1a. What is the topic of the talk the speaker gives to the U.S. Senate Space Aeronautics Committee?
2a. What comparison does the author make between an electron, a speck of dust, and the earth?
3a. What did Rutherford at first think about the atom? What did Rutherford find out about the atom in 1911 that contradicted his earlier beliefs?
4a. How large are the planets of the solar system in relation to the size of the sun?
5a. From the selection, collect one detail about the size of each of the following: an electron, a proton, a neutron, an atom, the nucleus of an atom, earth, the planets, the sun, the galaxy, the universe.
6a. How effective is the author at clearly explaining the concepts in this selection so that they are understandable to the average reader? Point to specific examples from the selection to support your answer.
1b. Why do you think the speaker chose this topic?
2b. Why might people wonder if electrons exist?
3b. Why might he have had these beliefs? What is surprising about his discovery in 1911?
4b. Why does the author compare the solar system to the atom?
5b. In your own words, explain how the author uses the concept of size to help the reader understand the ideas he discusses in this selection.
6b. What did reading "The Size of Things" make you think about your size as a human being? In what ways are human beings simultaneously incredibly large and incredibly small?
Scientific Writing. Briefly review the selection and point out an example of a hypothesis. What terms or concepts are difficult to understand? Identify some resources that might provide information to help you better understand these terms or concepts. Do you think the author is justified in using these terms or concepts, or do you think they are jargon. Explain.
Analogy. Look back to the list of analogies you made as you read. Go back to the selection if you think you might have missed some and complete your list. Trade lists with the classmate next to you. Which analogies did he or she miss? Which did you miss? Why do you think the author used so many analogies in this selection? Explain.
1. Jargon is technical terminology specific to a subject that people not involved with that subject don't understand. Make a list of words that you think would qualify as jargon. They can be words that only you and your friends know the meaning of, sports terms, computer terms, terms you hear on the television or radio, or terms specific to other hobbies you have.
2. An analogy is a comparison of things that are alike in some ways but different in others. Create analogies that describe the shape of something, the color of something, and the size of something.
3. Imagine that you are a scientist who has just made a remarkable discovery that will change the lives of humans around the world. Write a short article for a scientific journal explaining your discovery.
Size Words. Separate the list below into columns of words meaning either small or large.
astronomical, enormous, infinite, infinitesimal, macroscopic, massive, microscopic, miniature, minute, tiny
Developing Language Skills. Some English words are often misspelled. For a list of 150 commonly misspelled words, turn to the Language Arts Survey 3.97, "Common Spelling Errors." If you master this list, you will avoid many errors in spelling.
Find the misspelled words in the following sentences and rewrite them, spelling them correctly.
1. It is outragous to think how large the sun is in comparison to Earth.
2. The universe seems enormeous to Janine and me.
3. It is apparant that Janine would like to be an astronomer.
4. She finds our lessons in science class fasinating.
5. Tommorow we will be taking a trip to a planetarium to study stars and planets.
6. That amount of research is really uneccesarry at this point.
7. Matilda was so angry, she only wanted to seek vengance on her sister.
8. The sounds I was hearing were very eerie and kind of weird.
9. Taking the dog out for a walk is Sarah's responsability, for which she earns a respectable allowance.
10. The liquids and the solids are supposed to seperate in the test tubes.
Conducting Research For Presentation. In a small group, choose one of the scientists mentioned in "The Size of Things," or choose a different scientist. Some scientists you may want to consider include Marie Curie, Rosalind Franklin, Francesco Redi, Emile de Chatelet, Jonas Salk, Caroline Herschel, Margaret Mead, Louis Pasteur, Lise Maitner, and Ivan Pavlov. Using library and Internet sources, conduct research on the scientist you have chosen. Collect information about the scientist's life or about the various ways he contributed to the world of science. If you prefer, gather a mix of interesting facts to present about your scientist. If possible, collect photos and other visuals, too. Then decide as a group how to present your information to your classmates. You may want to create handouts, give an oral presentation that all group members participate in, or create an Internet tour of sites with strong information on your scientist. Whatever format you choose for presenting your information, make sure to keep it interesting and be prepared to answer questions. Record resources (both Internet and library) you consulted. Write the corresponding information that you will focus on in your presentation.
