GETTING TO KNOW SATURN LESSON History of Saturn Discoveries 4 Students use History of Discovery cards and 3 hrs interpretive skits to examine how scientists throughout history have explored Saturn. The lesson enables students to discern the multicul- tural nature of scientific inquiry and to see how the improvement of technology increases our ability to solve scientific mysteries. 1610------------------------2010 MEETS NATIONAL The lesson also prepares students to create and SCIENCE EDUCATION interpret their own timelines spanning the years STANDARDS: 1610 to 2010. The timelines depict scientists, History and technologies, and discoveries. Nature of Science • Science as a human endeavor • History of PREREQUISITE SKILLS BACKGROUND INFORMATION science Science and Measuring in centimeters Background for Lesson Discussion, page 96 Technology • Understandings Reading science content Questions, page 99 about science Recording key information Answers in Appendix 1, page 225 and technology Creating timelines 35–50: Moons 56–63: The Cassini–Huygens Mission EQUIPMENT, MATERIALS, AND TOOLS For the teacher Materials to reproduce Photocopier (for transparencies & copies) Figures 1–14 are provided at the end of Overhead projector this lesson. Chalkboard, whiteboard, or easel with FIGURE TRANSPARENCY COPIES paper; chalk or markers 11 1-meter (or 2-meter) strip of adding- machine tape or butcher paper 2–11 1 card per group 12 1 per group For each of 10 student groups 13 1 per student Chart paper (18" × 22"); markers 14 1 for teacher For each student 1-meter (or 2-meter) strip of adding- machine tape or butcher paper Markers Notebook paper; pencil 95 Saturn Educator Guide • Cassini Program website — http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/cassini/educatorguide • EG-1999-12-008-JPL Background for Lesson Discussion LESSON wander across the starry background. In History of discovery 4 fact, the name given by early Greek astrono- (See Procedures & Activities, Part II, Step 6) mers to these points of light was “planetes,” Here are some questions (with answers) to help which meant “wandering stars.” students in interpreting the data they collect on their History of Discovery tables. People all over the world have given their • What do you notice about technology own names to the Sun, the Moon, the stars, over time? and the planets. The Greeks named one of Answer — The type of technology changed from the bright “planetes” after their god Cronos. small refracting telescopes to larger reflecting tele- The Romans considered Cronos to be the scopes, then to spacecraft that flew by Saturn, and same as their god Saturn. Almost 1,500 finally, to a spacecraft (Cassini–Huygens) that will years after the ancient Roman culture flour- orbit Saturn and tour the Saturn system. ished, European astronomers explained the motions of the wandering lights in terms • What do you notice about the dates of of a system with planets orbiting the Sun — discoveries? a Solar System. European astronomers gen- Answer — There were long periods of time be- erally accepted the Roman names for the tween discoveries. More discoveries have been made planets and selected Roman names for in recent years. new celestial objects found with the aid • What do you notice about the discoveries as of telescopes. technology improves? Answer — The discoveries are more numerous and According to the National Science Education Standards, more detailed as technology improves. Technology students should know that: improved dramatically within the last century, so • People of all backgrounds — with diverse interests, talents, the discoveries increased dramatically as well. qualities, and motivations — engage in science and engi- neering. Some of these people work in teams and others Ancient astronomers work alone, but all communicate extensively with others. (See Procedures & Activities, Part II, Step 3) • Throughout history, many scientific innovators have had Students may want to know more about ancient difficulty breaking through accepted ideas of their times astronomers. Here is some background infor- to reach conclusions that are now accepted as common mation: People in ancient cultures — as long as knowledge. 5,000 years ago, according to the records they left us — followed the motions of the Sun, the • Technology drives science because it provides the means Moon, stars, and planets. The earliest recorded to gain access to outer space; collect and analyze samples; observations of Saturn appear to have been collect, measure, store, and compute data; and communi- made by astrologer-priests during the reign of cate information. King Esar-haddon of Assyria in about 700 B.C. • Science drives technology because it provides principles for developing improved instrumentation and techniques Early observers watched the sky for omens. and the means for addressing questions that demand more They realized that while the stars generally tra- sophisticated instruments. versed the night sky in unchanging patterns, there were some