Writer’s Notebook
Student Name:_____________________________________________
Science Section:___________
Task:
L1: After researching informational texts and articles on the
electromagnetic spectrum and telescopes, write an informational essay
that describes the electromagnetic spectrum and how astronomers use
telescopes and the electromagnetic spectrum to study objects in space.
Choose one part of the electromagnetic spectrum and research a
telescope that is used for that frequency. Support your discussion with
evidence from your research.
You have been introduced to the task for this writing unit. In your own words, summarize
what is expected of you as the writer.
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_____________
Create a list of characteristics that need to be taken into consideration when writing a good
response:








Define plagiarism:
How are you going to avoid plagiarism?
Type of energy
Radio waves
Microwaves
Infrared
Visible Light
Ultraviolet
(UV)
X-Rays
Gamma
Definition
Examples from Wavestown
have the longest wavelength in the electromagnetic spectrum. These waves carry
the news, ball games, and music you listen to on the radio. They also carry signals
to television sets and cell phones.
have shorter wavelengths than radio waves. These heat the food we eat. They are
also used for radar images, like the Doppler radar used in weather forecasts.
Infrared with long wavelengths can be detected as heat. A radiator or heater gives
off these long infrared waves. We call these thermal infrared waves. The Sun
gives off infrared waves with shorter wavelengths. Plants reflect these waves.
are the only electromagnetic waves we can see. We see these waves as the colors
of the rainbow. Each color has a different wavelength. Red has the longest
wavelength and violet has the shortest wavelength. These waves combine to make
white light.
have wavelengths shorter than visible light waves. These waves are invisible to
the human eye, but some insects can see them. Of the Sun’s light, the ultraviolet
waves are responsible for causing our sunburns.
As wavelengths get smaller, the waves have more energy. X-Rays have smaller
wavelengths and therefore more energy than the ultraviolet waves. X-Rays are so
powerful that they pass easily through the skin allowing doctors to look at our
bones.
have the smallest wavelength and the most energy of the waves in the
electromagnetic spectrum. These waves are generated by radioactive atoms and in
nuclear explosions. Gamma rays can kill living cells, but doctors can use gamma
rays to kill diseased cells.
Vocabulary Definitions
Define the following words. Use the context of the articles or websites when you can or
you may use a dictionary. Make sure the definition pertains to how the word was used in
the article and that it is written in your own words. If you come across other words that
you do not know the definitions for, please add them to the list.
electromagnetic spectrumradiation radio waves –
microwaves –
infrared –
visible light –
ultra-violet –
x-ray –
gamma –
frequency –
wavelength –
telescope –
Web Resources (must use at least 3 different sources; you may search on your own or
use one of these provided)
Electromagnetic Spectrum sites: (Paragraph #2)
1. EarthSky: What is the electromagnetic spectrum?
http://earthsky.org/space/what-is-the-electromagnetic-spectrum
2. Space Today Online: What is the Electromagnetic Spectrum?
http://www.spacetoday.org/DeepSpace/Telescopes/GreatObservatories/Chandra/Electroma
gneticSpectrum.html
3. NASA: Electromagnetic Spectrum – Introduction
http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/science/toolbox/emspectrum1.html
Telescope sites: (Paragraphs #3 and #4)
4. NASA’s Great Observatories
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/postsecondary/features/F_NASA_Great_Observ
atories_PS.html
5. Amazing Space: An Introduction to NASA’s Great Observatories
http://amazing-space.stsci.edu/resources/explorations/groundup/lesson/basics/g38/
6. Era of Space Telescopes
http://amazingspace.stsci.edu/resources/explorations/groundup/lesson/eras/space/index.php
7. The Mission – NASA Spitzer Space Telescope (Click on Mission Overview and
History)
http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/mission
8. NASA: Mysterious Objects at the Edge of the Electromagnetic Spectrum (This site
provides very specific details.)
http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2012/16mar_theedge/
9. Major Space Telescopes (This site is highly recommended.)
http://www.space.com/6716-major-space-telescopes.html
10. Telescope Types
http://www.kidsastronomy.com/telescopesB.htm
11. Hubble Essentials
http://hubblesite.org/the_telescope/hubble_essentials/
12. Scientists Find the Light of the Earliest Stars Using Black Holes (This site provides
specific information on telescopes that utilize the energy with shorter wavelengths. You
will need to copy and paste this link – it does not act as a hyperlink.)
http://www.forbes.com/sites/alexknapp/2012/11/02/scientists-find-the-light-of-the-earlieststars-using-black-holes/#f005ed43bb94
13. Cool Cosmos: What is the Spitzer Space Telescope? (This site provides information
on infrared telescopes.)
http://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/cosmic_kids/learn_sirtf/index.html
14. Radio Telescopes
http://www.astronomynotes.com/telescop/s4.htm
15. How Radio Telescopes Work (This site provides a detailed account of radio
telescopes. From the homepage, click on “Our Telescopes”)
http://www.nrao.edu/index.php/learn/radioastronomy/radiotelescopes
16. Cool Cosmos: NASA’s Great Observatories
http://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/cosmic_classroom/cosmic_reference/greatobs.html
