1. lesson 1.pdf · to 10 common questions about space. analyze the class's responses to these...

LESSON

InquiriesPeriods

1.2

STUDENT OBJECTIVES

Record their ideas and

questions about Earth

in space.

OVERVIEW

This lesson serves as an assessment of students'current ideas about Earth in the solar system.Students begin by brainstorming what theyknow about Earth as a planet. They then recordtheir answers to 10 questions that address theirmost common misconceptions about space.Each group is assigned one question and askedto consolidate and report on the most commonresponses to that question. Students debate theconsolidated responses. The lesson ends as stu-dents reflect on what they know about Earth inspace and record questions they have about thesolar system. Students are advised to revisitthese responses and questions as neededthroughout the module.

Record their responses

to 10 common questions

about space.

Analyze the class's

responses to these 10

questions.

CONCEPTS

Earth is a planet in our

solar system.

People's ideas about

Earth as a planet have

evolved through history.

Phenomena such as

day and night, seasons,

tides, and gravity can

be explained within the

context of Earth as a

planet.

Student misconceptions

about astronomy can

be assessed through

discussion.

BACKGROUND

The National Science Education Standards(NSES) developed by the National ResearchCouncil (NRC) and the Benchmarks for ScienceLiteracy developed by the American Associationfor the Advancement of Science (AAAS)-aswell as other standards-provide a frameworkfor exploring astronomy at the K-12 level. Forexample, according to the standards set by theNRC, students in grades K-4 learn about theobjects and motions in the sky from a geocen-tric (Earth-centered) perspective. Students ingrades 5-8 learn about the motions of theobjects in the solar system from a heliocentric(Sun-centered) perspective. Students in grades9-12 move beyond understanding the solarsystem and lellrn about stellar evolution andthe structure of the Universe.

Using the heliocentric perspective, students ingrades 5-8 can explain the phenomena of dayand night, seasons, eclipses, and lunar phases as

STC/MSTM EARTH IN SPACE 3

LESSON 3. THINKING ABOUT EARTH AS A PLANET

STUDENT MISCONCEPTIONS

This lesson addressesllO misconceptions aboutastronomy that are commonly held by both stu-dents and adults. Some of those common mis-conceptions are-

a result of planetary motion and size relation-

ships. Students at this age compare and con-trast solar system objects on the basis of their

composition (that is, terrestrial versus gaseous),satellite systems (number of moons), rotationand revolution, size and mass, and temperature,among other characteristics. Students shouldhave an accurate understanding of a sphericalEarth where gravity acts to hold people toEarth's surface. In addition, students shouldunderstand through modeling that planets orbitthe Sun in almost perfect circles because of theSun's gravitational pull.

It is important to allow students to considerfirst what they already know about astronomy.This process helps you understand students'

preconceptions, develop appropriate learningexperiences for students, and develop appropri-ate assessments that measure growth in stu-dents' knowledge and understanding.

To best assess students' preconceptions inthis lesson, it is important to do the following:

.Individually assess each student's thinkingabout the 10 questions, and make a pennanentrecord of their ideas for later comparison.

.Allow students to share their individual ideasanonymously without fear of being judged as"right" or "wrong."

.Assess the overall preconceptions of the classin order to better align the content of futurelessons to meet students' needs.

.Assess students' growing understanding ofthese concepts as the module progresses. (Forexample, have students write their responsesto the 10 questions on self-stick notes so thatthey can remove or revise those answers theydiscover to be incorrect or inaccurate.)

.Students may state that points of light in thenight sky are stars. (Some points of light maybe planets, galaxies, or satellites.)

.Students may not think of the Sun as a starbecause it is not visible at night. (Althoughthe Sun is dominant and warm and the stan-dard conception of a star is distant and cold,the Sun is a star.)

.Students may believe that the stars "come outat night" and are not always present in thesky. (The Sun's light prevents us from seeingstars during the day.)

.Students may think that there are thousandsof stars in our solar system. (There is just onestar in our solar system-the Sun.)

.Students may think that lunar phases arecaused by Earth's shadow being cast on theMoon. They may be[ieve that a full moonoccurs when the Moon is closest to the Sun,where it can receive the most light, and thata new moon occurs when Earth blocks theSun's light from reaching the Moon. (Phasesare the result of the Moon's relative positionto Earth. See Lesson 5 Background.)

.Students may believe that seasons are relatedto Earth's distance from the Sun. (Seasons arethe result of Earth's tilt on its axis.)

.Many students may believe that gravity isselective about what it affects and when itdoes, and that gravity must be stronger atgreat distances in order to exert its pull.Students also may think that planets withslow or no rotations have little or no gravity.(See Lesson 15 for information on gravity.)

