A d d i s o n
W e s l e y
6
Science&
Technology
Ontario Edition
Space
Addison Wesley
Science & Technology 6
Ontario Edition
Earth and Space Systems
•
Space
Steve Campbell
Beverley Williams
Douglas Hayhoe
Jim Wiese
Doug Herridge
Ricki Wortzman
Lionel Sandner
Addison-Wesley
An imprint of Addison Wesley Longman Ltd.
Don Mills, Ontario • Reading, Massachusetts
Harlow, England • Glenview, Illinois
Melbourne, Australia
Coordinating & Developmental Editors
Jenny Armstrong
Lee Geller
Lynne Gulliver
Editors
Susan Berg
Jackie Dulson
Christy Hayhoe
Sarah Mawson
Mary Reeve
Keltie Thomas
John Yip-Chuck
Researchers
Paulee Kestin
Louise MacKenzie
Karen Taylor
Wendy Yano, Colborne Communications Centre
Consultants
Lynn Lemieux, Sir Alexander MacKenzie Sr. P.S., Toronto District School Board
Sidney McKay, Brookbanks Education Centre, Toronto District School Board
Klaus Richter, formerly Edgewood P.S., Toronto District School Board
Katherine Shaw, Miller’s Grove School, Peel Board of Education
Pearson Education Canada would like to thank the teachers and consultants who
reviewed and field-tested this material.
Design
Pronk&Associates
Copyright © 1999 Pearson Education Canada Inc., Toronto, Ontario
All rights reserved. This publication is protected by copyright, and permission
should be obtained from the publisher prior to any prohibited reproduction,
storage in a retrieval system, or transmission in any form or by any means,
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regarding permission, write to the Permissions Department.
The information and activities presented in this book have been carefully edited
and reviewed. However, the publisher shall not be liable for any damages
resulting, in whole or part, from the reader’s use of this material.
Brand names that appear in photographs of products in this textbook are
intended to provide students with a sense of the real-world applications of
science and technology and are in no way intended to endorse specific products.
ISBN 0–201–64990–X
This book contains recycled product and is acid free.
Printed and bound in Canada.
3 4 5 6 – TCP – 04 03 02
U n i t
5
Space
H
ave you ever wondered what it would be like to travel through
space? Well, you can stop wondering. Just by being here on Earth,
you have already travelled at least ten billion kilometres through the
Milky Way, in loops around the sun. Surprised? There are even more
surprises to discover about space and the objects in it.
Now you will find out:
• how objects in our solar system move and interact to
create patterns and cycles on Earth
• about the physical characteristics of different
components of the solar system
• how to explore the relationships of size, position, and
motion of space bodies using models and simulations
• how technology has expanded our ability to observe
and study objects in space
Launch: Cosmic Journeys . . . . . . . . . 2
10: Blackout! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
1: Time Tellers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
11: Our Solar System. . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
2: Tracking Our Nearest Star . . . . . . . 8
12: Sky Pictures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
3: That Glorious Old Sun . . . . . . . . . 10
13: What’s Happening in Space?. . . 37
4: Patterns of Light and Darkness . . 12
14: Living in Space, the New
Frontier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
5: And the Seasons Go Round and
Round . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Design Project: Planetarium . . . . . . . 42
6: The Moon’s Changing Face . . . . . 17
Unit Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
7: The Moon on the Move . . . . . . . . . 19
Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
8: Earth’s Companion . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
9: Tides: The Mystery
of the Moon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Sounds Journeys
Are All
All Around
Around
Cosmic
Sounds
Are
Get Started
For many centuries people have looked to the skies with puzzlement and wonder. You have probably looked to the sky and had
questions, too. In a small group, talk about some of the questions
you have had. Then take a look at the illustration you see here.
Read the questions and discuss the possible answers with your
group.
Can you ever
see the moon
in the daytime
sky?
1. In your small group, discuss how you
might find the answers to these puzzles.
You can do research, set up models or simulations, or observe the sky over a period
of time. Scientists who study space are
called astronomers. They look at objects
in the night sky using binoculars and
telescopes, but that wasn’t always the case.
You can learn a lot just by using your eyes.
2
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 6
Is it possible to see the
planet Jupiter in the night sky
without a telescope?
2. If your plan is to observe the night sky,
use the skywatching tips provided on the
next page.
The key to watching the sky is to remember that you are watching for patterns
over time. To find them, you need to keep
records of what you observe. Take a notebook with you and be sure to record the
time (it should always be the same), the
date, weather conditions, equipment (if
any), and who is with you. Draw sketches
Tips for Being a Good Skywatcher
• Let your eyes get used to seeing in
the dark. Sit in a dark room for
about 5 min before you go outside.
• Bright lights make it hard to see.
Bring some red cloth to cover your
flashlight—you’ll still be able to see
your notebook and the sky.
• Look a little to the side of objects
in the night sky. You can see faint
light more easily by looking out of
the sides of your eyes.
Can
we see the
same stars any
time of the
year?
and take notes about what you see. After
many observations over an extended
period of time, you will be able to see
patterns that will help you understand
more about objects in space.
Write
1. You started off by looking at some sky
puzzles. Which answers are you sure of?
Write a statement that would convince
someone else that you know the answer.
Is there ever really a
Blue Moon?
Put your new knowledge to use by
observing the moon and other sky
objects. Follow the tips for viewing and
recording which you have already
learned. Remember to look for answers
to the sky puzzles!
Start a Space Portfolio to record your
observations of the sky. You may also
wish to include drawings or photos of
objects you see in the sky.
SPACE
3
1 Time Tellers
In this summer picture the sun is high in the sky. How do you think the position of
the sun helped people in ancient civilizations know when to start planting crops?
Have you ever wondered how people in ancient civilizations could tell
time without clocks and watches? They used the sky. They watched the
sun, moon, and stars. The moon’s changing shape told the time of the
month. People noticed regular changes in the positions of the stars, and
used the stars to measure the year and its seasons. They planned things
like planting and festivals based on the motions of objects in the sky.
People in ancient civilizations knew the sky well, and over time, their
knowledge has been passed on to us.
4
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 6
Of course, people in ancient civilizations
could figure out the time of the day, too. They
used shadows cast by trees and natural
objects, and later by taller buildings in towns.
In the morning when the sun rose in the east,
they would observe long shadows fall to the
west. When the sun was highest at noon, they
noticed that the shadow was shortest. As the
day progressed and the sun moved toward
the west, they noticed that the shadows
lengthened and moved toward the east.
What do you know about the shadows where
you live? Think about the objects that cast
shadows—could they help you tell time? In
this activity, you will begin by collecting data
about shadows. You will collect your data
every hour or so throughout the day. Then
you will use what you learn to create your
own device to tell time.
What do you know
about shadows?
Materials for each student:
a piece of cardboard
a stick about 50 cm or shorter
a piece of Plasticine
Procedure
1
Place the cardboard and stick, as shown,
outside. Make sure that they are in a
place where they won’t be disturbed
during the course of the day.
2
Early in the day, mark the shadow by
tracing it on the cardboard. Under the
tracing, record the time.
3
How do you think the shadow will
change throughout the day? Draw what
you think you will observe.
4
Now test your prediction by tracing the
position and the length of the shadow at
least five other times during the day.
Try to observe the shadow at regular
intervals, such as every hour.
5
Graph your results. Write about how
these results compare to your earlier
prediction.
SPACE
5
Sundials were first
used in ancient
Egypt, about 5500
years ago.
However, it wasn’t
until the 13th
century when
Arabian scientists
figured out how
the markings on
the base should
be spaced so
sundials could
measure real
equal hours
(our 60 min).
What kind of time-telling
device can you design?
An instrument used for telling time with
shadows is called a sundial. In this activity,
you will use what you have learned about
shadows, as well as your imagination, to
construct a device that could have been
used to tell time before mechanical clocks
were invented.
