do you believe in ghosts
TRANSCRIPT
Do you believe in Ghosts?
Introductory section and preparatory phase• Short Description: Do you believe in ghosts? What actually are ghosts?
“Creatures” that do not exist but we can see them. Are there any such “creatures” around us? Let’s have a look at the night starry sky. We can see all these stars, but many of them are not existing any more. Light speed has an upper limit but all these stars can be hundreds or thousands light years away. We can only “see” what “light” brings to us, but the light source can already be destroyed while the ‘light” is traveling to us. We ask students to think about all these amazing phenomena. Then we use the “Faulkes Telescope Project” to observe some stars, nebulas and galaxies. We search for their distance from the Earth and we go back to earth history. A star 2000 light years away has send it’s light to us when Christ was born! Maybe we are just observing the star’s ghost.
• Keywords:, Stars, Astronomy, light years, Faulces, telescope, nebulas, galaxies
• Target audience: Students studying Physics and Astronomy.• Age range: 14-18 years old• Context: Natural Sciences School Lab, Computer School Lab, Internet
Connection. • Time required: 3-4 hours
Introductory section and preparatory phase• Technical Requirements: Internet connection, appropriate software: Google
Hangouts, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Windows, Computers, video projector could be useful.
• Author’s background: Knowledge of Physics, knowledge of Astronomy, Cosmology and Astrophysics, stars, galaxies, nebulas, internet.
• Connection with the curriculum: Strongly related with Astronomy (Second Class of Greek High School), Physics (First, Second and Third Class of Greek High School).
• Learning Objectives: Hands on learning, Inquiry based learning, ICT in education, use of Open Science Resources, learn students to cooperate and act as researchers.
• Guidance for preparation: Search in literature, bibliography, internet and other sources, about elementary particles and neutrinos. Study of Astronomy, Cosmology, Astrophysics, Physics. Discovery of new Earth – like planets.
Pre-Experiment / Observation– Teaching Phase 1:Questions Eliciting Activities – PROVOKE CURIOSITY
1. Teacher asks students if they believe to Ghosts?
2. Then he asks students to define what actually is a ghost. A creature that we can see without
3. Teacher then asks students to look at a starry night and ask them if they can see any ghost.
Pre-Experiment / Observation– Teaching Phase 1:Questions Eliciting Activities – DEFINE QUESTIONS FROM CURRENT KNOWLEDGE
Teacher asks students about the speed of light.
How long does it take light from Sun to reach Earth;
Are we looking the past of the Sun;
Pre-Experiment / Observation– Teaching Phase 2: Active Investigation – PROPOSE PRELIMINARY EXPLANATION OR HYPOTHESES
• Students are asked to find space objects (stars, galaxies, nebulas). To find how far they are in light years.
• Then we ask students to find out how was the Earth when the light emitted by these objects.
• Teacher helps student to realize that whenever we look at the sky we are observing the past.
Pre-Experiment / Observation– Teaching Phase 2: Active Investigation – PLAN AND CONDUCT SIMPLE INVESTIGATION
Students are using the “Faulkes Telescope Project” to observe space objects and find how far they are from us. They are looking at the
past!
Pre-Experiment / Observation– Teaching Phase 2: Active Investigation – PLAN AND CONDUCT SIMPLE INVESTIGATION
• Alternatively we can use the robotic telescopes of the itelescope.net.
• Students are encouraged to set their own targets and search with the robotic telescopes for distant space objects.
• Do we Know if all these objects are still existing? Light is traveling a very long way to Earth.
• Are we looking at Ghosts?
Experiment / Observation– Teaching Phase 3: Creation – GATHER EVIDENCE FROM OBSERVATION• All these stars are finally exploding. Can we find such explosions in
space?• Are all these nebulas, star explosions?• What about the exoplanets we are constantly discovering?• If we can “see” an earth – like planet 500 light years away, will we
see it’s present or it’s past?
Experiment / Observation– Teaching Phase 4: Discussion – EXPLANATION BASED ON EVIDENCE
• Finally, are we looking at a sky full of ghosts? • Can we see as far as the beginning of the universe?• Can we see the Big Bang, if we see deep into the universe?
• If we ever see the surface of an exoplanet, will we see the ghosts of beings?
Experiment / Observation– Teaching Phase 4: Discussion – CONSIDER OTHER EXPLANATIONS
Consider the theory of relativity. Can relativity explain and change our
knowledge about the universe and space
journeys?
Consider the “Twins Paradox”
Post-Experiment / Observation– Teaching Phase 5:Reflection – COMMUNICATE EXPLANATION
• Students can now explain why the night sky is full of ghosts. We are observing objects that may not exist any more!
• Students can realize the limitations imposed by speed light
• Students can explain why when we are observing deep into the sky we can see universe’s past until the very beginnings.
• Think of exoplanets and what actually we can “see”. Can we get any messages from Gleise 581 (an Erath-like planet possible to carry life).
Post-Experiment / Observation– Teaching Phase 5:Reflection – FOLLOW UP ACTIVITIES AND MATERIALS
• Try to relate Earth history to Universe history.
• Work on a project creating timeline (star emitting light- Historical events)
Probably, our first messages will be radio waves. Create a radio telescope at school following the instructions above:http://www.scienceinschool.org/2012/issue23/telescope/greek
Contact Information• Name Surname: Chiotelis Ioannis• Affiliation: Model Experimental High School of
University of Patras• Address: Arakinthou 20, 26226, Patras, Greece• Telephone: +306948372341• Email: [email protected]