Unit Plan: Pulsar Astronomy

Kristen Chaffins

CI 350

5-18-14

Analyze the Learner:General Characteristics:

• The lesson that will be conducted will taught to ninth grade honors science students in Appalachia.

• The class will be roughly half girls and half boys.

Entry Competencies:

• Will have knowledge of basic astronomy and some general math skills

• Will use a computer efficiently

• Will have understanding of the internet in order to research certain topics

Learning Styles:

• Spatial

• Kinesthetic

• Interpersonal

Main Objectives:

• The students will grasp the concept of how pulsars work by observing a robotic pulsar (or binary system) and watching an instructional video with 95% accuracy by the third instructional day.

• The students will analyze 5 pulsar plots, in groups of two or three, using an online database and previously taken notes with 95% accuracy by the fifth instructional day. The students will then present a short presentation on their findings.

Day by Day:Day 1: Introduction into pulsar astronomy (what is a pulsar? why study them? etc.)

Day 2: Green Bank telescope and Arecibo telescope

Day 3: Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) and noise - How we effect pulsar astronomy

Day 4: Harmonics and Binary Systems

Day 5: Analyze pulsar plots and discuss the future of pulsars

Use of technology:

Videos

Media (sound)

Robotics

Websites/internet material

PowerPoint

Online databases

Works Cited: Picture:

Nally, Jonathan. Taking the pulse of the universe. Space and Astronomy News Daily, 3 Feb. 2011. Google. Web. 18 May 2014. <http://spaceinfo.com.au/2011/02/03/taking-the-pulse-of-the-universe/>.