Materials for each student:
Students may use any of these materials:
cardboard, wooden dowels, construction
paper, cardboard tubes, tape, glue,
straws, wood scraps, scissors, markers,
Plasticine, nails, rulers, compass
6
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 6
Procedure
1
Make a plan. Include a list of the
materials you will use.
2
Make a drawing of the device, and label
all parts of it.
3
Use your plan to make a working model
of the device.
4
Use your time device for several days.
Make observations. What things do you
notice?
The world’s largest sundial is on
top of the Walt Disney World headquarters in Orlando, Florida. The sundial
has a diameter of 37.7 m. That’s over half
the length of a hockey rink!
Write
1. What do you use to measure and tell time?
Write a list of time devices that are used to
measure short periods such as minutes
and hours, and longer periods such as
weeks, months, and years.
2. Make a chart to show the advantages and
disadvantages of the time-telling device
you made.
3. Look at the sundials pictured on these
pages. How do they compare to the timer
you made?
4. How might you change your time device to
make it work better?
5. Many objects around us work as sundials.
On your way home, look to see what
objects work as sundials. What is the
smallest you can find? What is the largest
you can find? Sketch some of the sundials
you found.
Astronomers learn a lot by making
frequent and careful observations. Keep
observing and recording the night sky
from the same location and against the
same background. Begin to note how,
over time, objects appear to move in the
sky. How do you think the apparent
movement of objects in the sky could
be useful to people in some way?
Record your observations in your Space
Portfolio.
SPACE
7
2 Tracking Our Nearest Star
One of the most important objects in the sky is the sun, our nearest star.
On the basis of your daily observations of the sun, how would you
describe it? Create a web to show your thoughts.
You’ve been learning about patterns and cycles in space by observing
the night sky. But observing the sun—our nearest star—is very different.
It is very important to understand
that you must never look at the sun
directly. The sun’s rays are harmful
to your eyes. You also never look at
the sun through any kind of lens,
Sun
including a telescope or binoculars,
or through coloured glass. The safest
way to view the sun is to project its
image onto something.
8
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 6
very
bright
4
Think about what you have observed. As
a group, make a recommendation for the
best place to set the mirror for long-term
observations. Recommend as well the
best size of the peephole.
5
Use information from all the groups.
Decide as a class where to set the mirror
in a permanent position so that it can cast
an image of the sun on a large piece of
mural paper. Work together to trace
around the images of the sun on the piece
of paper through the day. Remember to
note the time of each tracing.
6
Keep the mirror in position so that you
can track the sun on other sunny days.
Use a different coloured pencil to trace
the image for each day.
In this activity, you will find out more about
the sun’s apparent path of movement.
Materials for each group:
a small mirror, or mirror chip
masking tape
mural paper (one sheet for the whole
class)
Procedure
1
In your group, use the masking tape to
cover your mirror, leaving a peephole
about 1.0–1.5 cm in diameter.
Safety Caution
Be careful when using your mirror not to
direct the sun’s light into anyone’s eyes.
Discuss Write
1. How would you describe the sun’s
apparent path of movement? Does the
sun move in the same direction as the
image it projects? How do you know?
Discuss your answers with a partner.
2. How do you think the path of movement
will change over a period of time? Write
a prediction and explain how you could
test it.
2
On a sunny day, take your mirror to a
window sill. Practise using the mirror to
catch the sun’s light. Try to reflect the
sun’s image on the wall.
3
What happens to the image of the sun if
you change the size of the peephole? the
angle of the mirror?
3. Could you notice any features of the sun
using the small mirror or mirror chip?
SPACE
9
3 That Glorious Old Sun
What comes to mind when you think about the sun? Do you think about
summer, and playing outside—or about stars and cereal? Stars and
cereal—what’s that all about? The sun is actually a star. In fact, it’s the
nearest star to Earth—and that’s why it seems a lot bigger than other
stars. As for the cereal part, cereal is made from grains. The sun is the
source of energy for every living thing on Earth, including the grain that
is grown to make cereal. There is a lot more amazing information to
learn about the sun.
What else does the sun do? It plays a role in
our weather, and not just on those warm
summer days. The sun also gives us wind and
rain. The sun warms the air, and warm air
moves—that’s how we get wind. The sun also
warms bodies of water, causing some of the
10
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 6
water to turn into vapour, a gas. The gas
floats into the air, where it condenses and
turns into water again. Billions of water
drops together in the sky create a cloud.
When the water drops get large enough, they
fall to Earth as rain.
Research in the library or on the Internet to
prepare a detailed report on the sun. Include
its importance to us on Earth, its four main
areas, its chemical makeup, its dimensions,
what type of star it is, its effect on other
space bodies and Earth, and some unique
features such as solar wind. Draw sketches,
and present your report in an innovative way.
Here are some quick facts to get you started.
Quick Facts About the Sun
What about what we can see on the sun? In
1650, a Jesuit priest saw dark spots on the
sun. These are sunspots. However, people at
that time didn’t want to believe that a pure
symbol, the sun, could have markings on it. It
wasn’t until many years later that the priest’s
theory was proven. What are sunspots? They
are cooler spots on the sun’s surface. They
happen when the surface tears a bit because
magnetic fields block out the heat of the sun.
Some sunspots are even larger than Earth.
If you use binoculars or a small telescope to
project the image of the sun, you may be able
to see sunspots.
tape over cover
one objective
Type of Star
G2, ordinary midsized star
Age
4.5 billion years
Diameter
1 390 000 km
Surface
Temperature
5 800 K
Core Temperature
15 600 000 K
Chemical Makeup
75% hydrogen
25% helium
Rotation (equator)
25.4 days
Rotation (poles)
36 days
Energy output
by nuclear fusion
Write Present
1. Listen to the reports of other students.
What did you learn from them that you
hadn’t already found out?
Set up a pair of binoculars on a tripod. Tape over
or cover one of the eyeholes. Place a piece of
white tagboard in front of the set-up. To find
the sun, adjust the binoculars until you see the
smallest possible shadow on the ground. Move
the binoculars until the reflection of the sun is
on the tagboard. Do not look directly at the sun
through the binoculars. The disk on the screen
should be round.
2. What questions do you still have about the
sun? How might you find answers to your
questions?
3. What was the most interesting thing you
learned about the sun?
SPACE
11
4 Patterns of Light
and Darkness
Long ago people believed that
Earth was fixed at the centre of
the universe, and that the sun
and the stars moved around it.
Well, Earth may seem to you to
be standing still, but it’s not. Earth
is spinning and hurtling through
space at high speeds—and you’re
going with it! In 1543, despite
a lot of opposition, Copernicus
suggested that, while spinning
like a top on its axis, Earth
axis
Sun
Earth
orbit
revolves around the sun during
the course of one year.
Earth revolves around the sun. The path that Earth
takes as it revolves is its orbit.
Each day the sun appears to rise
in the east. Then it appears to
climb higher in the sky until
midday. Later it seems to drop until it disappears below the horizon
in the west, causing the sky to grow darker until night descends. This
apparent movement of the sun above and below the horizon gives us our
terms sunrise and sunset. But if Earth, and not the sun, is moving, then
what is really happening to cause day and night?
In this activity, you will set up a model of
Earth in space to find out what really causes
day and night. You need to go outside with
your class to do this activity.
12
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 6
Materials for the class:
globe
Plasticine
pin or toothpick
compass (optional)
Procedure
1
Set up a globe outside in the sunshine so
that no other objects cast shadows onto
its surface.
2
Set up the globe so that its North Pole
points north. If you wish, use your
compass to find north.
6
After you have discussed your position
on Earth, rotate the globe a quarter turn
to the east. This is the direction in which
Earth rotates on its axis. Look again at
Earth from space and record how things
have changed. Keep rotating a quarter
turn and record what you notice, until
you are back at your starting point.
Discuss
Discuss the following questions with your
classmates.
1. Is there any place on Earth where the sun
will not rise today? Why?
2. Is there any place on Earth where the sun
will not set today? Why?
3. Look at your watch and note the time.
Choose three other locations and tell what
time you think it will be at those locations.
