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SCIENCE
Quarter II – Week 6
Asteroids, Comets, and Meteors

CONTEXTUALIZED LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEETS

SCHOOLS DIVISION OF PUERTO PRINCESA CITY
Science-Grade 8
Contextualized Learning Activity Sheets (CLAS)
Quarter II - Week 6: Asteroids, Comets, and Meteors
First Edition, 2020

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Name: Grade & Section:

Lesson 1
Asteroids, Comets, and Meteors

MELC: To compare and contrast comets, meteors, and asteroids. (S8ES-IIg-22)

Objectives:
1. Compare the characteristics of a comet and asteroids in terms of origin, shape, size, chemical
composition, orbit, and orbital period.
2. Describe the changes happen to fragment from a comet or asteroids as it enters the Earth’s
atmosphere.
3. Explain how celestial objects gain appreciation and human interests in studying the Earth’s
chemical composition.

Let’s Explore and Discover

Hello dear students! How are you feeling today? I am glad that all of you are okay and
feel better despite of disruptions and cancellations particularly in your studies caused by
COVID-19 pandemic. You are now entering the Module 3 of Quarter II entitled Asteroids,
Comets, and Meteors. We prepared doable and enjoyable set of activities that for sure you are
eager to learn new concepts and ideas, to develop new skills, and to awaken your curiosity in
this world.

Teacher: Good day everyone! Our lesson for today is about the Near-
Earth Objects. Can you give me one name of space rocks that you know?
Students: Meteorite teacher.
Unlocking of
Teacher: Very Good! Meteorite is one of the common terms we heard
Difficulties
when we talk about Near-Earth Objects. Okay class, I have a Knock-knock!
Students: Who’s there? Meteoroid – a broken
Teacher: Meteorite! up rock from either a
Students: Meteorite who? comet or an asteroid
Teacher: Ikaw na ba si meteorite? ikaw na ba ang love of my life? Meteorite – a
Si meteorite ka ba? meteoroid survives its
Are you familiar with the lyrics of the song? The song has a title “Mr. Right” passage through
atmosphere and makes
that just rhymes in a word meteorite, am I right? Well, this is the right time
it to the ground
to start to learn about other members of the solar system.

When learning about space, well it can sometimes be difficult to know the difference
between all the amazing objects out there. In this Contextualized Learning Activity Sheets, we
provided various interesting activities for you to be able to understand clearly about the other
members of solar system. You will be introduced to the distinct characteristics of comets,
meteors, and asteroids in terms of origin, shape, size, chemical composition, orbit, and orbital
period. The following terms are often confused with each other so let us answer the question:
What is the difference between a comet, asteroid, meteoroid, meteor & meteorite?

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 This lesson presents the three types of small bodies found in solar system such as
asteroids, comets, and meteoroid. They are leftovers from the formation of our solar system 4.6
billion years ago. While the planets and moons have changed over the millennia, many of these
small chunks of ice, rock and metal have not. They are a lot like a fossil record of planetary
evolution.
The table below shows the comparison of some characteristics of comets and asteroids
Table 1. Comparison of some characteristics of comets and asteroids
Characteristics Comet Asteroid
Origin Kuiper Belt and Oort Cloud Main Asteroid Belt
Shape Varied/ Irregular Varied/ Irregular
Size range of diameter (kilometer) 1-10 (nucleus only) 1-100++
Ice (frozen water); frozen gases Silicate (olivine and
Chemical composition (ammonia, methane, and carbon pyroxene), iron, nickel
dioxide); other organic compounds
(carbon-containing compounds)
Orbit Highly elliptical More rounded
Orbital Period (years) 75 to 100,000++ 1-100
(Source: Pia C. Campo et al., Science Grade 8 Learner's Module, Pasig City: Department of
Education, 2016, 156.)

Teacher: I’m back my students! Now, I want you to spend time to read, think, and answer the set of
learning activity sheets in this module to deepen your understanding with regards to the other members of solar
system – the comets, meteors, and asteroids. So, fasten your seatbelt and get ready for takeoff because this flight
will bring you virtually to the magnificent view of the outer space.

