Introduction |
| Anchor Video |
| Concept Map |
| Project Calendar |
| Lesson Plans |
| Letter to Parents |
| Assessments |
| Modifications |
| Grant |
Summary, Description, Rationale, Potential Impact, Evaluation Plan, Calendar, Budget
Total Budget Figure: $1583.25
Summary
The deep impact crater experiment lets students simulate a meteorite’s travel to Earth. The ejecta patterns created by colored sand are dramatic and can be compared with ejecta patterns seen on Landsat images. Students will draw conclusions and form new ideas about the different variables that effect making an impact crater. The project will be implemented throughout a four and a half week period using the scientific method, mathematical modeling, and satellite technology. As a result of the project, students will be able to articulate their thought process, show their impact model, make a conclusion about an evacuation strategy and design a plan to throw a meteorite off its course that is headed for Earth.
Back to top.Description
Students will begin by looking at the size, location, and pictures of many impact craters, including an iMOVIE titled Deep Impact. For an examination of craters, students will look at the different parts of a crater. As a class, we will measure impact craters directly and indirectly by using Landsat technology. Students will also look in depth at meteorites, including size, density, speed, and composition.
The deep impact crater experiment lets students simulate a meteorite’s travel to Earth. It involves using a pan consisting of layers of different colored materials such as sand, white sugar, and powdered paint to represent the surface of planet. Various objects representing meteorites will be dropped into the material in the pan to create craters and other impact effects. The ejecta patterns created by the colored sand are dramatic and can be compared with ejecta patterns seen on Landsat images. Students will measure crater sizes and draw ejecta patterns to see what effects size, weight, velocity, and angle of impact have on the resulting craters.
The students will measure the size of each crater that is made and the length of the ejecta. They will then make a drawing of the crater surface they have created.
Several discussions will include the relationship of ball mass to crater size and the relationship of the velocity of the ball to crater size. Students will draw conclusions and form new ideas about the different variables that effect making an impact crater. Then the students will throw balls at different angles and attempt to add more force to make a crater. Also, students can use irregularly shaped rocks to make craters. Again, as a class, students will discuss the types of craters made using these last three variables.
To conclude the project, students will research the K-T extinction. Students must decide if it was in fact the cause of the dinosaur extinction. Also, students should make conclusion about the risk of such a destructive impact in the future.
Lastly, students will present their project to students and educational administrators. They will articulate their thought process, show their impact model, make a conclusion about an evacuation strategy and a plan to throw a meteorite off its course that is headed for Earth. Students will also present their research and conclusions about the K-T extinction.
Back to top.Rationale
The impact of asteroids, comets, and meteorites is a major geologic process.
Both the Earth and the Moon are the targets of a continuing bombardment of meteoroids, asteroids, and comets from outer space, such as the meteor crater that targeted Arizona 25,000 years ago. Much of the material ejected from the crater is deposited in the area surrounding the crater causing severe damage to everything adjacent to the impact.
Since August, University of Arizona geologists David Kring and Lukas Zurcher have published five papers based on drilling done near the Mexican crater in Chicxulub Puerto, Mexico in 2002. The impact vaporized everything around it, turning Chicxulub into a lake of molten rock, Kring said. In a series of five papers published from August to last month, they described how the impact crushed rock, created a lake of lava the size of the Gulf of California and spawned hot springs and geysers that pumped away for two million years. "It better tells us how the plumbing worked," Kring said, adding that similar asteroid impacts may have helped incubate the first life on Earth. Findings such as these help scientists learn about the history of the Earth and communicate with others, including students, the effects of deep impacts.
In this project, students will explore many different scientific and mathematical concepts that add up to the unknown total area that could be damaged. Students will present their findings with others students and educational administrators. Also, students will share ideas of evacuation and a method to throw a meteorite of its course that is headed for Earth.
Back to top.Impact
The goals of this project are to gain thorough knowledge about impact craters, meteorites, and the K-T extinction, along with connecting science and math to real world phenomenon. Students play the role of scientists and mathematicians as they face a scientific dilemma. With their knowledge and skills of impact crater and meteorites, they are challenged with a mission. The mission will be designed to grab the students’ attention as they must find out how much damage a meteorite will cause that is coming straight for Earth. The goal is to model the exact meteorite and its effects of impact. Students will expand their knowledge about speed, acceleration, size, density, rock composition, energy, and different atmospheres. They will also increase their mathematical skills as they develop a relationship among the previously mentioned concepts. Students will benefit from this project because it is interesting and gives them the responsibility of solving a possible real world scenario. Students will have the opportunity to share ideas and learn possible conclusions from their cooperative groups. The most beneficial outcome of this project will be that students take their knowledge further by applying their expertise in an interactive and logical way. The approximate number of people that will be impacted by this project will be one hundred twenty students and two teachers.
