Lesson Purpose
The Big Bang hasn't always been the generally accepted explanation of how our Universe came to be. In fact, our views on the origin and structure of the universe have changed drastically over the last thousand years. As new thinking and evidence have built upon one another, our understanding of the Universe has evolved. Over the ages, astronomers have used the tools of their time to understand the origin and structure of the Universe.
The outcomes of this lesson are: 1.) To identify the raw materials that were created in the Big Bang and explain why they are important; 2.) To explain why the Big Bang is the beginning of the Big History story; 3.) To explain the basics of the Big Bang theory.
The outcomes of this lesson are: 1.) To identify the raw materials that were created in the Big Bang and explain why they are important; 2.) To explain why the Big Bang is the beginning of the Big History story; 3.) To explain the basics of the Big Bang theory.
Activity 1 - Big Bang Snap Judgement
Activity Tasks
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Activity 2 - A Big History of Everything H2
Activity Objectives
The Big Bang, the first threshold moment in Big History, is the beginning of the story that will be told in this course. Everything we know in the Universe came from the Big Bang, and that’s why it’s so important. The Big Bang is the start of Big History’s origin story. Activity Tasks Watch the video and try to answer the following questions:
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Activity 3 - Threshold 1: The Big Bang
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Activity Objectives
In this video David Christian, the creator and leader of Big History, provides another introduction to the Big Bang. Having some duplicate information, particularly about difficult concepts such as the Big Bang, should help you begin to grasp how important the Big Bang really is. Activity Tasks
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Activity 4 - This Threshold Today
Activity Objectives
In this activity, you will read news articles that reveal unexpected connections between today's world and the Big Bang to understand how things we learn today are related to what we know about the Big Bang. Understanding the relevance to today should help you engage more with the theories related to the Big Bang, which can be difficult to understand.
Activity Tasks
In this activity, you will read news articles that reveal unexpected connections between today's world and the Big Bang to understand how things we learn today are related to what we know about the Big Bang. Understanding the relevance to today should help you engage more with the theories related to the Big Bang, which can be difficult to understand.
Activity Tasks
- Download and complete this worksheet. You need to search for news stories to do with the Big Bang and record what the articles tell you about this threshold.
Activity 5 - Questions about the Big Bang
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Activity Objectives
This video will help you get familiar with what we understand about the Big Bang and what is still a mystery so that you can start to understand the theory in more depth. Activity Tasks Watch the video and try to answer the following questions:
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Activity 6 - Electromagnetism
Activity Objectives
This short video explores electromagnetism, which is one example of how things in today’s world are connected to the Big Bang. This should help you recognize why the Big Bang is so important for us to understand and how it’s still relevant today. Activity Tasks Watch the video and try to answer the following questions:
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Activity 7 - Looking into the Past
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Activity Objectives
This video helps you gain an understanding of the close relationship between space and time in the Universe. It explains how light travels throughout the Universe and how scientists use this light to gather information about the Universe’s composition and expansion. Activity Tasks Watch the video and try to answer the following questions:
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Activity 8 - Big Bang Infographic
Activity Objectives
In this activity, you will demonstrate your knowledge by creating an infographic that explains the Big Bang. This activity will help you evaluate whether you have an understanding of the Big Bang, which is a requirement before you move on to other concepts. Activity Tasks
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Challenge Yourself! - Optional Activities
1. Watch a mind-boggling video about the newly-discovered Big Bang gravitational waves.
2. Primordial gravitational waves provide evidence of the sudden inflation that happened 10-35 (roughly one trillionth of a trillionth of a trillionth) seconds after the Big Bang.
2. Primordial gravitational waves provide evidence of the sudden inflation that happened 10-35 (roughly one trillionth of a trillionth of a trillionth) seconds after the Big Bang.