Elements of Physics
Modern Physics and Cosmology
Teacher’s Guide
Grade Level: 9–12
Curriculum Focus: Physical Science
Lesson Duration: Three class periods
Program Description
Modern physics has revolutionized our understanding of the universe. Discover the subatomic world,
which doesn’t follow the laws of classical physics, and see how quantum theory has filled the gaps.
Examine Einstein’s special and general theories of relativity and gain insight into black holes and the
universe's origins.
Lesson Plan Summary
Students brainstorm personality characteristics that scientists may have. Working in small groups, they
pick one of three scientists featured in the video and investigate how their personalities affected their
work. Students revisit the ideas their original ideas, noting how their perceptions of the scientist have
changed as a result of working on this activity.
Onscreen Questions
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How do Newton’s and Einstein’s theories differ?
•
How did Hubble’s discovery change our perceptions of the universe?
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What personality traits helped Newton, Einstein, and Hawking achieve their goals?
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How can existing scientific theories contribute to the development of new theories?
Lesson Plan
Student Objectives
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Demonstrate how a scientist’s personality affects his work.
•
Work in a group to consider the contributions of Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, or
Stephen Hawking in light of his personality.
•
Communicate ideas about the relationship of a scientist’s personality to his work.
Elements of Physics
Modern Physics and Cosmology
Teacher’s Guide
2
Materials
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Elements of Physics: Modern Physics and Cosmology video
•
Computer with Internet access
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Print resources about Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, or Stephen Hawking
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Newsprint and markers
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Paper and pencils
Procedures
1. Ask students to write what they know about Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, or Stephen
Hawking. Then ask them to put away their papers until the end of the lesson.
2. Ask students if they have ever thought about how the personality of a famous scientist may
have affected his or her work. Brainstorm ways that personality could be a factor. Write
students’ ideas on a sheet of newsprint. Below are some ideas students may suggest.
•
Scientists are very focused.
•
Scientists may be introverted.
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Scientists may have a hard time taking breaks from their work.
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Scientists may be arrogant.
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Scientists may be rebellious.
3. Tell students that they will work in small groups to explore the relationship between the
personality of one scientist and his work. Each group will prepare a report that they will share
with the class. The reports should address the following questions:
4.
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What was the scientist’s relationship to the scientific community? Did this relationship affect
his work positively or negatively?
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Did (or does) the scientist promote his work? If so, how?
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Has the scientist’s work withstood the test of time?
Divide students into groups of three or four. Have each group choose one of the following
scientists: Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, or Stephen Hawking. Before students begin their
research, have them watch the segment entitled “Cosmic Geniuses” in the program Elements of
Physics: Modern Physics and Cosmology.
5. Give students time in class to work on their projects. The following Web sites have information
on this topic.
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Elements of Physics
Modern Physics and Cosmology
Teacher’s Guide
3
Isaac Newton
• http://www.newton.cam.ac.uk/newtlife.html
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/newton_isaac.shtml
• http://scienceworld.wolfram.com/biography/Newton.html
• http://web.clas.ufl.edu/users/rhatch/pages/01-Courses/current-courses/08srnewton.htm
• http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr161/lect/history/newtongrav.html
Albert Einstein
• http://www.nexusmagazine.com/articles/einstein.html
• http://www.gap-system.org/~history/HistTopics/Special_relativity.html
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Einstein
• http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/1921/einstein-bio.html
Stephen Hawking
• http://www.hawking.org.uk/about/aindex.html
• http://www.answers.com/topic/stephen-hawking
• http://www.upscale.utoronto.ca/GeneralInterest/Sinervo/Hawking.html
• http://www-personal.umd.umich.edu/~jonsmith/hawking.html
6. For your information, below is a brief summary of how personality affected the work of these
scientists.
Isaac Newton was a brilliant scientist, the first to explain the workings of the universe. But he
had a difficult personality and was prone to isolating himself from people, including other
scientists. He would work on a problem compulsively until he solved it. Although the scientific
community recognized the brilliance of his work, he alienated fellow scientists, notably Robert
Hooke. Nonetheless, the publication of Newton’s Principia in 1687 was nothing short of a
scientific revolution.
Albert Einstein was a brilliant scientist with strong intuitions that often turned out to be
correct. Einstein married and was part of the mainstream scientific community, but he also
required intellectual isolation to do his work. Some people claim that Einstein borrowed heavily
from the work of others without giving them full credit. This idea has not been fully
substantiated, but there is no doubt that while Einstein had his supporters, he also had many
detractors.
Stephen Hawking was diagnosed with a debilitating muscular disease at the age of 20. He is a
good example of how a person can turn adversity into a strength. Although his body continued
to deteriorate, his diagnosis inspired him to work harder than ever before. His main
contribution has been the most detailed explanation of black holes to date. Hawking enjoys
being in the spotlight, and his ability to promote his achievements has resulted in considerable
fame and recognition.
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Elements of Physics
Modern Physics and Cosmology
Teacher’s Guide
4
7. During the next class period, give students a few minutes to complete their reports. Then ask
volunteers to share their ideas. Make sure that each scientist is represented.
