Dawn Classrooms: The History and Discovery of Asteroids

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The History and Discovery of Asteroids

Learners will explore scientific discoveries and the technologies as a sequence of events that led eventually to the Dawn mission.This standards-aligned module is organized around a learning cycle and engages students in a number of experiences in order for the teacher to activate students’ prior knowledge, assess student conceptual understanding in order to inform instruction.

Many of the MS Word documents below are password-protected. This means that there are special restrictions in effect. However, a student can type in the document and save their work electronically in the areas that show gold brackets [ ]. A password is not needed to open, type in the gold brackets, or save the document. The document will continue to be password-protected in the restricted areas after being saved with the student’s work.
+ Read an historical perspective by James Hilton, US Naval Observatory

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Briefing Teacher Guide PDF (238 Kb)	Journey to the Beginning of the Solar System Provides students with background information on the Dawn mission.
	Briefing Slide Show Pdf: Dawn Spacecraft Poised for Flight to Asteroid Belt Overview of the Dawn mission: 1) A fictitious news article begins with the launch of the Dawn spacecraft in 2006. 2) Travel to the asteroid belt to study Vesta and Ceres. 3) Significant role that asteroids play in revealing early solar system information. + PDF (2.3 Mb)
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Exploration Teacher Guide PDF (311 Kb)	Where the Journey Began Eight short readings trace the history of asteroid discovery and characterization from the time of Ptolemy (85-150 AD) to the present time. Each student group is responsible for one reading.


Thinking Outside the Box + PDF (1.4 Mb)	Between Jupiter and Mars I, Place a Planet + PDF (1.7 Mb)	Seeing Faraway Things as Though Nearby + PDF (665 Kb)	It Was a Dark and Starry Night + PDF (477 Kb)


The Lost is Found + PDF (305 Kb)	Astronomical Serendipity + PDF (847 Kb)	What Can You See With a Telescope? + PDF (1.3 Mb)	I Can See You More Clearly Now + PDF (565 Kb)

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Development Teacher Guide PDF (234 Kb)	Modeling Asteroids contains hands-on activities that can be used to help students understand what astronomers in the historical readings of the Exploration Section were experiencing as they studied asteroids from Earth.

Diagram depicting planetary distances between Mercury, Venus, Earth, and the Sun

Graph of brightness and size of asteroids

Patterns in the Sky
Students look at planetary distance information and use algebra to “discover” a gap between Mars and Jupiter.
+ Part 1 MS Word (215 Kb)
+ Part 2 MS Word (146 Kb)

In Search Of …
Students use a modern starchart to find a missing planet?
+ MS Word (135 Kb)
+ Star Maps PDF (1Mb)

How Bright Are You?
Students graph the brightness of asteroids and asteroid size versus their dates of discovery.
+ MS Word (151 Kb)

Seeing Circles
Students use different objects to learn about and model albedo.
+ MS Word (172 Kb)

Where Are You?
Students develop a model of asteroid diameters using mathematics and food.
+ MS Word (229 Kb)

Modeling in 3-D
Students experience how models can be made to represent objects in space.
+ Activity MS Word (286 Kb)
+ Handout MS Word (198 Kb)

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Interaction Synthesis Teacher Guide PDF (296 Kb)	Communicating Connections Students communicate and synthesize what they have learned about the interrelatedness of science, technology, and relevant historical/political events.

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Assessment Teacher Guide PDF (296 Kb)	Mystery Asteroid Students apply their new knowledge and skills by making observations, inferences, and conclusions about a “mystery asteroid."
	The assessment provides students with a Hubble Space Telescope picture of this “mystery asteroid,” and then later presents some facts. Teachers can use students’ responses to the assessment questions to evaluate their understanding of the module content. Mystery Asteroid- Student Activity + MS Word 2003 (229 Kb) Mystery Asteroid- Key + PDF (277 Kb)

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Developed by Educators at McREL

Primary Authors
Deb Aruca, McREL
Dr. Donna Bogner, McREL
John Ristvey, McREL

Contributing Writer
Dr. B.J. McCormick, McREL

Contributors/Reviewers
Dr. Lucy McFadden, University of Maryland
Dr. Marc Rayman, Jet Propulsion Laboratory/Cal Tech.
Joe Wise, New Roads School, Center for Effective Learning

Layout/Graphics
Judy Counley, McREL
Lisa Maxfield, McREL

Pilot Test Teachers
Louis Dilts, Challenge to Excellence School, Parker CO
Daniel Figueroa, New Roads Middle School, Santa Monica CA

Field Test Teachers
Randy Mousley, Stucky Middle School KS
Aaron Kealey, Wilbur Middle School KS
Kathy Peavey, Hadley Middle School KS
Mark Gobert, Harmony Area School District PA