NAME:____________________________________________________________ SCORE: _____________________

GRADE & SECTION:_____________________SUBJECT TEACHER: _________________________________

SCIENCE 8
Lesson: Tracking the Path of a Tropical Cyclone
You all know that the Philippines is very vulnerable to extreme weather conditions because
of its geographical location. According to PAGASA around 20 tropical cyclones enter the PAR
each year and some cause destructions to lives and properties. But what makes the Philippines
a front liner in some of the most destructive typhoons? Our country lies along the west pacific
basin which has the warmest ocean temperature in the world.
In this lesson, you will learn how to trace the path of typhoons that enter the Philippine
Area of Responsibility (PAR) using a map and a tracking data.
Tropical cyclones need water vapor in order to form. But not all parts of ocean can
provide water vapor, thus tropical cyclones require warm ocean waters to be able to develop.
According to scientists, the temperature of ocean water must be 26.5° C or greater. From the
maps, you can see that the tropical cyclones generally move in a northwest direction. The
reason is because there are large scale winds that push the tropical cyclones in that direction.
This is similar to the way a whirlpool is carried along by a flowing stream.

PERFORMANCE TASK NO. 6

Directions: Study the maps below. They tell us the tracks (path) of four cyclones that entered
the PAR in the past years. Using the maps, answer the given questions that follow:

1. Where did the tropical cyclones form?? On land or in the ocean?

2. What can you say about the temperatures of the bodies of water in the vicinity of the
Philippines? Is the water warm or cold?
3. In what direction did the tropical cyclones move?
4. Which part of the Philippines was hit by the four (4) tropical cyclones?

WRITTEN WORK NO. 6

Directions: Encircle the best answer.

1. Which natural disaster comes from powerful thunderstorms that originate over land?
A. hurricane B. cyclone C. tornado D. typhoon
2. Which type of severe weather is NOT an intense tropical storm?
A. hurricane B. typhoon C. tropical cyclone D. tornado
3. A tropical cyclone which has winds going 74 mph or faster.
A. Hurricane B. Storm Surge C. Eye D. Typhoon
4. Quiet, calm area at the center of a typhoon.
A. Hurricane B. Storm Surge C. Eye D. Typhoon
5. Where did the tropical cyclone form?
A. land B. middle of sea C. near the land D. ocean
 SCIENCE 8
Lesson: Comets, Asteroids and Meteoroids

In this lesson, you will understand the characteristics of comets, meteors and asteroids.
After going through this lesson, you are expected to compare and contrast the comets,
meteors and asteroids, predict the appearance of comets based on recorded data of previous,
and explain the regular occurrence of meteor showers.
Recent advances in space technology have allowed scientists coming from different
background such as physics, chemistry, biology, and geology to collaborate on studying Near-
Earth Objects (NEO) such as comets and asteroids. With more powerful telescopes and space
probes, the study of comets and asteroids provides more clues about the origins of our solar
system. Over the past three years, amateur and professional astronomers have discovered
several NEOs that came close to Earth, the most recent asteroid being Asteroid 2012 DA14. It
made a very close approach to Earth as it orbited the Sun on February 16, 2012 (Philippine
Time). In the morning of the same day, an asteroid entered Earth’s atmosphere and exploded
over Lake Chebarkul in Russia hurting about 1,000 people in the process. These two events
triggered superstitions, fears, and doomsday prophecies held by different cultures.
Comets and asteroids are referred to by astronomers as Near-Earth Objects (NEO).
Comets are icy bodies or objects while asteroids are rocky fragments. Comets and asteroids
are the remnants from the formation of the solar system 4.6 billion years ago.
The table below summarizes the similarities and differences between comets and asteroids.

Table 1. Comparison of some characteristics of comets and asteroids.

Characteristic 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 (ammonia, Silicates (olivine and
Chemical composition methane, and carbon dioxide); other organic compounds pyroxene), iron, nickel
(Carbon-containing compounds)
Orbit Highly elliptical More rounded
Orbital period (years) 75 to 100,000++ 1-100
Comets and asteroids have irregular shapes and varied sizes. They both reflect light
from the sun at varying amounts depending on the size and composition. Silicates are
minerals which contain the elements silicon, oxygen and at least one metal which is
responsible for comets and asteroids to be able to reflect light.