These misconceptions are reinforced by ouruse of terms such as "sunrise" and "sunset"and common phrases such as "shooting star,""the Moon changed its shape," and "the Sunmoved across the sky." As soon as students are

4 STC/MSTM EARTH IN SPACE

LESSON 3. THIINKING ABOUT EARTH AS A PLANET

Masking tape*:1 transparency (optional, to replace 1 sheet

of newsprint)*

Overhead projector (optional)*

For each student1 science notebook*

10 self-stick notes, 3" x 5"

j[ set of colored pencils, crayons, or

fine-point markers*

conceptually ready, it is important to use moreaccurate terms and phrases-such as "meteor"and "the Sun's apparent motion across thesky"-within the context of concrete investiga-tions. Although it may be impossible to dispelstudents' misconceptions about space duringthis module, many can be corrected by repeatedfirsthand experiences. One source that describesthe research behind these and other studentmisconceptions is: Jeffrey Paul Adams andTimothy Frederick Slater, "Astronomy in theNational Science Education Standards," Journalof Geoscience Education, v. 48, 2000, p. 39.

READING SELECTION

The reading selection "Astronomy: LookingBack" in Lesson 1 in the Student Guide describesthe history of astronomy and the contributionsof Ptolemy, Copernicus, Brahe, and Galileo.

PREPARATION

1. Use a trapsparency or a large sheet ofpaper to create a sheet for brainstorming.At the top of the sheet write, "What WeKnow About the Solar System." Write thedate on the sheet and display it.

2. Fold a second sheet of large paper in halflengthwise. (Do not use a transparency.)Label th~ left-hand column "What We Wantto Know ~bout the Solar System." Label theright-hand column "What We Now KnowAbout th~ Solar System." Set it aside untilthe end qf the lesson. You will want to keepthe list P?sted throughout the module sothat stud~nts can add and answer questions.

j. Plan how to divide the class into groups offour before the lesson begins. Groupsshould sit together. Decide how you willidentify each group. For example, assign anumber, letter, or color to each group.

4. Write the question or questions that appearon the b~ck of each photo card on the front

I of a file folder. Label the questions A-J.

Place each photo card in its correspondingfolder or attach the photo card to the out-side of the folder, as shown in Figure 1.1.Write the question in small print insidethe folder. Students will later post theirresponses beneath the question, as dis-cussed in Procedure Step S.

MATERIALS FOR LESSON 1.

For the teacher2 large sheets of paper (such as newsprint

or bulletin board paper), approx.

65 cm x 90 cm*

1 set of wide-tipped markers, assorted colors*

10 file folders (or 10 additional large sheets

of paper)*

1 set of 10 Earth in Space photo cards,

including the following:

Wristwatch (labeled A)

Seasons (labeled B)

Lunar phases (labeled C)

Solar and lunar eclipse (labeled D)

Night sky (labeled E)Landforms (labeled F)

Earth-Moon system (labeled G)

Solar system (labeled H)

Tide (labeled I)

Comet (labeled J)

* Needed, but not supplied


LESSON 3. TH~NKING ABOUT EARTH AS A PLANET

understanding, encourage students towrite in complete sentences. Remind themto date and title their notebook entries.

1

Ask students to read the Introdvction and.Objectives for this lesson in the Student

Guide. 3 Invite students to share what they know.about the solar system. Record their ideas

on the brainstorming sheet you created.You may want to limit this discussion toabout 5 minutes. Inform students thatyou are only surveying their ideas at thispoint. Sample responses are shown inFigure 1.2.

2 Have students individually record in their.notebooks 5-10 things they know about

the solar system and Earth in space.Many students will write one-word

h "8 " " I ts " '"responses suc as un or p ane .J.Oget a better assessment of their current

Figure 3..2 Sample brainstorming responses



gro~p is finished, students should passthe folder(s) onl to the next group.

PROCEDURE

5. Once all folders have circulated, assignone or two completed folders to eachgroup of four students. Ask each group towork together to post their responses, asoutlined in SG Procedure Steps 4-6 (see

Figure 1.3).

1. Ask students to answer questions A-Junder SG Procedure Step 1 individuallyin their notebooks. If there is more thanone question per letter, remind studentsto answer each question. NOTES

NOTE Many students hesitate to record answersthey believe may be wrong. Inform students thatthe point of this exercise is to examine theircurrent views about space, that their answerswill not be graded, and that they will share theiranswers anonymously. Remindstudents that they will have anopportunity to revisit these ques-tions as they work through themodule.

.To ensure that all members of each group work

cooperatively, you may instruct the groups toassign a job to each member, such as recorder,

reporter, questioner, and materials manager,and clarify the tasks to be done by each.

2. Distribute 10 self-sticknotes to each student. Askstudents to write theiranswers, each on a sepa-rate self-stick note with thecorresponding letter (A-J)in the comer of the note.

3. Show students the 10 filefolders prepared for thislesson. Inform studentsthat each folder contains aphoto and one question.

4. Put one to two folders oneach group's work area.Tell students to examineeach photo, read itsmatching question, andpost their self-stick notesinside each matching fold-er. Once everyone in a

Figure .1..3 Students should post their consolidated responses on the

inside of each folder.

8 STC/MSTM EARTH IN SPACE


.If you teach more than one class, students in

subsequent classes should review any answersthat were posted in the folder by the previousclass(es), and post only new or original answers.