3
Rotate the globe so that the place where
you live is on top. This models your
place on Earth relative to the sun.
4
Use a bit of Plasticine to fix a pin or
toothpick to your location. This shows
you standing in your location on Earth.
5
Now stand back and look at Earth as if
you were looking at it from space.
Answer these questions:
a. How does the shadow of the toothpick on the globe compare with the
shadows on the ground?
b. Use the globe to represent Earth.
Where is it dark on the globe right
now?
c. Where on Earth is the sun rising
now? Where is it setting?
d. What places are having morning?
midnight?
4. In summary, what causes Earth to have
periods of light (day) and darkness (night)?
Along with your other observations of
the night sky, try to start watching the
sunset. The sun has set when the entire
sun goes below the horizon. Where on
the horizon does it appear to go down?
You can sight this by lining up the sun
with objects on the horizon such as
trees or power poles. Keep a record of
the sunset and compare your findings.
Be sure to make all your observations
from the same place. Does the position
of the sunset seem to shift on the
horizon? If so, in what direction? If you
like, make the same observations about
the sunrise from the same place.
Remember to record and compare your
findings in your Space Portfolio.
SPACE
13
5 And the Seasons Go
Round and Round
You’ve been making recordings of the night sky and tracking the
sun—maybe you have even started to find some patterns in the sky.
The movement of Earth causes other patterns, too—the seasons.
Obviously, it takes a whole year to go through the cycle of the seasons.
You’ve gone through that cycle enough times to know that, where you
live, it is warmer in summer than it is in winter. Many people think that
is because Earth, in its journey around the sun, is closer to the sun in
summer. But Earth is actually closer to the sun in winter. So why is winter
colder than summer?
Many objects rotate on an axis that is
straight up and down, just like when you spin
a basketball on your finger. But Earth’s axis
is tilted. In this activity, you will do a simulation with your class and then set up a model
of the Earth-Sun system to find out how this
tilted axis is related to Earth’s seasons.
14
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 6
Materials for the class:
light
large sheet of paper
globe
Plasticine
pin or toothpick
tape or chalk
Procedure
1
From about a metre away, shine a
flashlight directly onto a piece of paper.
Draw around the area of light. Label this
drawing “summer.”
3
Compare the lighted areas you have
traced. In which season is the light more
concentrated?
4
In the summer the sun’s rays are more
concentrated and it is warmer. Now you
will set up the globe, to represent Earth,
and the light, to represent the sun, to
find out about Earth’s seasons.
Spring
Summer
The sun’s rays fall on a smaller area of Earth in
summer than in winter. In winter, the light is
spread out over a larger area. An area with more
concentrated light is warmer.
2
Slant the flashlight and shine it onto the
paper from the same distance. Draw
around this lighted area. Label this
drawing “winter.”
Winter
Sun
Earth’s
orbit
Fall
5
Tape or chalk the orbit of Earth on the
floor. Label the seasons. Use a bit of
Plasticine to fix a pin or toothpick to
show the place on the globe where you
live. This toothpick on the globe
represents you as a stick person. See
the photo below.
continue…
SPACE
15
…
6
7
Darken the room. What do you notice
about the intensity of the light on the
different parts of the globe? Record your
observations.
Walk the globe in an orbit around the
light. Make sure the tilt of the axis and
the direction of the globe always stay
the same. Stop three times around the
light—each time about a quarter of the
way past the last. At each stop, slowly
turn the globe around its axis so that
your stick person faces the light. Note
the shadow of your stick person. How
do the shadows compare in each position? Record your observations by
drawing the position of the globe and
light and shadows at each stop.
Discuss
Discuss the following questions with your
classmates.
1. How did the intensity of the light on your
location change when you moved Earth
through its orbit around the sun? What
effect did this have on the shadow of your
stick person? Why?
16
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 6
2. When it is summer in Canada, where might
it be winter?
3. If you travelled to Australia now, what
season would it be? Why do you think that?
4. What causes us to have seasons? Why are
the days hotter in summer?
5. Do you think any other planets that orbit
the sun have seasons like Earth? Explain
your answer.
You can check out the different seasons
when you look at the night sky. Draw
the night sky and label it with the date
and season. Observe the night sky a few
times in every season, and draw and
label what you see each time. Compare
the night sky pictures that you drew.
How does the sky change from season
to season? Add your observations to
your Space Portfolio.
6 The Moon’s Changing Face
The moon is Earth’s closest neighbour in space. How close is it? A laser
beam of light shot from Earth would take only 1.3 s to reach the moon.
That’s a lot faster than any space probe could travel. Think about the
observations you’ve made about the moon. Does it always look the same?
Is there a pattern to the changes that occur? What do you think really
causes the changing face or shape of the moon?
Most astronomers never travel in space. When
they want to find answers, they often set up
models. In this activity, you will set up a
model of the Sun-Earth-Moon system to find
out why the moon seems to change its shape.
Hold a light to represent the sun, while your
partner holds a ball to represent the moon.
The person holding the ball is Earth. Take
turns with your partner being Earth so that
you can get a close and clear view of the
moon’s changing faces.
Materials for each pair:
a light source
a Styrofoam ball painted black or a small,
dark-coloured play ball
a pencil or knitting needle or something
for a handle
a darkened room
continue…
SPACE
17
…
Procedure
1
Make an “x” on one side of the ball. The
“x” represents the face of the moon you
would see from Earth. Push the pencil or
needle slightly into the bottom of the ball
so it serves as a handle.
2
In a dark room, hold the ball at arm’s
length, as shown in the photos below.
3
Slowly turn yourself counterclockwise
on the spot. Make sure that the “x” is
always facing you
4
Watch carefully to see what happens to
the lighted portion of the ball at various
positions during one trip around. You
might want to stop at 45°, 90°, 180°,
270°, and 360° to the light.
5
After you and your partner have had the
chance to be Earth in the model, work
together to write a report on the
different phases of the moon. Include
labelled drawings. As you prepare your
report, think about these questions:
Is the lighted portion of the moon facing
toward the sun or away from it?
When the moon is full, where is it in
relation to the sun and Earth?
Once the moon is full and you continue
moving it in the same direction around
your head, what do you notice about the
lighted portion?
How does the moon look from Earth when
the moon is placed directly in front of the
sun?
Discuss Write
Discuss the following questions with your
partner.
1. Why does the moon appear to have a
changing shape or phase as you view it
over a month?
2. Does the changing shape or phase of the
moon follow a pattern? Describe it.
3. Why can’t we see a lighted moon at one
stage in the cycle?
4. If you lived on the moon, would you see
phases of Earth? Can you figure out the
answer by using a model of the Sun-EarthMoon system? If necessary, draw a sketch
to show your thinking.
18
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 6
7 The Moon on the Move
waxing gibbous
waxing crescent
first quarter
full
new
last quarter
waning gibbous
waning crescent
Do you know what these photos are? Of course you do—they’re all
photos of the moon. You would see these phases if you watched the
moon for a month.
In this activity, you will be watching the
moon in the sky over the next couple of
weeks. You will be noting the different
phases of the moon, and recording estimates
for the altitude, or height, of the moon.
Materials for each student:
Procedure
1
Before you start, predict how many days
it will take the moon to change from one
phase to another. Use the names of the
phases on this page. Record your
observations on a chart like the one on
the next page.
chart for recording
continue…
SPACE
19
…
Moon Observations
Date
Time
Shape
Direction Altitude Features
Discuss Write
Use these questions to help guide your
observation. Discuss your answers with a
partner.
1. How does the moon’s shape change over
time?
2. Does the moon appear to be a different
size when it is rising? when it has risen
fully? when it’s setting?
3. What features have you observed on the
moon’s face? Did these features change?
2
Astronomers estimate altitude in the sky
by using a fist held vertically at arm’s
length with the thumb lying flat on the
top of the fist. The height of the four
fingers and thumb in the fist counts as
10˚ (each finger and thumb counts as 2˚).
To use this method, line up your fist with
the horizon. Place one fist on top of
another and keep going until you reach
the moon.
