Objective:
To provide access for teachers to a range of resources that support Second Suite Rich Task #7: Space Futures. Five major topics have been identified:
Description:
This list provides a starting point for resources to support Second Suite Rich Task #7: Space Futures. Resources have been grouped under the following headings:
These links open in new browser windows.
Professional associations, community members or organisations able to provide expert information and advice on topics related to the Rich Task.
Astronomical Association of Queensland (AAQ)
http://www.aaq.org.au/ 
The site identifies the current AAQ office bearers, contacts and special interest groups as well as updates of the sky. Use QueenslandWeb (http://qldweb.slq.qld.gov.au ) to find local associations, for example, the Bundaberg Astronomical Society .
Astronomical Society of Australia
http://astrononmy.org.au/ngn/engine.php
This organisation for professional astronomers contains information for students on topics like the problems posed by light pollution, as well as links to all major astronomy sites in Australia and overseas. Students will find the links to all Australian astronomical associations useful in finding authorities in their own area, and a section on how to become an astronomer will whet the appetite of the enthusiast.
NASA
http://www.nasa.gov/
The accompanying text is written simply and subheaded for easy fact location. The range of information is diverse, for example, the origins of life, space medicine and planetary change. Students studying the Solar System could do no better than to come to this site.
Heavens above
http://heavens-above.com/
This is one of the few sites on astronomy that can be used anywhere in the world. Students can nominate their own town or location as the viewing point and obtain information that will enable them to view the space shuttle, asteroids, satellites and other astronomical phenomena at specific times. A diagram of the Solar System can be adjusted to show the positions of the planets at any time past or present. Students could see their positions at a future date as part of their Space futures planning.
The Nine planets: A multimedia tour of the Solar System
http://seds.lpl.arizona.edu/billa/tnp/
The role of interplanetary spacecraft in opening up the Solar System to scientific investigation is included. In this vast document, the hierarchical organisation of the table of contents gives an excellent schema to work from, enabling quick access to information and safeguarding against getting 'lost in space'. This is an excellent introduction to the Solar System for students looking at Space futures.
The Science education gateway
http://cse.ssl.berkeley.edu/segwayed/
This NASA-Berkeley collaborative site contains detailed lesson modules for 'Space science', 'Sun/Earth' and 'Solar System', including lesson content outlines, background, desired outcomes, student prerequisites, questionnaires and links to related web resources. Teachers will find this site useful to plan lessons on many aspects of the Solar System and space.
Solar System simulator
http://space.jpl.nasa.gov/
This simulator allows students to present a view of the Sun, a planet or satellite as seen from another space object, including a spacecraft at a particular time of day from 1600 to 2023. It could help students understand the rotation of the planets about the Sun and the phases of the moon (as seen in the northern hemisphere).
Solar System trading cards
http://amazing-space.stsci.edu/trading-top-level.html
Teachers can use the downloadable images to make cards illustrating the Solar System objects, and use these cards in learning activities about the Solar System. A computer quiz game is the main part of the site, where students collect 'cards' by answering questions that identify planets and other objects.
SpaceWeather.com: Science news and information about the Sun-Earth environment
http://www.spaceweather.com/
This site contains a lot of information not found in other Solar System sites, such as the 421 potentially hazardous asteroids, with applets that show orbits from adjustable viewpoints. Students could use the information to look at possibilities for living in space.
Zoom astronomy
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/astronomy/
This comprehensive astronomy and space site provides information on Earth, the planets, the Solar System, stars, galaxies and astronomers. Interactive puzzles and quizzes for Years 2 - 6 reinforce details and a Solar System tutorial introduces the student to research on the Internet.
History of space exploration
http://www.solarviews.com/eng/history.htm
Beginning with society's constant interest in space, the site highlights the extensive interest that exists in the world since the 1959 launch of Sputnik. It includes a description of the first lunar landing as told by the three astronauts. The site has links to numerous teaching activities relating to space and space exploration.
Human physiology in space
http://www.nsbri.org/HumanPhysSpace/
This site focuses on the effects that travelling in space has on the body: the heart and blood vessels, blood, bones, senses, kidneys and fluid control system. A useful section for students is the outline of the scientific method and accompanying activities like the experiment to test the hypothesis: 'On Earth, an increase in normal activity by a human being results in an increase in cardiac output'.
NASA human spaceflight
http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/
This extensive site contains sections: Space shuttle , the Space station , Living in space and Space news . Teachers will be able to use the dozens of lesson plans, including one to help design an accurate model of the Solar System. Students will enjoy the Living in space section which contains interesting facts about topics like 'How do astronauts breathe in space'.
