. Give them the correct terms and have them redo their labels. An extra pat on the back for those who came close!
4. Fun time to show a PowerPoint on Galaxies, or a YouTube clip. For BONUS POINTS, they could number a piece of paper and record the name and type of galaxy for each slide. Or you could make this required.

By the end of this lesson, your students show be able to identify the type of Galaxy when given a picture of a galaxy.

NOTE: Email Marcia for a Dropbox download of my complete Galaxies Lesson!

Hubble Photo Montage from CNN

CNN has put together a beautiful Hubble photo slide show on Galaxies. This can be shown once moving through the slides fast, then go slide by slide using the arrows, viewing the captions (click "View Captions.") Can be projected full screen without ads. Make sure you turn up the sound! Fun music accompanies the photos. REALLY NICE!

Click here to go directly the the CNN Hubble Slide Show.

Star Trek: Real or Not?

Capitalize on the latest Star Trek movie, which many of your students have probably seen. Show this series of slides from MSNBC that cover 10 sci-fi wonders. Are they Fact or Fiction?

Click here for the slide show.

Have your students take out a piece of paper and fold in thirds, hot dog-bun style. List the 10 Innovations down the left column, skipping a line each time. Put Fact and Fiction at the top of the other two columns. Then show the slide show. They can either check the correct column for a basic required 10 points, or add words in the correct column to show why that innovation is a reality or not. Make that worth 15-20 points.

Ten Innovations:

1. Teleportation
2. Tricorder
3. Deflector Shield
4. PHaSER
5. Holodeck
6. Tractor Beam
7. Communicator
8. Universal Translator
9. Cloaking Device
10. Warp Drive

What fun!

World Stress Map

Neat world stress map available as a Pdf Poster. Great visual of major earthquake zones, volcanic regions, and best of all, where mountains are forming as well! See the stress in the US in the eastern and western mountain regions.

Click here to download the World Stress Map.

Los Angeles Earthquake

I figure you all know about the 4.7 earthquake that rattled the LA area yesterday.

Do you know about the "Did You Feel It?" page from the USGS Volcano website?

Click here to see how many people went to this page and reported having felt the quake. Apparently several thousand people reported to the USGS “Did you feel it?” page within twenty minutes of the earthquake.

Several maps show the intensity felt and the location of each "reporter." Fun to see if the maps indicate the location of the epicenter!

So, next time you feel a quake, go to this page and report what you felt!

And be sure to visit if you know a quake has occurred. Show your students what's going on in the World of Quakes!