4. How does the moon appear to move
across the sky?
5. Can you predict when the moon will be
seen in the sky the next day or night? Where
will it be in the sky? How can you tell?
There are all kinds of information for an
amateur astronomer to use. Check the
newspaper for the rising and setting
times of the moon. Use these times to
help guide your observations. Record
the times over the course of one month
in your Space Portfolio. You’ll see the
appearance of the moon repeat itself in
cycles. Does the time when the moon is
visible also follow a pattern?
This drawing shows a measured altitude of 20°.
20
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 6
8 Earth’s Companion
The time it takes the moon to spin once on its axis equals the
time it takes the moon to journey around Earth. As a result, we
only see one side of the moon. Thanks to NASA’s space program, we
can see photos of the hidden side of the moon, taken as astronauts passed
by this amazing sight.
You’ve probably heard a lot about Earth’s companion, the moon. Ever
heard it’s made of green cheese? Ever heard of the man in the moon?
Well, you probably aren’t surprised to find out that the moon is not made
of cheese—green or otherwise—and that it doesn’t have a human face.
But there are markings on the surface of the moon. Have you ever
noticed them?
The dark markings are vast plains called maria. They’re covered with
dark-coloured dust. The pale marks are the lunar mountains. The tallest
one is 8000 m high. If you look at the moon with a good pair of
binoculars or a small telescope, you might see those mountains. You
might also see the valleys, called rills, and craters of all sizes. The moon
has craters within craters, craters on top of craters, and even connecting
craters. They vary in size from a few metres to 1000 km wide.
SPACE
21
In this activity, you will set up a simulation of
the moon’s surface and see how asteroids,
comets, and meteoroids have created craters
on the moon.
Materials for each student:
flour
cocoa powder
shallow pans
rocks of similar shape varying in sizes
from 1 cm to 4 cm in diameter
ruler or tape measure
Safety Caution
Be careful when dropping the rocks.
Make sure everyone is behind the
student dropping the rocks.
Procedure
1
Place flour in the pan to a depth
of about 8 cm.
2
Sprinkle the cocoa powder over
the flour.
3
Drop one of the rocks from
shoulder height into the pan.
Remove the rock.
22
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 6
4
What do you see? Drop the same rock
two more times. Sketch what you see.
Measure your crater, and record any
observations.
5
Repeat steps 1 through 4 with each of
the remaining rocks.
6
Keep everything the same, but try a
new twist. Drop one of the rocks from
several different heights so that the rock
impacts at greater force and speed.
Measure the crater.
7
8
What other variable could make a
difference to the size of the crater?
Remember to keep all other variables
the same to make it a fair test.
Record your observations in a chart.
Variable
size
heigof
ht rock
Observations
trial 1
trial 2
trial 3
Write
1. Using your sketches, describe what your
simulated craters looked like. Label the
sketches with the following terms.
Crater basin—the impression left on the
surface
Rim—the area around the edge of the
basin
Rays—streaks that radiate from the centre
of the basin
Observations
Variable
height
2. How did the size of the rock (meteorite)
affect the size of the crater? How many
times greater would you judge the crater
to be than the rock itself?
trial 1
trial 2
trial 3
3. How did the height from which you dropped
the rock affect the size of the crater?
4. What effect did the shape of the rock
have on the shape of the crater? Did this
surprise you?
5. What other questions do you have about
how craters are formed? How might you
answer these questions?
Moon rocks brought back by
astronauts are very much like
rocks on Earth. They help
prove that Earth and the moon
have a common origin. Rocks from
both locations are estimated to be
about 2.8 billion years old.
SPACE
23
9 Tides: The
Mystery of the Moon
Do you know what tides are? If you live inland, they may not be part of
your everyday vocabulary. But if you live along a seashore, tides—the
regular rise and fall of ocean waters—are an important part of your day.
Think of the ways in which this could be true.
People in ancient civilizations were aware
of tides but did not really understand what
caused them. Three hundred years ago,
scientist Isaac Newton published a book
called Principia. In it he described how the
force of gravity decreases as the distance
from a massive object increases. This
relationship helped scientists to figure out
why tides occur.
The tides are a result of how Earth, the
moon, and the sun interact. Let’s start with
24
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 6
high tides. The moon exerts a force on Earth.
Earth responds by moving toward the moon,
as the diagram shows. Any water that is on
the side of Earth facing the moon moves
toward the moon faster than Earth can. That
creates what is called an aqueous bulge. On
the side of Earth not facing the moon, Earth
moves faster toward the moon than can the
waters on that side. That creates another
aqueous bulge. These larger bulges are what
we call high tide.
into and out of the aqueous bulges. Imagine
turning Earth at the North Pole on the
diagram. The bulges remain aligned with the
moon’s position.
M
oo
n
o
’s
it
rb
North
Pole
Noon
Midnight
6 pm
Moon
To Sun
6 am
The waters on the side of Earth facing the moon
move toward the moon more quickly than Earth
does. On the side of Earth not facing the moon,
Earth moves toward the moon more quickly than
the waters do. Aqueous bulges are created on
both sides of Earth.
You can see low tides in this diagram, too.
They are the narrower bulges. As Earth
rotates on its axis, the tides rise and fall as
the seashores of the continents are pulled
Now we come to the sun’s role in the tides.
The sun also exerts a force on Earth. If the
moon and the sun were at the same distance
from Earth, the sun’s force would be 180
times as strong as the moon’s. But remember
what Newton said—the farther Earth is from
a massive body, the lesser the pull of that
body. Since the moon is so much closer to
Earth than the sun, the moon actually exerts
more force—two times as great as the force
of the sun.
The pull of the sun creates aqueous bulges,
too, but they are much smaller than the
bulges created by the moon. The sun helps
create what are called spring tides and
neap tides. With spring tides, the pull of the
sun and the moon are in step. Either the
moon and the sun are lined up directly (new
moon phase), or they are on exact opposite
sides of Earth (full moon phase). All that
pulling makes for higher than normal tides.
Sun
Sun
Pull of
the Sun
Pull of the Moon
Pull of the Sun
Pull of
the
Moon
Spring Tides
Neap Tides
continue…
SPACE
25
…
High and Low Tides at Horton Bluff, Nova Scotia
Midnight
Legend
11 pm
10 pm
High Tide
9 pm
Low Tide
8 pm
7 pm
6 pm
5 pm
4 pm
3 pm
Time
2 pm
1 pm
Noon
11 am
10 am
9 am
8 am
7 am
6 am
5 am
4 am
3 am
2 am
1 am
1
2
3
4
5
6
October
7
8
9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23
Date
Neap tides are lower than normal tides. They
occur when the sun and the moon are out of
step—when the pull of the sun and the pull
of the moon are at right angles during the
first and last quarter moons.
Want to see tides in action? The best place
to see high and low tides is in shallow water
along large stretches of seashore.
Write
Use the chart to help you answer these
questions.
1. In approximately how many hours might a
seaside location experience low tide after
high tide?
2. How many low tides and high tides would
normally occur in a 24 h period?
3. Check the chart to compare the time of
high tide on two consecutive days. Can
you figure out why this is so? Think about
the movements of Earth and the moon in
relation to one another.
26
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 6
10 Blackout!
Shadows are created when light is blocked
by an object. That means they happen inside
and outside. You can see shadows in the
classroom right now. You can even make
shadows. Go ahead and make some with
your pencil. Try to make some shadows that
are fuzzy, others that are very sharp, some
that go in more than one direction, and
others that have light and dark parts. When
you look at these shadows, you will notice
a dark part (the umbra) and a lighter part
light from
direction A
light from
direction B
shadow B
umbra
(the penumbra).
So, what do shadows have to do with space?
Have you ever heard of a lunar eclipse or a
solar eclipse? A lunar eclipse happens when
Earth is directly between the sun and the moon.