National Space Society of Australia Ltd
http://nssa.com.au/
This association comprises people who wish to see civilisation extended to the Solar System. Although membership fees are too expensive for schools, the sample newspaper available to non-members will give students some idea of the activities the group is pursuing, such as the students' micro-satellite program.
The Planetary Society
http://www.planetary.org
Founded by Carl Sagan, the Society aims to encourage the exploration of the Solar System. The site contains information on SETI (the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) and possible collisions with space objects, which will help students understand some of the factors involved in space exploration.
NASA fundamentals: Mechanics
http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/toc.asp?s=Mechanics
This site contains some interesting explorations of the mathematics and mechanics of topics like 'tethers', used to anchor astronauts to their space vehicles. Other topics are: Newton's laws of motion, Angular momentum, Vector mathematics and Orbital mechanics. Teachers could use these to introduce to students gravity and the basic maths of orbits.
Scale in the Solar System
http://cosmos.colorado.edu/~urquhart/Scale/
A two-part activity to build a scale model of the Solar System is the focus of these pages. The scale model (1: 10 billion) is based on the one at the Colorado University at Boulder, USA, and is aimed at the middle school. The guidelines include cards for the planets with sizes of planets given in terms of Earth diameters. Students will gain some understanding of the relative sizes of planets and distances apart in this model, which will spread over about 600 metres (80 metres to Jupiter).
The Solar System
http://www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/nses/html/solar7.html
This is a description of a teacher's activity with a Year 8 class to determine, by observation, an approximation of the size of the Earth. Although it relies on using the North Star, it could be adapted to the southern hemisphere by selecting a star close to the south celestial pole, or by using methods to approximate south using the Southern Cross and Canopus, shown on the Goddard Space Flight Center .
Scale model demonstrations of the Solar System
http://www.lpi.usra.edu/education/K12/planetsize/planetsize.html
This exercise is in three parts, one to help students gain an idea of the distances between planets and other objects, the other is to help them understand relative sizes of the planets and the Sun. The third part gives an understanding of the distance from the Earth to the Moon.
The Thousand-yard model or, the Earth as a peppercorn
http://www.noao.edu/education/peppercorn/pcmain.html
Using common items such as a bowling ball for the Sun, this model of the Solar System requires 983 metres to lay down. In this model the use of items helps students remember the names of the planets, and the students pace out the distance. This model will give students an appreciation of the real distances between planets.
Comprising non-website resources available from a variety of sources.
GREENAWAY, Theresa; FAIRCLOUGH, Chris (photos) 1999, Slugs and snails, Hove: Wayland.
This excellent, child-centred book encourages the use of scientific methods such as observation and recording, in exploring the nature of these somewhat unlikely pets and also suitable ways of housing and caring for them. It would serve in the lower grades to prepare students to use the scientific method in this Rich Task.
NOLAN, Andrea J 1999, Understanding garbage and our environment, New York: Learning Triangle.
This comprehensive work for teachers deals with all aspects of waste and aims to increase students' basic scientific and technological knowledge, their understanding of scientific method and their ability to make informed choices about waste management.
Led into learning: Science and technology. A10845968
This two-part program, designed for teachers of Years 1-7, demonstrates and discusses experiments and projects to stimulate student interest and research into science and technology.
Science skills. A10868623
Filmed around groups of students in a classroom situation this program explains and demonstrates the procedures and processes used in most scientific investigations. These include: the steps in initiating and planning an investigation, performing experiments and safety rules, recording observations, measuring instruments and measuring techniques, analysing data and applying it, and reporting results.
AccessEd Video Library online catalogue
http://nslib.qed.qld.gov.au/oau-fvlib/webinqu2.dll?
Video resources may be borrowed from the AccessEd Video Library by Queensland teachers who are registered borrowers.
denotes sites available to AccessClub
users only.
Other resources for Second Suite Rich Task #7: Space Futures may be found by searching the Curriculum
Exchange collections
, the Library Services collections
or the Internet. The following criteria listed under Keywords and/or Subject are
suggested search terms:
Curriculum level:
Middle primary; Upper primary
Audience:
Teacher; Student
Subject:
Solar system; Space; Space exploration; Planets; Physiology; Space biology; Mathematics; Astrophysics; Scientific methodology; Science experiments; Models and model making; Curriculum materials
Dewey number:
520
Source:
New Basics Project, Education Queensland
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