More About This Resource...

• This brief article helps kids understand the properties of black holes by sending them on an imaginary trip to one with a friend.

  • The activity begins with an overview of black holes—how they're formed, their extreme gravitational force, and how, even though we can't see them, we know of their existence from Einstein.
  • Students then are given a series of "Black Hole Mind Melters," which paint a picture of what they'd see if their friend tripped during the visit and fell into the black hole.
  • The article ends with a challenging question (and answer) about why light, which is weightless, can't escape a black hole's gravity.

• Completion Time

  Less than 1 period

• Teacher Tip

  Supplement a study of physics or Einstein with an activity drawn from this OLogy article about black holes.

  1. Ask students, If you could take a trip to a black hole, would you? Why or why not?
  2. Send them to this online article, or print copies of it for them to read.
  3. Then have them further investigate the properties of black holes.
  4. Ask them to write a brief essay, explaining why they would or wouldn't take that black-hole trip.

• Topic

  Astronomy

• Subtopic

  Stars