THE UNIVERSE

THE UNIVERSE LESSON I

Task 1 Tick the statements you consider correct and discuss it with your teacher
1 The universe started to take shape after a huge explosion ( t)
2 The universe started after several meteors collided into each other ( f)
3 The universe started after the sun crushed into a planet (f)

Task 2 Look at the picture. Listen to a scientist talking about how the universe began. Check your answers in task l

Task 3 Listen again and compete the information below
1 The time that scientists believe the universe started: around 15.000 millions years
2 The name of an enourmous explosion: _________________________________
3 Summarize how the universe started in one sentence
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Task 4 Choose 9 of the folling words and make sentences with the appopiate meaning

(scientists, matter, gas, space, astronomers, dust, time, energy, clouds, universe, bang,

particles, centre, atomic, Earth, nothing, explosion, ash, huge)

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Task 5 Work in pairs. Follow your teacher instructions.

1 Take out your party balloon
2 Draw some small circles on it a few centimetres apart.
3 Blow the balloon up a little. What do the circles represent? What has happened to these circles?
4 Inflate the balloons some more. What do you see?.

Task 6 In pairs, explain the balloon experiment in terms of the universe and how it all began.

Start like this: A lot of gas caused an explosion. That was when I blew up the ballon. Then....................................

Lesson 2

THE UNIVERSE


Task 1 Work in pairs. Read the statements and decide if they are true or false
1 The ancient Greeks believed that the Earth was at the centre of the universe ( )
2 The ancient Greeks believed that all the starts and planets moved around the sun ( )
3 The ancient Babylonians believed that the Earth was flat( )

Task 2 Look at the pictures. Read about one of the three beliefs and the complete the table with the corresponding informatio.

Description Who believed it Arguments to support the ideas

Location of earth _____________________________
The Round earth _____________________________
The flat Earth _______________________________

The location of the Earth in the Universe

Most ancient Greeks believed that the Earth was at the centre of the universe. A great astronomer, Ptolemy (AD. 100-165), argued that the stars anad planets moved around the Earth in circles, because the circle was a perfect shape created by the gods. His description of how the universe worked was accepted for more than 1.500 years.

The Round Earth

The Greek scolar Aristotle (384-322 BC.) proved that the Earth must be round. He explained that when the earths shadow passed in front of the moon during eclipses, its edge appeared to be curved, so it must be spherical in shape.

The flat Earth

The ancient Babylonians did not have any idea of what the universe was made of, nor of its vast size. They thought of the Earthas flat, below a canopy of stars which revolved around the planet once a day. Aristotle realised this was not true. He noticied that the number of stars you could see in the sky depended on where you were. This would not happen if the earth were flat.
Different beliefs. Ask and answer questions to complete the other parts of the table. Check your answers in task 1

Wich one did you read
Q= tell me about the "earth´s location" A= The Earths location..............
Q= Which one did you read? A= They said that the Earth was........
Q= Who believed this? A= Aristoteles believed.......................
Q= What were the arguments to support this idea A= They said that ...............

Task 4. Look at the sentences from the text and underline the main verb in the clause before the word but and circle the one after BUT

1. The Earth is round but they said it was flat
2. The stars and planets move around in circles bu they said they didn´t move around the circles.
3. The circle is not created by gods but they said it was created by gods

Lesson 3
THE SOLAR SYSTEM

Task 1 Look at the picture of the solar system. In pairs label the planets.
1_______________ 5_______________
2_______________ 6_______________
3___Earth _______ 7_______________
4_______________ 8_______________

Task 2 Listen to an astronomer talking about the solar system. Complete the information below.
1.- The shape of Earth´s orbit is ________________________
2.- Planets are held in place by _________________________

Task 3 Listen and fill in the blanks
1 The (near) ___nearest_____ planet to the Sun is ____Mercury___
2 The (far) __________ planet from the Sun is _______________
3 The (small) _________ planet is _____________
4 The (hot) ___________ planet is ______________
5 The (fast) ___________ planet to orbit the Sun is ___________
6 The (slow) ____________ planet to orbit the Sun is ____________
7 The (large) ____________ planet is ___________
8 ______________ has the most moons

Task 4 Which planet would or wouldn´t you like to visit if it was possible? Tell a partner why.
Q= Which planet would you most like to visit?
A= I´d like to go to Saturn
Q= Why?
R= Because I´d like to touch its rings.
Q= Which planet would you least like to visit?
A= I wouldn´t like to g to Uranus because it´s dark for 40 years.

Lesson 4
LIFE IN OTHER PLANETS

Task 1 Discuss these questions
1 Do aliens exist?
2 Do you believe there´s life in other planets?
3 Where?

Task 2 Read the letter below. Underline the phrases used to express opinion.

Task 3 Complete the mind map below with your ideas about life in other planets

Task 4 Participate in the illustrated writing contest. Write and ilustrate a paragraph answering this questions. Do you believe there´s life in other planets