TITLE: INTO THE UNIVERSE WITH STEPHEN HAWKING: ALIENS LENGTH: 60̾GRADES: 5-12SUBJECTS: Physics, biology, astronomy, geology, mathematics, history, art, language

DESCRIPTION:

Teaching strategy: Summary This program synthesis offers relevant information about the documentary,

emphasizing key concepts, principles and terms, and the main argument.

DESCRIPTION:Faced with the vastness and possibility of the universe, it is only logical to wonder whether other intelligent life exists somewhere in the cosmos. The challenge is imagining life forms so strange as to be unrecognizable. Stephen Hawking describes the theories that explain how life began and evolved on our planet. Using th

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is as his starting point, he takes us on a tour of the places where different forms of life could potentially develop, reproduce and evolve.

CREDITS: María D. de Corona – College Professor

OBJECTIVE

Teaching strategy: Lesson Goals Establish the conditions, types of activities and system for evaluating

student learning and meeting expectations for lesson outcomes.

Students will: Explore the universe and discover places where strange forms of extraterrestrial life

could have arisen. Discover the different forms water takes in the universe. Learn about explorations and discoveries on Mars. Speculate about what some alien life forms may have achieved.

MATERIALSMap, pencil, pen, concept map, cardboard, Internet access via tablet or computer.

I. ACTIVATION OF PREVIOUS KNOWLEDGE. DISCUSS AND ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS.

Teaching strategy: Activation of previous knowledge Introductory and contextual information that allows the instructor to

gauge students’ knowledge of the subject in question and encourage the learning process. This exercise serves as a cognitive bridge between old and new information.*

1. Do you believe in extraterrestrials? 2. What do you think they could look like? Where might they live, and what could they be capable of doing? II. WATCH MINUTES 01:14 THROUGH 11:00 OF THE VIDEO AND ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS.

Teaching strategy: questions accompanying the video* This exercise leads students in a direction defined by the curriculum

guidelines, enabling them to demonstrate different types of learning.

1. How big is the universe?

2. How many stars are in the Milky Way?

3. How many galaxies make up the cosmos?

4. What does this immensity suggest?

5. What forms could alien life take?

7. Where should the search for alien life begin?

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8. Are the laws of physics different in other parts of the universe?

9. How could life on Earth help in this search?

10, Have scientists found the exact explanation for the origins of life?

11. What theory is the most widely accepted?

12. Where did this “accident” occur?

14. What is the theory of Panspermia?

15. What is the basis for this theory?

16. What is one of the things essential to an organism’s survival?

17. How does life protect individuals against death?

18. Where does this process lead?

19. What life forms could arise if this evolution takes place on an alien world?

III. WATCH MINUTES 7:10 THROUGH 9:20 OF THE VIDEO. USE THE WORDS BELOW TO COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING PARAGRAPHS.

Teaching strategy : Key words that trigger analytical reasoning • This exercise promotes the detection and codification of main information.

amino acids panspermia forms Earthplanet asteroids accidentally fragmentshypothesis theory debris Marslife primordial soup randomly aquaticcombination periods primitive bacteriaproposes conditions space universe

At some point in the remote past, in an (1) ___________environment on the (2) ___________ Earth, life began. The most common (3)_________ of life’s origins is that it began (4) _____________ when chemicals called (5) ___________ in a (6) ____________ collided (7) ___________ over millions of years until hitting on the perfect (8) _____________ to start the chain of life. Even today, scientists consider this (9) ___________ the best one for explaining the origins of life on our (10)________.

Another theory, called (11) ____________, is another interesting take on the question. It (12) ___________ that life began not on (13) _________ but rather in another part of our vast (14) ___________. We know that (15)__________can survive in outer (16)__________ in extreme (17) __________ and for long (18) _________ of time. The theory of panspermia suggests that rocks, comets, (19) ___________and

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other (20) _________ from space that reached Earth millions upon millions of years ago could have brought (21_________ to our___________. Huge (22)__________ of rock have fallen to Earth from (23) __________ numerous times, and scientists think they could have brought (24) __________-_ of life with them.

IV. WATCH MINUTES 11:52 THROUGH 12:25 OF THE VIDEO AND COMPLETE THE DIAGRAM BELOW ABOUT THE EXISTENCE OF WATER IN THE UNIVERSE.

