4.33
The Universe: Exploring Stars, Constellations, and Galaxies.
Scholastic Science Place series. Developed in cooperation with Houston Museum of Natural Science (Houston, Tex.). New York, N.Y.: Scholastic, 1997.
Program Overview
The Scholastic Science Place series is a K-6 program with 42 units, 6 for each grade level. The 6 units for grade 6 are organized under topics in the life, earth, and physical sciences. Three key themes--(1) scale and structure, (2) systems and interactions, and (3) patterns of change--are incorporated into the program. For each unit, teaching materials, student materials, and some optional components are available.
Student Edition
Recommended grade level:
6-7.
In The Universe: Exploring Stars, Constellations, and Galaxies, students learn that the stars and other bodies that make up the universe are constantly changing. The unit's lessons are grouped under 3 subconcepts: (1) Stars can be studied from earth using direct and indirect evidence. (2) Stars have predictable life cycles and exist in groups. (3) The universe is constantly expanding.
In this unit, students use a sampling technique to discover how it is possible to estimate the number of stars in the sky. They observe why constellations change position over a year, investigate how parallax shift is used to measure the distance from earth to the stars, and make a model to show how the universe is expanding.
The Universe is a 17-lesson unit requiring about 22 class sessions of 60 minutes each.
Teacher's Edition
The conceptual goals of the unit are presented in the lesson-by-lesson story line in the teacher's guide. Each lesson also includes background information; a complete lesson plan, including suggestions for assessing performance and integrating the curriculum; and a list of the materials required. For each lesson there is also a list of the relevant National Science Education Standards (developed by the National Research Council) and Project 2061 Benchmarks (developed by the American Association for the Advancement of Science).
Key to Content Standards: 5-8 (see app. C)
UNIFYING CONCEPTS AND PROCESSES: Systems, order, and organization; evidence, models, and explanation; change, constancy, and measurement.
SCIENCE AS INQUIRY: Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry; understandings about scientific inquiry.
EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE: Earth in the solar system.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: Understandings about science and technology.
SCIENCE IN PERSONAL AND SOCIAL PERSPECTIVES: Science and technology in society.
HISTORY AND NATURE OF SCIENCE: Science as a human endeavor; history of science.
Prices:
Student edition (ISBN 0-590-95535-7), $7.95. Teacher's edition (ISBN 0-590-95462-8), $27.00. Unit, $275.00. Consumable kit, $70.00.
Publisher/supplier:
Scholastic.
Materials:
Available locally, from commercial suppliers, or in kit.
Topic Index listings linked to this entry
Use these listings to find related entries.
Constellations, Earth Sciences: Earth, Moon, and Stars, Project SPICA: A Teacher Resource to Enhance Astronomy Education, ~ The Universe at Your Fingertips: An Astronomy Activity and Resource Notebook.
Models, Physical Sciences: Glencoe Physical Science, ~ Matter: Building Block of the Universe, ~ Chemical Interactions, ~ Experimenting with Model Rockets, ~ Inventor's Lab, ~ Newton's Toy Box, ~ Experiments with Balloons, ~ Experiments with Motion, ~ LEGO Technic I Activity Center, ~ Machines, ~ Science Experiments: Chemistry and Physics, ~ Simple and Motorized Machines Activity Pack, ~ Soap Films and Bubbles, ~ Structures, Life Sciences: Glencoe Life Science, ~ Heredity: The Code of Life, ~ DNA--From Genes to Proteins, ~ Food, Energy, and Growth, ~ From Genes to Jeans: An Activity-Based Unit on Genetic Engineering and Agriculture, ~ The Human Body: How Can I Maintain and Care for Myself?, ~ An Introduction to Biotechnology: Book 2, ~ Life Changes through Time, ~ You and Your Body, ~ Zebra Mussel Mania, ~ The Molecular Model of DNA and Its Replication Kit, ~ Order and Diversity in the Living World: Teaching Taxonomy and Systematics in Schools, Environmental Sciences: Plastics in Our Lives, ~ Water: Can We Keep It Fit for Life?, ~ Environmental Issues: Intermediate, ~ Environmental Resource Guide: Nonpoint Source Pollution Prevention, ~ Global Awareness for Students (GAS): Studies in Climate, ~ H2O Below: An Activity Guide for Groundwater Study, ~ STV: Water, Earth Sciences: Project STAR: The Universe in Your Hands, ~ Asteroid!, ~ Earth, Moon, and Stars, ~ Earth Processes, ~ Earthquake!, ~ Earthquakes, ~ The Moons of Jupiter, ~ Project Earth Science: Geology, ~ River Cutters, ~ Stories in Stone, Earthquakes: A Teacher's Package for K-6, ~ Earth Science Investigations, ~ Earthy Things, ~ Hands-On Geology: K-12 Activities and Resources, ~ Janice VanCleave's Earthquakes: Mind-Boggling Experiments You Can Turn into Science Fair Projects, ~ On the Rocks: Earth Science Activities for Grades 1-8, ~ Project SPICA: A Teacher Resource to Enhance Astronomy Education, ~ A Sedimentary Geologists' Guide to Helping K-12 Earth Science Teachers: Hints, Ideas, Activities and Resources, Multi & Applied Sciences: Models and Designs, ~ Prime Science: Level C, ~ Energy Transformations: Fourth Module in Bio-Related Technologies Unit, ~ Hot Water and Warm Homes from Sunlight, ~ How Telecommunication Works: How People Use Energy to Communicate, ~ If Shipwrecks Could Talk, ~ JASON IV Curriculum: Baja California Sur, ~ Life: Here? There? Elsewhere? The Search for Life on Venus and Mars, ~ Packaging, ~ A Sunken Ship, ~ The Teaching Tank Discovery Book, ~ The Teaching Tank Discovery Book, ~ Technology Science Mathematics Connection Activities, ~ Transformations: Science, Technology and Society.
Parallax, Earth Sciences: Project Earth Science: Astronomy,
Sky, Earth Sciences: Project STAR: The Universe in Your Hands, ~ Earth, Moon, and Stars,
Stars, Earth Sciences: Concepts and Challenges in Earth Science, ~ Exploring Earth Science, ~ Glencoe Earth Science, ~ Project STAR: The Universe in Your Hands, ~ The Evolution of a Planetary System, Activities for the School Planetarium, ~ Project SPICA: A Teacher Resource to Enhance Astronomy Education, ~ The Universe at Your Fingertips: An Astronomy Activity and Resource Notebook, Multi & Applied Sciences: SciencePlus Technology and Society: Level Red.
Universe, Earth Sciences: Exploring Earth Science, ~ Project STAR: The Universe in Your Hands, ~ Earth and Beyond, ~ Earth, Moon, and Stars, ~ The Evolution of a Planetary System, Project SPICA: A Teacher Resource to Enhance Astronomy Education, Multi & Applied Sciences: Science Interactions: Course 3, ~ SciencePlus Technology and Society: Level Red.