8. Discuss students’ ideas about the scientists. What are their similarities and differences? How
did their personalities affect the way the world perceived them?
9. Conclude the lesson by asking students to look at their original ideas about one of these
scientists. How have their ideas changed as a result of what they learned? What conclusions can
they draw about the role of personality in establishing the reputation of a scientist?
Assessment
Use the following three-point rubric to evaluate students’ work during this lesson.
•
3 points: Students showed a clear understanding of how a scientist’s personality could
affect his work; worked very well in their groups to consider how personality affected the
work of Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, or Stephen Hawking; and communicated their ideas
about this topic quite effectively.
•
2 points: Students showed some understanding of how a scientist’s personality could affect
his work; worked reasonably well in their groups to consider how personality affected the
work of Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, or Stephen Hawking; and communicated their ideas
about this topic somewhat effectively.
•
1 point: Students showed little understanding of how a scientist’s personality could affect
his work; had difficulty working in their groups to consider how personality affected the
work of Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, or Stephen Hawking; and had difficulty
communicating their ideas about this topic.
Vocabulary
black hole
Definition: An area in space where gravity is so strong that light cannot escape
Context: Some scientists think that there is clear evidence that a black hole exists in the Milky
Way galaxy.
classical physics
Definition: The conception of the universe as mechanical, predictable, and unchanging
Context: The basic tenet of classical physics is that the workings of the universe were as
predictable as the movement of balls on a pool table; this idea has been proved incorrect.
cosmologist
Definition: An individual who studies the origin, structure, and space-time relationships of the
universe
Context: Stephen Hawking is a brilliant cosmologist in the field of the behavior of black holes.
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Elements of Physics
Modern Physics and Cosmology
Teacher’s Guide
5
general relativity
Definition: Albert Einstein’s revolutionary theory stating that the mass of the sun warps the
space and time around it, causing the planets to orbit the sun in a straight line, following the
warp around the sun
Context: The field of cosmology is a direct outgrowth of Einstein’s theory of general relativity.
Hawking radiation
Definition: A form of radiation emanating from black holes: in pairs of subatomic particles in the
space adjacent to the black hole one particle falls into the black hole and the other radiates
away.
Context: Hawking radiation is named after Stephen Hawking, who discovered and explained
its significance.
special theory of relativity
Definition: Albert Einstein’s theory stating that time is relative to the speed at which an observer
moves and that when objects move close to the speed of light, distances stretch and times moves
more slowly
Context: Einstein’s theory of special relativity made it clear that Newton’s laws apply only to life
on Earth, not to what happens in the universe.
Academic Standards
National Academy of Sciences
The National Science Education Standards provide guidelines for teaching science as well as a
coherent vision of what it means to be scientifically literate for students in grades K-12. To view the
standards, visit this Web site:
http://books.nap.edu/html/nses/html/overview.html#content.
This lesson plan addresses the following national standards:
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History and Nature of Science: Science as a human endeavor; Historical perspectives
Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL)
McREL’s Content Knowledge: A Compendium of Standards and Benchmarks for K-12 Education
addresses 14 content areas. To view the standards and benchmarks, visit
http://www.mcrel.org/compendium/browse.asp .
This lesson plan addresses the following national standards:
•
Nature of Science —Understands the nature of scientific knowledge
•
Language Arts: Viewing—Uses viewing skills and strategies to understand and interpret
visual media; Writing: Uses the general skills and strategies of the writing process, Gathers
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Elements of Physics
Modern Physics and Cosmology
Teacher’s Guide
6
and uses information for research purposes; Reading: Uses reading skills and strategies to
understand and interpret a variety of informational texts
DVD Content
This program is available in an interactive DVD format. The following information and activities are
specific to the DVD version.
How To Use the DVD
The DVD starting screen has the following options:
Play Video—This plays the video from start to finish. There are no programmed stops, except by
using a remote control. With a computer, depending on the particular software player, a pause
button is included with the other video controls.
Video Index—Here the video is divided into sections indicated by video thumbnail icons; brief
descriptions are noted for each one. Watching all parts in sequence is similar to watching the video
from start to finish. To play a particular segment, press Enter on the remote for TV playback; on a
computer, click once to highlight a thumbnail and read the accompanying text description and click
again to start the video.
Curriculum Units—These are specially edited video segments pulled from different sections of the
video (see below). These nonlinear segments align with key ideas in the unit of instruction. They
include onscreen pre- and post-viewing questions, reproduced below in this Teacher’s Guide. Total
running times for these segments are noted. To play a particular segment, press Enter on the TV
remote or click once on the Curriculum Unit title on a computer.
Standards Link—Selecting this option displays a single screen that lists the national academic
standards the video addresses.
Teacher Resources—This screen gives the technical support number and Web site address.
Video Index
I. Challenging Newton’s Apple (5 min.)
Examine the 19th-century discoveries and theories that broke from classical physics and created new
questions about the subatomic particles that make up the universe.
