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Materials included in the
Earth in
Space Unit Kit |
STC/MS™
Units
Earth in Space
ISBN 0-89278-904-2
Subject: Solar system
Middle school students have an innate curiosity about our nearest
neighbors—the Sun and Moon— and about the nine planets, their moons, and asteroids, comets, and
meteoroids within our solar system. Earth in Space taps this
curiosity by helping students clarify what they already know about
the solar system and Earth as a planet and giving them the
opportunity to perform a series of engaging inquiry-centered
activities through which they extend and enrich this knowledge.
Earth in Space is divided into three parts: |
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Sun-Earth-Moon System
Students investigate the relative sizes, motions,
and positions of the Sun, Earth, and Moon.
Shadows, phases, eclipses, and seasons are used as
evidence of these relationships. Students
investigate the Sun as an energy source and
sunspots as evidence of changes in solar energy
patterns. |
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Solar System
Students begin by considering the scale of the
solar system, an exercise that helps prepare them
for understanding phenomena within the system.
They investigate planetary processes, such as
impact cratering, wind and water erosion,
landslides, volcanism, and tectonics. Students
conduct investigations of gravity, orbital motion,
and tides that result from gravitational forces.
Throughout the unit, students are challenged to
model these phenomena and to recognize that their
models need to be compared with empirical data. A
reading series on NASA missions to each planet tie
together the lessons. |
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Earth’s History as a Planet
Students compare asteroids, meteoroids, and comets
and examine the effects of asteroid impact
throughout Earth’s history. Students explore
fossils as evidence of life on Earth and its
planetary changes and simulate the excavation and
formation of fossils. Students compare the
characteristics of Earth as a planet to the other
planets in the solar system, and consider Earth’s
state of equilibrium needed to support life.
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Each part of the unit begins with a lesson that
serves as an assessment of students’ current
understanding of the topic and ends with a
performance-based and written assessment. The
culminating Anchor Activity (a research project),
which addresses applications of space technology
on Earth, integrates the concepts of the unit
and the Missions series. Unit length: 8–12 weeks
of instruction.
QuickTime™ Video download:
Earth in Space
(56k) (Broadband)
Download an outline of the conceptual sequence for Earth
in Space.
(PDF
Download)
Kit Configuration
Earth in Space Unit Kit equips one class of 32 students and
includes:
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Basic equipment (items that can be shared by
more than one class of students if the unit is
taught to multiple classes)
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1 |
Refurbishment Set (items used up during
instruction) |
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1 |
Teacher’s Guide |
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16 |
Student Guides (nonconsumable)
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Price
information
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