1. Environmental Science Day 3 Topic: EMS and the big bang
Essential Question:
How can we tell if objects in the universe are moving toward us or away from us?
Agenda:
Review wavelength
EMS and red/Blueshift
Big bang balloon lab
The beginning of the universe video
HW: Big bang order of events

2. Environmental Science Day 3 Topic: EMS and the big bang
sketch the wave below and label the following: Wavelength - amplitude Drill Question: Does this wave have a lot of energy or little energy?

3. Review of wavelength and energy
Wavelength is the distance from one peak to another
When a wavelength is short there is more energy
When a wavelength is long there is less energy

4. How many types of light are there? What is the electromagnetic spectrum?
The electromagnetic spectrum is the 7 types of electromagnetic waves arranged according to frequency and wavelength.
We will take a moment to label your EMS:

5. Demo: redshift vs Blueshift
Part One: Two students hold one side of a slinky each and walk away from each other.
Discuss what is happening to the wavelength of the slinky as the students walk away from each other.
The wavelengths are getting longer. What happens to light when the wavelengths get longer? The colors shift toward the red end of the spectrum. This is called a redshift.
When objects are moving away from you, the wavelength is expanding, and since red light has the longest light of visible light, we call this redshift.
Part Two: Two students walk towards each other with slinkies and discuss the change in wavelength. It gets shorter and shifts toward blue. This is an example of blueshift.
When objects are moving towards you, the wavelength is compressed, and since blue light has the shortest light of visible light, we call this blueshift.

6. The universe is expanding….why?
Why are objects in space moving away from us?
What evidence do we have to support this?
Let’s illustrate what the universe looks like if it’s expanding!

7. What happened during the big bang?
What is the big bang?
How did the universe begin?
*All space, time, matter, and energy was created!

8. Create a timeline of the big bang!
Go to your lab station – you will find a series of cards that include the events of the big bang.
Using your notes from the video, our discussion, and your current scientific understanding to place the cards in order
Do NOT record the answers on your notes sheet until I have checked them!

9. Journal write
On a sheet of paper, make a claim about how the universe has changed since the Big Bang. What evidence exists to support this claim??
We have discussed three different pieces of evidence in class thus far
Students will need to understand what is being requested when they are asked to make a claim – be sure to define claim similarly to a hypothesis
Evidence obtained in class thus far: (be sure all students can identify at least one piece – next class this will be reviewed as part of their notes)
Light from stars travels as electromagnetic waves
Most of the objects in space are moving away from us (redshifted)
The universe is expanding and has been since the Big Bang (although the rate is not always the same)

10. Exit Ticket: Grab a post-it note
Complete step 6 on the end of your Cornell Notes Page
On the post-it note write your response to:
“What does today lead you to wonder”?
This “lead to wonder” can be written in the form of a question and if your are stuck work with a shoulder buddy… put your name(s) on the back of the post-it note and stick it to the door on your way out!