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Meteorite Investigators 14-18 Lesson plan 16 meteorite investigators Making measurements and Overview examining objects. Calculating density. In this lesson, students will investigate some of the meteorites and associated rocks in the loan Estimating the box. volume of an object. They will test them for magnetism, do a visual 14-18 analysis and measure their mass to calculate the densities of their items. This activity is particularly geared towards getting students to estimate the volume of the rocks in order to obtain a value for density as close to the real values as possible. They will then use the meteorite identification curriculum links cards to help them identify which object is which. Spare paper for calculating What you need volumes of objects The following samples from the A16 PowerPoint loanbox placed on the appropriate 16.1 and 16.2 worksheets Station information sheet: (one per student) Campo de cielo iron meteorite (Station 1) Lybian glass impactite (Station 2) 16.3 Space rock information cards Sahara chondrite (whole chondrite) (Station 3) (one per group) Udei station and etched iron meteorites 16.4 Space rock station sheet (Station 4) Sliced chondrite (Station 5) 16.5 Volumes of shapes sheet Tektite (Station 6) (one per station) Pallasite (Station 7) 4 USB microscopes connected to Moldavite (Station 8) laptops with VLC media player installed 8 hand lenses (one at each station) 5 magnaprobes (on their assigned Prior to the lesson, place the 8 station station sheets) cards around the room with their associated rock in the box, a hand lens in Cloth or bubble wrap underneath the hand lens box and, where stated, a the rock samples for protection magnaprobe in the magnaprobe box. 56 meteorite investigators Lesson plan meteorite investigators meteorite investigators 16 Starter 15 Go through the introduction slides on and emphasise how important it is to be very mins the powerpoint with the class. Build careful when handling these samples. up the students understanding of the Show the students the USB microscopes and different types of meteorites and explain how to vary the focus. These can be used to associated rocks. help in the study of any of the objects – they simply Set the scene for the investigation have to go over to a free microscope station. ACTIVITY 16.2 match your space rocks .1 meteorite investigationMoldavite Station 1 ACTIVITY 16 Explain the approach you took to calculating the volumes (what shapes did you model the Around the room are 8 stations with rocks that have either come from space, or objects as being madeWhole up of?). Chondrite Station 2 Main activity been produced as a result of an impact between a meteorite and the YouEarth. can It then is your weigh job the to objectstudy tothese allow 3 .you rocks, perform tests, and calculate densitiesKey equation: (of someVolume of the rocks) toin ordercalculate to identifyits density. which rock is which. Take your measurements in cm and mass in To calculate the densities, you will ass Density g to give you a density of grams/cm need to estimate the volume of the objects. At each station there is a sheet Pallasite Station 3 that will help you with this by Written Observation: Does it have a fusion crust? 35 reminding you of how to calculate In eight groups, the students go around Does it show bubbles? Can you see metal? the volumes of certain shapes. Is it glass-like or coloured? Density/ mins additional task Is it the room, spending 3-4 minutes with Station magnetic? Mass (g): Campo de Cielo Station 4 3): Volume (cm Iron Meteorite each sample and completing the table 1 Density: Mass (g): 3): Not Volume (cm Tektite Station 5 on the worksheet. 2 needed Density: Mass (g): 3): Volume (cm Make sure that the USB microscopes Density: 3 Etched Iron Station 6 Mass (g): 3): meteorite section are placed with the stations where Volume (cm 4 Density: Mass (g): 3): Volume (cm Lybian glass Station 7 the table requires a drawing of the Not impactite 5 needed Density: Mass (g): 3): surface. Students then match up the Volume (cm 6 Density: Polished chondrite Station 8 section specific meteorite to its name. Not needed 7 ACTIVITY 16 Not match your space rocks ACTIVITY 16 Not needed 8 needed ACTIVITY 16.3 Space Rocks Information meteorite investigation ACTIVITY16 Meteorites General inormation .5 volumes of shapes Most meteorites Meteorites are Meteorites have a fusion crust – a dark outer coating that 16.1 Meteorite investigation & contain iron and so MORE DENSE than can show bubble pits or waves from where the outer rock they are MAGNETIC. most Earth rocks. has melted as the meteorite burns up in the atmosphere. Cube igure Iron meteorites Chondrite meteorites Formula 16.2 Match your space rocks Description Additional eatures Description Additional eatures Large pieces of Widmanstätten patterns Pieces of stone Chondrules – small spherical a Variales iron-nickel. formed due to the slow cooling with flecks/ rock formations from where the From The of the material deep within the small pieces of small asteroid gradually came a 3 core of large body of a large asteroid. iron/nickel together under the forces of asteroids. inside them. gravity and charge attraction. regular prism a = length of edge Density The From Small Please reiterate the importance densest asteroids. meteorites. Density The h Magnetic Yes. least dense meteorites. of carefully handling the Magnetic Yes. l w l = Widmanstätten cylinder l h length patterns Chondrules w = width meteorites, and of replacing r h = height tektites Pallasite (stony-iron) meteorites everything in the correct place Description Rock that Additional eatures Description Iron/nickel with melted when a meteorite Often show holes or non-metallic crystals inside. h hit the Earth. bubbles from gases From The core/mantle ∏ 2 heated up on impact. r From The Earth – fall back boundary of large h r = radius of circular face on the sheet before moving on as droplets of melted rock. asteroids. cone h = Density Low density. Density Medium density. height Magnetic No. Magnetic Yes. to the next station. h Glass impactites Moldavites 1/3 Description Silica rich rock Additional eatures Description Rock that Additional eatures ∏ 2 r r = that melted when a Glass-like and often melted when a meteorite Distinctsphere green r h radius of circular base meteorite hit the Earth. coloured due to hit the Earth. colouring due to h = height from From The Earth – fall back elements in the rock. From The Earth – fall back elements in the Earth tip to base 16.3 Space rocks information as droplets of melted rock. as droplets of melted rock. at the impact location. Density Medium density. Density Low density. r Magnetic No. Magnetic No. 16.5 Volumes of shapes 4/3 ∏ r 3 Space rocks information Space rocksACTIVITY information 16 r = radius ACTIVITY 16 each one to explain how they estimated Plenary the volume of the object. Finish off with showing them the 10 Go through the answers with the Martian meteorite and ask students how mins students on the powerpoint slide it is possible for a piece of Mars to get and discuss. Get the students whose to the Earth. What can we say about the density calculations were closest for energy of such a collision? meteorite investigators 57.
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