Summary:
There are many questions that students have about black holes like what is a black hole? Where do they come from? How were they discovered? This is a great tool for readers to learn about the galaxies and answer the many questions people have about black holes. Using kid friendly examples and humorous text the book begins with an entire chapter about gravity and how it affects the formation of black holes. The book provides helpful images to bring to life what the text is saying. This book takes a very complex topic and makes it understandable to young students of different ages.
There are many questions that students have about black holes like what is a black hole? Where do they come from? How were they discovered? This is a great tool for readers to learn about the galaxies and answer the many questions people have about black holes. Using kid friendly examples and humorous text the book begins with an entire chapter about gravity and how it affects the formation of black holes. The book provides helpful images to bring to life what the text is saying. This book takes a very complex topic and makes it understandable to young students of different ages.
Key Words to Describe The Book:
Teaching Strategies:
Key Vocabulary to Help With Understanding:
Electronic Resources:
Kids Astronomy: This is a website where kids can learn about what black holes are, watch videos about them, and play interactive games. This is a great tool for students to use to deeper their understanding about black holes.
Black Hole: This is a video that explains the creation of black holes and provides a visual for students. This can used along with reading to help students see what happens when a black hole is created and when it consumes galaxies.
Before Reading Activity:
As a pre reading activity have the students explore the kids astronomy website. This will introduce students to what a black hole is helping them to have a better understanding while they are reading the book. Although the book is a great resource and provides a lot of information it can be overwhelming.
During Reading Activity:
Since there is so much information in this book a good during reading activity would be to have the students take part in a jigsaw activity. Split the class into smaller groups these will be the students home groups. From there have the students split into different groups. Each group will get a chapter to go through, read and take notes on. As a group they will determine what the most important parts of the chapter are for their classmates to know. Once they have completed their notes they are to go back to their home group and teach them that chapter. They will be asked to give each student a copy of their notes and answer any questions a student may have about that chapter.
After Reading Activity:
After students have completed reading this book and learning from their classmates all the important facts have the students go to your padlet board and post 5 things that they learned from this book. Also allow for students to post any questions they still have. This will allow everyone to see what is still confusing and as a class you can answer the questions.
Writing Activity:
Have the students think about the book and everything that they learned from it. Ask them to choose one thing that they thought was really interesting and have them explain why that is interesting to them, what they learned about it, and how it connects to a Black Hole. This will allow students to find a specific aspect of the book they thought was fun to learn about and explain why they liked it.
- Informational
- NonFiction
- Conversations
- Humorous
- Stimulating
Teaching Strategies:
Key Vocabulary to Help With Understanding:
- Asteroid: Any one of thousands of small planets that circle around the sun
- Gravity: The natural force that tends to cause physical things to move towards each other : the force that causes things to fall towards the Earth
- Nuclear Reaction: A process, such as fission, fusion, or radioactive decay, in which the structure of an atomic nucleus is altered through release of energy or mass or by being broken apart.
- X-Ray: To examine and make images of (things, such as the bones and organs inside the body) by using X-rays
- Black Hole: An invisible area in outer space with gravity so strong that light cannot get out of it
- Astronomers: The scientific study of stars, planets, and other objects in outer space
Electronic Resources:
Kids Astronomy: This is a website where kids can learn about what black holes are, watch videos about them, and play interactive games. This is a great tool for students to use to deeper their understanding about black holes.
Black Hole: This is a video that explains the creation of black holes and provides a visual for students. This can used along with reading to help students see what happens when a black hole is created and when it consumes galaxies.
Before Reading Activity:
As a pre reading activity have the students explore the kids astronomy website. This will introduce students to what a black hole is helping them to have a better understanding while they are reading the book. Although the book is a great resource and provides a lot of information it can be overwhelming.
During Reading Activity:
Since there is so much information in this book a good during reading activity would be to have the students take part in a jigsaw activity. Split the class into smaller groups these will be the students home groups. From there have the students split into different groups. Each group will get a chapter to go through, read and take notes on. As a group they will determine what the most important parts of the chapter are for their classmates to know. Once they have completed their notes they are to go back to their home group and teach them that chapter. They will be asked to give each student a copy of their notes and answer any questions a student may have about that chapter.
After Reading Activity:
After students have completed reading this book and learning from their classmates all the important facts have the students go to your padlet board and post 5 things that they learned from this book. Also allow for students to post any questions they still have. This will allow everyone to see what is still confusing and as a class you can answer the questions.
Writing Activity:
Have the students think about the book and everything that they learned from it. Ask them to choose one thing that they thought was really interesting and have them explain why that is interesting to them, what they learned about it, and how it connects to a Black Hole. This will allow students to find a specific aspect of the book they thought was fun to learn about and explain why they liked it.