Name ___________________________
Date: ___________________
Course: Science/Ms. Lopez
2a
Homeroom:
Aims: SWBAT analyze the three major branches of science.
SWBAT explain how scientific knowledge changes over time in
all branches of science.
Essential Question: How are different things studied in science organized?
Do Now: Circle whether these are scientist jobs or not.
1. Singer Jennifer Lopez
2. Veterinarian
3. Hair Stylist
Scientist
Scientist
Scientist
Not a Scientist
Not a Scientist
Not a Scientist
4. Science Teacher
5. Actor Denzel Washington
6. News Anchor
Scientist
Scientist
Scientist
Not a Scientist
Not a Scientist
Not a Scientist
7. Yesterday we learned that meteorologists show us what the weather will be like by studying Earth’s weather patterns
and predicting when storms will arrive. What is the difference between a meteorologist and a News Anchor. Which
would you consider a scientist and why?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
1
__________________________________________________________________
Mini Lesson: Branches of Science & Scientific Knowledge
Branch of Science
1. _______________ Science
2. ________________Science
3. _______________ Science
What is Studied
Study of living systems and
the ways in which they
interact
Study of Earth and Space
systems
Study of matter (anything
that takes up space) and
energy
Careers
Surgeons, EMTs, sport
therapists, dieticians, any
doctors
____________________________
Meteorologists, geologists,
archeologists, environment
specialist
Ultrasound and X-ray
technicians, forensic scientist,
chemist
****** In 6th Grade, you will be learning from all three branches ******
2
This is what humans see when they looked up
at the sky…. What did people think was up
there? (Ex. Mayans, Egyptians, Romans)
1. _________________________________
2. _________________________________
3. _________________________________
People began studying the sky more and developed tools, like the telescope to help
them get a better picture of what they were seeing. And this is what they discovered.
With newer technology however, we learned that one of these planets, was not a
planet at all. The farthest planet, Pluto, is no longer considered a planet. In your
own words, try to think of some tools that helped us discover this mistake.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
3
As you can see, knowledge changes in light of new evidence. We used to believe
Pluto was a planet, but as technology advanced, became better, we were able to
discover that Pluto is not a planet, it is a Dwarf Star. This is science, science
constantly changes how we view the world around us. Scientists change their
theories all of the time as new scientific discoveries are made. In other words,
scientific knowledge changes over time!
For example, Neil Armstrong was the first person to set foot on the moon
in 1966 and we were able to learn much more about space since.
New advancements in technology help us travel faster, communicate with others better, and have
more ways of entertainment.
Examples of advancements in technology in entertainment:
1. ____________________________________
2. ____________________________________
3. ____________________________________
4.
Everybody Writes!
Explain in your own words some new technology and how it is changing how we are learning
about the natural world around us. For example, high tech telescopes allow us to take pictures
of objects in space that we could never see before.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Turn and Talk. Watch the following clip of Rover Curiosity and discuss with your partner how Curiosity can change our
scientific knowledge of Mars.
•
•
•
_____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
List some things you
want
to findideas!
out
List some
about Mars!
4
Popcorn Reading! – Let’s read about how scientific knowledge of Pluto changed over time
The trouble with Pluto
Removing Pluto from the planet list is just the latest in an ageold debate on how many planets make up the solar system
By Jennifer Cutraro / October 8, 2008
Lunar and Planetary Laboratory
Quick — how many planets are there in the solar system? It’s a simple question, but there’s
no easy answer. You might have learned there are nine: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars,
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. But now that view of the solar system is out of
date. Depending on who you talk to today, the answer could be eight, 12, or even 208 and
counting.
Based on this short paragraph, what major branch of science does this article focus
on?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
How is that possible? Over the past 15 years, larger and stronger telescopes have given
astronomers a better look at the far reaches of the solar system. In that time, they have
discovered an entire new class of objects orbiting the sun well beyond the orbit of Neptune.
Some of these objects are just as big — and even bigger — than Pluto. These discoveries
have forced scientists to think deeply about what it means for an object to be called a planet.
In 2006, the International Astronomical Union defined “planet” in a way that kicked Pluto out of
the planet tribe. But many astronomers disagreed with the definition, and this summer, they
and their colleagues met in Maryland for “The Great Planet Debate.” There, scientists on both
sides discussed how to define the new objects being discovered far out in the solar system
every year. Some hope the IAU will re-visit the definition of a planet when the organization
meets again next year.
