The Big Bang Theory

Welcome!  This guide contains useful resources to support the Big Bang Essay for Mr. Hemrick's Science 10 class. ​​ ​If you have questions, comments, or suggestions on how to improve this page, please email Mrs. Binning at [email protected].  
This page was last updated 11/26/2025

Classroom resources 

The following resources have been provided to you by Mr. Hemrick:  

A Brief History of the Universe | Crash Course Astronomy #44 [ Video] 
  • Provides an overview of the formation of the universe.  Click here for a viewing guide.
 
Big Bang, Cosmology Part I | Crash Course Astronomy #42 [Video]
  • Explains how the universe was created 13.8 billion years ago and has been expanding ever since.  Cites evidence like cosmic microwave background radiation and galaxy redshift. Click here for a viewing guide.
 
Dark Energy, Cosmology Part II | Crash Course Astronomy #43 [Video]
  • Explores dark energy and now it accelerates the expansion of space.   Click here for a viewing guide. 

The Origin of the Universe by Joao E. Steiner 
  • Outlines the evolution of our understanding of the universe, from the flat-earth cosmologies present day. Click here for a comprehension guide.   

 Three Pillars of the Big Bang
  • An online copy is not available.  Click here for a comprehension guide. 

What Is The Evidence For The Big Bang? by Frederick Cain
  • Explains ‘four pillars of evidence’ that support the Big Bang theory.  Click here for a comprehension guide. 
 
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​​Since this is a research paper where you explore other people's ideas,  you are required to cite your sources.  Be sure to keep track of your research sources! 

Additional research sources

Print sources 

Below are print sources that are available in the library catalogue.  Refer to the Index to locate your topics. 

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​The Astronomy Book:  Big Ideas Explained Simply
Consultant editor, Jacqueline Mitton.  Contributors, David W. Hughes [and others],
Call # 520 AST 
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​Hubble and the Big Bang
By Paul Kupperberg
Call # 520 KUP
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​Space Visual Encyclopedia
Editor, Wendy Horobin 
Call #520 SPA
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​Galaxies and the Universe
By WorldBook Inc
Call # 523.1 UNI
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The Universe-Marvels and Mysteries
By Worldbook Inc.
Call # 523.1 UNI

Websites Sources

WebPath Express is a safe and reliable search engine built into the library catalogue.  Each site in the search engine has been reviewed by educators for accuracy and reliability.   WebPath Express can be accessed through the following steps:  Click here for the Library Catalogue.  ​​​From the list of secondary schools, select Elgin Park,  then choose Catalogue.  Next, select WebPath Express from the menu on the left.  Searches can be further refined by type of source, grade level,  related topics and more! 

​Below are some suggested websites:
 
Cosmic History - NASA Science
  • An excellent and comprehensive website. Contains videos and visuals.  Explore the ‘Contents’ menu on the left side to access different topics.  

Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation | American Museum of Natural History  
  • Explains how the discovery of cosmic microwave background radiation is evidence for the universe’s origin, expansion, and early conditions. This article is a part of the Museum’s “Cosmic Horizons” curriculum collection.  Click on the link (under the title) to find other articles in this collection, including a biography of Georges Lemaitre. 

​The Early Universe | CERN 
  • An easy-to-follow explanation about the origin of the universe and dark matter. 

Origin of the Universe | Scientific American 
  • ​Online article that explains the origin and evolution of the universe.  Topics include  key concepts like cosmic inflation, dark matter, and dark energy.

Database sources 

​Gale Science in Context:  This is an excellent database for science research.   Contains diverse source types, including journal articles, videos, encyclopedia and newspaper articles. If you are accessing it from home, see Mr. Hemrick or Ms. Binning for the password. 
Below are selection of articles from this database that will help with this assignment. Annotations have made with assistance of Microsoft Copilot: 

Advances in Cosmology (Dark Matter, Dark Energy, and the Accelerating Cosmos). (2001). In N. Schlager & J. Lauer (Eds.), Science and Its Times (Vol. 7). Gale. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CV2643450887/SCIC?u=sd36bc&sid=bookmark-SCIC&xid=3deac45f
  • The universe began about 13.7 billion years ago in the Big Bang and has been expanding ever since, with recent discoveries showing that this expansion is accelerating due to dark energy, which makes up most of the cosmos. Ongoing research explores its ultimate fate—eternal expansion or a “Big Rip”—and theories like the multiverse, while observations such as gravitational waves and ancient galaxies continue to refine our understanding.

Collins, G. W. (2021). Cosmic Background Radiation. In K. H. Nemeh & J. L. Longe (Eds.), The Gale Encyclopedia of Science (6th ed., Vol. 2, pp. 1181-1182). Gale. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX8124400665/SCIC?u=sd36bc&sid=bookmark-SCIC&xid=d8afbafd               
  •  Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) was discovered in 1965 by Penzias and Wilson. Its existence and properties provide strong evidence for an expanding universe and the Big Bang theory, making cosmology an observational science. 
 
Gilman, L. (2021). Origins of the Universe. In K. H. Nemeh & J. L. Longe (Eds.), The Gale Encyclopedia of Science (6th ed., Vol. 5, pp. 3235-3237). Gale. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX8124401791/SCIC?u=sd36bc&sid=bookmark-SCIC&xid=19a11a8c
  • The Big Bang theory explains that the universe began about 13.8 billion years ago, expanded and cooled to form matter, stars, and galaxies, and continues to expand today. All elements heavier than hydrogen were created in stars and recycled into new systems like our solar system about 4.5 billion years ago. Observations since the late 1990s show that cosmic expansion is accelerating, driven by mysterious dark energy, which makes up about 68% of the universe. If this trend continues, the universe will expand forever, eventually becoming a cold, dilute sea of fundamental particles.

Vergos, N. (2021). Hubble Constant. In K. H. Nemeh & J. L. Longe (Eds.), The Gale Encyclopedia of Science (6th ed., Vol. 4, pp. 2236-2239). Gale. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX8124401266/SCIC?u=sd36bc&sid=bookmark-SCIC&xid=86c793c5
  • Einstein’s general relativity revolutionized cosmology by describing gravity as spacetime curvature and predicting an expanding universe, later confirmed by Hubble’s observations of galactic redshift and Cepheid variables. These findings led to Hubble’s law and the concept of an accelerating universe, forming the foundation of modern cosmology.