by: Dennis Schatz and Andrew Fraknoi
$31.99 Member Price $39.99 Nonmember Price
Add to Cart
Add to Wish List
Add to Collection
Login or Create a Free Account
Download a sample chapter
Elementary Middle School
Astronomy Earth & Space Science Instructional Materials Interdisciplinary Lesson Plans Mathematics
Type NSTA Press BookPub Date 1/31/2016Pages 360ISBN 978-1-941316-07-8Stock # PB403X
Visit the Forums
Immediate Use Activities
I had the pleasure to attend a webinar by the authors of the text. They walked the audience through several of the activities available to teach students about the upcoming eclipse in Augus... See More
I had the pleasure to attend a webinar by the authors of the text. They walked the audience through several of the activities available to teach students about the upcoming eclipse in August 2017. I was amazed at how effective and easy the activities are to integrate!
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 t... See More
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.
Excellent
Excellent –a must-have for teachers and homeschoolers of grades 5-8. Extendable to high school as well. The book includes dozens of hands-on / inquiry-based activities using readily avail... See More
Excellent –a must-have for teachers and homeschoolers of grades 5-8. Extendable to high school as well. The book includes dozens of hands-on / inquiry-based activities using readily available materials. Guided explorations intrigue students, getting them actively involved to explore then answer questions. Topics include a) understanding and tracking daily motions of the Sun, b) understanding and tracking the annual motion of the Sun and the seasons, c) how solar activity affects the Earth, and d) the Sun, Moon and Earth together – phases, eclipses, cycles, and more. All relate to disciplinary core ideas found in the Next Generation Science Standards. Explanations for teachers include how to have students use an astronomy lab notebook, using the Think-Pair-Share learning strategy, use of the 5 E (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate) instructional model, integration of cross-curriculum resources, and how to personalize the use of the book for your class’s needs. The book is gloriously illustrated and beautifully produced. The high-quality imagery from NASA completely engages both teacher and student. The activities chosen are the best-of-the-best, coming from years of experience and use. Personally, I have used many of these for years, in both my NASA education work and in a 4-H Astronomy Project (ages 9-19), with wonderful success. A bonus with the book is a supplement about the upcoming Great American Solar Eclipse of 2017. Everyone in the US will be able to see at least a portion of the eclipse. This guide gives you most of what you will need to know to experience it. I absolutely love this book! It is a great example of how science should be taught: not as a collection of topics and facts but rather questions, guided explorations, hands-on equipment, and generating conclusions based on data. Deborah Scherrer Stanford Solar Center
Browse the bookstore
NSTA Press produces classroom-ready activities, hands-on approaches to inquiry, relevant professional development, the latest scientific education news and research, assessment and standards-based instruction.
Learn More