The History of Satellite Development

Science 9

Focus: Explain the history of satellite development.

Materials:

-  Student Handouts - SatelliteTimelineActivity.doc

-  Gluesticks and/or tape

-  Writing implements

Lesson Progression:

1.  Students form partners.

2.  Distribute handouts to student pairs and introduce the focus (see above) and the task:

This is a list of important satellites in the history of artificial satellite development, but they are not in chronological order. Your task is to review the list of satellites and use the timeline provided to estimate the chronological order of these developments.

Task Options: a) Students can cut the chart into strips to move around on the timeline

b) In pencil, students can write the letters of each event on the timeline

3.  Allow student pairs a few minutes to start sorting the events, and then reveal the first clue:

The 1960s built the foundation for the tools used by today’s meteorologists.

4.  Give students time to work again, keeping the new clue in mind. Reveal the second clue:

The directionally-challenged got a little help in the 1980s.

5.  Give students time to work again, keeping the two clues in mind. Reveal the last clue:

The 1990s gave us pictures of space like we had never seen it before.

6.  Allow students a few more minutes to revise their sort according to the new clue.

7.  If time permits, allow student pairs to compare their sort with another pair, making revisions if they feel it necessary.

8.  Review the actual timeline with the students – allow students to correct their timelines to reflect accurate information (if students were using strips of paper, they may glue them down in the correct order).

9.  (Individual OR partner work at teacher discretion) Advise students that they must select TWO satellites from the list that reflect the MOST important technological advances in artificial satellite history – identify them with a star, colour highlighting, etc.

10.  On the back of their timeline handout, students use bullet point writing to justify why their two selections are MORE IMPORTANT technological advances than all of the others.

Assessment Suggestions:

-  This lesson can be a formative practice assessment, as it is an introduction to the history of artificial satellite development.

Teacher KEY:

Year / Name / Accomplishments
L / 1957 / Sputnik 1 (Soviet Union) / -  First artificial satellite
H / 1958 / SCORE (USA) / -  First communication satellite
-  First voice transmission from a satellite
F / 1960 / Sputnik 5 (Soviet Union) / -  First satellite to return animals (2 dogs) safely from orbit
B / 1960 / Transit 1B (USA) / -  First navigation satellite (used by the USA Navy)
E / 1960 / Tiros 1 (USA) / -  First successful weather satellite
J / 1962 / Alouette 1(Canada) / -  First Canadian satellite (the first satellite built by a country other than the Soviet Union and USA)
-  Studies part of the upper atmosphere where, later, many other satellites would be placed
M / 1962 / Telstar 1 (USA) / -  Relayed the first TV pictures across the Atlantic Ocean
-  Transmitted phone calls and photos between Europe and America (capable of 600 telephone channels OR 1 television channel)
I / 1972 / ERTS-1 (Landsat 1) (USA) / -  First satellite to map Earth’s resources continuously and comprehensively
-  Part of the Landsat program, which acquires images of Earth from space
N / 1978 / Navstar 1 (USA) / -  First satellite in what would later become the Global Positioning System
C / 1982-1999 / Global Navigation Satellite System (Russia) / -  A group of 27 satellites that provide accurate navigation for Russian military and commercial use (similar to the American GPS system)
A / 1990 / Hubble Space Telescope (USA) / -  A very high-resolution optical telescope that is capable of collecting images of deep space
-  The largest optical telescope currently orbiting Earth
-  Over 6000 scientific articles have been published based on images from the Hubble Space Telescope
G / 1994 / Milstar (USA) / -  Provides secure, jam-resistant worldwide communications for the U.S. military
D / 1999 / TERRA (USA) / -  First satellite launched as part of the EOS Satellite Series, which studies how natural cycles and human activities affect Earth’s cycles
K / 2001 / WMAP (MAP) (USA) / -  Provided a detailed picture of the energy released during the early formation of the universe
-  WMAPs measurements played a key role in developing our current model of the universe