• Teaching strategy: Diagram • Diagrams such as this one help students develop a main idea or concept with

supporting details. Answers will vary according to the student’s ability to organize, select and integrate information.

DiagramChoose a segment of video and give it a title. List relevant facts and infer or

identify their effects.

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TITLE / TOPIC:

Fact/Idea:

Fact/Idea:

Fact/Idea:

Fact/Idea:

Fact/Idea:

V. WATCH MINUTES 13:06 THROUGH 14:23 OF THE VIDEO AND FILL IN THE CHART BELOW WITH INFORMATION ABOUT THE RESULTS OF THE VARIOUS MISSIONS TO MARS.

• Teaching strategy: Chart • Charts such as this one help students develop a main idea or concept with

supporting details. Answers will vary according to the student’s ability to organize, select and integrate information.

1. Robots

2. NASA Spirit Rover

3. Satellite images

4. Moisture under the surface5. Microbes

VI. WATCH MINUTES 14:36 THROUGH 15:45 OF THE VIDEO AND DECIDE IF THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS ARE TRUE (T) OR FALSE (F).

Teaching strategy: Analogies Having students distinguish between true and false statements can improve

their concentration. The answers can be used to provoke discussion of the accuracy of the

statements, encourage interpretation of the information, analysis, etc. 1. ( ) Mars is the only other place in the universe that could have liquid water. 2. ( ) Europa is more than 3,200 kilometers in diameter.3. ( ) Europa is one of the moons of Jupiter.4. ( ) Europa is 48 million kilometers from Mars.5. ( ) Europa has a heat source on its surface.6. ( ) Jupiter has a stable gravitational field.7. ( ) Europa is a small, cold moon.8. ( ) Europa orbits Jupiter.9. ( ) Jupiter’s gravitational field does not affect Europa.10.( ) A layer of ice 24 kilometers thick covers Europa’s surface.

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MARS MISSIONS

VII. WATCH MINUTES 15:04 THROUGH 18:35 OF THE VIDEO AND FILL IN THE DIAGRAM ABOUT THE HYPOTHETICAL EXISTENCE OF LIFE ON EUROPA AND ITS POSSIBLE PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS.

• Teaching strategy: Diagram • Diagrams such as this one help students develop a main idea or concept with

supporting details. Answers will vary according to the student’s ability to organize, select and integrate information.

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A.

EUROPA

B. C. .

E..

D.

L. .

J.

F. K

H. I. G.

VIII. WATCH MINUTES 21:26 THROUGH 25:29 OF THE VIDEO. MATCH THE STATEMENTS IN THE TWO COLUMNS, WRITING THE NUMBER OF THE CORRECT PHRASE NEXT TO EACH LETTER. Teaching strategy: Key words that trigger analytical reasoning

• This exercise promotes the detection and codification of main information. • This exercise helps students use the rich vocabulary of the video.

1. ( ) Aliens that live on a solid surface…

A. could change our view of life in theuniverse.

2. ( ) To continue the search for alien life forms …

B. there could be a rocky planet very much like Earth.

3. ( ) If the planet has a lot of light … C. would need a mouth.4. (I ) The life forms on a planet similar to Earth……

D. we will have to look deep into the universe.

5. ( ) The discovery of hundreds of planets …

E. eyes in front to calculate distance correctly.

6. ( ) Animals hunted as prey… F. thanks to the universal process of evolution.

7. ( ) To eat, alien life forms … G. any life forms there would probably have eyes.

8. ( ) It’s possible that not too far away…

H. tend to develop eyes on the sides of their heads.

9. ( ) Animals that hunt need … I. are not the only options for continuing the search for alien life.

10.( ) Right now, alien species could be fighting life and death struggles…

J. would probably have legs.

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CARACTERISTICS OF ALIEN LIFE FORMS

IX. MULTIPLE CHOICE.WATCH MINUTES 25:30 THROUGH 30:34 OF THE VIDEO AND CHOOSE THE ANSWER THAT BEST COMPLETES THE SENTENCE.

