Skymobile:
Making Meteorites
Grade 3
Theme: Where do meteorites come from and how do they affect planets and moons
Goals
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Students will be able to identify all objects in the Solar System
Students will be able to identify the Asteroid Belt as the origin of meteorites
Students will be able to define the difference between a meteoroid, meteor and meteorite
Students will be able to identify the difference between a stony, iron and stony-iron meteorite
Students will be able to discuss how meteorites form craters
Students will be able to discuss how large meteorites change planets and moons
Materials
Materials
Canyon Diablo
Meteorite
Pictures of
meteorites
Styrofoam Balls
Clay
Scissors
Aluminum Pans
Sand
Flour
Cocoa
Sifter
Procedure
Specifications
Quantity
1
Set of 10
35 per class
2 large bricks
35 per class
10 per class
10 per class
Use
Supplier (if known)
1. Start by discussing the location of the Asteroid Belt. Discuss some of the theories as to how the
belt was formed (Jupiter’s strong gravitational pull ripped a rocky planet apart – two rocky
planets collided, etc.) Show the students some pictures of the belt in its entirety and then
individual photos of famous asteroids like Gaspar, Ida and Dactyl. Talk about Ceres being in the
asteroid belt but defined as a dwarf planet. Finish off the introduction by showing pictures of
Phobos and Deimos and describing them as asteroids that were pulled away from the belt by
Mars and are now defined as moons.
2. Once the Asteroid Belt has been discussed, switch the focus to how asteroids collide with one
another causing some pieces to be ejected from the belt. As these pieces fly through space they
get pulled towards different planets and moons by the force of gravity. Define the difference
between a meteoroid, meteor and meteorite. A meteoroid is any object travelling through
space, smaller than an asteroid, which is seen as a meteor as it enters a planetary (or in the
case of Titan a moon’s) atmosphere. A meteor is the flash of light seen in the sky as a meteoroid
is heated while it is moving quickly though the atmosphere. (This is a good place to define
friction and meteor showers. It is also a good idea to discuss that most meteors come from
silica falling off a comet. Fireballs – large, very bright flashes of light seen in the sky - are
generally from asteroids). A meteorite is any piece of a meteoroid that falls to the surface of a
planet or moon. (Meteorites both cause craters and are the pieces that are left over after the
explosion).
3. After meteoroid, meteors and meteorites have been defined talk specifically about the three
types of meteorites – stony, iron and stony-iron. In simplest terms stony meteorites are
comprised primarily of rocky material, iron meteorites are composed primarily of metallic
material and stony-irons have at some rocky material and some metallic material. A more
complex definition has stony meteorites being divided into the subgroups chondrite –
meteorites that have not been modified by melting or differentiation (the separation of
planetary material into distinct layers) and were formed by the accreting of dust and small
particles present during the earliest stages of the forming Solar System – and achondrite – stony
meteorites that do not contain chondrules (round grains found in chondrites that are believed
to have been molten or partially molten droplets in space formed before they accreted to their
parent asteroid). Iron meteorites are divided into subgroups based upon the amount of nickel to
iron ratio contained within the meteorite. They are - Hexahedrites which have low nickel
amounts and no lamellae – long bands or ribbon patterns found throughout the meteorite.
Octahedrites which have average to high nickel amounts and lamellae. (These are the most
common iron meteorites and the type of meteorite we have for viewing). Ataxites which have
very high nickel amounts and no lamellae – these are the rarest of the iron meteorites. Stonyiron meteorites are placed into the subgroups pallasite and mesosiderite. Pallasites consist of
olivine crystals embedded in a nickel-iron matrix with lamellae. Mesosiderite consist of equal
parts silicate matter and nickel-iron and are considered breccias. Let the students know that
many more stony meteorites fall to the surface of the Earth than iron meteorites but that
people find more iron meteorites because iron meteorites do not blend in as well to their
surroundings as stony meteorites. The rarest meteorites found are the stony-iron varieties.
4. Now it’s time to make meteorites. Hand out to each student a Styrofoam ball and a pair of
scissors. Have the students cut the ball any way they want to into any shape they want. You can
also have the students take their thumbs and press small depressions into the ball – this is
characteristic of iron meteorites. Once they have a shape they are satisfied with, have them take
a clump of clay from the brick and start to stick it to the ball. Make sure they spread it evenly
and smoothly. Once they are all done have them put all the meteorites together to show what
they all looked like in the Asteroid Belt. If there is time, take the students outside and form them
into a large circle. Have them toss their meteorites into the center of the circle to show how
asteroids collide and are pushed out of the belt.
5. Conclude by talking about extinction-size asteroids(and meteorites) and scientist’s efforts to
detect and deflect them from the path of the Earth. Also talk about the how it is probable that a
large meteorite struck the surface of the earth killing the dinosaurs. (The basis of the theory is
the large amount of iridium found in the layer of soil where large deposits of dinosaur bones are
found. Iridium is not found in large quantities around the Earth but is known to be a major
element in asteroids).
6. If there is a significant amount of time allotted to this activity, a crater pan can be built and
utilized. Take an aluminum pan and spread a layer of sand (about an inch thick) throughout the
bottom of the pan. On top of the sand spread a thin layer of flour so that it covers the sand
completely. With a sifter, sift a layer of cocoa on top of the flour. Have the students take a rock,
and, holding the rock above the pan, let it drop onto the surface. This will create a crater
complete with layers of ejecta. If PVC pipes are available, the students can make the rocks hit
the surface at different angles and speeds creating unique looking craters.
Vocabulary
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Asteroid Belt: The region of space between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter in which most
asteroids are located.
Meteoroid: Any object flying through space that is smaller than an asteroid which is seen as a
meteor when it enters an atmosphere.
Meteor: The flash of bright light seen when a meteoroid enters and atmosphere.
Meteorite: Any piece of a meteoroid that hits the surface of a planet or moon.
Fireball: A very bright meteor caused by a large object moving through the atmosphere.
Friction: Surface resistance to relative motion, as of a body sliding or rolling.
Additional Information