The class can be given
Handout D
, about the size of the universe. The list below will tell you what you need:
Materials
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roll of thin but stiff wire
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25, 1/2 inch craft Styrofoam balls
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white ‘Tacky’ craft glue
Tools
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wire cutters
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needle nose pliers
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100 foot tape measure(30 meters)
Each student will make a miniature model of a local cluster. To start, hand out 3 pieces wire cut at roughly 4 centimeters. The students are to twist these tightly around each other so that the 6 ends protrude away from their centers. Refer to
Illustration E
for clarity. At this point the students can be given a Styrofoam ball and told to chip off six of the smallest pieces possible. With the aid of the white tacky glue, they can press these minute Styrofoam chips onto the ends of the wire. These chips represent the various galaxies in a local cluster so at this scale they should not be any larger than 1/2 centimeter. Ideally the smaller the students can handle these chips the more accurately these models will be. Let these dry.