A comet in the outer parts of the solar system

is too small to be seen from Earth. Comets appear as
shining lights and cannot be seen without a telescope.
It looks like a large, dirty snowball. It has an icy core,
covered by a layer of black dust. The nucleus of a
comet is mainly water and gases, frozen and mixed
with bits of rock and metal.
The ice melts when the comet gets closer to the
Sun. It changes into a gas. Dust particles spread out
around the nucleus in a cloud called a coma. The Sun
causes them to glow. The coma of an average comet is
sixty thousand miles across, but very thin. Radiation Source: Pia C. Campo et al., Science Grade 8
and solar wind drive the gases of the coma away as it Learner's Module, Pasig City: Department of
faces and moves towards the sun. Education, 2016, 152.

The comet forms a straight tail and can grow to ninety million miles long. The orbits of
most comets are oval-shaped. Short-period comets take less than two hundred years to travel
around the sun. One of these is the Halley's Comet that returns every 76 years. The comet
with the shortest period is Encke's comet that orbits the Sun every 3.3 years. Most comets get
brighter when they get closer to the Sun. Bright comets are visible in the sky only once or twice
in a century, but for a long period of time.

The chemical composition of a comet is important in helping scientists understand how

Earth has liquid water, which in turn made the planet livable. During Earth’s formation,
scientists theorized that the planet must have been too hot to have liquid water on its surface.
By studying comets’ orbits and the chemical composition of materials found in impact craters
found all over Earth, soil and ice samples collected from drilling down Earth’s crust and marine
layers, scientists theorized that the early impact of comets on Earth brought liquid water to the
planet.

(Source: Pia C. Campo et al., Science Grade 8 Learner's Module, Pasig City: Department of
Education, 2016, 156-158.)

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 Meteors look like thin streaks of light in the
night sky and they can be seen by the naked eye.
Meteors flash in the sky every night. They are
sometimes called falling or shooting stars. Meteors
begin as meteoroids pushing through the Earth's
atmosphere. A meteorite is the survivor of a
meteoroid that entered the earth’s atmosphere.
Friction made by rubbing against air particles makes
them look red hot. Then they are called meteors. They
last for only a few seconds. Meteors come much closer
to the Earth than comets. Earth might pass through
an old comet orbit and bump into particles from its Source: “The Leonid Meteor Shower,”
nucleus. This event is called a meteor shower. top-news1.com, accessed November 24,
Perhaps more than a dozen meteors might be visible 2020, https://top-news1.com/leonid-
meteor-shower/.
in an hour. If many more meteors are together, this
event is called a meteor storm.

Asteroids are the largest of the space rocks also

known as planetoids. Most of them go around the Sun
between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. The region they
are located is called the Asteroid Belt. There are more
than three thousand known asteroids. Ceres is the
largest asteroid. It is six hundred miles across.
Sometimes asteroids spin out of their zone to follow
different orbits. More than twenty-five asteroids share
the same orbit as Jupiter. They are called Trojan
Asteroids. Based on its distance and origin compared
to other space rocks, asteroids are considered as the
frequently visitor of our planet Earth. Source: Pia C. Campo et al., Science Grade
8 Learner's Module, Pasig City: Department
of Education, 2016, 152.)

The chemical composition of an asteroid is important in providing clues for scientists to

discover more about the chemical composition of Earth and the other planets in the Solar
System, as well as how life on Earth was affected by impacts in the past. It is the scientists’
belief that Earth, other planets, and asteroids are essentially similar in composition. In fact,
asteroids are also called minor planets or planetoids. Asteroids are mostly composed of metals
like iron and nickel; the same metals that are theorized to make up Earth’s core.

Celestial visitors like comets, asteroids, and meteors have always captured the
imagination of ancient civilizations. They have been thought of as bad omens or signs of great
change or challenge such as ushering disasters and wars. But with new scientific processes
and tools, as well as greater access to scientific information, these celestial visitors have gained
the appreciation and interest of many people, scientists and non-scientists included all over the
world.
In summary, comets, meteors, and asteroids are three types of space travelers which can
be seen by humans. Comets are shiny patches in the sky from time to time that orbits beyond
our solar system. Asteroids are chunks of rock which circle the Sun that can be found between
the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Both can be viewed only by using a telescope. Meteors are thin
streaks of light every night and these can be seen without a telescope. A meteoroid usually all
burns up when it enters Earth’s atmosphere. But when a fragment from the meteoroid survives
and makes it to the ground, this space rock fragment is now called a meteorite.

(Source: Pia C. Campo et al., Science Grade 8 Learner's Module, Pasig City: Department
of Education, 2016, 158-167.)