Earth blocks the sun’s light. The moon, which is
not a source of light, can’t reflect the light of the
sun. The result? You can’t see the moon.
penumbra
shadow A
rbit
’s o
on
Moon
Mo
on
M
o
A solar eclipse happens when the moon is between Earth and the sun.
The moon blocks the sun’s light, forming a shadow on Earth. If all three
bodies are lined up, there is a total eclipse of the sun.
Sun
it
orb
’s
Sun
Earth
umbra
penumbra
Moon
umbra
penumbra
Earth
SPACE
27
In this activity, you will use models and
simulations to understand how eclipses
happen.
were the sun, you, on Earth, would be in
the shadow of the moon. None of the
sun’s light would reach you.
4
Solar Eclipse
Materials for each student:
Try this with other objects in the
classroom to see how you can eclipse
an object as you line up the marble
between you and that object.
Lunar Eclipse
small object, such as a marble
Materials for each group:
Procedure
1
To see how a solar eclipse works, hold
the marble at arm’s length in front of you.
2
Find something in the room that you
want to block out, or eclipse. The wall
clock is a great choice.
3
28
Squint with one eye and move the
marble toward you until you have
completely blocked out the clock. If the
marble were the moon and the clock
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 6
flashlight (to represent the sun)
large ball (to represent Earth)
small ball (to represent the moon)
Procedure
1
Now see what happens in a lunar
eclipse. Set up the flashlight and the
two balls as shown in the photo. What
do you notice?
6. Draw a picture to show what you would
see if you were on the moon looking at
Earth during an eclipse of the sun.
Write
1. What must happen to cause an eclipse of
the sun? Draw pictures to help explain.
7. A lunar eclipse is longer than a solar
eclipse. Give reasons to explain why.
2. What must happen to cause an eclipse of
the moon? Draw pictures to help explain.
3. Which type of eclipse would you notice
the least—a solar or lunar eclipse? Explain
your answer.
4. During what phase of the moon could an
eclipse of the sun occur?
5. During what phase of the moon could an
eclipse of the moon occur?
Astronomers know when and where
total solar eclipses will occur in the
years ahead. Will there be a solar
eclipse near you in the next decade?
Check the map below. Record this
information in your Space Portfolio.
Total Solar Eclipses: 1996 - 2020
2008 Aug 01
2008 Aug 01
2015 Mar 20
1997 Mar 09
60° N
1999 Aug 11
2017 Aug 21
30° N
2009 Jul 22
2006 Mar 29
Latitude
2016 Mar 09
2016 Mar 09
2013 Nov 03
2005 Apr 08
0°
2012 Nov 13
1998 Feb 26
2019 Jul 02
2001 Jun 21
2002 Dec 04
30° S
2012 Nov 13
2020 Dec 14
2010 Jul 11
60° S
2003 Nov 23
180° W
150° W
120° W
90° W
60° W
30° W
0°
30° E
60° E
90° E
120° E
150° E
Longitude
Remember, do not look directly
at the sky during an eclipse. Viewing
even a small sliver of the sun can
damage your eyes.
SPACE
29
11 Our Solar System
You’ve been discovering more and more about the sun and the moon. But
how about everything else that’s up there? Earth—and eight other planets
and their moons, thousands of asteroids, and even comets and meteoroids—all revolve around the sun. We call the sun and all that revolves
around it our solar system. The stars (including the sun) shine by their
own light. The planets and their moons reflect the light of the sun.
30
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 6
There’s a lot to find out about the solar
system. As you read, write down new terms
and any questions you have.
Planet Power
There are two types of planets. Between the
inner and outer planets is a belt of rocky
asteroids. The inner planets—Mercury,
Venus, Earth, and Mars—are similar in that
they are all small, dense, and rocky. But they
are different in other ways. Mercury has no
significant atmosphere. Venus has a very
thick atmosphere made up of carbon dioxide.
This gas traps the heat of the sun like a
greenhouse, making the planet extremely hot.
Mars also has a carbon dioxide atmosphere
but it is very thin. The atmosphere on Mars is
only about 1% as thick as Earth’s.
The outer planets are Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus,
Neptune, and Pluto. All except Pluto are
giant balls of gas. (Not much is known about
Pluto. It has been suggested that it is made
up of a mixture of rock and ice.) The outer
planets have no solid surface. They all rotate
very rapidly and are not very dense.
We are learning more about the planets every
day. Check out this chart for some quick facts.
* AU (astronomical unit) refers
to the average distance from Earth
to the sun. It is a short way of writing
150 000 000 km —the average distance
Earth is from the sun.
Planets
Mercury Venus
Earth
Mars
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune Pluto
Mean
distance
from the
sun in AU
0.39
0.72
1.0
1.5
5.2
9.5
19.2
30.1
39.5
Diameter
at Equator
(km)
4879
12 104
12 756
6794
142 980
120 540
51 120
49 530
2300
Period of
revolution
around
the sun
88
days
224.7
days
365.3
days
687
days
11.86
years
29.46
years
84
years
165
years
248
years
Rotation
period
59
days
243
days
24 h
24.5 h
9.9 h
10.2 h
17 h
16 h
6.4
days
Atmosphere
(Main
gases)
none
carbon
dioxide
nitrogen,
oxygen
carbon
dioxide
hydrogen, hydrogen, hydrogen,
helium,
helium
helium
methane
hydrogen,
helium,
methane
methane
Moons
0
0
1
2
16
15
18
8
1
Rings
no
no
no
no
yes
yes
yes
yes
no
SPACE
31
When comets are near the sun, they usually have the following parts: a cloud-like
head or coma, a bright, star-like centre or nucleus, a tail, and a very slight
surrounding cloud of hydrogen gas. A comet’s tail always points away from the sun.
Comets and Meteoroids
So, what else is flying through space? Lots of
comets and meteoroids. About 878 comets
have been identified. Comets are a mixture
of frozen water, frozen gases, and dust that
didn’t get incorporated when the solar
system was formed. That’s why you’ll
sometimes hear them called “dirty
snowballs” or “icy mudballs.”
Until they get near the sun, comets are
invisible. Most comets have very unusual
orbits that take them far beyond the orbit of
our solar system’s outer planets. These
comets are seen once and disappear for
thousands of years. Periodic comets, like
Halley’s Comet, have a more regular orbit
and will come back in a predictable amount
of time. Halley’s Comet takes about 75 years
to complete its orbit. We can next see it from
Earth in 2060.
32
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 6
Canadian David Levy has spent many hours
searching the sky and discovered 21 comets.
The most famous one he found was named
after him and another amateur astronomer
who sighted the same comet—it’s called
Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9. When the comet
collided with Jupiter in July 1994, we saw the
impact of the comet with help from the
Jupiter probe that passed by.
Other fragments of rock and dust appear
in our sky, too. These are meteoroids.
Sometimes they even penetrate Earth’s
atmospere. (The term meteor, which you
might have heard, refers to the streak of light
a meteoroid produces when it enters Earth’s
atmosphere. Very bright meteors are called
fireballs.) Most meteoroids are smaller than
a pea. When larger fragments of rock fall
to Earth, they are called meteorites. The
burning gases can sometimes create large
craters such as this one in Quebec.
3. Use the information in this activity to do
one or more of the following. Hint: The
charts will help.
a. Design a poster or brochure to describe
the solar system. Use coloured
drawings or printouts from the Internet.
b. Prepare a report about one of the
planets of the solar system. Use
descriptions, pictures, and drawings.
c. Create a game based on the
information you have learned in this
activity.
Write Present
d. Create a travel brochure for one of the
planets.
1. Use the planet chart to:
a. order the planets from the most to the
least massive
b. compare the composition of the inner
planets to that of the outer planets
c. create a list showing planets with and
without rings
d. order the planets according to their
rotation period
2. Create a glossary for the terms: planet,
comet, meteor, meteoroid, fireball, and
meteorite.
It takes 8.3 min for light to travel
from the sun to Earth. Use the chart
of quick facts about the planets
(page 31) to calculate how long it would
take for a cellular phone call to go from
Earth to Jupiter.
