Modified In-School Off-School Approach Modules (MISOSA)

Distance Education for Elementary Schools

SELF-INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS

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STUDYING THE UNIVERSE

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Department of Education

BUREAU OF ELEMENTARY EDUCATION

2nd Floor Bonifacio Building
DepEd Complex, Meralco Avenue
Pasig City

Revised 2010
by the Learning Resource Management and Development System (LRMDS),
DepEd - Division of Negros Occidental
under the Strengthening the Implementation of Basic Education
in Selected Provinces in the Visayas (STRIVE).

Section 9 of Presidential Decree No. 49 provides:

No copyright shall subsist in any work of the
Government of the Republic of the Philippines. However,
prior approval of the government agency or office wherein
the work is created shall be necessary for exploitation of
such work for profit.
This material was originally produced by the Bureau of Elementary
Education of the Department of Education, Republic of the Philippines.

This edition has been revised with permission for online distribution
through the Learning Resource Management Development System (LRMDS) Portal
(http://lrmds.deped.gov.ph/) under Project STRIVE for BESRA, a project supported
by AusAID.

STUDYING THE UNIVERSE

At the end of the lesson, you will be able to:

identify modern space facilities, tools and equipment used to study the
universe
explain the theories about the universe

A. Draw the tree types of galaxies. Do it on your notebook.

B. Read the word inside the circle. Write all the words/ideas that come into your mind
upon reading it.

UNIVERSE

Do you want to take a trip to the universe?

Activity 1. Objects found in the Universe
Universe consists of everything that exists anywhere on space and time.
What to do:
1. Study the picture of the universe.
2. List as many objects that you think are found in the universe.

Answer these:

What are the objects found in the universe?

After listing the objects found in the universe, describe universe.
Do you know some modern facilities that are used in studying the universe?
Name them.

Activity 2. The Keys to knowing the Mysteries of the Universe

Space Satellite is an object programmed to orbit the earth. It is a body that revolves
around another body. There are two kinds of satellite: natural satellite
and artificial satellite.
Space probe

- is an object sent to other planets to gather information. It is a robot

spacecraft. Some space probes carry telescopes to observe a particular
star or planet. Other probes have television cameras attached to the
telescope so pictures can be sent back to earth. They act as laboratories
for scientists who monitor them from the earth.

Here are some pictures of modern facilities that are used in studying the universe.
1. Satellite

An artist of IRAS, the Infrared Radiation Astronomical Satellite; as it passes over Western
Europe. Its instruments collected data on infrared radiation from Western Europe. Its
instruments collected data on infrared radiation from interstellar dust clouds, stars,
galaxies, and previously unknown sources.

2. Jupiter Orbit Probe

The Jupiter Orbiter Probe passes over one of Jupiters larger moons. The planet itself
appears in the background of this artists painting. The spacecraft transmitted many
photographs and launched an atmospheric probe to study the cloud structure and gases
in Jupiters atmosphere.

3. Space Shuttle
Space Shuttle is a spacecraft that brings people and equipment to and from the space
station.

As the external rocket ignite, the Space Shuttle Challenger lifts off from the Kennedy
Space Center, beginning its 5-day maiden voyage.

4. Space Station is a large spacecraft which stays in orbit all the time. Skylab was the
first American space station. Astronauts stay in the space station to carry out
experiments.
The first U.S space station,
Skylab, was launched in 1973
using a Saturn 5 rocket. It
was successfully operated by
three crews in 1973-74.

5. Space Probe
Space probes are spacecraft that carry instruments that travel into outer space to
gather information about stars, planets, moons, and other heavenly bodies. They
carry special cameras that photograph a heavenly body under exploration.

Space probe

6. Sputnik
Was the first probe launched by the former USSR into space in 1957.

7. Radio Telescope

Is a system composed of receiver of radio waves.

Uses radiation to get information about stars and other heavenly bodies.

A radio telescope
Answer these
1. How does space satellite differ from space probe?
2. How do space stations and space probes help scientists in studying the
universe?

Activity 3. Inflating a balloon to simulate the universe

What you need:
Balloon, pentel pen
What to do:
1. Put equally spaced dots all over
the balloon before blowing air into
it. Observe the distances of dots.
2. Inflate the balloon. Again observe
the distances of dots. (the dots
represent galaxies.)

Answer these:
1. While the balloon is being inflated, what happens to the dots on the balloon?
2. If the dots represent galaxies, describe its movement. Are they moving away
from one center or are they simply moving away from each other?
3. If the balloon represents the universe, what do you think will happen to the
dots/galaxies if it explodes?

READ AND LEARN MORE

Here are some theories about the origin of the universe.

Theory is a belief that is not yet proven to be true.

How did the universe begin? Does it have a life history?

Astronomers have made some theories about the origin of the universe. There are
three theories that try to explain the history of the universe.
1. Big Bang Theory According to this theory, all matter now in the galaxies were
packed in one big ball. Billions of years ago, there was an explosion and the
materials from this ball were thrown outward and moved farther away from each
other. These materials finally become stars which are moving away from each other.
Some people believed that there might come a time when this stars would move so
far away from us that we cannot see them anymore.

2. Steady State Theory This theory states that the universe had no beginning and it
would have no end. It was thought that the same amount of matter was spread
out. As old stars died, new stars were formed to take their place. So, the universe
would stay the same.

3. Pulsating Theory This theory sates that the universe expanded from a ball of
matter. At present it is still expanding but time will come when it would stop
expanding. It would contract and expand all over again.

Universe consists of matter, light and other forms of radiation and energy. It
consists of everything that exists anywhere in space and time. The universe includes the
earth and everything on it. It also includes everything in the solar system, comets,
asteroids, planetoids and meteors. In between the matter in the universe, the space is a
vacuum and as a whole is dark, even when the stars shining.
Other theories that explain the origin of the universe:
Big Crunch Theory
Some astronomers believe that the universe began from the Big Bang
Explosion of a dense globe of hydrogen. However because of the force of gravity,
the billions of galaxies moved towards one another.

..

Big Crunch Theory

Nebular or Dust Theory

According to this theory, planets, stars and other heavenly bodies came
from dust of clouds.

These theories are only guesses proposed by astronomers. They have not been proven
to be true yet.

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A. If you were an astronaut and you were given a chance to choose, what kind of space
equipment would you prefer to use? Why?
B. Explain about two theories about the origin of the universe through illustrations.
C. Of the different theories of the origin of the universe, which bone do you believe is
true? Why do you say so?

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Identify the different modern facilities/tools or equipment used in studying the universe
that is describe below.

1. __________________________

It is a body that orbits around

another body.

2. __________________________

This serves as the laboratory in space.

It stays in orbit all the time.

An unmanned space flight or a

robot spacecraft designed and
sent to another planet or outer
space to gather information.

3. __________________________

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It the name and the mission of

It is both
the worlds first reusable manned space
vehicle. It is capable of carrying
complex science laboratories and
repairing spacecraft.

4. ________________________

5. ______________________

It takes pictures of detailed features of

a planets surface.

B. Write two to three sentences to explain the theories about the origin of the universe.
1. Big Bang Theory
2. Steady State Theory
3. Pulsating Theory

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