Teacher: Hi! I am here again. You will answer the following activities on the next page of this
contextualized learning activity sheets. I hope you gained new ideas and concepts from the Let’s Explore and
Discover part of this CLAS. So, let us continue the trip and good luck!

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 Let’s Practice

Rock the Word!

Directions: Rearrange the letters in the correct order to make a word by writing it to the boxes then
use the numbered boxes to answer the riddle below.

1 Pic – 1 Word!

Write you answers here:

1. ___________ 2. ___________ 3. ____________ 4. _____________ 5. ____________

6. ___________ 7. ___________ 8. ____________ 9. _____________ 10. ___________

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 Let’s Do More

A Lifetime COMET-ment!
Directions: Identify if the statements below are factual or bluff by writing their corresponding
numbers on the FACT OR BLUFF box.
FACT BLUFF
1. A comet is a ball of mostly ice that moves around in outer space.
2. Comets originated from the orbits between Mars and Jupiter.
3. Comets are believed to be in long elliptical orbits.
4. Halley’s Comet appears around every 20 years.
5. Comets move swiftly and appear like a streak of light in the night sky.

Meteor Match!
Directions: Carefully read the phrases in each box. Color the box with BLUE if the information
is for a COMET and color the box with RED if the information is for an ASTEROID.

Are made of Found between Mostly Fragments Usually come

silicates and the orbits of composed of of planet from beyond
Mars and frozen water formation the solar
iron
Jupiter system
and gases

Let’s Sum It Up
Directions: From the concepts you have learned, fill in the blanks with the appropriate word
to complete each statement.

In summary of this module, you have learned that comets, 1) ___________, and asteroids
are three types of space travelers. Comets are made up of ice and dust and they look like shiny
patches in the sky from time to time. 2)__________ are chunks of boulders and the largest space
rocks which circle the Sun. Most of them are found between orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Both
can be viewed only by using a 3) ____________. Meteors are sometimes called a shooting star are
thin streaks of 4) __________ every night.5) ____________ is the survivor of a meteoroid that
entered the earth’s atmosphere.

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 Let’s Assess
Directions: Write the letter of your choice on the space provided before the number.

____1. Which of the following is an asteroid?

A. A small comet C. A shooting star
B. A small meteor D. A big chunk of space rock

____2. Which of the following has an icy core?

A. A comet B. The Moon C. The Earth D. An asteroid

____3. Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A. Orbits of most comets are oval-shaped.
B. Meteors appear only every few months.
C. Asteroids can be seen by the human eye.
D. A coma is the trail a meteor leaves behind.

____4. There are short-period comets and one of them is the Halley’s Comet, how often does
this space traveler return?
A. 2 years B. 25 years C. 50 years D. 76 years

____5. Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A. Most comets get brighter as they get near the Sun.
B. A meteor shower happens when meteors hit Earth.
C. The comet with the shortest period is Encke's comet.
D. Asteroids go around the Sun between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.

____6. Which of the following best describes a Trojan asteroid?

A. Very small asteroids
B. The largest asteroids
C. Asteroids which share Earth's orbit.
D. Asteroids which share Jupiter's orbit.

____7. What is the importance of meteorites and comets in studying the origin of the solar
system?
A. They are both members of the solar system.
B. They represent the material which formed planets.
C. They have dust tails that are ten million kilometers long.
D. They are fragments of planets that have been recently produced.

____8. Most of the asteroids orbit the sun in a belt between the orbits of _______.
A. Mars and Earth C. Venus and Earth
B. Mars and Jupiter D. Jupiter and Saturn

____9. Which of the following is the CORRECT description of an asteroid?

A. A planetoid
B. A satellite of a planet
C. An icy material in space
D. A planet in other star systems

____10. What causes a meteoroid to burn up as it travels through Earth’s atmosphere?

A. Air friction C. Air condensation
B. Layer of sulfur D. Flammable gases

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 Answer Key

Meteor Match!

References

Book

Campo, Pia C., Maria Helen D.H Catalan, Letisha V. Catris, Marlene B. Ferido, Ian Kendrich C.
Fontanilla, and Jacqueline Rose M. Gutierrez. Science Grade 8 Learner's Module. Pasig
City, Philippines: Department of Education, 2016.

Website

Top-News1. “The Leonid Meteor Shower.” Accessed October 16, 2020. https://top-
news1.com/leonid-meteor-shower/.

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