Teacher Preparation

• Buy:

• Balloons

• Get rulers

• Permanent Markers

• Photocopy the Lab Sheet

Lesson 4Big Bang Balloons Lab

Mr. PetersenEarth Systems

9th Grade

Self Starter * 8/28/2014 * Lesson 3Today’s Learning Objective and Questions

Write Everything!40 Points

Today’s Learning Objective: Students will be able to explain how stars evenly spread out in relationship to each other.

Essential Question: How do scientists know our Milky Way Galaxy is expanding?

Answer: Because of Red Shift

• Today’s Homework: Finish Bar Graphs on the today’s Lab.

Assignment Log * Portfolio 1

Assignment Number Assignment Title

Lesson Number

1 Disclosure Statement 1

2 Scavenger Hunt 1

3 Glossary List 2

4 Important Points 3

5 Big Bang Balloon Lab 4

6

7

8

9

10

Glossary List * Portfolio 1 [ 3]1. Astronomy-

2. Big Bang Theory-

3. Nebular Theory-

4. Red Shift -

What Caused the Big Bang * 6:27

Materials

Pair Up Students

• 1 large round balloon (deflated)

• 1 Permanent Marker

• String or paper clip (DO NOT TIE THE STRING)

• Ruler

• Lab Sheet

Directions

1. Have students in pairs blow up a balloon and hold it shut with string or a paperclip. (DO NOT TIE!!!) This represents the Universe.

Caution the

students about

popping the

Balloons. You

won’t get another

one. You will

have to team with

other students.

2. Have students use the marker to place 10 dots (representing galaxies) at random places on the balloon. Have them label each dot with a number 1 – 10.

• 3. Have them draw a tiny sun to represent where we are, toward one end of the balloon, rather than in the middle.

• 4. Students should then use the ruler to measure the distances between our sun and each dot. Have them record their data on the table on their lab sheet.

• 5. Now, students should deflate the balloon. This represents the universe as it was in the past.

• 6. Have students measure the distances again, and compare.

Help the Students Answer The questions on The Lab Sheet:

1. Why does the blown up balloon represent the current universe, instead of the deflated one?

• Because it shows that the universe is exploding.

2

• Compare the distances of galaxies to us. How do the furthest galaxies compare to the closer ones?

• What does that tell you about how the universe is expanding?

2

• The galaxy is always expanding. When the galaxy is expanding this is red shift.

• That they are spreading out and becoming bigger equally.

3. Describe what would happen if you could squish your balloon down into a tiny speck. Where would the galaxies be in relation to each other?

• Eventually they would all end up together as one single mass.

4. What do you think would happen if you could blow up your balloon to twice as big as it was to start with?

• The centimeters would be twice the distance apart.

5. How is this a good model of the Big Bang? How is it limited?

• It is a good model because it show it exploding and imploding at the same rate.

• Eventually it will pop. You can’t show every existing galaxy on the balloon.

6

• Make a bar or line graph on the back of your paper in landscape of the data you collected on the 2 tables.

Help students finish the Scavenger Hunt Assignment 2

• Pass Out the Science Books

• Alternate Reading pages 720 - 724