CROWDED SKIES - Coldfall Primary School

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Look Closer                                                      FirstNews     Issue 709          17 – 23 January 2020

SCIENCE NEWS                    by Eddie de Oliveira

  CROWDED
  SKIES
                                                                                     Betelgeuse

                                                                                              ORION INFO
                                                                                   Orion is a constellation that is named
                                                                                   after a hunter from Greek mythology.
                                                                                   Can you spot his belt, shield and
                                                                                   club above? The star in the left-hand
                                                                                   shoulder is called Betelgeuse. It is a
                                                                                   ‘red giant’ star, 20 times bigger than
                                                                                   the sun, and astronomers say it could
                                                                                   blow up at any time – that is, anytime
                                                                                   in the next 100,000 years!

A clear view of the night sky
is easier to find where there

                                                                                                                              iStock
aren’t many buildings

    THE annual Star Count, when people look                        and it is estimated that only around a fifth of England
    to the night sky to map the country’s light                    is untouched by light pollution.
    pollution, will take place next month.                            Astronomers’ views of the night sky are also under
                                                                   threat from satellites. Tech companies such as SpaceX
       Organisers want you to become a citizen scientist
                                                                   have plans to launch tens of thousands of satellites in
    by looking up at the sky on a clear night between 21
                                                                   the near future. These objects can get in the way of our
    and 28 February. You’ll be asked to count how many
                                                                   view, both with telescopes and the naked eye.
    stars you can spot within the constellation of Orion. A
                                                                      There are around 5,000 satellites in orbit. SpaceX
    constellation is a group of stars that form a pattern, and
                                                                   wants to launch a total of 42,000 satellites into space,
    Orion is one of the most recognisable ones.
                                                                   most of which will provide internet connectivity for
       The data is studied and a map of where light pollution
                                                                   people on Earth. On the plus side, they have said they
    is affecting our vision of the night sky will then be
                                                                   will paint the undersides of future satellites black, to
    published. The more lights there are on the ground, the
                                                                   make them much harder to spot.
    harder it is to get a view of the stars.
                                                                      You can find out more about getting involved in
       In 2019, 57% of participants could see ten stars or
                                                                   Star Count 2020 at tinyurl.com/StarCount2020.
    fewer within Orion. This indicated severe light pollution,

Look Closer FirstNews Issue 709 17 – 23 January 2020

Science News

GLOSSARY

data – Large amounts of information, SpaceX – An American company that makes
especially facts and numbers spacecrafts and has aims to set up space
indicated – Showed, suggested tourism and send people to Mars

Look at the article 'Crowded skies'.

1. When is the next Star Count happening?

2. What do you have to do to take part?

3a. Where do you think all this light is coming from? You aren’t told the answer; give your own opinion.
3b. What problem is the light causing?

4. How would you define a ‘citizen scientist’?

5. Fill in the spaces with the correct word.

Words:
red hunter shield
three Betelgeuse constellation
club explode Greek

Orion is a ......................... named after a ......................... from ......................... mythology. To locate it in the sky, first, try to

spot the ......................... stars in a straight line that make up the belt. Then, try to find the ......................... star of the left

shoulder, which is called .......................... If you’re lucky, this will ......................... while you’re watching. You may also be able

to make out the shape of Orion’s ......................... and ..........................

6. What do you know about the results of last year’s Star Count?

7. Look closely at the paragraph about last year’s results. Can you find a word that means:

Not changed or spoiled in any way
People taking part
Approximated, roughly worked out
Very serious or bad

8. The American company SpaceX has many ambitious aims. Explain the aim reported in this article.

9. What do you think of this plan? Give your own opinion.

10. Pollution is the introduction of something harmful into an environment. Do you think it’s right to call light in the night
sky ‘light pollution’? Give one reason for and one reason against.

Yes, describing this problem as No, describing this problem as
‘light pollution’ makes sense because… ‘light pollution’ isn’t right because…

Look Closer FirstNews Issue 709 17 – 23 January 2020

Science News

GLOSSARY

ata – Large amounts of information, SpaceX – An American company that makes
especially facts and numbers spacecrafts and has aims to set up space
indicated – Showed, suggested tourism and send people to Mars

Look at the article 'Crowded skies'.

1. When is the next Star Count happening?

...........................................................................................................................................................................................................

2. What do you have to do to take part?

3a. Where do you think all this light is coming from? You aren’t told the answer; give your own opinion.

3b. What problem is the light causing?

4. How would you define a ‘citizen scientist’?

5. Fill in the spaces with the correct word.

Words:

red hunter shield

three Betelgeuse constellation

club explode Greek

Orion is a .................................................. named after a .................................................. from ..............................................

mythology. To locate it in the sky, first, try to spot the .................................................. stars in a straight line that make up

the belt. Then, try to find the .................................................. star of the left shoulder, which is called .....................................

If you’re lucky, this will .................................................. while you’re watching. You may also be able to make out the shape of

Orion’s .................................................. and .................................................. .

