SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

DEPARTMENT

EART
H
AN INTRODUCTION

LESSON 1
THE UNIVERSE
 INTRODUCTION

Earth Science is a Core Subject taken in the first semester of Grade 12. This
learning area is designed to provide a general background for the understanding of
the Earth on a planetary scale. It presents the history of the Earth through geologic
time. It discusses the Earth’s structure and composition, the processes that occur
beneath and on the Earth’s surface, as well as issues, concerns, and problems
pertaining to Earth’s resources.

Implementing this module at the senior high school level is subject to numerous
challenges with mastery of content among educators tapped to facilitate learning
and a lack of resources to deliver the necessary content and develop skills and
attitudes in the learners, being foremost among these.

This Module is mapped and aligned to the DepEd SHS Curriculum, designed to be highly usable for
Distance E-Learning due to the unseen pandemic brought by COVID-19. It contains home-based
activities and pedagogical notes, and is integrated with innovative pedagogies.

OBJECTIVE

At the end of the lesson, the learners will be able to:

1. Describe the structure and composition of the Universe;
2. State the different hypothesis that preceded the Big Bang Theory of the Origin of
the Universe.
3. Explain the red-shift and how it used as proof of an expanding universe; and
4. Explain the Big Bang Theory and evidences supporting the theory

CONTENT

Lesson 1-3: Universe and the Solar System

Introduction:

The science of cosmology provides several hypotheses explaining the beginning of the
universe based on the present physical and chemical properties of the universe. There are
numerous versions, but the most widely accepted ones are based on current scientific
observations and available evidences that support the claims. Among the theories that
have gained the most support include the Big bang Theory, the cosmic inflation theory,
and the steady state theory.
A. FAMILARIZED with the WORDS!

 Baryonic matter - "ordinary" matter consisting of

protons, electrons, and neutrons that comprises
atoms, planets, stars, galaxies, and other bodies
 Dark matter - matter that has gravity but does not
emit light.
 Dark Energy - a source of anti-gravity; a force that
counteracts gravity and causes the universe to
expand.
 Protostar - an early stage in the formation of a star resulting from the gravitational
collapse of gases.

 Thermonuclear reaction - a nuclear fusion reaction responsible for the energy produced
by stars.
 Main Sequence Stars - stars that fuse hydrogen atoms to form helium atoms in their
cores; outward pressure resulting from nuclear fusion is balanced by gravitational forces
 Light years - the distance light can travel in a year; a unit of length used to measure
astronomical distance
 Cosmology- The study of the Universe
 Astronomy- is a natural science that study of celestial bodies/objects (such as stars,
galaxies, planets, moons, asteroids, comets and nebulae) the physics, chemistry, and
evolution of such objects, and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth,
including supernovae explosions, gamma ray bursts, and cosmic microwave background
radiation.
 Universe- everything that exists. The Universe is all of space and time[a] and their
contents,[9] including planets, stars, galaxies, and all other forms of matter and energy.
B. Connect the lesson to a real-life problem or question.

Engaging
 Answer the following questions: Look at the pictures below.
 (A) What do you know about the universe?

(B) How Large exactly is a billion? How long it will take to spend 1 billion, if
you are going to spend 1 peso per second? It’s 32 years!!

• Science Fact Alert: THE UNIVERSE IS AT LEAST 13.8-

14.5 BILLION YEARS OLD. WHILE EARTH/ SOLAR
SYSTEM AT LEAST 4.5- 4.6 BILLION YEARS OLD.

Exploring
Guide Question: Every time you watch the night sky, you wonder
why with so many stars the night sky is not as bright as the sun. Why
is the night sky dark?
 The difference between prediction and actual appearance of
the sky is known as Olber’s paradox. In the 19th century,
German astronomer Heinrich Wilhelm Mattias Olber
proposed that on a large scale like the universe, it will be
homogeneous and isotropic.
 Homogeneous is defined as "the same in all locations"
 while isotropic means "the same in all directions
HEINRICH WILHELM MATTIAS OLBER

Explaining

Guide Question: What is the composition of the

universe?
• The Universe as we currently know it
comprises all space and time and energy in it.
• It is made of 4.5% Baryonic matter
(ordinary matter consisting of protons,
electrons, and neutrons: atoms, planets, stars, galaxies, nebulae, and other bodies).
24% Cold dark Matter (matter that has gravity but does not emit light) and 71.4% Dark Energy
(A source of anti-gravity)
• Dark matter can explain what may be holding galaxies together for the reason that the
low total mass is insufficient for gravity alone to do so while dark energy can explain the
observed accelerating expansion of the universe.

