Light
Pollution: The
Story
of
the STARS...When
You Can See Them
A 5th Grade Discovery!
You go
outside one night all ready to look up at a star-filled sky. Your
evening will be spent lying on a comfy blanket, munching on some snacks, and
just enjoying the twinkling lights. You begin your star-gazing adventure
when suddenly, you are blinded by the light - and not the light from the
stars! As you look up at the sky, the only twinkling lights visible are
those from the surrounding cities. You realize that the cars, airplanes,
and various other man-made lighting devices have taken away from the dark sky
that is best for viewing our galaxy.
This may seem like a
frightening thought, but it's true and it's happening virtually everywhere
these days. These artificial lights are commonly referred to as
"light pollution" by our astronomers. They decrease our
visibility, and add unnecessary lights to the night sky, which ultimately
prevent us from seeing the stars. Astronomers have become rather
frightened by the increasing light pollution over the past few years, and are
working on logical solutions in hopes of solving the problem and conserving
our dark, night sky. Do you think you can help??
Your
Challenge...
You
have been called in as an expert by a team of researchers and astronomers!
You have been given the challenge of developing a plan to decrease the amount
of light pollution given off by your community.
- Use the research links provided below to find out more about
light pollution. Where does it come from? What causes it?
- Using some of the suggested solutions, brainstorm in a science
journal ways that your community may contribute to light pollution.
- Come up with different ways that your community can change and
help to conserve the night sky. Record your suggestions in your
journals.
- Design a PowerPoint presentation that you would present to the
"town
officials" about your research and suggested
solutions to the problem. Be sure to
state the problem and propose at least 3-4 solutions and/or actions that
your community can take!
- The Presentation
Rubric is to be used to plan and evaluate your project/presentation.
Page Created by Marissa
Gorlich, UVM Student Intern with guidance from Mrs. Gurwicz
Comments? Email Mrs. Gurwicz
Last Updated: 01/27/07