Look Closer FirstNews Issue 709 17 – 23 January 2020

6. What do you know about the results of last year’s Star Count?

7. Look closely at the paragraph about last year’s results. Can you find a word that means:

Not changed or spoiled in any way
..........................................................................................

People taking part
..........................................................................................

Approximated, roughly worked out
..........................................................................................

Very serious or bad
..........................................................................................

8. The American company SpaceX has many ambitious aims. Explain the aim reported in this article.

9. What do you think of this plan? Give your own opinion.

10. Pollution is the introduction of something harmful into an environment. Do you think it’s right to call light in the night
sky ‘light pollution’? Give one reason for and one reason against.

Yes, describing this problem as ‘light No, describing this problem as
pollution’ makes sense because… ‘light pollution’ isn’t right because…

.......................................................................................... ..........................................................................................

Look Closer FirstNews Issue 709 17 – 23 January 2020

TEACHER ANSWERS

AIM OF THE NEWS COMPREHENSIONS: News reports are unique non-fiction texts. Being real, they naturally
engage students, and with the range of topics that are covered, help to develop pupils’ knowledge and
understanding of the wider world outside the classroom. The reports are ideal for short, focused comprehension
or discussion activities. Along with the opportunity to find fascinating facts and appreciate the opinions of those
involved, there is plenty to be inferred and deduced to understand in more depth what is being reported. Like
authors, journalists play with language, so news ‘stories’ are rich nuggets of text to investigate and provide the
opportunity for literacy programmes.

TEACHER ANSWER GUIDE: The teacher answers are intended to provide a quick reference guide. Suggestions are
given for the 'Expected response' or starting point that pupils could give. The 'Development' then gives more in-
depth ideas that students can work towards as they develop their reading comprehension skills.
For a list of the reading skills used, please email schools@firstnews.co.uk.

Look at the article 'Crowded skies'.

1. When is the next Star Count happening?
READING SKILL – Find and explain information (NC 2a)
Expected response
• 21-28 February.

2. What do you have to do to take part?
READING SKILL – Find and explain information (NC 2a)
Expected response
• On a clear night, look at the night sky and count the number of stars you can spot within the Orion constellation.

3a. Where do you think all this light is coming from? You aren’t told the answer; give your own opinion.
READING SKILL – Infer information and justify with evidence (NC 2c & 8)
Expected response
• Lights on Earth.
Development
• The light probably comes from built-up areas like cities and all our roads.
3b. What problem is the light causing?
READING SKILL – Find and explain information (NC 2a)
Expected response
• The light is preventing us from being able to see the stars.

4. How would you define a ‘citizen scientist’?
READING SKILL – Infer information and justify with evidence (NC 2c & 8)
Expected response
• An ordinary person who does science.
Development
• An ordinary person who takes part in research or a scientific study.

5. Fill in the spaces with the correct word.
READING SKILL – Find and explain information (NC 2a)
Expected response
• Orion is a constellation named after a hunter from Greek mythology. To locate it in the sky, first, try to spot the
three stars in a straight line that make up the belt. Then, try to find the red star of the left shoulder, which is called
Betelgeuse. If you’re lucky, this will explode while you’re watching. You may also be able to make out the shape of
Orion’s club and shield.

6. What do you know about the results of last year’s Star Count?
READING SKILL – Infer information and justify with evidence (NC 2c & 8)
Expected response
• 57% of people could see ten stars or fewer.

Look Closer FirstNews Issue 709 17 – 23 January 2020

Development
• More than half of people (57%) who took part live in areas with severe light pollution.
• Only a fifth of England is thought to be untouched by light pollution.

7. Look closely at the paragraph about last year’s results. Can you find a word that means:
READING SKILL – Understand vocabulary in context (NC 2a)
Not changed or spoiled in any way untouched
People taking part participants
Approximated, roughly worked out estimated
Very serious or bad severe

8. The American company SpaceX has many ambitious aims. Explain the aim reported in this article.
READING SKILL – Find and explain information (NC 2a)
Expected response
• It wants to launch 42,000 satellites into space to provide internet connections to people.

9. What do you think of this plan? Give your own opinion.
READING SKILL– Develop personal ideas from reading news stories (NC 6, 7 & 8)
Children’s own responses

10. Pollution is the introduction of something harmful into an environment. Do you think it’s right to call light in the
night sky ‘light pollution’? Give one reason for and one reason against.
READING SKILL – Develop opinions and provide justifications for viewpoints (NC 6, 7 & 8 )
Expected response
Yes, describing this problem as No, describing this problem as
‘light pollution’ makes sense because… ‘light pollution’ isn’t right because…
Light isn’t supposed to be in the sky at night. It doesn’t make anything dirty or kill animals.

Development
Yes, describing this problem as No, describing this problem as
‘light pollution’ makes sense because… ‘light pollution’ isn’t right because…
It’s a pollution in a way because it’s not natural to Pollution is something that is harmful to the
have light in the night sky – it shouldn’t be there. environment and although the light stops us
Also it’s stopping you doing something you seeing the stars I don’t think it is causing obvious
should be able to do and it’s man-made. harm to the environment or to wildlife.

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