Believe it or not, you can see Jupiter,
Saturn, Mars, and Venus with the naked
eye. You just need to know where to
look and what to look for. You might
want to get an almanac to help you out,
but here are some tips:
• Jupiter is big and bright. Look in the
southeastern sky in fall and the
southwestern sky in winter.
• Saturn appears yellow. You can find it
in the southeastern sky in spring and
the southwestern sky in winter.
• Venus is very bright white and wanders a lot. It appears brighter than
the other planets. Use a telescope
and you might see how Venus has
phases like our moon.
• Mars shines red and moves very
quickly.
See if you can find these planets in the
night sky.
SPACE
33
12 Sky Pictures
Have you ever seen pictures in the clouds? What kinds of
things have you imagined? What other natural sky objects
have you used to do the same thing?
LEO
ORION
CASSIOPEIA
CEPHEUS
Leo, the Lion: Leo is supposed to be the skin of a
famous lion killed by Hercules and then flung up
into the sky. The red outline of Leo has been
computer-generated.
Cassiopeia, the Queen: Cassiopeia forms an easily
recognizable W shape in the sky. Cassiopeia was a
mythological Greek queen whose vanity made the
gods angry. In the sky, Cassiopeia is close to her
husband, Cepheus.
34
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 6
Orion, the Hunter: Orion was in love with Diana,
goddess of the hunt. Her brother, Apollo, god of
archery, didn’t approve. He tricked Diana into
shooting an arrow at a distant rock, which was
actually the head of Orion, who was swimming.
Her arrow killed him. The god Jupiter gave Orion a
place as a constellation in the sky.
Long ago people saw groups of stars in the sky
and imagined that they made pictures—pictures
of hunters, queens, lions, rabbits, and more.
These star groupings, or constellations, inspired
the creation of ancient myths, or stories.
They also aided in navigation.
Different cultures—the Chinese, Arabs,
Babylonians—all gave the constellations different
names. The names we use today are Latin and
many are based on Greek and Roman myths.
Finding Constellations
Materials for each student:
What stars and constellations can you find?
sky map shown here
Constellations help astronomers to find stars.
Amazingly, fewer than 50 constellations are
visible in the sky at any one time. In the first
part of this activity, you will use a sky map to
help you find several constellations.
a clear night sky
continue…
SPACE
35
…
Procedure
1
2
3
On a clear night look out your window or
go outside with an adult. Use this map.
The stars located around the poles of
Earth are called circumpolar stars.
These are the stars that you can see
during any season. The sky map shown
on the previous page charts circumpolar
stars, so you can use it during any season.
Hold the map above your head and find
the North Star (Polaris). It is the bright
star on the end of the Little Dipper. The
North Star appears to stay in the same
spot. You will see that the other stars
seem to rotate around it.
Use the Little Dipper and the North Star
to find some of the other constellations
on the sky map.
Constellation Pictures
In this part of the activity, you will work
with a group to make a lighted picture of a
constellation.
Materials for each group:
coffee tin
black paper
window
shoebox
Procedure
1
Decide as a group which constellation
you will make a model of.
2
Do some research to find out more
about your constellation. Is there a story
behind it? Do different cultures have
different stories about it?
36
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 6
3
Think about the best way to make the
model and what materials you will need.
4
Gather your materials and make your
lighted constellation. Share your picture
with the class.
Write Present
1. What questions do you have about the
constellations that the other groups made?
2. Design a constellation of your own on
paper. Create a myth or legend to explain
how your constellation got its name and
how it got into the sky.
3. Research a different constellation. Draw
the constellation and write about how it
got its name. Present your constellation to
your classmates.
4. How might one constellation help you find
and know another?
You, like people of long ago, may look
to the dark sky and find your own
pictures in it. Be sure to draw these
pictures and note the location, time,
and date for your Space Portfolio.
Compare your sightings with those of
other classmates to see if they saw the
same objects and patterns that you did.
13 What’s Happening
in Space?
Space has fascinated and inspired humans for thousands of years. This
curiosity and thirst for knowledge has led us to keep making discoveries
about space exploration—and to use the resulting technology on Earth.
What do you know about space that we have studied so far? Take a few
minutes to write down what you know, and what questions you may
have about space science and the technology being used. Be ready to
share your thoughts and questions with your classmates.
So, just what have we learned from being in
space? Experiments conducted in space have
led to everything from convenience foods to
treatment for back pain. Take a look at what
we’re doing in space right now!
What do you call a huge mechanical arm
created by Canadians for the space program?
NASA calls it the Canadarm. Shuttle crews
operate it by remote control. Its job is to
reach out from the spacecraft to send
continue…
SPACE
37
…
out and bring back payloads, such as
satellites. It has six joints that work roughly
the same as a human arm, including a
shoulder, an elbow, and a wrist. But there
is one major difference—this arm is over
15 m long and with all its attachments has
a mass of 450 kg!
Radar is a system for locating unseen
objects by the reflection of high frequency
radio waves. It is a great tool for mapping
objects in space. But what if the weather
doesn’t cooperate—what if it’s cloudy, foggy,
or just plain dark outside? Radarsat is an
advanced radar system. It’s a remote sensing
satellite that uses microwave instruments.
These instruments are so powerful that they
can send and receive signals through clouds,
fog, smoke, and darkness. They help us see
high-quality images of Earth no matter what
the weather conditions are like. Just what are
people looking at from space? The forestry
and agriculture industries are mapping—and
monitoring—renewable resources.
With the invention of the Hubble Space
Telescope (HST), space pictures have taken
a giant leap forward. The camera system on
the HST can capture images more clearly
than ever before. It can also capture images
at the farthest edges of the universe, where
humans can’t yet go. But things weren’t
always rosy with the HST. Its first mirrors
weren’t curved correctly. NASA had to give
it new mirrors—almost like giving it a pair
of glasses!
When Roberta Bondar shot into space, she
took Canadian pride with her. But her work
in space is far more important than being a
national hero. Bondar is a neurologist, a
doctor who studies the human brain and how
it works. She and her colleagues studied
many things about space, including how
humans respond to microgravity, when
there is so little gravity you feel weightless.
The work they did in space is now helping us
learn to treat motion sickness, bone-loss
diseases, and even cerebral palsy.
38
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 6
Growing a crystal is pretty simple. You can do
it by dissolving salt in water, then suspending
a string in the water and observing the crystals
grow. But growing crystals in the microgravity
of space is different. There, the crystals are
purer and have a better structure.
These crystals are used to create such things
as precise, powerful lasers, microwave
broadcast devices, efficient heat sensors, and
high-resolution video cameras. The better the
crystals created in space, the more advances
we will see in high technology products on
Earth.
services. The space program has to have
special missions just to do repairs. Scientists,
engineers, and technicians are working on
solutions to these problems. Who knows
what we have yet to find in space?
Present
With a partner or small group, research and
present one of the following:
1. Identify Canadian astronauts who have
contributed to space science and the
technology being used. Choose one
astronaut and highlight what he or she
has accomplished.
2. Find out about some of the technological
tools and devices needed for space
exploration. Explain one of them in detail.
3. Indicate the ways in which the development of materials and technology for
space exploration has resulted in the use
of new technologies on Earth.
Space science leads to new discoveries every
day. It creates a need for tools and skills and
allows a country to compete globally in our
high-tech, information age. And an understanding of the origins of our universe will
help us prepare for the future of humans, the
planet, the solar system, and the galaxy.
But exploring space has a down side, too.
Lost space probes, satellites that are no
longer in use, and other “junk” floating
around are creating a garbage problem in
space that could get as bad as ours on Earth.
Creating new technology means that space
vehicles will need replacement tools and
Use your imagination and present your
findings creatively. You may wish to present
a computer representation, a role play, an
interview, a brochure, a game, or a time line.
NASA and the Canadian Space
Agency have great Web sites. You’ll
find a lot of information there—and even
people you can contact for more help.
