To support your astronomy curriculum, check out the following Websites for science project ideas, lesson plans, and more. Note, while Spaced Out: A Cosmic Scene provides links to these web-based resources that we feel are appropriate, we cannot guarantee that all the content presented in these web resources is scientifically accurate. As an educator it is your responsibility to verify the accuracy of all resources used with your students.

Our Place In The Universe – site provides artist depictions of universe and Milky Way galaxy http://www.efn.org/~jack_v/Universe.html

Shape and Size of the Milky Way

NASA PlanetQuest multimedia -- click on "3D Guide to the Galaxy"
http://planetquest.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/gallery_index.cfm

Multiwavelength Milky Way Web Pages - These pages bring together several data sets to visualize images of our Milky Way galaxy in various wavelength regions. The site's intent is to present and explain how data across the electromagnetic spectrum are used by astronomers to learn about the Milky Way's shape, size, and composition. Home page: http://mwmw.gsfc.nasa.gov/

Multiwavelength Milky Way Education Page http://mwmw.gsfc.nasa.gov/mmw_edu.html

Background Information on Galaxies

"Milky Way" by Mark Morris, World Book Online Reference Center
http://www.worldbookonline.com/wb/Article?id=ar361720

"Galaxy" by Kenneth Brecher, World Book Online Reference Center
http://www.worldbookonline.com/wb/Article?id=ar215080

Classification of Galaxies and Galaxies Shapes

Galaxy Classification – info for the 'more enlightened' educator
http://www.astr.ua.edu/keel/galaxies/classify.html

Galaxy Classification – lists and shows images of types of galaxies
http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/G/galaxy_classification.html

"Galaxies"
http://cass.ucsd.edu/public/tutorial/Galaxies.html

Galaxy Types Compared
http://amazing-space.stsci.edu/resources/organizers/galaxy.php

Collection of Images of Galaxies
http://hubblesite.org/gallery/album/galaxy/

Galaxy Zoo
https://galaxyzoo.org/

Hubble Deep Field Academy Lesson Plan
http://amazing-space.stsci.edu/
http://amazing-space.stsci.edu/resources/explorations/hdf/

Our Milky Way Galaxy is only one of about a hundred billion galaxies in the universe. Video tour of Milky Way with script as viewed from Huddle Telescope.
http://hubblesite.org/gallery/tours/tour-hudf/

Long Distance Space Flight
http://aboutfacts.net/Science24.htm

Parallax Background and Lesson

Parallax Model – visual representation and explanation. Suggest showing students this representation.
http://encarta.msn.com/media_461527002_761559095_-1_1/Stellar_Parallax.html

Practical Uses of Math and Science Website – Topic: When a ruler is too short.
http://pumas.gsfc.nasa.gov/examples/index.php?id=96 introduces the history of parallax. The student lesson with depiction of eye view of parallax and stellar view of parallax are found at https://pumas.gsfc.nasa.gov/files/04_28_05_1.pdf

Parallax: How Far Is It?
http://www.lhs.berkeley.edu/pass/passv09/PASSv9samples.html
Click on Parallax: How Far Is It? (PDF file)

Distance to Stars – Trigonometry Parallax – site provides a great history and easy to read explanation of how astronomers use trigonometry to measure distances to some of the stars. Provides diagrams and animation for parallax observations from Earth. http://www.astronomynotes.com/starprop/s2.htm

Activity Demonstrating the Distances of Stars
http://www.pbs.org/deepspace/classroom/activity3.html

Drawings and Background Info On Parallax
http://www.phy6.org/stargaze/Sparalax.htm

A Quick Time Movie of Parallax
http://www.astronomy.ohio-state.edu/~pogge/Ast162/Movies/parallax.html

Astronomy Resources

Website for detecting planets – http://www.astronomynotes.com/solfluf/s12.htm

GLOBE at Night – http://www.globe.gov/GaN/
Find easy-to-follow instructions for participating in this project at this site, where students can also record their observations of the night sky. Prior to the star-hunting event, students can log on to learn about Orion's role in Greek mythology, star magnitude, and other topics.

International Year of Astronomy 2009 – http://www.globe.gov/GaN/
A list of global projects designed to promote awareness of astronomy and dark skies. Some activities are too advanced for elementary school students.

The GLOBE Program – http://www.globe.gov/r
Abundant resources for integrating related lessons about such topics as atmosphere and climate, clouds, and hydrology.

400 Years of the Telescope – http://www.400years.org/
Information about a new documentary that follows astronomical discoveries starting from Galileo's first peek through the telescope. The site offers a viewing schedule and "Profiles in Astronomy" that may serve as excellent bases for history lessons.