Back to top.Evaluation Plan
I have divided the unit into four sections: looking at impact craters, meteorites, modeling impact craters, and the K-T extinction. Students will be given a short assessment over the first two sections, looking at impact craters and meteorites. The information contained in these sections is essential for students to experiment and build their own impact craters. Therefore, an assessment with half multiple choice and half essay, which includes some mathematical questions, will be given. The goal of these assessments is to ensure students stay up to date on the material and for me to check their understanding. Also, students will be assessed on the last two portions of the unit, modeling impact craters, and the K-T extinction. Students will be given time in class to prepare group presentations. The presentation will contain their thought process, modeling their impact, conclusions about mission, and conclusion about K-T extinction. An overall work grade will also be given to individual students decided by my observations. Another grade will be given to the students by their cooperative group, so students will be taken accountable for their work or lack there of.
Back to top.Project Calendar
We will begin Monday, June 1st by looking at different locations, pictures, and age of several different impact craters. During the last several minutes of class, we will watch the I-MOVIE called Deep Impact, which will spark the students’ interest in impact craters. June 2nd will be devoted to different crater features, such as width, depth, ejectile patterns, and relation to impact energy. For the next two days, June 3rd and 4th students will use Landsat to indirectly find and measure craters. On June 5th, the students will get a brief lesson on substrate, which will introduce the similarities and differences of soft and hard rock. A short review and assessment will be given on June 8th to conclude this portion of the unit.
The next portion of the unit will be devoted to meteorites. The first day, June 9th, we will discuss size distribution, mass, volume, and surface area of meteorites. The next day, June 10th, we will discuss density of meteorites, which will tie in some mathematical skills. Effects of different compositions, such as Iridium, will be the topic for June 11th and speed of meteorites will be introduced June 12th, which will include some mathematical modeling. For June 15th, we will discuss the effects of atmospheres, such as the presence or absence on several planets. June 16th we will be finding to the relationship between mass, speed, and energy. Lastly, on June 17th we will discuss the effects of erosion due to wind and water.
The mission of modeling craters will be introduced June 18th and we will also have a short review for the brief assessment on June 19th. To begin the week of June 22nd, the students will have two days to do experimentation on modeling craters. On June 24th, within their groups, students will make conclusions and build new hypotheses. June 25th will be given as time to make changes or rebuild impact craters. As a class on June 26th, students will discuss conclusions and compare ideas.
June 29th will start the week of effects of deep impacts: the K-T impact. Students will research and make their own conclusions for the next three days. Also during this week, students will have time to work on their presentations. The last day of the week, July 2nd, students will be given the full period to work on presentations. Students will present their deep impacts and conclusion on K-T extinction July 5th and 6th.
Back to top.Budget
The deep impact crater experiment is fun to do and relatively inexpensive. Java and Landsat will be used at each computer, but both programs are free on the internet. Several satellite images of impact craters will be needed to show students ($20.00). Also, students will need several sets of worksheets ($0.05/page). A set of class books: Craters! by William K. Hartmann with Joe Cain , which is $24.95 per book.
The following materials are needed to model impact craters:
Large tubs or litter boxes for all purpose flour, baking soda, corn meal, sand, corn starch, powdered tempera paint, and colored sand that will act as the surface of the Earth and a sieve is needed for more uniform layering ($3.00/material). Small balls of different sizes and weights: marbles, ball bearings, golf balls, ping pong will be needed to act as the meteorite ($1.00/ball). One slingshot will be used by the teacher to show a meteorite’s impact with increased acceleration ($5.00). Plastic bags will be used to separate materials for each group ($3.00/box). Several rocks, such as iridium, clay, and feldspar to demonstrate the similarities and differences of substrate (Irdium:$593.00, Central Texas rock kit: $3.25). Yardsticks or tape measures, and small rulers are needed for students to measure height and ejecta distance ($1.00/ruler). Students must wear eye protection ($2.00/pair), because ejecta will be excavated out of the impact craters and could get in their eyes.
Books are $625.00, satellite images are $10.00, worksheets are $150.00, modeling materials are $90.00, balls are $25.00, slingshot is $5.00, plastic bags are $9.00, iridium is $593.00, rock kits are $16.25, rulers are $10.00, and eye protection is $50.00. The total project figure is $1583.25.