2016/2017
1 ESO
UNIT 1.
THE EARTH IN THE UNIVERSE
SESSION 1. THE SOLAR SYSTEM. Activity 1. How much do you know about the Solar System? Work in pairs. Match the words with the correct pictures. Add whatever object or fact in the Solar System that you know and is not provided. planet
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satellite
1
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galaxy
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asteroid
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4
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comet
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star
3
5
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Activity 2. Match the words with their explanations. 1
Planet
a
Rocky bodies which are smaller than planets, irregular in shape, which orbit around the Sun.
2
Asteroids
b
A celestial body orbiting the Sun on a very long trajectory.
3
Galaxy
c
A group of stars (ten or hundreds or thousands) eg. the Milky Way.
4
Comet
d
Approximately the mean distance between the Earth and the Sun.
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Satellite
e
The distance covered by light in a year (=10 billion km).
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Light-year
f
Celestial body which continuously radiates energy into the space around it (eg. the Sun).
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U.A.
g
A celestial body orbiting a star (eg. the Earth).
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Star
h
A natural body that revolves around a planet (eg. the Moon). 2
Activity 3. Do you remember the names of the planets? Work in pairs. Use these words to label the photos of the planets. Clue: look at the order of the planets.
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Activity 4. Work in pairs. Complete the crossword with the names of the planets from the previous activity.
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2
3
4
5 6 7
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DOWN
ACROSS
1. ________ is no longer considered to be a planet because it is too small, but originally it was the ninth.
2. ________ is the nearest planet to the Sun.
2. ________ owes its name to the Roman god of war, being also called the 'red' planet because of the colour of its surface. 3. ________ has 13 rings and 27 moons. It is the seventh planet in the Solar System. 6. ________ is the eight planet. Its name comes from the Roman god of the sea because it looks blue. 8. The ________ is our nearest star, containing 750 times more matter than all the other bodies in the Solar System put together.
4. ________ is the biggest planet in the Solar System. 5. The ________ is called the 'blue' planet because over 70% of its surface is covered by water. You live on it. 7. ________ has the longest rotation period (243 days) and rotates in the opposite direction to most other planets. It is the second planet. 8. ________ has a ring system consisting of 9 rings and 62 moons. It is the sixth planet.
If you want to practice online, visit file:///C:/Users/Ana/Desktop/ThePlanets.htm
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Activity 5. Listen to the song and complete the information of these cards about the Solar System. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZ-qLUIj_A0
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SESSION 2. THE EARTH. Activity 1. In groups of 3, complete the text with the words provided. Then, make a summary and read it to your classmates. They will complete their texts with the information you give.
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Activity 2. With the same group, write a kind of summary with the most important characteristics and facts of the natural phenomena we have just learned.
THE FORMATION OF THE EARTH AND ITS NATURAL PHENOMENA
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SESSION 3 – THE MOON. Activity 1. What is the Moon? Work in pairs. Use the following words to create a definition.
satellite - orbit - Earth - younger - shiny - 2160 miles - night
Activity 2. How much do you know about the moon phases? Work in pairs. Match each moon phase to the correct image. These are the main phases, but there are more.
first quarter Moon - new Moon - last quarter Moon - full Moon
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2
3
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Activity 3. What the video and correct your answers. Then, watch the video again and answer the following questions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWOX7dgC2Bk 1) Why does the moon have different faces? 2) With how frequency do the moon faces repeat?
5) How many weeks does the moon take to change from one shape to another? 6) When does a lunar eclipse take place?
3) The Moon determines‌ a) days, months and years. b) summer and winter. c) our growing-up period.
7) When does a solar eclipse take place?
4) What do the moon faces represent? a) The illuminated portion of the moon that we seen from Earth. b) The days of the week. c) The size of the Moon. 9
Activity 4. Read the following text about one of the myths related to the moon faces.
Full moons make you crazy Since ancient times, full moons have been associated with odd or insane behavior, including sleepwalking, suicide, illegal activity, fits of violence and, of course, transforming into werewolves. Indeed, the words “lunacy” and “lunatic” come from the Roman goddess of the moon, Luna, who was said to ride her silver chariot across the dark sky each night. For thousands of years, doctors and mental health professionals believed in a strong connection between mania and the moon. Hippocrates, considered the father of modern medicine, wrote in the fifth century B.C. that “one who is seized with terror, fright and madness during the night is being visited by the goddess of the moon.” In 18th-century England, people on trial for murder could campaign for a lighter sentence on grounds of lunacy if the crime occurred under a full moon; meanwhile, psychiatric patients at London’s Bethlehem Hospital were shackled and flogged as a preventive measure during certain lunar phases. Even today, despite studies discrediting the hypothesis, some people think full moons make everyone a little loony.
Discuss in groups: o
Do you think the information of this text is real?
o
How do you think the moon influences human beings in terms of mood, feelings and emotions?
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