Standards (PA D.O.E) 3.4.7. D Identify equipment and instruments that explore space.

Identify the accomplishments and contributions provided by select past and present scientists in the field of astronomy. Identify and articulate space program efforts to investigate possibilities of living in space and on other planets.

Educational Philosophy Naturally, students learn in different ways, certain activities create understanding for certain students; therefore a lesson should include multidimensional tasks, instructions, and talk. Having lecture, activity, discussion, and reinforcement throughout a unit provides a greater chance for student understanding. One activity may make sense for a handful of students, but providing another activity that reinforces the big idea increases the chance that more students will get it, as well as creating deeper understanding/further perspective for those advanced students.

Curriculum Materials Race to Space: Americans Greatest Journey (DVD) JFK Sets Goal for Man on Moon (clip) The Space Race (clip) Kennedy Speech at Rice University (clip) A History of Space Exploration and Its Future Tim Furniss Astronomy Holt Science & Technology NASAs Kepler (article) First Truly Habitable Planet (article) New Super Earth (article)

Teaching Methods - Analysis of JFK Speech - Guided notes on Space Race from Sputnik to First Lunar landing [clips from Race to Space of original footage] - Create timeline of space race events and people - Each student will interview a family member/close acquaintance about their memories of the lunar landing - Debate pros and cons of space exploration (split class in half) research topic using computers, articles, and text book - Individual project: create your own planet (model, illustration, and accompanied narrative) - Read as a class articles on Kepler 22B, Gliese 581g, and GJ 667Cc [discuss possibility of living on other planets, the next phase of space exploration] - Daily logs (jumpstart thinking about space, exploration, and the future) - Weekly quizzes (on Mondays)

WHAT

SPACE RACE WHY

HOW

Knowledge of Students Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander University of Pennsylvania Partnership School West Philadelphia - Middle School Grades 6-8 Science - Multicultural - Mature, independent working students - Classes are mixed level wise, which is why having guided notes and two small activities with follow up discussion/homework seems to work well for most all students

Theories of Teaching & Learning Elizabeth Cohen Multidimensional Tasks: Include more than on answer or way to solve, intrinsically rewarding and interesting, allow different students to make different contributions, use multimedia, involve sight, sound, and touch, require a variety of skills and behaviors, require reading and writing, are challenging. Howard Gardner Theory of multiple intelligences, people are intelligent in different ways (in different subject areas/with different tasks). I want to create lessons that appeal to different kinds of learners with different interests, intelligences, and set of skills. Create lessons that include a challenging task, include discourse and offer the use of tools.