Teacher Survey for Thinking Spatially about Seasons Project |
Dear Middle School Science Teacher,
Our team is submitting a proposal to the National Science Foundation to expand on previously funded work, and we have created this survey to measure teacher interest in participating, should the project be funded.
With previous funding from the National Science Foundation, teachers and researchers at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and Penn State University have developed an innovative 8-session curriculum designed to help middle-school students understand why we experience Seasons. This is a key concept in the Next Generation Science Standards that many students struggle to understand. The team is also researching how model-based study of spatially rich topics like Seasons can help to support students’ spatial reasoning, a skill that has been shown to be improved through practice, and which is critical for success in many STEM fields. The free WorldWide Telescope (WWT) computer program is used in the curriculum (called a “ThinkSpace Lab”). WWT's astronomy visualizations offers time controls, user-controlled viewing locations, and a rich, realistic 3D environment, which have been shown to engage students and to improve their understanding of these challenging topics. WWT visualizations are used in conjunction with hands-on models to help students visualize the complex phenomena that lead to Seasons. Video and web-based versions of the WWT content allow students access without having to install WorldWide Telescope.