II. Time for Einstein (4 min.)
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Elements of Physics
Modern Physics and Cosmology
Teacher’s Guide
According to Albert Einstein, energy and mass are linked with the speed of light. Examine the
information about planetary motion that Einstein provided with his theory of relativity.
III. Hubble, Hawking, and the Heavens (7 min.)
The more scientists learn about the universe the more controversial and unexplainable it seems to
be. Learn about the big bang, black holes, and the future of our universe.
IV. Cosmic Geniuses (31 min.)
Discover the contributions made by Newton, Einstein, and Hawking in the field of physics and the
world at large.
Curriculum Units
1. Breaking From Classical Physics
Pre-viewing question
Q: What do you know about Newton’s laws of motion?
A: Answers will vary.
Post-viewing question
Q: What is the uncertainty principle and how did it change physics?
A: Classical physics can predict the position of planets with great accuracy, using the laws of
motion, but its laws can’t predict the position and velocity of electrons. Werner Heisenberg called
this the uncertainty principle. The uncertainty principle signaled the end of classical physics and
ushered in the view that the universe is dynamic, changing, unpredictable, and, in some instances,
unknowable.
2. Einstein’s Theory of Relativity
Pre-viewing question
Q: How did Albert Einstein change the way we view the universe?
A: Answers will vary.
Post-viewing question
Q: What does Einstein’s equation of E=mc² describe?
A: E=mc² describes that energy and mass are linked with the speed of light. “E” stands for energy,
“m” for mass, and “c²” represents the speed of light times itself. The equation shows that mass and
energy are interchangeable.
3. An Expanding Universe
Pre-viewing question
Q: What do you know about the formation of the universe?
A: Answers will vary.
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7
Elements of Physics
Modern Physics and Cosmology
Teacher’s Guide
8
Post-viewing question
Q: According to the big bang theory, how did the universe form?
A: The big bang is a theory of the origin of the universe. It states that about 14 to 15 billion years
ago the universe and all matter and energy in it was crammed into a space about the size of an
atom. The universe then exploded in what came to be called the big bang. Cosmologists believe that
the universe was formed in this instant, along with all forms of matter and energy, as well as space
and time.
The big bang caused the universe to immediately expand outward at a tremendous speed.
As it expanded it cooled, and the rate of expansion slowed. Matter separated into a soup of seething
elementary particles. As temperatures began to lower, particles combined to create the first nuclei
of hydrogen and helium. It took about 300,000 years before expansion brought the temperature
down to a few thousand degrees and atoms were formed. One billion years after the big bang,
gravity began sweeping matter into clusters of dense mass, which became galaxies. Stars and
planets were born around that time.
4. Newton’s Life and Discoveries
Pre-viewing question
Q: Who do you think have been the most important scientists in history?
A: Answers will vary.
Post-viewing question
Q: What did Newton’s early work bring to the study of gravity?
A: Although Galileo began studies on gravity, Newton was the first to recognize that gravity moves
the Earth and stars. Newton showed that the laws of the heavens were the same as the laws on
Earth.
5. Newton’s Scientific Masterpiece
Pre-viewing question
Q: How might scientists react to criticism of their ideas?
A: Answers will vary.
Post-viewing question
Q: Describe Isaac Newton’s personality.
A: Isaac Newton was extraordinarily fragile and said to be prickly and strange. Some historians
speculate that his vindictiveness, inordinate sensitivity to criticism, and obsessive work reveal
symptoms of manic depression or other mental illness.
6. Einstein’s Early Discoveries
Pre-viewing question
Q: What simple questions have complex answers?
A: Answers will vary.
Post-viewing question
Q: What did Einstein discover about Newton’s laws of physics?
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Elements of Physics
Modern Physics and Cosmology
Teacher’s Guide
9
A: Einstein discovered that Newton’s laws only held true for the world of everyday experience.
When objects travel at speeds close to the speed of light, common sense breaks down, distances
stretch, and clocks tick more slowly.
7. Einstein’s World
Pre-viewing question
Q: Have you ever attempted something others considered impossible?
A: Answers will vary.
Post-viewing question
Q: What was Einstein’s greatest insight?
A: Einstein proved mathematically that mass and energy curve space and time. The sun warps
space and time so much that a nearby planet moves in a curved path around it. The same
phenomenon holds true on Earth. Objects that appear to be pulled are actually traveling through
space and time that has been warped by gravity.
8. Hawking’s Revolutionary Theory
Pre-viewing question
Q: What important living scientists do you know about?
A: Answers will vary.
Post-viewing question
Q: How did Hawking expand on Einstein’s theory of relativity?
A: Einstein’s theory of general relativity predicts the motion of very large objects, such as galaxies,
but not the behavior of the tiniest subatomic particles. Their motion is predicted by the theory of
quantum mechanics. Hawking uses quantum theory to analyze what happens to tiny particles
trapped by gravity on the edges of black holes. Black holes are not completely shut off from the rest
of the universe as once believed. Instead, their edges shed tiny particles, known as Hawking
radiation, that carry away energy and mass. Hawking had shown that black holes would slowly
evaporate.
Published by Discovery Education. © 2006. All rights reserved.