• Every thing in the Universe is moving
• Objects in our solar system revolve around the sun
• Moons, which revolve around planets, are therefore in orbit around the sun
• Our solar system moves through the Milky Way galaxy
• Our galaxy moves through the Universe

Misconceptions about the Seasons
http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/pdfs/seasons_teachsheet.pdf

Common Misconceptions About Day, Night and Seasons
http://beyondpenguins.nsdl.org/issue/column.php?date=May2008&departmentid=professional&columnid=professional!misconceptions

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

• Students should have some familiarity with the terms hemispheres, phases of the moon, orbit, rotation, earth’s axis, earth’s poles, north star. These terms are used in the student video with little or no explanation provided.
  
• Is the Earth rotating? – i.e. spinning on its own axis?
  
• Why do the Sun and stars rise and set?
  
• What is the distinction between real motion vs. apparent motion?

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-assessment:

Before you review this episode with your students you might hold a brainstorming session with them. Ask them to come up with a list of words and terms that have a reference to Space and which we use in everyday language. Some examples are sunrise refers to morning, once in a blue moon, harvest moon, a rising star in reference to a person has become famous. After you develop this list (you can post the list and continue to add to it) you can discuss with your students the astronomical origins of the terms and phrases; or, the students can do a web search.

Another pre and post- assessment strategy would be to provide the students with a number of questions about the motion of celestial objects. Have them explain each phrase or expression. After you’ve completed your unit on astronomy give the students the same questions and see if they have improved their understanding of earth’s motion in space.

Some possible questions:

• Why is it cold in the winter and warm in the summer?
• What caused the phases of the moon?
• Why do we have day and night?
• Does everything is the Universe revolve around the sun? Explain
• Do people in the Southern Hemisphere see the same night sky as us? Explain!
• How do we know the earth is rotating of its axis?
• How do we know the earth is orbiting the sun?

Embedded Assessment:

Authentic assessment, seeing what the student can do, is often considered the best form of assessing student knowledge and ability. You can have the students build and use their own astrolabe and sundial to monitor motion of the sun.
The two web links below provide instructions for constructing an astrolabe and lesson plans for student use.
http://cse.ssl.berkeley.edu/AtHomeAstronomy/activity_07.html
http://cse.ssl.berkeley.edu/AtHomeAstronomy/activity_08.html

Activities for monitoring the movement of the sun across the daytime sky are found at http://www.nmm.ac.uk/gcse-astronomy/planet-earth/shadows-and-sundials/

Using a Frayer Model graphic organizer works well after students have viewed Episode 4, The World Doesn’t Revolve Around You. The Frayer Model has the student define the concept, write some important characteristics, give examples, and give non-examples. A Frayer Model blank template can be found at http://toolsfordifferentiation.pbworks.com/Frayer-Model. A Frayer Model challenges the student to think beyond a simple definition; the student needs to work with the topic at a much deeper level. In episodes 4 a good topic to use is "Everything in the Universe is moving."

Post Assessment:

You could use the website, Astronomy Without a Telescope, as an assessment tool. Have students use this site and develop a presentation on the motion of the earth, moon, stars and sun. The site has some animations and provides ideas on how to student can view the night sky. Astronomy Without a Telescope Here they discuss the celestial sphere, motions of the Sun (solar and sidereal days, time zones, equation of time, and seasons), motions of the Moon (phases and eclipses), and planetary motions.

Volume 2 of Uncovering Student Ideas in Science: 25 More Formative Assessment Probes (NSTA Press) contains a probe titled "Darkness at Night." This probe is designed to elicit students' ideas about the day/night cycle and to find out if students recognize that the rotation of the earth causes the day/night cycle. We've followed the model used by Page Keeley and coauthors in Uncovering Student Ideas in Science, Volumes 1, 2, and 3 (© 2005-2008 by NSTA Press) and created a similar probe to elicit student ideas about seasons around the world.

What to Wear? Probe and Teacher Notes. The formative assessment Probe assesses student ideas about how seasons vary in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres and at the equator. http://onramp.nsdl.org/eserv/onramp:463/What_to_wear_probe.pdf

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:

1. 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

A. 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 indicators – 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.