2. Ask students to record in their notebookstheir questions about Earth in space andthe solar system in general. Have themlabel the questions "What I Want To KnowAbout the Solar System."

6. Invite each group to use its folder to reportits findings to the class. Encourage briefdiscussion and debate at this time, butavoid addressing any questions or con-cerns in detail. Inform students that theywill address each of the 10 questions asthe lessons in the module progress andthat they will be able to make changes intheir answers by removing self-stick noteswith invalid responses, or by adding notesthat may reflect their new understanding.

3. Ask students to share their questions withthe class. Record their questions on self-stick notes and place them in the left-hand column of the newsprint that youlabeled for this purpose. Let them knowthat you will not answer their questionsat this point, but that they will try toanswer these questions as the moduleprogresses. As they do, they will movequestions over to the right-hand column.

4. Ask students to draw a "line of learning"in their notebooks below their questionsfrom Inquiry 1.1. Below that line, askthem to summarize what they learned(or did) in this lesson.

REFLECTIONS

1 Discuss the following questions as a class.(responses will vary):

Are any of the questions (A-J) youanswered during Inquiry 1.1 related to thesame topic? Explain your answer by giv-ing an example. (Students may recognize,for example, that questions dealing withstars are similar to questions about the Sun.Also, Questions G, H, and I all deal withgravity, since tides and planetary orbits areassociated with gravitational influences.)

NOTES

.When applicable, have students answer thequestions in the "Reflecting on What You'veDone" section in their notebooks. Close eachlesson by discussing as a class their answers tothese questions and clarifying their ideas. Thisprocess of reflection helps students bringtogether all the infonnation addressed in thelesson. Try to give students time to summarizewhat they learned at the end of each lesson.

.Throughout the module, encourage studentsto use self-stick notes to add to and revise theclass's brainstorming list of questions.

Mtat can we learn about Earth bystudying the solar system? (If studentshave difficulty with this question, use aspecific example, such as: How can yourobservations of the Sun tell you moreabout Earth?)

How is Earth different from other plan-ets? How is Earth similar to other plan-ets? (Expect students to focus on concretephysical features at this point, such ascomposition-rocky or gaseous, relativesize, and distance from the Sun.)

HOMEWORK

Ask students to complete the historical readingselection "Astronomy: Looking Back." Havethem answer the questions in their sciencenotebooks.



EXTENSIONS

.Information Technology1. Have students visit an astronomy Web

site and look up "Earth." What informa-tion did they find about Earth that theydid not know before? Which informationabout Earth relates to Earth as a planetwithin the solar system? Whicb informa-tion is independent of Earth as a planet?See the National Science ResourcesCenter's Web site (http://www.si.edu/nsrc)for specific links.

.Language Arts. History2 Ask students to research the history of

.astrology. Did astrology grow out ofmythology? If so, how?

.History. Technological Design3 Students can research ancient structures

.designed and built to observe the sky.Stonehenge is one example. Challengestudents to design a model, or miniatureversion, of the structure.

.Art4 The discovery of planets occurred when

.ancient people realized that some pointsof light moved among the patterns of"fixed" stars. By poking holes throughblack construction paper, students cancreate model constellations-"pictures"formed by the positions of these stars.

ASSESSMENT

Students' individual notebook responses, as wellas their group reports concerning each question,will reveal their preconceived ideas about Earthas a planet. The infofll1ation you gather aboutstudents' knowledge of the solar system serves asthe first part of the pre- and post-module assess-ments, which are an integral part of teaching themodule. The overall assessment for Part 1: Sun-Earth-Moon System is in Lesson 9. The matchingpost-module assessment is in Lesson 22. As themodule progresses, pay particular attention tohow students' knowledge of Earth as a planet,and of the solar system as a whole, progressesfrom ideas about each independent planet toideas about relationships among planets. Assessstudents' ability to think of the planets as asystem in which Earth is one part. Look for evi-dence of growing understanding that Earth is aplanet and that some of the processes that existon Earth exist on other planets as well.

ThrOugh(])ut the modUle, students will learnskills that are basic to the practice of science:

hypothesizing, observing, recording, comparing,designing, analyzing, concluding, and workingcooperatively. You can assess students' progressin these areas by observing and talking withthem as they work, and by reviewing individualstudent products. Both individual and groupassessments are important. "Teaching Strategies"in the front matter of this guide presents adetailed discussion of assessing student learning.

PREPARATION FOR LESSON 3

In Lesson 3 and later lessons, you will need touse the CD-ROM Starry Night BackyardTM,developed by SPACE.dom. If you have not yetdone so, you will need to order Starry NightBackyard from SPACE.com immediately, bycompleting the prepaid order sheet in the mate-rials kit. Allow 1-2 weeks for delivery after thevoucher has been received by SPACE.com.

.Science

5 Skywatching is an enjoyable hobby. Field.guides and sky charts can help students

identify and locate the stars, constella-tions, and planets in the night sky.Astronomy and science magazines canhelp keep students in touch with eventsin the sky and with recent discoveries ofastronomy and the space program.

.1.0 STC/MSTM EARTH IN SPACE

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