Properties of Dust page 1

Grades 6 – 8 particles in the sample.

Example investigation:
National Science Education Standards (5-8) 1. Collect dust samples using the cleaning pad or clear tape.
• Content Standard A: Science as Inquiry 2. Carefully remove particles from the pad (scrape with the
Understanding about scientific inquiry; tweezers and gently shake the pad) onto the graph paper.
abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry. Then sort the contents by features (size, color, shape) on
• Content Standard B: Physical Science the graph paper. Clear tape can be used to hold down the
Properties and changes in properties of matter. samples while students measure the sizes of the particles
— the slightest breath will scatter the particles.
3. Measure the sizes of the particles. Using the clear plastic
Materials and Tools metric ruler and magnifying glass at 4×, students can see
particles down to 100 micrometers (0.1 mm), but the limit
Graph paper, magnifying glass (2x and 4x lenses), tweezers, of their measurement accuracy is half the smallest unit of
cleaning pad (e.g. Swiffer or Grab-it mitts) or paper towel, measurement on the ruler, or 0.5 mm. Prompt groups with
watercolor brushes, wide clear packing tape, clear metric ruler questions to guide their investigation, such as:
showing millimeter marks, copies of “About the Spitzer Space • What range of sizes do students observe?
Telescope” and “Resources” pages on the back of this poster. • What is the largest size that qualifies something as dust?
Interstellar dust (dust between stars and inside nebulae) is
Engage about 1 micrometer or smaller in size. For comparison, one
Dust is everywhere — on the floor, floating in the air, millimeter is 1,000 micrometers. How a massive clump
orbiting the Sun in our solar system, and in huge clouds in of micrometer size dust particles condenses into a planet
space like the Eagle Nebula and the Tarantula Nebula. Begin thousands of kilometers wide is still a mystery. A planet is
by asking students: about one trillion (1,000,000,000,000) times bigger than
• What is dust? the dust particle!
• What are everyday examples of dust? 4. List the basic properties of dust for each location. Some
• Why would an astronomer study dust? of the material might not qualify as “dust” (hair, seeds,
and string). Many things will be too small to accurately
Get Ready to Explore measure, but students can still see them with the
magnifying glass.
Divide students into science teams of 2-4 members. Ask
each group to pick its own physical area of the classroom to
investigate, or assign investigation areas (locations) to groups. Explain
Tell the groups that their objectives are: Students explain the origin of the dust based on the results of
1. Collect dust in your assigned area. their investigation. Help students with their explanations with
2. Separate out the dust sample into different groups based guiding questions such as:
on physical characteristics. • Do the observations suggest a relationship between dust
3. List the properties of the dust they discover. and where it was collected?
4. Suggest origins for the dust that they find. • If so, what are the most likely origins of the dust?
5. Explain how they think their investigation of dust is • How could you better determine the source of the dust?
related to an astronomer investigating dust in space. Students should also explain their reasoning behind their dust
organization and what evidence helps them support their dust
Explore origin hypothesis. Some guiding questions to ask students are:
Over several days, each group uses the cleaning pads or paper • How did you decide to organize your samples?
towels to collect dust from its chosen place in the classroom. • What evidence do you see that supports your hypothesis?
Students place each sample in a separate bag and label it Students may find evidence that does not support their original
according to where the dust was collected, the time, date, and hypothesis, but instead points toward another explanation.
science team name.
An alternative dust collection method is to use the clear
plastic tape to sample classroom areas. Use the sticky side of
the tape to pull dust off surfaces. Although this is an easier
collection method, it limits the ways students can sort the dust
http://mcdonaldobservatory.org/teachers/classroom/ For comments or questions contact [email protected] © 2004 The University of Texas McDonald Observatory
 Properties of Dust page 2

