Background Information for Teachers

Scientific literacy includes knowledge of the history and nature of science. Resources in this section will assist you in dispelling widespread and current public misconceptions about the nature of our planetary system. Resources also examine some of misconceptions of the past.

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A Private Universe http://www.learner.org/resources/series28.html

This site describes and provides access to a video documentary (20 mins.) on education research for grades 5-12 educators. The documentary explores why so few students grasp basic science concepts and traces the problem through interviews with Harvard graduates, their professors, and a ninth-grader who has some confused ideas about the orbits of the planets. This site also provides information about workshops and other materials. MSP full record

Teachers' Domain: Seasons on Earth http://www.teachersdomain.org/6-8/sci/ess/earthsys/lp_seasons/index.html

This lesson, though intended for grades 6-12, helps to dispel two popular misconceptions of what causes the seasons. Thus, it is a good companion to the Private Universe resource described above. It includes satellite data showing seasonal changes of plant life and explores an example of long-term natural climate change. MSP full record

Examine Eclipsing Binary Stars from Several Perspectives http://www.classzone.com/books/earth_science/terc/content/visualizations/es2805/es2805page01.cfm?chapter_no=visualization

A binary star was one of the observations that ancients strived to explain. Not knowing they were actually observing two stars in motion around each other, the ancients' "best guesses" worked as satisfactory explanations, given the limited "data" they had on which to base their inferences. This animation shows students how scientists study stars in a binary system. The introduction explains that, while it may not be possible to see both stars, their combined luminosity decreases as they eclipse each other. The animation, which shows a bright star with a smaller, dimmer companion star, demonstrates how such variables as the stars' brightness, size, and alignment alter the luminosity pattern. Students see the system from three perspectives simultaneously: a side view with a complete eclipse, an oblique view with a partial eclipse, and an overhead view with no eclipse. Each view also includes a graph that plots the pattern of luminosity over time. Movie controls allow students to repeat, pause, or step through the animation, which can give students more time to analyze the images. MSP full record

Astronomy Without a Telescope http://www.astronomynotes.com/nakedeye/s1.htm

Astronomy Notes is a resource for introductory astronomy classes for undergraduates. This section describes the celestial sphere, coordinate systems, and the motion of the stars. There are also sections describing time, the seasons, time zones, the phases of the moon, solar eclipses, lunar eclipses, and the motions of the planets. MSP full record

The Reason for the Seasons http://msteacher.org/epubs/science/science7/science.aspx

Why the earth has seasons is one of the most difficult concepts for middle school students to understand. This publication provides resources to help teachers uncover their students’ misconceptions about the seasons. MSP full record

The Age of the Universe, Dark Matter, and Structure Formation http://books.nap.edu/catalog/6237.html

This collection of papers is the outcome of a colloquium addressing the three interconnected problems that have the center stage in modern physical cosmology. The problems are: the age of the universe; the dark matter of the universe; and the formation of structures in the universe. In the last two years, new experimental and observational data have dramatically changed the nature of each of these problems and have more sharply defined the issues. This National Academy of Sciences colloquium brought experts together to present cutting-edge developments and to emphasize the interdependence and interdisciplinary nature of the problems. MSP full record

Stephen Hawking's Universe: Universes Menu http://www.pbs.org/wnet/hawking/universes/html/univ.html

Stephen Hawking discusses his ideas regarding the universe. He says, "For thousands of years, people have wondered about the universe. Did it stretch out forever or was there a limit? And where did it all come from? Did the universe have a beginning, a moment of creation? Or had the universe existed forever? The debate between these two views raged for centuries without reaching any conclusions. Personally, I'm sure that the universe began with a hot Big Bang. But will it go on forever?" MSP full record

Astronomy Instruments http://physics.kenyon.edu/EarlyApparatus/Titlepage/Astronomy.html

This page contains links to one-pagers on historical instruments of astronomy with photos of the following: astronomical slides, celestial globe, cometarium, slated globe, Gregorian telescope, Kepler's Laws demonstration, orrery, planetarium, planisphere, stereoscopic pictures of the moon, tellurian, and transit. MSP full record

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Copyright November 2007 — The Ohio State University. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0424671. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.