Comet Asteroid
Comet and asteroids both orbit the sun. Comets usually come from the Oort Cloud
which is beyond our solar system, and a few from Kuiper Belt which is just beyond Neptune’s
orbit. Long-period comets come from the Oort Cloud, while short-period comets come from
Kuiper Belt.
 WRITTEN WORK NO. 7
Directions: Identify if the statement is True or False. Write their corresponding numbers on the
TRUE or FALSE box below.
_________1. A comet is a ball of mostly iced that moves around in the outer space.
_________2. Comets are believed to be in long elliptical orbits.
_________3. Comets can come back into view from time to time.
_________4. Comets are same with meteors.
_________5. Asteroids orbit the sun.

Most asteroids, on the other hand, originate from the Main

Asteroid Belt between Mars and Jupiter. This belt is theorized
by scientists as remnants of a planet that did not completely
form. The orbit of an asteroid is more rounded and less
elliptical than the orbit of a comet. In February 2013, Asteroid
2012 DA14 made a very close approach to Earth as it orbited
the Sun.

Distance in space is measured in light years and this

asteroid was just 0.4 light year away from Earth, the
closest distance that any asteroid has ever been to
Earth. In December 2012, during the midst of the
doomsday prophecies, Asteroid Toutatis also made a
near approach to Earth but not as close as Asteroid
2012 DA14. Asteroid Toutatis

On the other hand, meteoroid is a small

rock or particle debris in the solar
system. Ranging in size from dust to
around 10 meters in diameters.
Meteoroids often enter the Earth’s
atmosphere. A meteoroid that burns up
as it passes through the Earth’s
atmosphere is known as a meteor
(shooting star). A meteoroid that survives
falling through the Earth atmosphere and
colliding with the Earth surface is known
as a meteorite. Approximately
500 meteorites reach the Earth’s surface
every year but of those only around 5 ever
make it to scientists for study. The Earth’s atmosphere experiences millions of meteors every
day. When many meteors occur in a close time frame in the same part of the sky it is called a
meteor shower.
WRITTEN WORK NO. 8:
Directions: Complete the following table. Answer the questions below.
Object Description Location/Movement
Comet
Asteroid
Meteoroid
1. Explain what happen to a meteoroid in order for it to become a meteorite.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
2. How can you distinguish asteroids from a comet?
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
From the list below, choose the term that best completes each sentence.
Asteroid Asteroid Belt Comet
Meteor Meteoroid Meteorite

3. When a meteoroid enters Earth’s atmosphere, friction causes it to burn up and produce a streak
of light called a(n). _______________________
4. A chunk of ice and dust whose orbit is usually a long narrow ellipse is a(n).
_________________________
5. If a meteoroid hits Earth’s surface, it is called a(n). _________________________.
6. An object that revolves around the sun, but is too small to be considered a planet, is a(n).
__________________________.
7. A chunk of rock or dust in space that usually comes from a comet or an asteroid is called a(n).
___________________________
8. The region of the solar system between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter is known as the
___________________.
PERFORMANCE TASK NO. 7
Directions: Read and understand the given information below. Fill out the Venn diagram. Have
your parents/ guardian sign your work.
There is a huge asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter that has millions of asteroids in it.
Asteroids are small “bodies” that orbit a larger object in space. But they are different from the
moons of a planet. Asteroids can have carbon, stone or metal in them.
A comet is a small object with elliptical orbit hat has collected ice and cosmic dust and other
gases, like helium, methane and hydrogen. As it comes closer to the sun, it heats up, it blows off all
kinds of materials or combustible materials such as methane that was in the form of ice for next
and later release light that is processed to be the tail of the comet. The most famous comet in the
night sky is Halley’s comet, which orbits once every 78 years.

Comets Asteroids

Comets and
Asteroids

PERFORMANCE TASK NO. 8

Directions: Describe the object by giving the meaning of each letter of the word. The first letter of each
word is done for you.