What helped astronomers, scientists who study space, learn and see more in outer
space?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
5
The questions they’re wrestling with are hardly new — scientists have been naming, renaming and categorizing the various parts of the solar system ever since people began
looking at and documenting the objects in the night sky thousands of years ago. Over time,
new observations and improvements in technology led to a better understanding of the nature
of the universe. As a result, scientists have sometimes been forced to re-name objects they
thought were planets, or to define new categories of objects entirely. That’s just what’s
happening with Pluto today, and it has been happening for as long as people have been
looking toward the night sky.
This updated illustration of the solar system shows the sun, eight planets
and the dwarf planets, which now include Pluto. Other dwarf planets are
Ceres and the still unnamed 2003 UB313.
How has changing scientific knowledge affected astronomers studying planets
throughout history?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
The trouble with Pluto
In 1992, University of Hawaii astronomers David Jewitt and Jane Luu, who is now at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, discovered a new object in Pluto’s neighborhood,
which is beyond the orbit of Neptune. Within one year alone, scientists identified five more
objects in the region of the solar system called the Kuiper belt, named for the astronomer who
predicted its existence about 60 years ago.
Who was Kuiper and why was this region named after him?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
6
And all these new objects are exactly what got Pluto into trouble, says Guy Consolmagno, an
astronomer at the Vatican Observatory and past president of the IAU commission on planets
and moons. “When we first discovered Pluto, it was the only thing out there,” he says.
And so in 2006, the International Astronomical Union passed a rule that changed Pluto from
“planet” to a new classification called “dwarf planet.” And just this year, they changed its
designation again, this time to a new class called “plutoid.”
Hubble Space Telescope took this image of the far-away dwarf planet,
Pluto (lower left), and its moon, Charon. Pluto was discovered in 1930, but
Charon wasn’t detected until 1978. That is because Pluto and its moon are
so close to each other that the two
The new classification considers an object a planet based largely on how it interacts with
other objects in the solar system, Consolmagno says. “The eight major planets are so big
they control everything around them,” he says. The larger a space object is, the more
powerful is its gravity, the invisible pull that keeps moons circling planets and the planets
circling the sun. The gravitational control a planet exerts influences the overall structure of the
solar system, Consolmagno says.
According to Consolmagno, what makes the 8 major planets “planets”?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
“But Pluto is not so big that it defines the gravitational structure of its neighbors,” he says. For
that reason, he says, it shouldn’t be considered in the same category as the rest of the
planets.
7
Name ___________________________
Date: ___________________
Course: Science/Ms. Lopez
2b
Homeroom:
Homework #2 – Due Tomorrow
Ms. Lopez 646-­‐477-­‐2658 ** MLopez@democracyprep.org ** https://dph6science.wikispaces.com/ Part I: Draw a line from the picture to the correct branch of science.
1. Life Science
2.Physical Science
3.Earth Science
Part II: Use the Vocabulary Bank to help you fill in the blank with the missing words.
scientists
Earth science
physical science
life science
4. A veterinarian who helps take care of animals’ lives would most likely be really smart in
_______________________________________.
5. A meteorologist helps us understand why our weather is changing. An environment activist helps
to fight to keep Earth clean. Both of these careers specialize in __________________________.
6. Energy is really important to survive in today’s world so it is really important we learn about
_________________________. Some chemists try to make medicine that will give us more energy.
7. ______________________ are people who want to learn about the natural world. They want to
know why, how, or when something occurred, and they want to help solve problems.
Part III: Reflection. This year, you will be taking Life Science, we will be studying all about living
organisms. Before we learn about the first living organism, we must first learn about how the Earth
was created BEFORE there was life on the planet. What major branch of science are we studying
right now? Be sure to explain why you chose that branch by using evidence.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
8
Name ___________________________
Date: ___________________
Course: Science/Ms. Lopez
2c
Homeroom:
Exit Slip #2 – Branches of Science & Scientific Knowledge
For number 1, write True or False on the line that follows. If False, explain why.
1) Scientific knowledge never changes over time _____________________.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
For number 2, answer the following question based on the independent practice article.
2) Why is Pluto an example of how scientific knowledge changes over time?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
For numbers 3 – 4, fill in the blank with the correct vocabulary word.
3. The doctor you go to when you need an eyes exam, also known as an Opthalmologist, works in the branch of
_________________________ science.
4. Meteorologists and geologists study the branch of _________________________ science.
For number 5, write in complete sentences.
5. Give ONE example of how scientific knowledge has
changed over time in the branch of life science.
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
9