points of light that appeared to 96 Saturn Educator Guide • Cassini Program website — http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/cassini/educatorguide • EG-1999-12-008-JPL Lesson Plan (Figures 2–11). You will need to cut the pages LESSON along the dashed lines, or in half, as each page 4 Part I: How Do We Know What We Know has two cards printed on it. Give each group a about the Planets? copy of the Interview Guide (Figure 12). Tell the students to prepare an interview role-play by Ask students: How do we know all that 1 answering the questions on the Interview Guide. we know about the planets in our Solar The students should read their group’s card and System? interpret the information, focusing on the people (or space mission), the technology, and Record their responses on the chalkboard 2 the discoveries that resulted. The Glossary (or whiteboard or easel paper). (Appendix 2) provides definitions of terms. Part II: Connections to Saturn Ask the students to divide the work among 5 group members to include the following Have the students form 10 groups. Have roles: reader, interviewer, recorder, and actor 1 each group write answers to the following who represents the scientist or space mission. To question on chart paper: What do you know to prepare for the role-play, the reader reads the be true about Saturn? card to the group. The group discusses how the actor will answer the interview questions and Have the student groups post their charts agrees on the responses. During the role-play, 2 and report out. Then ask the students: How the interviewer asks the questions from the In- do we know all that we know about Saturn? terview Guide. The actor responds to the inter- (“Knowing” could be the result of observing view questions based on the group’s discussion through sky-watching, telescopes, or space mis- of the answers. The recorder writes the answers sions.) Record their answers on the chalkboard. on the Interview Guide. Display a transparency of Sky Observation Suggest that actors respond dramatically to the questions. As 3 by Ancient Cultures (Figure 1). Introduce an option, the students might use props and/or costumes that the idea that Saturn was observed by ancient fit the information on their card. cultures as a wandering point of light in the night sky. Interpret the text in the figure, and Give each student a copy of the History ask the students to look at the drawings (the 6 of Discovery Table — for Students (Fig- “sky pictures”) and determine which point of ure 13). Have each group role-play their inter- light is wandering in the pictures provided. view for the class in chronological order of their History of Discovery Card. While each group Additional material: See Appendix 3 for an illustration and role-plays their interview, have the students take accompanying table depicting Saturn’s position in the sky over notes on their History of Discovery Table. the course of the Cassini mission. The illustration and table When all discoveries have been role-played could be made into transparencies for display and discussion. 7 and recorded, ask the students what they have learned about technological advancements Tell students that they will receive informa- 4 and discoveries about Saturn. Discuss the rela- tion about different observers of Saturn — tionship between scientific discovery and tech- people or space missions. Give each of the 10 nology and how knowledge about Saturn has groups a copy of one History of Discovery Card 97 Saturn Educator Guide • Cassini Program website — http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/cassini/educatorguide • EG-1999-12-008-JPL changed over time as a result of technological What additional discoveries were made due to LESSON advancements. Guide students to see that many these advances? What do we hope to learn by the 4 kinds of people in different cultures have made year 2010, after the Cassini spacecraft has toured and continue to make contributions to science the Saturn system? and technology. (See Background for Lesson Discussion.) Assessment Criteria 1. Figure 14 is a History of Discovery Table for Part III: Assessment the teacher that includes the correct location on the timeline for each of the Saturn explorers (scientist Post a 1-meter strip of adding-machine 1 or spacecraft), plus a listing of discoveries and tape or butcher paper on the chalkboard. technologies. Measure and record dates from 1610 to 2010 on the strip of paper, as shown below. Explain 2. Each student’s timeline should have: that the 25-cm increments represent 100-year • Years properly labeled and spaced. periods. Alternately, you might use a 2-meter • Names, discoveries, and technologies properly strip having 50-cm increments. placed and labeled. Give each group a strip of paper that is 2 3. Each student’s letter to Galileo should contain an 1 meter (or 2 meters) long. Instruct the explanation about the relationship between im- students to use the data on their History of Dis- proved technology and increased discoveries.