Episode 703: Preparation for cosmology topic
Teaching Guidance
for 16-19
- Level Advanced
This is an area in which there is still a ferment of conflicting ideas. It is useful if you can get some of this across to your students, rather than presenting them with a neat, no-loose-ends version of the scientific truth.
It is worth making an effort to keep up-to-date by reading magazines such as New Scientist, Scientific American etc. Encourage your students to do the same.
Main aims of this topic
Students will:
- describe the evidence for the expansion of the Universe
- relate this to other evidence that the universe originated in a hot big bang
Prior knowledge
Students should know that light from astronomical objects is often red-shifted, and that this can be interpreted in terms of movement of the source.
Where this leads
Even if your students are not going to become professional cosmologists, this is a topic that many will want to read about in the future, so you will be doing them a great favour if you can kindle their interest at this stage.