NASA: http://www.nasa.gov
Canadian Space Agency:
http://www.space.gc.ca
Hubble Space Telescope online gallery:
http://heritage.stsci.edu
SPACE
39
14 Living in Space,
the New Frontier
Can you imagine living in space? It may sound like a fantasy, but pay
attention—the possibility gets closer all the time. Countries are working on
space stations in which people can actually live. The International Space
Station Mir was launched on February 20, 1986 by the then Soviet Union.
Its mission was to see how astronauts performed during long stays in
space. Travel agencies may soon take bookings for holidays in space. If
you’re planning to go, you’d better get prepared. In space, there is so little
gravity that you feel weightless. This is a problem astronauts have to deal
with on every space mission. What things in day-to-day life do you think
would have to change if you were an astronaut? How would you get ready
to work—or to live—in space?
40
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 6
• Rest—What adaptations will you need
to make for sleeping? How will you
deal with a “night” that might only last
an hour?
In this activity, you will think about the
challenges astronauts face living in
microgravity, and research how they adapt
to weightless environments.
• Work—How will you be able to stay at
your work station? How will you move
from experiment to experiment?
Materials for each group:
• Exercise—What kinds of exercises
can you do to keep your muscles from
shrinking and weakening? When and
how will you do them?
paper and pencil
reference books on space and space
exploration
• Hygiene—How will you keep clean?
Web sites (see the previous activity for
suggested sites)
• Other—What adaptations will you need
to make so you don’t feel disoriented?
How will you keep yourself amused?
How will you breathe if you have to
work outside the space shuttle?
Procedure
1
With your group, brainstorm and record
all your routines and needs during an
average day.
2
Together, create a list of the things you
do to keep healthy.
3
Now imagine going on a space mission
where you would be living in a
microgravity environment. Remember
that your living quarters are not large.
Make a list of the challenges you would
face.
4
Work together to research how
astronauts adapt to weightless
environments. Each member of your
group may wish to research several
needs. You may use print resources or
the Internet to make informed decisions.
You can then meet to share the
information you have collected. You
might think about:
5
Plan a presentation to help others
understand the adaptations. Use your
imagination—don’t forget illustrations,
sound, and other creative ideas.
Write
1. Are you interested in travelling on a space
mission? Explain your answer.
2. What do you think would be your greatest
personal challenge living in a weightless
environment?
3. What do you still want to find out about
carrying out a space mission?
4. What is happening with Mir now?
Research on the Internet or in the library
to find out. Would you like to travel to
Mir? Why or why not?
• Food—How much and what kind of
food will you need for a week? How
will it be packaged? How will you eat
it? How will you clean up?
SPACE
41
Design
Project
Project
Planetarium
Get Started
Since you and your group are amateur astronomers, your
school thinks you are the perfect candidates to create
a planetarium to show what you’ve learned
about the solar system. Your planetarium is
a theatre that simulates space and the objects
in space. You have observed the day and night
sky, seen how objects in space interact, and
researched space issues. Putting all that
information together is sure to make your
planetarium “out of this world.”
The Edmonton Space Centre
42
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 6
Your group will create a planetarium using all
the information you have learned in this unit
about the solar system, its visiting bodies,
and the stars. Your planetarium can be
physical or virtual (using the computer), but
it must show as much as possible about what
you have learned.
Materials for each group:
paper, pencil, computer (optional)
various materials for constructing a
planetarium such as: construction paper,
Styrofoam balls, plastic, paper, cardboard
boxes, markers, string, elastic bands,
mini-lights, scissors, tape, glue
Procedure
1
In your group, think about the following:
• Review the components of the solar
system and visiting objects to help you
decide what objects to include.
• Decide whether your planetarium will
be physical or virtual.
• If it’s physical, will it be enclosed
within a fixed structure? If so, what
will the structure be made of?
• Will you use sources of light within
your planetarium?
• What research will you need to do
before beginning to design your
planetarium?
• What materials do you need? How will
you get them?
• How will you divide the work among
the members of your group?
SPACE
43
Design
Project
2
On large sheets of paper, draw a plan of
your planetarium. Make sure to label the
various parts and space objects that will
be featured.
3
Working with your group, draw up a
schedule for building the planetarium
and putting the whole show together.
4
Get to work and build or create your
planetarium.
Do an Internet search for
planetaria (meaning more than one
planetarium). Where are they located
across Canada? Is there one in your
province that you can visit? Contact the
World Wide Web to access one of the planetaria to answer any questions you may
have about planetaria or space objects.
44
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 6
Present Discuss
1. In your group, present your planetarium
to the class. Make sure to explain clearly
what each part is, and what special
features your planetarium includes. Don’t
forget to prepare a list of questions to ask
other groups about their projects.
2. What was the most challenging aspect of
designing and creating your planetarium?
3. What did you learn from the presentations
of the other groups?
4. What could you do to improve your
planetarium?
U n i t
5
Review
Demonstrate
What You Know
Get Started
Now it’s time to show how much you have
learned about space. Read over what your
tasks are, and talk to your teacher if you
are unclear about what to do.
Work On It
In 1997 scientists sent the Sojourner robot to
Mars to find out more about the planet. Your
task is to design a robotic device to send to
the planet of your choice. First, list the most
important features of your planet. Make sure
to include the nature of the surface,
temperature, atmosphere, and day and night
patterns. What challenges will your robot
have to overcome? What special features
will help your robot to overcome these
challenges on the planet? Describe these
features and how they will work to allow the
robot to do its job. Then decide what aspects
of the planet your robot will investigate, and
how it will go about investigating it. Explain
why humans have sent the robot on this trip.
Draw your robot performing its task on the
planet. Describe what your robot might find
out and how this information might be useful
for life on Earth.
Now check your work.
The challenges my robot will face and
how it will overcome them are clearly
identified.
My sketch clearly shows my robot, its
special features, and what my robot will
investigate.
My description of my planet is clear.
My description of what my robot might
find out clearly explains how science and
technology can help us in our daily lives.
SPACE
45
U n i t
5
Review
Communicate
Now it’s time to think about how well you did. Use this chart to help you score your work.
Four stars is the highest score for each.
1 Star
2 Stars
3 Stars
4 Stars
• How much do you know about space? Look at your description of your robot and your
planet. Does your work show you know
A little about space
Some information
about space
A lot of information
about space
All about
space?
• Look at the design for your robot, its special features, and the task your robot will
investigate. Does your work show you have applied
A few of the skills
learned in this unit
Some of the skills
learned in this unit
Most of the skills
learned in this unit
All of the skills
learned in this unit?
• Now look again at your descriptions. Will they be clear and precise to a reader?
Not very clear or
precise
Somewhat clear
and precise
Mostly clear
and precise
Very clear
and precise
• You wrote about how the information your robot gathered might be useful for life on
Earth. How much do you think it shows about how technology and science can help us in
our daily lives?
Not much
understanding
Some
understanding
A good
understanding
Write a short note explaining how well you think you did.
46
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 6
A complete
understanding
Explain
Your Stuff
What did you learn about
space?
1. Describe some ways you could safely
observe the image of the sun without
looking at it directly.
6. Draw and name the phases of the moon
in the order you would see them over the
course of a month.
7. What causes craters on the moon?
8. What are tides?
9. Explain what happens during each.
Include diagrams.
a. a lunar eclipse
2. If it is light now where you live, where on
Earth is it dark?
3. Use the photo below to explain why we
have warmer days in the summer than in
the winter, even though Earth is slightly
closer to the sun in the winter.
b. a solar eclipse
10. What are the nine planets that make up
the solar system? Which are the inner
planets? The outer planets?
11. Explain briefly how humans have improved
tools and technology used in space
exploration. Choose one tool, technology,
or strategy to describe in fuller detail.
12. Identify some ways in which the
development of materials and technology
has led to the use of new technologies
and materials on Earth.
13. Explain how astronauts meet their basic
needs in space.
4. Describe the origins of the names of
three constellations you have learned
about in this unit.
