The Tech Savvy Teacher

The Tech Savvy Teacher

Are you tired of the same ole science lessons you have been teaching for years? Are you done with asking your third grade students how to work your own computer? Well put those technology-less days behind you! This article overviews just one of the many ways that technology can be incorporated into your science units.  Simply by downloading a program from the Internet, you can bring the wonders of the solar system into your classroom.
Celestia is a free 3D interactive real-time astronomy tool from NASA that lets you explore the solar system in a similar way to how Google Earth lets you explore the earth. This program allows the students to see the earth and other planets as they are seen from space. For this particular lesson, we are going to be studying the similarities and differences between the earth and moon. The second half of the lesson will deal with the affect of the sun on the moon.
Have a group of two or three students share a computer and open the Celestia program. They will start off looking at the earth. They can choose to speed up the earth’s rotation in order to see the whole planet. Next have them go to the moon using the Location tab. Now that they have seen both the moon and the earth, the students are ready to discuss the similarities and differences. Guide their discussion and record their findings on the board using a Venn diagram. Let the students know they are free to move their screen in between the moon and earth during the discussion to use as prompts.
Now guide the students in locating the sun. From the sun have the students find the moon. This helps them see the connection between the sun and the moon. Focusing the screen on the moon, have the students increase the rotation so they can go through one rotation of the moon around the earth. This will show, in fast motion, the phases of the moon and how the positions of the sun and earth make these phases possible. As a follow up activity, the students can get into groups of three and demonstrate the rotation of the moon around the earth and identify its phases.
And so, with a few simple clicks and a little guidance, technology can greatly enhance student learning. This program alone helped the students understand the properties of the earth and moon, and better visualize the rotation of the moon around the earth, all within the confines of your classroom. So don’t be afraid to try new things and add some technological spunk to your teaching!