Teaching strategy: questions accompanying the video This multiple-choice exercise helps focus attention on relevant

information, allowing students to make associations, abstractions, generalizations and discriminations while testing their powers of assimilation.

1. Scientists believe that life in the universe is physically possible … a) only when there is water. b) only in accordance with known patterns of evolution. c) even if it follows a different evolutionary pattern.

2. It’s possible that there could be alien life forms that depend not on water but on … a) carbon b) oxygen c) nitrogen

3. Nitrogen is found naturally on Earth in its ….. state. a) solid b) gaseous c) liquid

4. The carbon that is the basis of the body chemistry of human beings could be replaced with …. to support life in a frozen world. a) nitrogen b) silicone c) hydrogen

5. Life forms living at extremely low temperatures would be….. a) very agile b) very dynamic c) very slow

6. Many distant planets astronomers have discovered seem to be …. a) made of gas b) similar to Earth c) small

7. Alien life forms on gaseous planets could survive on … a) the energy from electrical storms b) the gas on the planet c) energy from the star they orbit

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8. For Stephen Hawking, the most important thing to know about extraterrestrials is… a) what they are made of b) what they are capable of doing c) where they can be found.

X. WATCH MINUTES 27:09 THROUGH 27:40 OF THE VIDEO AND FILL IN THE DIAGRAM ABOUT THE INGREDIENTS HUMAN BEINGS ARE MADE OF.

• Teaching strategy: Diagram • Diagrams such as this one help students develop a main idea or concept with

supporting details. Answers will vary according to the student’s ability to organize, select and integrate information.

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HUMAN BEINGS

XI. WATCH MINUTES 30:38 THROUGH 37:25 OF THE VIDEO. USE THE TABLE BELOW TO FIND THE COORDINATES OF THE MISSING LETTERS. WRITE THE COORDINATES IN PARENTHESES UNDERNEATH EACH LETTER. FOLLOW THE EXAMPLE:

Teaching strategy: Semantic network The use of this type of diagram to fill in information is ideal for integrating

mathematics with language. Plotting the coordinates will help students not only build the words they need

for their answers but also familiarize them with basic graphing concepts.

Follow the example:

A feline: C A T (2,3) (1,5) (3,4)

5 A L G V D 4 K N T P H 3 Q C B W S 2 F U J Y Z 1 I O R E M

1 2 3 4 5

1. There isn’t much chance of getting information about possible alien civilizations because they are too … ….

____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ___ ____ (1,2) (3,1) (4,3)

2. The alien “Wow” signal seems to have come from a … 200 light years away.

____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ (2,3) (5,3) (3,4) (2,5) (2,5) (1,1) (2,1)

3. The lack of extraterrestrial contact represents a serious … problem.

____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ (2,3) (4,1) (1,1) (1,2) (2,3)

4. Making contact with extraterrestrials by … signal is very difficult.

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____ ____ ____ ____ ____ (3,1) (5,5) (2,1)

5. A … registered the “Wow” signal as a series of letters and numbers.

____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ (2,3) (5,19 (2,2) (3,1)

6. … take a long time to reach their destination because the universe is so big.

____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ (5,1) (5,3) (5,3) (3,5)

7. Maybe extraterrestrials have already discovered the theory of ….

____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ (3,1) (2,59 (1,1) (4,5) (4,2)

8. If we sent an answer to the … signal it would take 200 years to get there.

____ ____ ____ (4,3)

9. It’s possible that … life forms could be colonizing the universe.

____ ____ ____ ____ ____ (1,5) (2,5) (2,4)

10. Intelligent life forms could have emerged as extraterrestrial life ….

____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ (4,5) (2,1) (4,1) (5,5)

11. Stories of alien … are always the same.

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____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ (1,5) (5,5) (2,3) (3,4) (2,1)

12. If there were aliens among us, the media would have … the news.

____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ (3,1) (4,4) (2,1) (4,1)

13. Ehman analyzed the … where the “Wow” signal originated a number of times, but the signal had disappeared.

____ ____ ____ ____ (1,5) (4,1)

14. In 1977, a radio telescope in Ohio picked up a … that became famous.

____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ (3,5) (2,4) (1,5)

15. Human beings have been exploring …for more than 40 years.

____ ____ ____ ____ ____ (4,4) (1,5) (4,1)

16. A lot of people believe … are already among us.

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___(4,1) (3,1) (3,4) (3,1) (4,1) (5,3) (1,1)(1,5)

XII. WATCH MINUTES 33:58 THROUGH 35:23 OF THE VIDEO. IN THE FOLLOWING CODE, EACH SYMBOL REPRESENTS THREE POSSIBLE LETTERS. DECIPHER THE 12 MISSING WORDS BELOW AND USE THEM TO COMPLETE THE PARAGRAPHS. USE THE WORDS TO CREATE AN ACROSTIC OF THE WORD “SPACE.”

