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Program
Overview:
The Space Science
Across the Curriculum Workshop is an annual K-12 teacher
in-service workshop sponsored by the Minnesota Space Grant
Consortium and the Science Museum of Minnesota. Each
year, Dr. Jeanine Gregoire works closely with Merryn Flavell,
Minneapolis Public School teacher, to develop an integrated
unit featuring space science in the science, mathematics,
language arts, and technology content areas. Each unit
is piloted with Ms. Flavell's elementary classroom and then
presented to teachers at the Space Science Across the Curriculum
Workshop. Listed Below are the integrated space science
curricula that have been developed, piloted, and presented.
2001
- Traveling Through Time and Space
This unit
focuses on all content areas at the 5th grade level. The central organizing theme for this unit
is the history and nature of science through space exploration. Lesson
outcomes focus on meeting Minneapolis/Minnesota Graduation Standards for intermediate
students and include activities in reading, writing, art, drama, science, and
math. Student portfolios are assessed according to a prescribed rubrics
indicating levels of performance.
Senator
Paul Wellstone visited Cedar riverside community
School science class. |
2000
- Rocking in Space
This K-3 unit focuses
on properties of earth materials as compared with materials from other
planets. A central organizing theme for this unit is to weave "life
stories and ancient tales" into the context of the lesson. Lessons
follow a 4-MAT lesson design to accommodate the needs of a variety of learners. Biographies
of NASA Space Science Researchers highlight career opportunities available
in space science research. Each biography speaks of early interests
and influences, and schooling and work experiences that led up to their
current research. Students compare and contrast geologic conditions
on different planets through hands-on experimentation and library and Internet
research. A literacy component emphasizing important scientific terms
is also included in the unit. |
References:
McCarthy,
Bernice; Morris, Susan; Mendenhall, Carol; Everidge, Fran;
Barnett, Lori (1999). 4-MAT Course Book II: A Comprehensive
Guide to Study and Presentation of the 4-MAT Instructional
Method. Barrington, II: Excel.
McCarthy, Bernice
(1996) About Learning. Barrington, II: Excel
Marzano, Robert;
Pickering, Debra J.; Dimensions of Learning: Teacher's
Manual (2nd edition) (1997). Aurora, CO: Association
for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
1999
- Mars, the Red Planet
This K-3 unit focuses
on the conditions necessary to live in outer space while exploring the "life
cycle" of plants and conditions necessary to sustain plants through a two-year
trip to Mars. Lessons are organized round Marzano's "Five Dimensions
of Learning" and include opportunities for students to develop positive
attitudes and perceptions, acquire and integrate declarative and procedural
knowledge through hands-on activities, research and writing exercises and
oral presentations, extend and refine knowledge through plant experiments,
and use acquired knowledge in deciding what they would "pack" for a trip
to Mars. |
Elementary
students do experiments with plants to determine
what is necessary
to grow plants in space. |
Elementary
student from a Minneapolis Public School
participates
in a space science activity. |
1998
- What is it Like to Live in Outer Space?
This unit focuses on mathematics,
science, and literacy content areas at the K-3 grade level. Students
learn about how astronauts eat in space, how to pack for a trip to Mars,
the different parts of the space shuttle, space suits worn by astronauts,
and how much energy it takes to propel weight into space. Students
create pop-up portfolios that demonstrate different science education standards. |
Within the
next year these curricula material will be available to download
on this web site. Until that time, if you would like
a complimentary copy of one of these curricula, please send
an e-mail to: gregoire@augsburg.edu with your name, mailing
address, and curricula name.
What
Participants Say....
- "The sessions
were valuable; useful."
- "There
were many hands on activities to put to use right away."
- "I got
a lot of ideas to use [in my classroom]."
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