COULD HUMANS LIVE IN SPACE?
Research into Space Exploration and Habitability
WEEK ONE
Week one introduces the unit of space science to the class to gather information about what students already know and would like to learn. A field trip to Telus Spark will help hook students into the unit, while bringing in a member of the Indigenous community will allow students to learn more about the Indigenous perspective, along with their culture and history.
Objectives:
Activity 1
Objective 1: Students will engage in science inquiry by identifying what they know and what questions and problems they are trying to solve through effective group communication of sharing ideas and progress.
Activity 2
Objective 2: Students will begin to observe, describe, and interpret movement of objects in the sky; and identify pattern and order in these movements.
Activity 3
Objective 3: Students will understand the location and movement of individual stars and groups of stars (constellations) as they move through the night sky.
Objective 4: Students will explore and explain connections between prior knowledge and new information surrounding oral constellation stories by responding to cultural text.
The following materials and resources will need to be available:
-
Whiteboards and markers for brainstorming
-
Field trip to Telus Spark - Looking Up and Wonder Workshop & Space Next Movie
-
A member of the Indigenous community to talk about Constellation Stories
-
Constellation Story Example
-
Henderson, J., Izard, J., & Golob, J. [TheMydogblue]. (2012, April 3). Story of the Stars [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNgzGZUb-8Y
-
-
Resource for Teachers on Indigenous oral storytelling
-
Cariou, W. (2016). Life-Telling: Indigenous oral autobiography and the performance or relation. 39(3), 314-327
-
-
Rubric for ELA response
Students will brainstorm using a concept carousel. White boards around the room will display different topics, students will take turns moving to each of the white boards and answer the questions: “What I already know about this topic?” and “What I want to know about this topic?”
After completion of the concept carousel students will engage in a brief informal class discussion.
Pre-assessment
Informal Observation
ASSESSMENT
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS
Science 6-2
ELA 1.1
BRAINSTORM
Students will attend the Telus Spark ‘Looking Up and Wonder Workshop’. Using the immersive nature of the Digistar 5 planetarium students will take a journey through the sky to distance moons and planets while becoming more familiar with our solar system and its place in the know universe. This is a 90 minute workshop designed for Grade 6 students, it addresses: creativity and innovation, critical thinking, problem solving, and scientific literacy.
Students will then watch the 40 minute IMAX ‘Space Next’, a story told from the point of view of the first generation born outside of Earth. This film offers a glimpse into tomorrow.
Informal Observation
Prompting questions
ASSESSMENT
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS
Science 6-7
ELA 5.2
TELUS SPARK FIELD TRIP
Lesson would begin with a brief overview of constellations.
A member of the Indigenous community will be invited to share their experience. Students will be taught about the history of oral storytelling and role it plays in the Indigenous community through Indigenous Constellation Stories.
Students will watch an oral constellation story video. Students will then be tasked with an ELA response of individually creating their own constellation story. This can be either be written or presented orally.
Observation
Peer feedback of constellation stories
Summative Rubric to assess constellation stories
ASSESSMENT
CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS
ELA 1.1 and 2.2
Science 6-7.2