Teaching strategy : Key words that trigger analytical reasoning

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This exercise promotes the detection and codification of main information by emphasizing elements relevant to the content at hand.

Learning strategy: This exercise helps improve students’ spelling and vocabulary as they look for

words whose letters form a key term.

On August 16, 1977, the Big Ear radio telescope in Ohio received a radio

/ % $ % + & __________ of unknown origin that lasted exactly 72 seconds. The signal

was not recorded but was registered on a continuous-feed $ / + + / & # %

__________printout at the observatory. A few days later, Jerry R. Ehman, a young + % / ? / / / % __________ at Ohio State University who was working as a $ / & / % & # # % ___________on the SETI project, discovered the most intense + % / + / & / / / ____________ signal ever # # & # $ & # # _____________ by radio telescope. It

became known as the “Wow” signal thanks to the $ / + + # % & _________Ehman

scribbled next to it on the printout, showing his excitement and surprise. The / # ? / # % $ # ____________of the signal was: 6EQUJ5.

he origin of the signal is still being % % $ # / & % $ + & # # ____________

today. Explanations range from a + # / / + $ # _________from an intelligent alien

civilization to simple % % & # % ? # % # % $ # ___________near the radio

telescope. All subsequent attempts to obtain a signal from the same area have found

nothing / % / / / + & ______________.

S P A C E

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+ A M and P# H D and E% I R and N/ U S and O& T B and L$ V C and G? F Q and J

XIII. WATCH MINUTES 38:50 THROUGH 41:54 OF THE VIDEO AND COMPLETE THE FLOW CHART ABOUT THE POSSIBLE EVOLUTIONARY ADVANCES OF ALIEN LIFE FORMS AND THE OPPORTUNITIES THESE REPRESENT.

• Teaching strategy: Diagram • Diagrams such as this one help students develop a main idea or concept with

supporting details. Answers will vary according to the student’s ability to organize, select and integrate information

S

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TITLE / IDEA:Alien life forms and their possible evolutionary

advances

CAPABILITY

CAPABILITY

OPPORTUNITY

OPPORTUNITY

OPPORTUNITY

OPPORTUNITY

CAPABILITY

POSSIBLE EVOLUTIONARY ADVANCES OF ALIEN LIFE

FORMS AND THE OPPORTUNITIES THEY

REPRESENT

OPPORTUNITY OPPORTUNITY

CAPABILITY

OPPORTUNITYTravel great distances in the blink of an eye

OPPORTUNITY

XIV. WORD SEARCH. FIND THE FOLLOWING WORDS:

radio universe energy alien planetorganism Panspermia collision carbon signalcosmos nitrogen search message Marsphysics phosphorus star evolution siliconemoon gas Europa space wateriron theory Earth intelligent life

R A I N T E L L I G E N T S I D A D N M E T C AC O S M O S H F I S L C A D M M L J O A O S I FO Q C T E T E O H C R A E S P P I U R D A G A SW A T E R N D B O S A L Z I A T E O I I S R A IA E G E S E V O L U T I O N C N N A T C E S C LC G U R I L E R S O T S E R T M I D I A S U I II T H E O R Y A M L I M I P O T G S I S T P A CS U T A F A O L U O U O D C L G Y R O I A E R OI N R I C S P A C E A O O O E H N N T E R R E NC C A T O I E N D N S N A L P L A N E T O S A EA O E A Z F O L I E T T S L C E C F E N T I R ER F O S F O R O A R E U N I V E R S E H E G B CB F C A T F G S L G R O L S O I M I U T F N I NO O L I V V A N O Y O B U I Q U E D R A U A R IN S M T I E N I H A I P A O E A S O O L S L A CK I A A D T I C I L D C I N N A S T P E I F D OB L R P A N S P E R M I A O M B A W A K E F I LF L S N C G M T R R A O T A R Z G P R T N S O ER O E E L S P L R C A T O P O O E O H O A L E EP H O S P H O R U S Q I N I T R O G E N C I O N