Hands-On Optics – http://www.hands-on-optics.org/home/
Six modules for teaching about optics. Lessons range from studies of lasers to magnification and communicating with light.

The International Dark-Sky Association – viewing the night sky and the importance of darkness for biological growth. Lessons on the solar system and the effects of light pollution on wildlife, as well as science, writing, and art projects for students ages 7-12. http://www.darksky.org/mc/page.do

This site even offers suggestions for a ‘Star Party’ with your students http://www.darksky.org/mc/page.do?sitePageId=56428&orgId=idsa

National Optical Astronomy Observatory http://www.noao.edu/ with a link to educational applications http://www.noao.edu/education/
NOAO is engaged in programs to develop the next generation of telescopes, instruments, and software tools necessary to enable exploration and investigation through the observable Universe, from planets orbiting other stars to the most distant galaxies in the Universe.

Sun As a Star: Science Learning Activities for Afterschool - The Sun As a Star activities teach concepts related to the sun with opportunities for the students to investigate each idea. Most of the nine sequential activities can be completed in about one hour.

Here you can download a 37-page teacher resource guide, which suggests 9 activities you can do with your students, many of these activities support information presented in Spaced Out: A Cosmic Scene episodes.

• Activities 2, 3, 7, 8 can be used with Spaced Out episodes 6 and 8
• Activity 4 can be used with Spaced Out episode 1 and 2
• Activities 5 and 6 can be used with Spaced Out episode 4

Common Misconceptions in astronomy - table provides common misconceptions and explains the correct reasoning. Scroll down through table to find misconceptions of distances in the universe to star spectrum. Table produced by Cengage Learning to supplement textbook on astronomy.
http://www.brookscole.com/astronomy_d/templates/student_resources/053439549X_pasachoff/miscon/miscon.html

Ohio Resource Center has identified misconceptions that may relate to content taught in earlier grades. ORC recommend resources to help correct student misconceptions. These resources, lesson ideas, should be incorporated into instruction in a way that is developmentally appropriate and that corrects misconceptions as a part of standards-based instruction.
http://www.ohiorc.org/pm/science/SciCDMisconceptions.aspx?cid=10

• Galaxies, planets, stars, solar systems, light years, and basic geometry of angles
• Students will probably have an understated idea of the size of the universe, not realize that the points of light they can observe in the sky are not necessarily individual stars, and believe that the size of an object in the sky is indicative of its distance from Earth. Gina Cash, Hammond Middle School, and Kirk Fitch, Tacoma Park Middle School.
  http://amazing-space.stsci.edu/resources/explorations/hdf/hdf-author.htm

Here are a number of strategies and activities you might use to help uncover student misconceptions, the level of student learning and areas in which students might need further instruction.

The use of graphic organizers can be used as pre-assessment activities (or formative assessments, if we use the results to help us plan!), as embedded assessment strategies and even as final assessment assignments. The most common graphic organizers are the KWL charts and Venn diagrams. The “freeology” website (http://freeology.com/) has a large variety of graphic organizers that are downloadable. This site also provides a very brief explanation of how to use each graphic organizer.

Video Post-Viewing Assessment:

The "Give One; Get One" (http://freeology.com/graphicorgs/page6.php) summary strategy is a useful tool to identify what the students have retained from the information in the video. Provide the students with a grid of twelve squares. In any three squares, the students record three different facts or ideas that they remember from the video. The students then begin to ask their classmates to fill in the other squares with information from the video that has not yet been recorded on the grid. Each classmate can fill in only one square on an individual's grid, but students can add information to as many different grids as they want. The grid can now be used in a variety of ways, such as notes for the students as they write a summary of the information addressed in the video.

Pre-Viewing Activity:

KWL charts help students' access prior knowledge about a topic. Have the students fill out the K and W sections of a KWL chart (a blank template can be found at http://freeology.com/graphicorgs/pdf/kwl.pdf) and then show the episode 3 Stars and Galaxies and the Universe: Oh My!. After the students have watched the video, have them complete the "L" section of the chart. You could also have the students revisit the "K" column, is there anything that they need to revise in that section of the chart?

The website Amazing Space: "Myths vs. Realities: Galaxies" offer teachers two very good pre-assessment activities for studying Galaxies. Teachers can adapt both of these activities for use with their students. Go to the following website for these assessments. http://amazing-space.stsci.edu/eds/overviews/myths/galaxies.php

Brainstorming:

Engage students in an open discussion about what they know about the size and shape of the Universe. Students probably have a lot of preconceived ideas of Space and space travel, information they’ve learned from watching science fiction movies. For example, you could ask some open-ended questions like:

• Describe the size of the Universe? What is the difference between a Universe and a Galaxy?
• Relate what you know of the Milky Way Galaxy?
• Do you think it is possible for us to travel to another galaxy? Explain why?

