TEACHER’S GUIDE
TEACHER’S GUIDE
2. In the program, Malcolm states that the Earth has had the same
supply of water over its three–billion-year history. Discuss the
implications of this statement, and have students debate why we
should worry about droughts and water shortages if the Earth’s
water supply will always remain the same.
• www.spaceart.com/solar/eng/earth.htm
“Views of the Solar System” presents an in-depth look at planet Earth,
featuring important statistics and stunning photographs taken from
space.
3. Have students discuss the benefits of utilizing an environmental
testing ground such as Biosphere 2.
Follow-up Activities
• Expand on the evaporation of salt-water investigation demonstrated
in the program by using dirty or color-dyed water. Discuss the implications of this investigation in terms of pollution and have students
correlate the results to the water cycle.
• Have students create a biosphere-type environment in an empty two
liter soda bottle.Through observations over a period of time, have
students relate what happens in the bottle to conditions and systems
that can be found on the Earth.
• As a creative exercise, have students compose fictional stories about
life on the Earth following the depletion of the ozone layer, an increase
in the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere or other changes.
• Have students research the greenhouse effect and/or destruction of
the ozone layer, paying close attention to the potential hazard of
increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. From their
research, have students compile a list of changes in our everyday lives
that might help stop the destruction.
• As a follow-up to the discussion on the benefits of an environmental
testing ground, have students come up with a few experiment ideas
that they would like to see tested in Biosphere 2.
Internet Resources
• www.windows.umich.edu/cgi-bin/tour_def/earth/earth.html
This easy-to-comprehend site uses a friendly interface to provide all
the details kids need to know about the third planet from the sun,
including sections on the interior layers, the atmosphere, water, cultural myths and a large image archive.
• www.bio2.edu/
Take a tour of Columbia University’s Biosphere 2 Center, featuring a
comprehensive FAQ section and helpful links to sites that cover
everything from global warming to coral reefs.
• seds.lpl.arizona.edu/nineplanets/nineplanets/earth.html
Features a multimedia tour of the Earth featuring a detailed mix of
history, mythology and current scientific knowledge, along with
numerous links to other informative sites.
(Continued)
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TEACHER’S GUIDE
Suggested Print Resources
• English, June A. Mission, Earth:Voyage to the Home Planet.
Scholastic, New York, NY; 1996.
• Lauber, Patricia. Seeing Earth From Space. Orchard Books, New
York, NY; 1990.
• O'Shaughnessy, Tam and Ride, Sally K. The Third Planet: Exploring
the Earth From Space. Crown, New York, NY; 1994.
Earth
• Taylor, Barbara. Earth Explained: A Beginner's Guide to Our Planet.
H. Holt, New York, NY; 1997.
Grades 5–8
S
tudents in grade 5–8 classrooms possess a wide range of
background knowledge. Student response to this video
program is sure to be varied, so the teachers for these
grades need all the help they can get! This guide has been
designed to help science teachers in grades 5–8 by providing a brief synopsis of the program, pre-viewing and followup questions, activities, vocabulary and additional resources.
Before Viewing: Extensive research tells how important
it is for the teacher to discover what the students know —
or think they know — about a topic, before actually starting a new unit.Therefore, after prompting discussion with
the pre-viewing questions, lead your class to create a
“Everything We Think We Know About…” list.You may also
wish to preview key vocabulary words and have students
raise additional questions that they hope will be answered.
TEACHER’S GUIDE CONSULTANT
Conrad M. Follmer
25-years as a K–5 Science & Math Coordinator for a Pennsylvania public
school system, currently an independent consultant to elementary schools.
TITLES
• ASTRONOMY
• EARTH
• EARTH’S ATMOSPHERE
• MOON
• PLANETS & THE SOLAR SYSTEM
Teacher’s Guides Included
and Available Online at:
• SPACE EXPLORATION
• STARS
• SUN
• UNIVERSE
800-843-3620
S
R
CHLESSINGE
MEDIA
A DIVISION OF LIBRARY VIDEO COMPANY®
Copyright 1999 by Schlessinger Media, a division of Library Video Company
P.O. Box 580, Wynnewood, PA 19096 • 800-843-3620
Executive Producers, Andrew Schlessinger & Tracy Mitchell
Programs produced and directed by JWM Productions, LLC
All rights reserved
TM
After Viewing: Have your students share information that
fascinated or surprised them, then challenge your students
to prove or disprove the accuracy of the facts that they put
on their “Everything We Think We Know About…” list.
