Black Holes

Black Holes

Pencil and paperOnline interactive
Overview
Using this Resource
Connecting to the Curriculum
Marking Student Responses
Further Resources
This task is about reading an article and answering some questions.
Black_Hole_in_the_universe-small.jpg
BLACK HOLES
 
When a star that is relatively large (at least six or seven times the mass of our Sun), reaches the end of its life, its matter will collapse in on itself, making gravity in that region so intense that nothing, not even light, can escape. Everything around it, including nearby stars, is gradually sucked into the hole as if into a giant, black whirlpool in space. This is why we can never see a black hole. Light from it can never reach us. But astronomers can see the effect of a black hole. They can see the way its tremendous gravity bends light that reaches us from stars beyond it. And they can measure the incredible speed of matter whirling in the vortex, about to be sucked down into the hole itself. They have discovered that some, and perhaps all, galaxies have a black hole at their centre and that the stars of the galaxy are part of this whirlpool. What happens to objects that are sucked into a black hole? No one knows for sure. Some say they emerge into another, parallel universe. One thing seems certain – they never come back to the here and now!

Question 1Change answer

a)  When does a black hole form?

Question 1Change answer

b)  Why can black holes not be seen?

Question 1Change answer

c)  What are two effects of black holes that astronomers know about?
1.  2.

Question 1Change answer

d)  What are two things astronomers do not yet know about black holes?
1.  2. 

Question 1Change answer

e)  The first sentence is very long. What are two techniques the writer has used to make it easier to read.
1.  2. 

Question 1Change answer

f)  Write a word or phrase with a similar meaning to these words as used in the article.
collapse 
intense
incredible 
Task administration: 
This task can be completed with pen and paper or online (without auto-marking).
Copyright: 
Extract from Eye in Space - Text was first published by Learning Media Limited on behalf of the Ministry of Education © John Bollanack, 1998. Reproduced with permission.
 
Image: NASA; License: Public domain
 
Level:
4
Curriculum info: 
English, Making meaning, Reading
Key Competencies: 
Thinking
Keywords: 
comprehension, locate information, inference, Applications
Description of task: 
Students read a short article about Black Holes to answer retrieval and inferential questions.
Curriculum Links: 
 
Links to the Literacy Learning Progressions for Reading:
This resource helps to identify students’ ability to:
  • use comprehension strategies
as described in the Literacy Learning Progressions for Reading at: http://www.literacyprogressions.tki.org.nz/The-Structure-of-the-Progressions.
Learning Progression Frameworks
This resource can provide evidence of learning associated with
Acquiring and using information and ideas in informational texts, set 4
within the Reading Learning Progressions Frameworks.
Read more about the Learning Progressions Frameworks.
Answers/responses: 
 

Y8 (08/1999)
a) Any 1 of:

  • When a (large) star collapses in on itself.
  • When a (large) star reaches the end of its life/has ended its life.
 easy
b) Any of:

  • No light could escape from them/their gravity.
  • Light can never reach us.
 easy
c)
  • They can see their effects (its gravity bends light).
  • They can measure the speed of matter whirling/spinning (in the vortex).
 2 correct – easy

1 correct – very easy
d) Any 2 of:

  • Whether or not all galaxies have them.
  • What percentage of galaxies have them.
  • What happens to objects that are sucked into black holes (where things go when they get sucked in).
 2 correct – difficult

1 correct – very easy
e)
  • The use of brackets.
  • The use of commas.
 2 correct – moderate

1 correct – easy
f) collapse      – fall down/fold in on itself.
intense        – extreme/great/powerful.
incredible   – amazing/hard to believe/extraordinary/tremendous.		 moderate
very difficult
moderate