XV. CURRICULAR CONNECTIONS

I. SOCIAL SCIENCES, LANGUAGE, ART

A) Message Form several teams. Ask each group to draft a message that will be sent into

space with the hope of receiving an answer someday. Have each team come up with a code and use it to write its message. Have each team present its key and coded message to the other teams, who will

try to decipher the message. Discuss the content of each group’s message.

B) TV interview Divide the group into A and B teams.

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The A teams will prepare to interview with a group of aliens that has landed on Earth. They should be able to justify the questions they will ask.

The A teams will be the interviewers and the B teams will play the role of the aliens.

C) Drawing Ask students to imagine and draw the creatures that inhabit the dark sea under the

thick layer of ice that covers Europa.

II. PHYSICS

1. a) Form several teams. Ask each team to research the different forms of energy in the cosmos.

b) Each team should prepare a detailed report and present it to the rest of the class.

III. NATURAL SCIENCES

a) Have the students form teams of 3 or 4 students each. b) Each team should research and explain why water has played a vital role in human development.

XVI. GLOSSARY

Alien:Extraterrestrial.

Amino acid:An organic chemical substance containing a carboxyl and amino group. Twenty amino acids are the fundamental components of proteins.

Asteroid:Any one of the small planets whose orbits are found mostly between Mars and Jupiter.

Astronomer:Someone who studies space and the positions and movements of celestial bodies.

Bacteria: One-celled organisms with various species that play a role in fermentation, putrefaction or infectious diseases in living beings or organic material. Carbon:A solid, non-metallic chemical element found in all organic and some inorganic compounds. In its pure state it has two main forms, diamond and graphite. Its symbol on the Period Table is C and its atomic number is 6.

Civilization:The totality of customs, ideas, culture or art of a people or community.

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CollisionA violent impact between two bodies.

CosmosThe universe.

Energy:The strength and vitality required for sustained physical or mental activity.

Europa:The smallest of Jupiter’s four moons.

Evolution:The gradual development, growth or improvement of organisms or things.

Extraterrestrial:Of or from outer space.

GasA fluid that has neither independent shape nor volume but tends to expand indefinitely to fill the space in which it is contained.

Nitrogen:A non-metallic, gaseous, colorless, transparent and odorless chemical element found abundantly in air. Its chemical symbol is N and its atomic number is 7.

Organism:A living being.

Panspermia:The theory that life could have originated in any part of the universe and not directly or exclusively on Earth.

PhosphorusA solid, yellowish, flammable and luminous element that is one of the components of living organisms. Its symbol on the Periodic Table is P and its atomic number is 15.

Physics:A science that deals with matter and energy and their interactions.

Planet:A solid celestial body that orbits a star and is visible thanks to the light it reflects.

Radio telescope:An instrument used to detect the signals on radio frequencies in outer space.

Space:The region beyond the earth's atmosphere or solar system.

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StarA luminous object in space made of burning gas that looks like a point of light in the night sky.

Trace element:A chemical element present only in minute amounts in a particular sample or environment but which is essential for the life and growth of plants and animals.

UniverseAll existing matter and space considered as a whole.

Water:A colorless, transparent, odorless, tasteless liquid that forms the seas, lakes, rivers, and rain and is the basis of the fluids of living organisms, with the chemical formula H2O.

WEB SITES

www.sinapsit.co m/evolucion/ origen-de-la-vida /

http://cnnespanol.cnn.com/2014/01/23/d os-sitios-en-marte-podrian-haber-sido- habitables-segun-la-nasa/

http://es.gizmodo.com/un-vistazo-al-gigantesco-oceano-subterraneo-de-europa-451306048.

http://antropicos.blogspot.mx/2007/09/la-seal-wow.html

http://www.hablandodeciencia.com/articulos/2011/04/24/la-energia-el-motor-del-universo/

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