Web-Based Astronomy Curriculum Resources - Sixth-Grade Pan-Canadian Science Curriculum

Travis Whyte, Department of Secondary Education, University of Alberta
Brian Martin, The Kings University College, Edmonton

 

Astronomy education typically has been a challenge for many elementary school teachers, due to both the complexity of the subject area, and the shortage of quality resource materials available to teachers. As a result, many teachers struggle with astronomy units, leaving keenly interested students with misleading information and the feeling that astronomy as a science is unimportant. The opportunity to capture student's scientific interest through astronomy may be lost forever. A further need for quality resource materials stems from the fact that the sixth grade Pan Canadian science curriculum requires students to display competencies in a broad range of astronomy and space science objectives.

By providing teachers with accessible resource materials, we hope to address this pervasive problem. The resource materials presented here will address four key areas of concern:

  1. Instructing teachers in astronomy
  2. Appropriate lessons and activities to reinforce student learning
  3. Providing students with hands-on experiential learning opportunities
  4. Introducing teachers to technology-enhanced learning experiences for their students

The content material we have developed has been specifically aimed at the sixth grade science curriculum and addresses all of the Pan Canadian curriculum objectives for astronomy and space science.

The website takes the form of comprehensive content modules consisting of the following elements:

  1. Curriculum matrix displaying Pan Canadian curricular fit
  2. Background information for teachers (content modules)
    1. Introduction to the Night Sky
    2. The Sun and Stars
    3. The Earth and the Moon
    4. The Planets
    5. Comets, Meteors and Asteroids
    6. The Milky Way and Beyond
    7. Astronomers and their tools
  1. Teaching suggestions for the module
  2. Grade-level appropriate glossary of vocabulary words and key terms
  3. Content linkage between modules
  4. Grade-level appropriate lesson plans and student activities (sample lesson titles)
    1. Building and using a Sundial
    2. Illustrating the constellations
    3. Tracking and tracing the sunspots
    4. Observing and sketching the lunar surface
    5. An explorative journey of the solar system
    6. Your weight on other planets
    7. Plan a mission to a recently discovered planet
    8. Time line of astronomy events and discoveries
  1. Interactive computer applets for demonstration purposes and student activities (sample applet titles)
    1. Phases of the Moon
    2. Reasons for the Seasons
    3. Solar and Lunar Eclipses
    4. The life of a star
    5. Our home in the Milky Way
  1. Extension activities including hands-on and technology-assisted learning experiences
  2. Evaluation rubrics

We believe the elements and format used for organizing the content modules will serve both the teachers and students well, in that they begin by teaching the teachers the content and offering them suggestions as to how best to present and teach the material to the students. They then offer teachers the opportunity to guide the students through hands-on experiences that will enable them to gain a stronger appreciation and understanding of astronomy and science in general. By including technology-assisted learning experiences with the other strategies indicated, teachers will be able to provide students with the opportunity to learn and to use information technologies in communicating the knowledge they have acquired throughout the unit.

The website is temporarily being hosted at the University of Alberta while the Canadian Space Agency makes the necessary arrangements for a French language translation of the materials. Once a fully functioning French language version is available, the materials will be hosted by the Canadian Space Agency and available directly through their homepage (www.space.gc.ca).

Visit the website: www.ioncmaste.ca

 

Please direct any questions or comments to:

Travis Whyte -Web-Based Curriculum Resources Developer
Imperial Oil National Center for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education
Department of Secondary Education
University of Alberta
Edmonton, Alberta
Phone: (780) 492-0148
Fax: (780) 492-0162
Email: tgwhyte@telusplanet.net