Note: This resource is part of the STAO Grade Six Space Unit User Guide. Click here to access the parent resource.
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Space Exploration and Travel Unit Curriculum and Assessment Plan |
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| Unit/Strand: S&T – Grade 6: Space |
Topic: Earth and our Relationship with our Sun and Moon. |
Timeline: 2 to 3 weeks |
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END OF TOPIC CULMINATING TASK(S)
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| Expectations/Big Ideas:
Technological and scientific advances that enable humans to study space affect our lives Students will assess the impact of space exploration on society and the environment. Investigate the types of tools used for space exploration. Investigate the current and future types of spacecraft. |
Description of task: Students will write a report which which will require them the use scientific terminology, examples and diagrams to explaining the development of a future space traveling vehicle or where do they believe the space program will go next. The students will work on developing a replacement for the Space Shuttle Video: What will Replace the Space Shuttle? Download: Designing a CEV Student Write Say Do |
Assessment Tool: Rubric – will evaluate understanding and communication skills Checklist – will evaluate students’ ability to meet identified criteria of an effective scientific response. |
Assessment Criteria/ Look Fors:
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BIG IDEAS
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| In order to operate in space, spacecraft – both robotic and manned – must overcome earth’s gravity to travel to space and into orbit. This requires huge amounts of energy. They must then be able to operate in the harsh environments of space. |
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SUMMARY OF CONTENT
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| In order to be in space, the spacecraft must get there. But it will immediately fall back to earth unless the effect of gravity is balanced by a high enough orbital velocity to keep it in orbit. In near-earth space, that velocity is about 7 km/sec, and is obtained with chemical rockets. These function by ejecting gas behind. This, according to Newton’s Third Law, propels the spacecraft forward. Once in space (outside the atmosphere), the spacecraft and its inhabitants (if any) are exposed to high-energy particles and radiation from the sun, and to micrometeorites.
Activity in space was initially motivated by politics (the space race between USSR and USA), military (hundreds of secret spy satellites), as well as science and technology. Peaceful uses of space include: communication, remote sensing, weather, search-and-rescue, GPS, mapping, and scientific research including Hubble Space Telescope. Then there are studies of physiology, engineering, and manufacturing in space. And exploration (we do it because “it’s there”). |
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CURRICULUM EXPECTATIONS
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| 2.5 use a variety of forms (e.g., oral, written, graphic, multimedia) to communicate with different audiences and for a variety of purposes (e.g., use a graphic organizer to identify and order main ideas and supporting details for a report about how science and technology can help humans adapt to life in space)
3.4 identify the technological tools and devices needed for space exploration (e.g., telescopes, spectroscopes, spacecraft, life-support systems) |
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ENABLING LESSONS LEADING UP TO THE CULMINATING TASK
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| Lesson Goal(s) and/or Focus of Instruction |
Description of Student task
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Diagnostic or Formative Assessment
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Assessment tool
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How will you know when each child has reached the goals? Assessment Criteria/Look Fors: | |
| 1C | Students will complete a diagnostic questionaire to determine prior knowledge and misconceptions they bring into the key learning of space exploration technology and travel |
Write
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D
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anecdotal
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Read diagnostic questionnaires submitted by students. Record all major misconceptions as well as areas of strength for both individuals as well as the group.Download: Space exploration travel diagnostic |
| 2C | A beginning to learning about space exploration would be to examine the history of space exploration.
Video: A Brief History of Space Link: Tools for Exploration This lesson is designed to help students gain an understanding of how the science of astronomy has evolved over the centuries. It also gives students the opportunity to see how international collaboration within the field of astronomy has lead to new discoveries and applications. Lesson: Astronomers and Their Tools |
Write/ Do
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D
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anecdotal
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At the end of the lesson, students will make a poster on based on what they learned.
Download: Cooperative Learning Rubric |
| 3C | This lesson reinforces the information the students learned in 2C to explore a planet. This activity demonstrates how planetary features are discovered by the use of remote sensing techniquesDownload: Planetary exploration lesson plan Download: Planetary exploration student worksheet Download: Planetary exploration total |
Write/ Do
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D
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checklist/ conference
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Students will submit their Planetary Explorations – Student worksheet. |
| 3C | Telescopes collect and, with instruments, measure and study light and other radiation from objects in space. They make them look brighter and more distinct. Use this powerpoint to show students an overview of telescopes, including the most powerful telescopes in Canada and the world.
Powerpoint: Telescopes This lesson helps students to understand how telescopes work and how they can contribute to our knowledge of the universe Lesson: Lesson on Telescopes Telescopes in space (e.g. Hubble) do not suffer from the blurring effect of Earth’s atmosphere, and produce stunning images Link: Hubble Images “Telescopes From the Ground Up” traces the history of telescope development and highlights the interplay between technological and scientific advances. In this modular activity, milestones in telescope development are highlighted in the 10 sections called “eras,” with specific examples included in the associated “telescope pages.” The human component is integrated through the biography pages, which provide a glimpse of the inventors and astronomers behind the telescopes. The science of light and telescopes is presented in the section “Get to the Root of It,” which can be used for review, learning the basics, or remediation. Depending on the teacher’s objective, “Get to the Root of It” can be accessed prior to doing the activity and/or while working through the eras and telescope pages. Link: Telescopes from the Ground Up Note: At one time, Canada had two of the three largest telescopes in the world! And we are now partners in all the biggest telescopes. |
Do
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F
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checklist
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Students submit the websearch worksheet and build a telescope.
The student will successfully build a Galileoscope |
| 4C | CanadarmThis lesson the students will build a model Canadarm and endeffector.