Embedded Assessment:

Video Talking Points: As you show Episode 3 again, stopping the video at some of the Talking Points mentioned in the teacher video engage and challenge the students to explain what was just said. Ask them if they can provide any proof to validate the statements. Encourage the students to use science terms as they discuss their astronomy ideas.

Break the class into groups and have them discuss how science uses technology to understand the world around us. This can be done after the students have viewed the video. Require each group to do a brief presentation summarizing their discussion. A key concept here is the Science standards dealing with the Scientific Ways of Knowing and Science and Technology.

Have the students play the two astronomy games (“Near and Far” and “Small and Large”) developed by Cherilynn Morrow. Download available on the Space Science Institute website at http://www.spacescience.org/education/instructional_materials.html

Post-Activity Assessment:

You could use a student lesson as a summative activity for each student. One such lesson can be found at the Hubble Deep Field Academy (online activities) – site contains multiple activities. Can be used as a summative evaluation of student learning. http://amazing-space.stsci.edu/resources/explorations/hdf/

When you’ve completed your classroom activities for Episode 3, Stars and Galaxies and the Universe: Oh My!, you could present your student with a list of astronomical terms and have them write a sentence for all the terms. This is a Think-Pair-Share type of activity and can be used as a post assessment tool. Add or delete any astronomical terms you wish; we offer as a suggestion terms like: Universe, galaxy, solar system, star, sun, planet, moon, astronomical unit, light year, how do astronomers measure distances in space, parallax.

Benchmarks and Grade Level Indicators Addressed In Episode and Related Activities:

EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE GRADES 7-8

B. Explain that the universe is composed of vast amounts of matter, most of which is at incomprehensible distances and held together by gravitational force. Describe how the universe is studied by the use of equipment such as telescopes, probes, satellites and spacecraft.

Grade Level Indicators:

1. Describe how objects in the Solar System are in regular and predictable motions that explain such phenomena as days, years, seasons, eclipses, tides and moon cycles.
6. Explain interstellar distances are measured in light years (e.g., the nearest star beyond the sun is 4.3 light years away).
8. Name and describe tools used to study the universe (e.g., telescopes, probes, satellites and spacecraft).

EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE GRADES 9-10

A. Explain how evidence from stars and other celestial objects provide information about the processes that cause changes in the composition and scale of the physical universe.

C. Explain the 4.5 billion-year-history of Earth and the 4 billion-year-history of life on Earth based on observable scientific evidence in the geologic record.

F. Summarize the historical development of scientific theories and ideas, and describe emerging issues in the study of Earth and space sciences.

Grade Level Indicators:

A. Describe that stars produce energy from nuclear reactions and that processes in stars have led to the formation of all elements beyond hydrogen and helium.

Number, Number Sense and Operations 8-10

1. Use scientific notation to express large numbers and numbers less than one.

Grade Level Indicator – grade 8

1. Use scientific notation to express large numbers and small numbers between 0 and 1.

Data Analysis and Probability 8-10

E. Evaluate the validity of claims and predictions that are based on data by examining the appropriateness of the data collection and analysis.

F. Construct convincing arguments based on analysis of data and interpretation of data.

Grade Level Indicator – grade 8

9. Construct convincing arguments based on analysis of data and interpretation of graphs.

Science and Mathematics Standards Addressed through Suggested Teacher Interaction with Students:

Science and Technology

Students should recognize that science and technology are interconnected and that using technology involves assessment of the benefits, risks, and costs. Students should build scientific and technological knowledge, as well as the skill required to design and construct devices. In addition, they should develop the processes to solve problems and to understand that problems may be solved in several ways.

Scientific Inquiry

Students develop scientific habits of mind as they use the processes of scientific inquiry to ask valid questions, and to gather and analyze information. They understand how to develop hypotheses and make predictions. They are able to reflect on scientific practices as they develop plans of action to create and evaluate a variety of conclusions. Students are also able to demonstrate the ability to communicate their findings to others.

Scientific Ways of Knowing

Students realize that the current body of scientific knowledge must be based on evidence, be predictive, logical, subject to modification, and limited to the natural world. This includes demonstrating an understanding that scientific knowledge grows and advances as new evidence, is discovered to support or modify existing theories, as well as to encourage the development of new theories. Students are able to reflect on ethical scientific practices and demonstrate an understanding of how the current body of scientific knowledge reflects the historical and cultural contributions of women and men who provide us with a more reliable and comprehensive understanding of the natural world.