UNIT 1: PATTERNS OF THE EARTH AND SKY
CHAPTER 1
In Chapter 1, students use models to figure out where the stars are in space in relation to Earth and why the only star we see in daytime is the sun, while we see other stars at night, but not the sun. Using the Patterns of Earth and Sky Simulation and reading How Big Is Big? How Far Is Far?, students investigate the distances of stars from Earth and figure out that the sun is the only star in our solar system—all other stars are much, much farther away. Students apply what they learn to explain why the artifact doesn’t show the sun and the other stars visible at the same time.
CHAPTER 2
In Chapter 2, students begin to think about the daily pattern of stars we see and why this happens. The class continues to investigate using the Sim, kinesthetic classroom models, and read Which Way Is Up?, a book about the effects of gravity. Students are introduced to pattern-seeking as a scientific practice and begin to look for patterns in order to help them make sense of data from their investigations. In addition to considering Earth’s spinning motion and how this affects what we see in a day, students also apply their understanding of gravity to our sense of what is down (toward the ground) and what is up (the opposite of down), regardless of where we are on Earth. At the end of the chapter, students apply what they’ve learned to explain why the artifact shows a repeating pattern of the sun and other stars up in the sky in each panel.
CHAPTER 3
In Chapter 3, students shift from thinking about daily patterns to yearly patterns. They investigate how Earth’s yearly orbit around the sun affects what stars we see. They observe the position of constellations over time with the Simulation, and use the classroom walls to visualize what a person on Earth sees as a year goes by. Students also read Dog Days of Summer, which gives them an opportunity to think more about yearly star patterns and what these observations have meant to humans over the centuries. After identifying three constellations depicted on the artifact with the help of the Simulation and the reference book, Handbook of Stars and Constellations, students suggest which constellation might have appeared on the missing piece and what the artifact as a whole portrays.
CHAPTER 4
In Chapter 4, students independently plan, conduct, and revise their own investigations of star patterns. After reading about astronomer Gibor Basri in Star Scientist, which details how professional scientists apply investigative practices, student pairs select an investigation question and begin to set up their own systematic investigations. They use the Simulation to collect evidence, and then, as part of the process, students reflect on their work, deciding whether their data tables need revising or whether their efforts are leading to an answer. Students learn that scientists face challenges, and that conducting an investigation is not always a linear process—investigations require revisions and perseverance, and seeing a pattern can be a first step toward finding an answer.