MC

6th Grade

Standard: 04

Objective:  01.  Compare the size and distance of objects within systems in the universe.

ILO:

 

 

Why are distances in space often measured in light years?

               a.  The light year is a commonly used unit of measure.

               b.  Distances in space are so great that a large unit is needed.

               c.  Scientists always use metric units like light years.

               d.  Light years are easy to measure and understand.

 

Correct Answer:  b

 

MC

6th Grade

Standard: 04

Objective:  01.  Compare the size and distance of objects within systems in the universe.

ILO:

 

 

Which of the following correctly ranks astronomical objects by size, starting with the smallest?

               a.  Earth, sun, solar system, galaxy, universe

               b.  sun, solar system, Earth, universe, galaxy

               c.  universe, galaxy, solar system, Earth, sun

               d.  solar system, Earth, sun, universe, galaxy

 

Correct Answer:  a

 

MC

6th Grade

Standard: 04

Objective:  01.  Compare the size and distance of objects within systems in the universe.

ILO:

 

 

Our nearest star neighbor in space, Alpha Centauri, is four light years from Earth.  Why will it be difficult to visit?

               a.  It is very bright and hot.

               b.  We are not sure exactly where it is.

               c.  There may be no planets near it.

               d.  It is very far away.

 

Correct Answer:  d

 

 

 

 

 

 

MC

6th Grade

Standard: 04

Objective:  01.  Compare the size and distance of objects within systems in the universe.

ILO:

 

 

How large is the Milky Way galaxy?

               a.  It is the largest galaxy ever observed.

               b.  It takes up over half of the known universe.

               c.  It cannot be measured or compared.

               d.  It is very small when compared to the universe.

 

Correct Answer:  d

 

MC

6th Grade

Standard: 04

Objective:  01.  Compare the size and distance of objects within systems in the universe.

ILO:

 

 

Which of the following best compares the amount of empty space in the universe to the amount of space galaxies occupy?  Galaxies

               a.  take up about half of space.

               b.  take up most of the room in space.

               c.  are less than half but more than a fourth of space.

               d.  take up an extremely small amount of space.

 

Correct Answer:  d

 

MC

6th Grade

Standard: 04

Objective:  01.  Compare the size and distance of objects within systems in the universe.

ILO:

 

 

Compared to our galaxy, how big is our solar system?  The solar system is

               a.  very, very tiny.

               b.  about one-tenth of the galaxy.

               c.  about one-third of the galaxy.

               d.  over half of the galaxy.

 

Correct Answer:  a

 

 

 

 

 

 

MC

6th Grade

Standard: 04

Objective:  01.  Compare the size and distance of objects within systems in the universe.

ILO:

 

 

What are galaxies made up of?

               a.  moons and planets

               b.  two stars orbiting each other

               c.  about one hundred stars

               d.  many millions of stars

 

Correct Answer:  d

 

I

6th Grade

Standard: 04

Objective:  01.  Compare the size and distance of objects within systems in the universe.

ILO:

 

 

An astronomical unit is the measurement used to determine distances in space.  One Astronomical Unit (AU) is defined as the distance from the sun to the Earth.  It is 92.9 million miles.

 

1.  Approximately how many astronomical units would it be from the sun to Mars?

               a.  0.5

               b.  1

               c.  1.5

               d.  2

 

2.  Approximately how many astronomical units would it be from the sun to Mercury?

               a.  0.5

               b.  1

               c.  1.5

               d.  2

 

3.  Approximately how many astronomical units would it be from the sun to Saturn?

               a.  0.5

               b.  5

               c.  10

               d.  15

 

4.  Approximately how many astronomical units would it be from the sun to Pluto?

               a.  10

               b.  20

               c.  30

               d.  40

 

Correct Answers:

               1.  c

               2.  a

               3.  c

               4.  d

 

E

6th Grade

Standard: 04

Objective:  01.  Compare the size and distance of objects within systems in the universe.

ILO:

 

 

Draw or describe where Earth is in space.  Be sure to include its position in the solar system, galaxy, and universe.

 

Correct Answer:

Earth is the fourth planet from the sun; our sun is in an outer, spiral arm of the Milky Way galaxy; the galaxy is in a cluster of galaxies called the Local Group and other groups exist in the far outer reaches of space.

 

 

P

6th Grade

Standard: 04

Objective:  01.  Compare the size and distance of objects within systems in the universe.

ILO:

 

 

What is a Light Year?

 

Activity Description:

Students will calculate the distance light travels in one year.

 

Materials:

A calculator

 

Time Needed:

20 minutes

 

Teacher Background:

It is important to work some practice problems with students before giving them this assignment.  Some students will not yet have the math skills needed and will need to see the answer worked out eventually.  Be sure and give students time to figure it out for themselves, some will be able to do it.

 

Procedure:

1.  Tell students they are going to calculate the distance light travels in one year.  To learn how to do that they will start with some practice problems on the board such as:

            a.  If a car is traveling 60 miles per hour, how far does it travel in 4 hours?

            b.  If a car is traveling 60 miles per hour, how far does it travel in one day?

c.  If a planet is traveling 100 miles per second, how far does it travel in a minute?

d.  If a planet is traveling 100 miles per second, how far does it travel in an hour?

e.  If a planet is traveling 100 miles per second, how far does it travel in a day?

            f.  If a planet is traveling 100 miles per second, how far does it travel in a

week?

 

2.  Explain that light travels very rapidly, at 186,000 miles per second. 

 

3.  Ask students to determine how far light travels in a year.  Allow plenty of time for work.

 

4.  Ask the students to show you their answers as they finish.  Pick a correct one to go to the board and show the class how they found the answer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

5.  They should arrive at the answer by the following method:

a.  186,000 x 60 (seconds in a minute) x 60 (minutes in an hour) x 24 (hours in a day) x 365 (days in a year)

b.  Students may calculate days in a week, weeks in a month, and months in a year.  They may get slightly different answers doing it this way. 

c.  Students may not understand their calculator when the answer is given.  It will appear in exponent form because it is too large a number to fit on the screen.

d.  The answer may appear as 5,865,696  E6.  This means 5,865,696  times 10 to the 6th power (1,000,000) or 5,865,696,000,000 miles in one year.

e.  Another way to say this is that light travels nearly 6 trillion miles in one year.  Our nearest star neighbor in space is Alpha Centauri at about 4 light years away.  That makes it 24 trillion miles from us. 

 

6.  Using a textbook or other source, you might have students calculate distances to other astronomical features.