Understanding the Cosmological Principle

• The two assumptions of homogeneity and isotropy are known as cosmological principles.
The implications of these principles are:
• 1. The universe has no edges, because that would violate the principle of homogeneity.
• 2. The universe has no center, because that would violate the principle of isotropy, i.e. the
universe looks the same in all directions. This is the familiar Copernican Principle.
According to him, earth cannot be the center of the universe, because the universe has no
center.

FORMATION OF THE UNIVERSE

Guide Question: How universe formed?

NON-SCIENTIFIC THEORIES
Creationism
• Creationism is the religious belief that the universe and life originated "from specific acts
of divine creation] as opposed to the scientific conclusion that they came about through
natural processes.
Myths and Legends of the Universe

• Ancient Egyptians believed in many gods and myths which narrate that the
world arose from an infinite sea at the first rising of the sun
• The Kuba people of Central Africa tell the story of a creator god Mbombo (or
Bumba) who, alone in a dark and water –covered Earth, felt an intense stomach pain and
then vomited the stars, sun and moon.
• In India, there is the narrative that gods sacrificed Purusha, the primal man whose head,
feet, eyes and mind became the sky, earth, sun and moon respectively.
The monotheistic religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam claim that a supreme being
created the universe, including man and other living organism
SCIENTIFIC THEORIES
The Big Bang Theory
• Scientists have gathered a lot of evidence and information about the
Universe. They have used their observations to develop a theory called the
Big Bang. The theory states that about 13.7 billion years ago all the matter in
the Universe was concentrated into a single incredibly tiny point. This began
to enlarge rapidly in a hot explosion, and it is still expanding today.
• Georges Lemaître. Georges Lemaître, (born
July 17, 1894, Charleroi, Belgium—died June 20,
1966, Leuven), Belgian astronomer and
cosmologist who formulated the modern big-
bang theory, which holds that the universe began
in a cataclysmic explosion of a small, primeval
“super-atom.”
• George Gamow was a Ukrainian-American
theoretical physicist and cosmologist, who
worked with many of the pioneers of quantum
theory.
• His predictions of cosmic microwave
background radiation and his
explanation of the present levels of
hydrogen and helium in
the universe both lent important
theoretical support to the Big
Bang theory. 
Evidence for the Big Bang includes:
• all the galaxies are moving away from us
• the further away a galaxy is, the faster it is
moving away.
• These two features are found in explosions - the fastest moving objects end up furthest
away from the explosion.
• Scientists have also detected a cosmic microwave background radiation or CMBR. This
is received from all parts of the Universe and is thought to be the heat left over from the
original explosion.

FIRST ABUNDANT ELEMENTS FOUND IN THE

UNIVERSE
• (Hydrogen, Helium & Lithium)
EVIDENCE OF THE EXPANDING UNIVERSE
• Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation & Red
Shifting
STEADY STATE THEORY

• Steady-state theory, in cosmology, a view

that the universe is always expanding but
maintaining a constant average density, with
matter being continuously created to form
new stars and galaxies at the same rate that
old ones become unobservable as a
consequence of their increasing distance
and velocity of recession.
• This Theory was first proposed by Sir
James Jeans in 1920. It gained popularity
after it was revised by Sir FRED HOYLE,
SIR HERMANN BONDI, and THOMAS
GOLD in 1948 as an alternative to the big
bang theory. However, toward the middle of
1960’s, evidences that would contradict the
steadiness of th unchanging state of the universe
were brought out. One of these evidences was
when galactic bodies such as quasars and radio
galaxies were found a long way from the sun at far
distances in space (and found none nearby); it
disapproved the idea that similar bodies are created
and found everywhere. Hence, distant objects in
space are considered ancient and the younger
universe are found nearer. This implies that the
universe is actually dynamic (not steady). In cosmology, the steady state theory is now
considered obsolete.