Elaborate Simple, thoughtful plan for collecting the dust and

Ask students to consider the following questions: organizing the samples.
1. What unique tools did you use to investigate dust in your • Collection: 0-10 points
classroom? Consistent collection method and care taken to preserve
2. What are the physical properties of the dust you the dust samples in their labeled plastic bags.
investigated that can help you figure out where the dust • Measurement: 0-10 points
came from? Consistent measurement technique and reasonable
Read out loud the paragraph in which Spitzer Space particle size estimates. Shows understanding of accuracy
Telescope scientist Dr. Neal Evans describes the nature of his and precision.
research and its relationship to the Spitzer Space Telescope:
• Organization: 0-10 points
“Life can exist on planets around stars, which are Dust samples are clearly marked and organized by the
organized into galaxies. What is the origin of stars, planets, particles’ physical properties. The organization helps
and galaxies? The origins of all of these are hidden from view students see relationships between the particles and their
if we use visible light. Stars form in clouds of molecules and possible origin.
dust. The dust blocks visible light. Planets form in disks Synthesis: 0-40 points
around the forming stars; planets like Earth form FROM • Clear relationship between the dust investigation and
the dust itself. The origin of galaxies is intimately related the astronomer’s research. Student supports claims
to the origin of the stars within them and again this is often with relevant examples and evidence from the dust
hidden by dust. investigation.
Infrared light is the key to understanding origins. But we
need a cold telescope above the Earth’s atmosphere to study
Total: 100 points
many aspects of infrared light. Once we have this, we can
study the light of stars in distant galaxies, study the origin of Metric Background
those stars in the dusty clouds in our own and other galaxies,
and study the disks that form planets. We can even trace the Meters Unit name Example(s)
nature of the dust as it changes to produce planets, comets, 10 (1)
0
meter doorway width, meter stick,
and asteroids. We can learn when the building blocks of life, 10-1 (0.1) decimeter human hand
the icy mantles containing carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen 10 (0.01)
-2
centimeter pebble
form, on the dust particles. And we can study the end of
10 (0.001)
-3
millimeter coarse sand
planets and stars as they create new dust. We can study the
human hair, pollen, sand,
cycle from dust to dust.” 10-4 (0.0001) (no name)
sandpaper grit

Pass out copies of the pages “About the Spitzer Space Telescope” 10-5 (0.00001) (no name) bacteria, pollen
and “Resources” from the back of the poster for students to read. interstellar dust,
10-6 (0.000001) micrometer
fungal spores, bacteria
bacteri
Ask students to respond to the following questions:
3. What are the unique capabilities of the Spitzer Space 10-7 (0.0000001) (no name) smoke, bacteria
Telescope that astronomers need in order to investigate 10 (0.00000001)
-8
(no name) smoke
interstellar dust?
10 (0.000000001)
-9
nanometer molecules
4. Based on your classroom dust investigation, what
challenges do you think astronomers have to overcome
in order to investigate interstellar dust hundreds of light- This tiny speck of dust shed
years away? from a comet is only about 6 by
10 micrometers, but it is huge
compared to interstellar dust.
Evaluation Rubric
Most interstellar dust grains are
Engagement: 0-20 points one micrometer (the size of the
• Students actively engage in the activity, with each small white scale bar) or smaller.
member contributing to the investigation objectives.
h t t p : / / w w w. j s c . n a s a . g o v /
Methodology: 0-40 Points jscfeatures/images/hires/IDP.jpg
NASA

• Planning 0-10 points

http://mcdonaldobservatory.org/teachers/classroom/ For comments or questions contact [email protected] © 2004 The University of Texas McDonald Observatory
 Properties of Dust

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills

Science:
§112.18. grade 6 (b)-4(A) use appropriate tools to collect, record, and
analyze information, including journals/notebooks, beakers, Petri
dishes, meter sticks, graduated cylinders, hot plates, test tubes, triple
beam balances, microscopes, thermometers, calculators, computers,
timing devices, and other equipment as needed to teach the
curriculum.
§112.20. grade 8 (b)-3(B) use models to represent aspects of the
natural world such as an atom, a molecule, space, or a geologic
feature.
§112.20. grade 8 (b)-8(C) explore how different wavelengths of the
electromagnetic spectrum such as light and radio waves are used to
gain information about distances and properties of components in the
universe.

© April 2011 The University of Texas at Austin • McDonald Observatory