Amazing Space—Overview of Online exploration: No Escape: The Truth About Black Holes

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Teaching tools > Black holes > Overview: No Escape

Overview

of "Online exploration:
No Escape: The Truth About Black Holes"

Description | How to use it in the classroom | Related materials | Printable parts

Description:

Online exploration: No Escape: The Truth About Black Holes provides an opportunity for students to research the fascinating topic of black holes and to examine the concepts of escape velocity, gravity, mass, and the speed of light as they apply to black holes. Dramatic illustrations and spectacular Hubble Space Telescope images illustrate the activity and provide data that the students will use to hunt for black holes in the centers of galaxies.

Format(s) available: Online interactive

Grades: 8-12, but the material can be adapted for use in other grades at the teacher's discretion

Educator Guide: See online teacher pages.

How to use it in the classroom

Online exploration: No Escape: The Truth About Black Holes can be used to reinforce the concepts of escape velocity, gravity, mass, and the speed of light as they apply to black holes. Teachers can also use the activity as a writing assignment since the assessment portion asks students to write an explanation of black holes to a chosen audience. Students can choose one of six audiences: an elementary, middle school, high school or college student; an astronomer; or a newspaper reporter.

For more suggestions about how to use this activity in the classroom, access the lesson plan by clicking on the Teaching Tips button found on the first page of the activity. For example, the section called Extension Activities includes timeline and density exercises. A science background component (the "All About Black Holes" button) contains information about black holes that may be used by teachers and students. Other resources (the "Black Hole Links" button) include the images used in the activity and related web sites. Specific information about computer requirements (the "Computer Needs" button) can also be found on the first page of the activity. In addition, "How to prepare for an online 'Amazing Space' activity" provides tips for setting up and using this activity in the classroom.

Related materials (accessed below) include a lithograph and a "Tales of …" reading, which may be used for pre-engagement and/or follow-up activities.

Related materials:

See the Black holes section on "Teaching tools" page.

Printable parts:

The printable images used in the activity are listed in the Grab Bag section, which can be found by clicking "Black Hole Links" on the first page of the activity.

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Teaching tools > Black holes > Overview: No Escape