5. What causes seasons to occur on Earth?
SPACE
47
U n i t
5
Review
•
Eclipses of the sun and moon occur due
to shadows in space. A total solar eclipse
occurs when there is an exact alignment
of Earth, the moon, and the sun, with the
moon casting its shadow on Earth. A lunar
eclipse occurs when the moon’s orbit is
parallel to Earth’s orbit and the moon
passes through Earth’s shadow.
•
4. List three questions you still have about
space.
Stars are huge balls of hot gases. Stars
form patterns in the sky that we call
constellations. Astronomers have
mapped about 88 constellations.
•
Now you know a lot about
space! Here are some of the
things you have learned:
People in ancient civilizations used the
positions of the sun, moon, and stars to
tell time, plant crops, and plan festivals.
•
Canadians have contributed to space
technology through tools such as the
Canadarm.
•
The development of technology such as
the Canadarm, the Hubble Space
Telescope, and space probes have led to
new discoveries and scientific knowledge
about space.
•
The development of materials and
technology for space has proven very
useful to us on Earth.
•
The moon’s surface is not smooth. It has
markings such as maria, rills, and craters
on it.
•
You can now recognize major constellations
in the night sky and describe the origins of
their names.
How Did
You Do?
1. List three things you didn’t know before
this unit started.
2. Describe what you liked best in this unit.
3. Give yourself a pat on the back! What did
you do well in this unit?
•
•
•
The word solar means “sun.” In our solar
system each of the nine planets moves in
its orbit around the sun which is at the
centre. Other components of the solar
system include comets, asteroids, and
meteoroids.
The sun is a star and like other stars, emits
its own light. Other objects in space, such
as planets, moons, comets, meteoroids,
and asteroids, reflect light from the sun.
Your vision can be harmed by looking
directly at the sun with the naked eye.
There are various ways to project the sun’s
image onto a surface so as to safely view
its image.
•
Earth’s tilt and movement around the sun
causes the change of seasons.
•
Both Earth and the moon are lighted by
the sun. How much of the moon we see
lighted depends upon its position in
relation to Earth and the sun. These
regular changes in lighting are called
phases of the moon.
48
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 6
Glossary
altitude height above ground level
meteor the streak of light in the night sky that
results from a meteoroid entering Earth’s atmosphere; a shooting star
aqueous bulge a bulge in ocean water created
by the pull of gravity of the moon; high tide
meteorite a meteoroid that does not completely
burn up in the atmosphere and lands on Earth’s
surface
asteroid a small rocky object orbiting the sun;
most asteroids are found between the orbits of
Mars and Jupiter
meteoroid a fragment of space rock that enters
Earth’s atmosphere, that causes a meteor when
friction with air heats it to a bright glow
astronomers scientists who study space
microgravity in space, when there is so little
gravity you feel weightless
atmosphere the air or gases surrounding a
planet
axis an imaginary line extending through Earth
from the North Pole to the South Pole around
which Earth rotates
circumpolar stars the stars located around the
North and South Poles in the sky
comet a frozen chunk of ice and dust that orbits
the sun
constellation a group of stars in the sky that
make a picture
crater a large, bowl–shaped hole with a rim on
the surface of a moon or planet caused by an
impact
crater basin the inside of a crater
fair test an investigation carried out under controlled conditions. In a fair test, all variables are
controlled except the one under investigation.
fireball a very bright meteor
laser beam a narrow and very powerful ray of
light
lunar eclipse occurs when Earth is directly
between the sun and the moon and Earth blocks
the sun’s light
maria the vast plains on the moon covered with
dark-coloured dust
neap tides lower than normal tides that occur
when the sun and the moon are out of step
(when the pull of the sun and the pull of the
moon are at right angles during the first and last
quarter moons)
orbit the path of an object in space around
another object
payload the load carried by an aircraft or
spacecraft
penumbra the lighter part of a shadow
phases of the moon the different shapes of
the moon as seen from Earth
planetarium a theatre that simulates space and
the objects in space (plural: planetaria)
radar a device that uses radio waves to locate
objects and determine their speeds
rays the streaks that radiate from the craters on
the moon
revolution the movement of one object around
another object
rills the valleys on the surface of the moon
rim the area around the edge of a crater basin
solar eclipse occurs when the moon is
between Earth and the sun; the moon blocks the
sun’s light, forming a shadow on Earth
SPACE
49
Glossary
solar wind the steady stream of high-energy,
very small units of matter (particles) from the
sun into space
solar system the sun, the planets and their
moons, and other objects that orbit the sun
space probe an automated spacecraft that is
sent out into space and does not orbit planets or
other objects
spring tides higher than normal tides that
occur when the moon and the sun are lined up
(new moon phase) or they are on the opposite
sides of Earth (full moon phase)
50
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 6
sundial an instrument used for telling time with
shadows
sunspots the dark spots on the sun; they are
regions of cooler temperature
tides the regular rise and fall of ocean waters
umbra the dark part of a shadow
vapour tiny drops of liquid in air; water in gas
form
variable anything in an investigation that can
be changed
Acknowledgments
The publisher wishes to thank the following sources for photographs, illustrations, articles, and other
materials used in this book. Care has been taken to determine and locate ownership of copyrighted material
used in this text. We will gladly receive information enabling us to rectify any errors or omissions in credits.
Photography
p. 1 (top) NASA, p. 1 (bottom) Bill & Sally Fletcher/Tom Stack, p. 4 Westlight/Ron Watts/First Light, p. 5 (left)
Westlight/W. Cody/First Light, p. 5 (right) Ray Boudreau, p. 6 Warren Stone/Visuals Unlimited, p. 7 (left) John
D. Cunningham/Visuals Unlimited, p. 7 (right) Visuals Unlimited, p. 8 PhotoDisc, Inc., p. 9 Ray Boudreau, p. 10
Corbis, p. 11 Jisas/Lockheed/Science Photo Library/Publiphoto, p. 13 Ray Boudreau, p. 14 John Sylvester/First
Light, p. 15 Ray Boudreau, p. 16 Ray Boudreau, p. 17 PhotoDisc, Inc., p. 18 Ray Boudreau, p. 19 (left) Thomas
W. Chase/New England Stock Photo, p. 19 (2nd from left) Clark Linehan Photography/New England Stock
Photo, p. 19 (2nd from right) Pat Lynch/New England Stock Photo, p. 19 (right) Craig Blouin/New England Stock
Photo, p. 20 Ray Boudreau, p. 21 NASA, p. 22 Ray Boudreau, p. 23 World Perspectives/Explorer/Publiphoto, p. 24
Steve Kaufman/Peter Arnold, Inc., p. 24 (inset) First Light, p. 28 Ray Boudreau, p. 32 Gordon Garradd/Science
Photo Library/Publiphoto, p. 33 Fred Klus/Publiphoto, p. 37 NASA, p. 38 (top left) NASA, p. 38 (bottom left)
Canadian Space Agency, p. 38 (right) Canadian Space Agency, p. 39 Karl Hartmann/Sachs/Phototake
NYC/First Light, p. 40 NASA/Science Photo Library/Publiphoto, p. 40 (inset) PhotoDisc, Inc., pp. 42–43 Henry
Kalen/Ivy Images, p. 44 Ray Boudreau, p. 45 (left) NASA, p. 45 (right) PhotoDisc, Inc., p. 47 Ray Boudreau
Illustration
Steve Attoe: p. 17
Ted Nasmith: pp. 2–3, p. 30, pp. 34–35
Theresa Sakno: p. 11, p. 12, p. 15, p. 19, p. 25, p. 27, p. 29
Cover Photograph
PhotoDisc, Inc.
52
SCIENCE 4
Grade
6
Space
Grade
Plant Growth
Magnetism
Forces and Movement
Stability
Soil
Grade
Habitats
Light
Sound
Pulleys and Gears
Rocks and Minerals
Grade
The Human Body
Changes in Matter
Conservation of Energy
Forces on Structures
Weather
Grade
Diversity of Living Things
Air and Flight
Electricity
Motion
Space
Addison-Wesley
An imprint of Addison Wesley Longman Ltd.