The StarChild site is a service of the High Energy Astrophysics Science Archive Research Center (HEASARC) within the Astrophysics Science Division at NASA. It contains “galactic encyclopedic” information about our solar system, the universe, space travel, and other "space stuff" for elementary and middle grades students, their teachers, and amateur astronomers of all ages. There are two levels of activities: Level One is for upper elementary school age students and Level Two is ideal for middle school students. Teacher generated supplementary lesson plans are provided for many of the activities. This site contains a variety of media including songs, puzzles, simulations, experiments and calisthenics for the imagination.
Type of Material:
collection
Recommended Uses:
This is an ideal site for independent and classroom use for students and teachers 3-5 (Level One Activities) and students and teachers in 6-8 (Level Two Activities). In addition, this is must see site in science methods courses. It is also suitable for use in both undergraduate and graduate astronomy courses. It could be used as the basis for an after school Young Astronauts/Astronomer's program.
Technical Requirements:
Browser and sound player; speakers are helpful if used with a group of students.
Identify Major Learning Goals:
Learners will be able to accurately identify many astronomical objects both in the solar system and throughout the universe.
Learners will develop a deeper understanding of astronomical concepts such as the Doppler effect, the nature of light, relativity, and the reason for the seasons.
Learners will develop astronomical “habits of mind.”
Learners will understand how events on earth are linked to events in the cosmos.
Learners will begin to understand how to integrate the arts into the study of astronomy.
Target Student Population:
elementary school teachers of science; middle school science teachers; 3-8 students and any amateur astronomer
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:
This site could be useful for students with low reading abilities as the speaker could be used to read while the student reads along.
Content Quality
Rating:
Strengths:
A one stop online object for all the information on astronomy you would want and need. This site contains an excellent set of learning activities: the first level is appropriate for 3-5 students; the second level is ideal for middle school students.
The integration of science content with the arts is outstanding, for instance, there is one activity that has students trying to connect a movement from Vivaldi's Four Seasons with the position of the earth as it revolves around the Sun
The content readily can be learned independently by K-5 classroom teachers of science.
Concerns:
Standards can be found by following links to a .pdf file. It would be helpful to have them more accessible.
Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool
Rating:
Strengths:
The integration of the activities with the content presentations allows students and teachers to proceed easily from the most elementary ideas to the most complex concepts in astronomy.
The material in this site can be used for independent work, group work and whole class presentations.
it would make an excellent introduction for students of how to learn science online
Concerns:
none
Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty
Rating:
Strengths:
This site is very easy to use, modify and explain. Students would enjoy this site.
Concerns:
Reviewers had some navigational difficulties moving directly from the activities to new content; however, new content is readily accessed from the home page.
Other Issues and Comments:
Reviewers highly recommended this site for students in grades 3-8 and faculty members K-8.
Creative Commons:
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