mroach@nexus.edu.au
Copyright ©1996 M Roach
All Rights Reserved
This module gives students the opportunity to engage in activities which will allow them to achieve the Outcomes stated in the National Science Statement and Profiles at Levels 4 and 5 in the Earth and Beyond Strand.
Our course began with a unit concentrating on the History of flight. This proved interesting to students, and provided an opportunity for the students to assemble gliders, and to investigate some of the factors which enable humans to fly. The glider aspect fits in well with the Space Shuttle and students are surprised to learn that the Shuttle comes back to Earth as a glider with a one chance landing opportunity.
The text book we used was an old one, New Fundamentals of Science Book 1 by Anderton, as multiple copies were available. Any suitable text dealing with the topics specified (air pressure, the atmosphere etc) could be used as a back up, the more recent the better. More recent books such as Science Works, Secondary Science, and Heineman Outcomes would have been better. Teachers found that there was ample to do without much reference to the text, but it was there for a backup, and resource for students.
For the sake of presenting this lesson sequence in a simple way, I will not include the ROOM ALLOCATIONS and class rotations that were necessary in order to maximise use of resources such as videos, slide projectors, computers, and laboratory (wet) areas.
| Week | Monday Lesson 2 | Tuesday lesson 3 | Wednesday Lesson 5 | Thursday Lesson 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| One | Postbox activity with three questions posed to students to determine prior knowledge |
Videos: "History of Space Travel" (30 mins) and "Journey into tomorrow" (15 mins) | "Orbits" Computer Simulation. Students fill in worksheets | The History of Flight from Balloons to the Shuttle. An overhead projector presentations. Students fill in a timeline during lesson. |
| Two | Video: "Aussat" Teacher selects questions from accompanying worksheets. |
Practical: "Dynamic Equilibrium" A look at our fragile atmosphere | Mechanics of Flight. Demonstration on how a plane flies | Ch. 36 "The atmosphere" Activities, small group work and bookwork |
| Three | Ch. 37 "Properties of Air" Some demonstrations and bookwork | Practical: "Space Makes your blood boil" Ch. 38 "Atmospheric Pressure" for more demonstrations | Ch. 40 "Using air pressure" | Selected activities from Ch.41 "Moving air" and Ch.42 "Heated air" |
| Four | Demonstration "The Convection Connection" Students fill in worksheets provided ALSO "The Earth at Night Poster" and worksheet |
Experiments with Microgravity. A rotation of activities and a demonstration | QUANTUM: Two excellent episodes on the Space Shuttle. Students learn how astronauts go to the toilet in space | An astronomy revision lesson. Our place in space. Walk through the Solar system revisited. The Night Sky in May (or appropriate month) Computer Simulation (SKYGLOBE) |
| Five | Ballon and Water Rocket activities | AUSTRAL SHUTTLE GLIDER Construction | Students finish gliders, trim and flight test | GLIDER COMPETITION between classes |
mroach@nexus.edu.au
Copyright ©1996 M Roach
All Rights Reserved