http://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/cosmic_classroom/multiwavelength_astronomy/multiw
avelength_astronomy/observing.html
17. NASA – Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope
http://fermi.gsfc.nasa.gov/
Video Resources
National STEM Center: The Electromagnetic Spectrum (This video may take a while to
load.)
http://www.nationalstemcentre.org.uk/elibrary/resource/5416/the-electromagneticspectrum
Mysterious Objects at the End of the Electromagnetic Spectrum
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ec70qC5wmnI
Electromagnetic Spectrum Basics
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4t7gTmBK3g
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwfJPc-rSXw
The Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HkmRmElyK0
Layout and Content of Paragraphs
Paragraph #1: Introduction
This paragraph should be an overview of what the reader can expect in the rest of
your report. It should provide a preview of each of the body paragraphs. This paragraph
must start with a “hook” sentence and end with a thesis statement. [Could include in-text
citations if including knowledge that is not common among the masses.]
Paragraph #2: The Electromagnetic Spectrum [Must include in-text citation(s)]
This paragraph must include a definition of the spectrum. In addition you need to
provide an explanation of the spectrum using real-world examples. The paragraph must
begin with a topic sentence and end with a concluding statement.
Paragraph #3: The Electromagnetic Spectrum and Telescopes [Must include in-text
citation(s)]
Use this paragraph to introduce the idea of how telescopes are generally used in
conjunction or combination with the electromagnetic spectrum, to view and study distant
objects in space. Start this paragraph with a transition sentence and end with a concluding
statement.
Paragraph #4: Specific Telescope/Wavelength [Must include in-text citation(s)]
In this paragraph you will choose a telescope that uses one part of the
electromagnetic spectrum. Provide a history of the telescope and a discovery(ies) made by
that telescope. In addition, describe the contribution that discovery made to the scientific
community. The visible light portion of the electromagnetic spectrum is off-limits since it
will be used as an example. Begin with a transition sentence and finish with a concluding
statement.
Paragraph #5: Summary
Begin this paragraph by restating your thesis statement. Provide a summary of the
main points from each of the three body paragraphs. Finish with a clincher. (A clincher is
a profound statement that leaves the reader with something to think about or something
they will remember.)
The following is an outline that you can use as a guide to organize your research and essay
content. You can type information into the outline, but sometimes formatting can be
difficult.
Name:
Teacher Name
Science
Day Month Year
Title of Essay
I.
Introduction Paragraph
A. Hook (attention-getter):
1. Preview of Paragraph 2:
2. Preview of Paragraph 3:
3. Preview of Paragraph 4:
B. Thesis Statement:
II.
The Electromagnetic Spectrum
A. Topic Sentence:
B. Basic Definition of the Electromagnetic Spectrum:
C. Low Energy Real-World Examples (2 examples for each energy)
1. radio waves 2.
microwaves -
3.
infrared -
4.
visible light -
D. High Energy Real-World Examples (2 examples for each energy)
1.
ultraviolet -
2.
x-ray -
3.
gamma -
E. Concluding Statement
III.
The Electromagnetic Spectrum and Telescopes
A. Transition Sentence:
B. General Statement of How Telescopes Use the Electromagnetic Spectrum:
C. Low Energy (provide a general detail of a telescope for each type of energy on the
spectrum)
1. radio 2.
microwave -
3.
infrared -
4.
visible -
D. High Energy (provide a general detail of a telescope for each type of energy on the
spectrum)
1. ultraviolet 2. x-ray 3. gamma E. Concluding Statement:
IV.
Specific Telescope/Wavelength
A. Transition Sentence:
B. Topic Sentence (name the type of energy you chose and the telescope that utilizes it)
C. History and general information of the telescope:
1. When was it built?
2. Who built it?
3. Who launched it and when?
4. How long has it been used?
D. Discovery in Space:
1. Describe what was discovered:
2. Describe when the discovery was made:
3. What contribution did this discovery make to the scientific community?
E. Concluding Statement:
V.
Summary
A. Restated Thesis Statement:
1. Summarize Main Point from Paragraph 2:
2. Summarize Main Point from Paragraph 3:
3. Summarize Main Point from Paragraph 4:
B. Clincher:
Works Cited

MUST BE TYPED ON A SEPARATE PAGE AND WILL BE THE LAST PAGE(S)
OF YOUR ESSAY

ALL ENTRIES MUST BE DOUBLE-SPACED

ALL ENTRIES MUST BE IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER

IF A SOURCE IS FORCED TO A SECOND LINE, THAT SECOND LINE MUST
BE INDENTED

EACH ENTRY ON THE WORK CITED MUST MATCH WITH AN IN-TEXT
CITATION(S)

EACH IN-TEXT CITATION MUST HAVE AN ENTRY ON THE WORK CITED
PAGE
Overall Requirements:








indented paragraphs
complete sentences
flow to the writing
correct capitalization, usage, punctuation, and spelling (CUPS)
correct MLA formatting
factual content based on research
use at least 3 resources (can be the ones provided or others you research)
must be typed, printed, and stapled to rubric
Note-taking Graphic Organizer for Paragraph #2
Resource(s)
Name of resource:
Resource(s) cited:
Information gained
Note-taking Graphic Organizer for Paragraph #3
Resource(s)
Name of resource:
Resource(s) cited:
Information gained
Note-taking Graphic Organizer for Paragraph #4
Resource(s)
Name of resource:
Resource(s) cited:
Information gained