Video: STS 132: Canadarm Lesson: Build Your Own Robot Arm Lesson Plan102364 Lesson: Canadarm extender Link: Canadarm |
Do
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D
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conference
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The students will build an Canadarm Extender and see if they can move the sticky balls to the payload bay of the space shuttle. |
| 5C | RobonautVideo: Robonaut 2 Ready for ISS
Link: Robonaut Home Page Link: Wikipedia Robonaut |
Do
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D
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anecdotal
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At the end of the lesson the teacher leads a brainstorming session of key learning of the day and have the students make jot notes. |
| 6C | RoversThe first activity will place students in the role of scientists as they use observational and critical thinking skills to analyze and hypothesize about an image of Mars. Students will determine what they think to be scientifically interesting by making visual observations and rank their observations in order of importance.
Download: First Activity: Analyzing Images The second activity allows students to gain experience in the use of maps, measurements and observations to determine location of objects as they try and find the location of the rovers Download: Second Activity: The Rover has landed but Where? The third activity is to have the rover driver design and execute a series of commands that will guide a human rover through a simulated Martian surface, allowing the rover team to experience some of the challenges of teleoperating a robotic vehicle on another planet. Download: Rover Races Activity |
Do
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D
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anecdotal
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In activity one, the students will complete the assigned questions.
Download: Roverquest greetings from gusev student worksheet In activity two, the students will complete the activity Download: Roverquest where are you student worksheet In the third activity, the students will successfully navigate the rover course |
| 7C | A beginning to space travel would be to know where space begins and where we have been in space.This lesson identifies where in the earths atmosphere we have a presence.
Students work on developing a six-page-high chart showing five layers of Earth’s atmosphere. They cut out pictures of NASA aircraft, satellites, and spacecraft and graph where these NASA vehicles fly or orbit. Download: How High Is It Educator Guide |
Write
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D
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anecdotal
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The students will complete a six page chart showing where vehicles currently fly or orbit. |
| 8C | Vehicle: RocketsStudents will learn about the about the first vehicle used to get into space. Initially the students will read a Pictoral History of Rockets and How Rockets Work. Which will help them understand the basic principles of rocketry.
Lesson History of Rockets (page 25) Download: Rockets History Download: Rockets How Rockets Work Students then complete an activity to construct balloon-powered rockets to launch the greatest payload possible to the classroom ceiling. Download: Rockets Heavy Lifting |
Read/ Do
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D
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anecdotal
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At the end of the activity, Heavy Lifting, each student team will: Describe their design to the class. How many balloons did they use? How many paperclips did their rocket carry to the ceiling? How did they attach the paperclips to the balloon? What problems did they encounter? How did they solve those problems?Then the students will write a summary of your launch vehicle using correct science and technology terms (e.g., lift, payload, mass, thrust). |
| 9C | Vehicle: ShuttleThis lesson the students learn about one of the work horses of the space program, the space shuttle.
Download: LES Space Shuttle Info Powerpoint: Space Shuttle Info This lesson serves as an intermediate introduction to the Space Shuttle systems. If you have the resources and time students can participate in an activity where they serve as console engineers for a launch countdown. This activity is based on the actual software currently used for training at Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Control Center, this software enables a launch countdown simulation with a networked system of computers. Download: KLASS Software Download: Paper Model of Shuttle Link: Orbitor and Payload Tour Link: Space Shuttle Webpage Video: Shuttle Launch |
Write
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anecdotal
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Orbiter Labeling |
| 10C | ARES 1- XIn learning about “Launching Ares,” students read the text “From Earth to the Moon and Beyond,” which offers a historical context for U.S. space exploration. It includes a discussion of the Apollo and Space Shuttle programs, as well as a closer look at Ares, the next generation of launch vehicles.
Download Teachers Lesson and Student Text From the Earth to the Moon and Beyond (page 34) Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Video: Return to the Moon: The Journey Begins Now Download: What Comes Next |
Write
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anecdotal
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At the end of the lesson the teacher leads a brainstorming session of key learning of the day and have the students make jot notes. |
| 11C | Through research and presentation, the students will be able to answer questions regarding Canadian astronauts.Lesson: Canadian Astronauts and Astronomers |
Write
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D
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anecdotal
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Each student will be used to develop a poster profile of their astronaut or astronomer, including a picture in poster format. |
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GLOSSARY
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| communication satellite | An artificial satellite used for relaying communications (such as TV) from one location on earth to another. |
| orbit | An orbit is an elliptical (closed) path that an object takes as it revolves around another body.
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| outer space | everything beyond Earth’s atmosphere |
| payload | The payload is the cargo carried on the Space Shuttle or other spacecraft. |
| remote sensing | Remote sensing is the gathering of data from a distance. For example, spacecraft are sent into space with devices designed to study objects and phenomena and then send the information back to Earth. |
| robot | A machine to carry out tasks, under instructions from humans. |
| rocket | A rocket is a machine that propels itself and a payload into space. |
| space junk | The proper term is “space debris”. It’s human-made debris that orbits the earth. |
| spacecraft | Spacecraft are vehicles that travel beyond the Earth’s atmosphere. |
| telescope | A device to collect light (or other radiation) and bring it to a focus, where it can be studied with camera, spectrographs or other instruments. |
| weightless | Weightlessness (or free fall) is the state in which an object appears to have no weight (but the object’s mass remains the same). During weightlessness, the apparent gravitational pull on an object is negligible (close to zero). |
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MISCONCEPTIONS
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CANADIAN CONTENT OR CONTRIBUTION
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