OverviewThis week, students will learn about how and why people explore above and below the land on earth. Using Google Cardboard, students will have an opportunity to “walk on Mars.” The surface from this app is based upon real satellite data from Mars from NASA's Curiosity. They will also be using Ocean Rift, a free program that takes users on an underwater journey. We will learn about the explorations of Jacques Cousteau and Skype with the dive master from Tropical Dive Center in Nosy Be, Madagascar. We are also fortune enough to have one of our teachers who dives come in with their equipment to show us how it works.
Goals
ObjectivesStudents will:
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Day 1
Subject: Social Studies/Science
Topic: Underwater Explorers and Exploration
Activities:
Topic: Underwater Explorers and Exploration
Activities:
- Read ‘Manfish: A story of Jacques Cousteau’ (Berne, 2008)
- After reading the text, write about Jacques Cousteau’s childhood and adulthood. Then, write why he is an important person in history and how his childhood impacted him as an adult. – Fill in the Manfish response pages (Huddleston, 2016)
- Discuss reasons why someone would want to explore under the sea
- Compare and contrast Seafarers and Divers (on and below the sea exploration
- ‘Manfish: A story of Jacques Cousteau’ (Berne, 2008)
- Manfish response pages (Huddleston, 2016)
Day 2
Subject: Science/Social Studies
Topic: Jacques Cousteau/Under the Sea Exploration
Activities:
Strategies: inquiry, reflective discussion, concept formation, demonstration, panels
Topic: Jacques Cousteau/Under the Sea Exploration
Activities:
- Watch ‘The Legacy of Underwater Explorer Jacques Cousteau’ (CNN, 2012)
- Discuss and list tools that Jacques Cousteau would have needed for undersea exploration
- Guest teacher speaker – A teacher will come in with their scuba equipment. They will show students the equipment, explain how it works, and let them try some of the equipment. They will answer questions about under the sea explorer.
- ‘The Legacy of Underwater Explorer Jacques Cousteau’ (CNN, 2012)
- Scuba equipment
- Teacher scuba diver
Strategies: inquiry, reflective discussion, concept formation, demonstration, panels
Day 3
Subject: Science/Social Studies
Topic: Under the Sea Exploration
Activities:
Strategies: simulations, role playing, interviews, panels, discussion, co-operative learning groups, circle of knowledge, computer assisted learning
Topic: Under the Sea Exploration
Activities:
- Students will work in groups to come up with a list of interview questions for an under the sea explorer, in their exploration journals
- In small groups students will have the opportunity to Skype with the dive master from Tropical Dive Center in Nosy Be, Madagascar, and ask their questions.
- After each group has had their questions answered and asked their follow up questions, they will begin to put their knowledge together on a padlet
- While groups are coming up with questions, each group will have a turn to use the Ocean Rift VR on google cardboard to become under the sea explorers. They will use this knowledge to fill out an exporation entry in their journal, and help formulate questions for the dive master.
- padlet
- Skype
- Dive Master
- Exploration Journals
- Ocean Rift VR on google cardboard to
- SMART Phones
- Google Cardboard viewers
Strategies: simulations, role playing, interviews, panels, discussion, co-operative learning groups, circle of knowledge, computer assisted learning
Day 4
Subject: Science/Social Studies
Topic: Exploring Mars and Space
Activities:
Strategies: structured overview, problem solving, inquiry, concept formation, conducting experiments, role playing, collaborative learning groups, computer assisted instruction, brainstorming, discussions, research
Topic: Exploring Mars and Space
Activities:
- Students will generate a list of reasons why people want to travel space, and the tools required
- The teacher will show students where Mars is on our solar system
- As a class, we will explore Mars Quest Online (TERC, 2003) looking at photos and information about Mars.
- Students will discuss why they would or would not want to live on mars, then begin to complete an abbreviated version of the ‘Imagine Mars Project’ (NASA, 2016). “The Imagine Mars Project is a hands-on, STEM-based project that asks students to work with NASA scientists and engineers to imagine a community on Mars and express their ideas through the arts and humanities.” (NASA, 2016). “Imagine Mars Project enables students to explore their own community and decide which arts, scientific and cultural elements will be important on Mars. Then, they develop their concepts relating to a future Mars community from an interdisciplinary perspective of arts, sciences, and technology.” (NASA, 2016).
- Students will inquire, draw on their prior knowledge from the communities unit and develop a framework and model of their martian community on Mars, outlining the problems, and thinking of solutions. They will need to identify important aspects of a community, and promote people going to Mars to start such community.
- Students will use VR Mars for Google Cardboard to explore Mars
- Mars Quest Online (TERC, 2003) l
- Imagine Mars Project’ (NASA, 2016) resources
- Drafting Paper
- Model Supplies
- iPads for research
- VR Mars Google Cardboard
Strategies: structured overview, problem solving, inquiry, concept formation, conducting experiments, role playing, collaborative learning groups, computer assisted instruction, brainstorming, discussions, research
Day 5
Activities:
- Continue working on Imagine Mars Project
- Conferencing
- Projects and presentations will likely overflow into next week
Assessment
The exploration journals will be used as both reflection portfolios and learning response logs throughout the Explorers unit. Students will write a reflection for their work in their journal at the end of each week, self-assessing their work. Anecdotal notes will be taken as a form of ongoing formative assessment of observations, questioning, presentations and discussions. These will be written on post it notes attached to each students unit of inquiry (UOI) rubric. They will then be translated onto the rubric at the end of the unit. Formative feedback is essential to for students to guide their instruction throughout the unit. This week, the class will collaboratively come up with a rubric/rating system for the Imagine Mars project, using it to self assess. The teacher will also assess the project using the same criteria.