Cary Sneider

When The Sun Goes Dark

Tue, Apr 04, 2017 2:20 PM
A new kind of science book for kids

When the Sun Goes Dark is an entirely new kind of science book for kids. Like others we’ve seen over the years for the upper elementary and middle school ages, it’s a beautifully illustrated story that communicates important science ideas—in this case the reasons for moon phases and eclipses of the sun and moon. What makes this one special is that it does much more than teach a few important concepts. First, by illustrating the reasons for moon phases and eclipses, it helps kids correct a common misconception that the crescent moon phase is caused by Earth’s shadow falling on the moon. Second, it goes beyond simple explanations to illustrate, in a clear and logical way, why we don’t see eclipses every month, and why we’re much less likely to see a solar eclipse than a lunar eclipse. And third, the timing of this publication couldn’t be better, since it provides practical and safe ways to observe the first total solar eclipse in decades to be seen across a large swath of the United States —coming up August 21 of this year!

Solar Science: Exploring Sunspots, Seasons, Eclipses, and More

Sun, May 08, 2016 4:35 PM
Solar Science Is Fully Aligned with the NGSS

Solar Science is the first book on teaching astronomy that is fully aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards. In fact, it not only provides very clear instructions on how best to teach key concepts and skills, it also provides wonderful examples of what it means to apply three-dimensional learning, which is one of the more challenging aspects of the new standards. What I found most compelling about this book, however, is that it strongly advocates that the best resource for learning astronomy is the real sky. Detailed instructions are provided for a wide range of observations that will help students connect what they are learning in your classroom with the real celestial objects that they see outdoors. The activities are strongly supported by educational research, and the narrative identifies the most common (and persistent) misconceptions to watch for. I must add that the beautiful design by the National Science Teachers Association makes this book a joy to read.