COSMIC INFLATION THEORY

• The most recent cosmic inflation theory is
proposed by physicists Alan Guth (1947 and
Andrei Linde (1948-) in the 1980’s. According to
the cosmic inflation theory of Guth and Linde,
the early universe was a rapidly expanding
bubble of pure vacuum energy. I did not have any
matter or radiation. After the expansion and
 cooling due to the inflation, the potential energy was converted into kinetic energy of
matter and radiation.

• The cosmic inflation theory became an accepted hypothesis because it answered many
puzzles that arose in the big bang theory. One of which is the homogeneity of the objects
in space. During the expansion period, objects that used to be in contact or neighboring
objects got farther away from each other. Their composition, however, remained almost
intact. This explains further why the opposite horizon of the universe appears to be
similar. Another is the appearance of flatness or smoothness of the universe. The
continuous expansion” dilutes "or gradually loses the curvature of objects. A simple way
of illustrating this is to inflate a balloon with small bumps. As you inflate the balloon
continuously, its surface reaches a point of flatness where the small bumps could not be
recognized anymore.

Elaborating
Look at the illustration below of the Big bang Theory model and Steady State Theory. Compare
the 2models.

Guide Question: What is Red shifting?

• Red shift' is a key concept for astronomers. The term can be
understood literally - the wavelength of the light is stretched, so
the light is seen as 'shifted' towards the red part of the spectrum.
Something similar happens to sound waves when a source of
sound moves relative to an observer.
•Some redshifts are an example of the Some redshifts are an
example of the Doppler effect, familiar in the change of apparent
pitches of sirens and frequency of the sound waves emitted by
speeding vehicles. A redshift occurs whenever a light source
moves away from an observer. Doppler effect, familiar in the change of apparent pitches

of sirens and frequency of the sound

 waves emitted by speeding vehicles. A redshift occurs whenever a light source moves
away from an observer.

ACTIVITY TIME!

Activity: Doppler Effect and Interactive

Source: http://molebash.com/doppler/horn/horn1.ht
1. Watch two short video clips filmed inside a car. Try to determine where the
horn
is coming from. Is it coming from inside the car or outside the car? If outside the car, where?
• Video 1 - horn is coming from the inside of the car. There is hardly any change in the volume
and pitch of the horn.
• Video 2 - horn is coming from outside of the car. Specifically, the horn is coming from another
car travelling in an opposite direction. Notice how the pitch and volume of the car varies with
distance from the other car. Pitch and volume increase as the other car approaches.

Evaluation SHORT ESSAY

Why is the Big Bang Theory the most accepted theory about the origin
of the universe?
• How can you prove that the universe is expanding?
• If you are to formulate your own theory about the origin of the
universe, how would you explain it?

Enrichment

1. submit a brief report on the following topic/questions.

What is the fate of the universe? Will the universe continue to expand or will it eventually
contract because of gravity.

REFERENCES
Earth Science (Stem Track) by DIWA LEARNING SYSTEM [www.diwalearningtown.com]
Earth and Life Sciences for Senior High School by Gloria G. Salandanan, Ph,D.,Ruben E Faltado
III,Ph.D
https://www.space.com/25075-cosmic-inflation-universe-expansion-big-bang-
infographic.html
https://www.physicsoftheuniverse.com/cosmological.html

http://science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/focus-areas/how-do-stars-form-and-evolve/ (accessed: 12
october 2015)
http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr161/lect/solarsys/solarsys.html (accessed 12 October 2015)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Solar_System_formation_and_evolution_hypotheses#C
lassification_of_the_theories (accessed 13 October 2015)
"The Origin of the Universe, Earth, and Life." National Academy of Sciences. Science and
Creationism: A View from the National Academy of Sciences, Second Edition. Washington, DC:
The National Academies Press, 1999. http://www.nap.edu/read/6024/chapter/3#8 (accessed 2
October 2015)
http://science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/focus-areas/what-powered-the-big-bang/ (accessed 5
October 2015)
Activities for teaching of the Universe: http://www.nuffieldfoundation.org/science-
society/activities-universe and http://molebash.com/ doppler/horn/horn1.htm
Short article: http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/?origin-universe