Discuss what else they learned and use the follow-up questions and activities to inspire further discussion. Encourage
students to research the topic further with the Internet and
reading resources provided.
Program Summary
Malcolm and Stanley — a pair of comical, would-be astronauts — prepare
themselves for the "call from NASA" by reviewing everything they know
about the Earth. In anticipation of landing the mission of their dreams, the
duo sets out to demonstrate that they have extensive knowledge of and
appreciation for our planet. Malcolm and Stanley examine the Earth as a
working system, discussing the importance of our location in the solar
system — especially our advantageous distance from the sun — while covering the layers of the atmosphere, the water cycle and the Earth's four distinct interior layers. In addition, Dr. John Adams discusses his work as senior
research specialist at Biosphere 2, showcasing how scientists are studying
future influences that may effect the Earth's environment.
Vocabulary
The following words are included for teacher reference or for use with
students. They are listed in the order in which they appear in the video.
planet —A large body of solid rock, liquid or gases that revolves around
the sun.
galaxy — Billions of stars, gas and dust that is held together in space by
gravity.
Milky Way — All of the planets, stars and celestial bodies that is part of
the galaxy to which our solar system belongs.
solar system — The sun, the nine planets and their moons, as well as
other objects that orbit the sun.
celestial —Of or relating to space, the visible sky or the heavens.
Earth — The third planet from the sun, featuring a breathable atmosphere
containing oxygen, large amounts of liquid water and a range of temperatures suitable for sustaining life.
maria — The Latin plural for "mare," meaning sea or ocean; the name
given to the dark flat regions of the moon by Galileo.
life zone — The term used by scientists to describe the Earth's distance
from the sun, where temperatures allow water to exist in a liquid state,
which is necessary to support life.
atmosphere — The layers of gases that surround a planet.
oxygen — The gas in the Earth’s atmosphere which all animals breathe
in order to survive.
troposphere —The first layer of the atmosphere that begins at the
Earth's surface. The layer in which we live and weather occurs.
stratosphere — The second layer of the Earth’s atmosphere that
includes the ozone layer. The layer in which jet planes fly.
mesosphere — The third layer of the Earth’s atmosphere that protects
us from objects such as meteoroids.
thrust — The force of a rocket’s engines used to counter the Earth’s pull
of gravity, enabling it to lift off.
(Continued)
2
meteoroid — Small pieces of rock and/or metal that speed through
space. It is called a meteorite if it reaches the Earth’s surface.
thermosphere — The highest layer of the Earth’s atmosphere, which
goes all the way to outer space. This is where the space shuttle and
satellites usually orbit.
ozone layer — A protective layer of the Earth’s atmosphere that absorbs
the harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun.
carbon dioxide — A heavy, colorless gas created in part from the
burning of fossil fuels.
water cycle — The continuing process of evaporation, condensation and
precipitation that recycles the Earth’s water supply.
plates — The moving slabs of rock that form the surface of the Earth.
erosion — The process of wearing away rock and soil by water, wind
and glaciers.
biosphere — An enclosed environment that has everything needed to
sustain life (i.e. soil, moisture, air, sunlight, plants and animals).
Biosphere 2 — A sealed structure in the Arizona desert containing
several ecosystems and used by scientists to learn more about how the
Earth works.
inner core — A hot ball of solid metals at the center of the Earth.
outer core — The layer surrounding the Earth’s inner core, composed of
very hot liquid metals and rock, called lava, which sometimes comes to
the Earth’s surface in volcanic eruptions.
mantle — The third layer of the Earth’s interior, made up of a very thick
layer of rock.
crust — The Earth's surface layer, covered with rocks, clay, sand and soil.
It is thin and broken into huge pieces called plates.
gravity — A mutual force of attraction between two bodies; the larger
the body, the greater the gravitational force.
Isaac Newton — The English scientist who stated that a planet’s orbit
around the sun is due to the forces of inertia and gravity.
inertia/law of inertia — The scientific principle that states all objects
move in a straight line unless an outside force causes them to change
their motion.
Pre-viewing Discussion
Before students generate their list of “Everything We Think We Know
About…” for this topic, stimulate and focus their thinking by raising these
questions so that their list will better reflect the key ideas in this show:
1. How is the Earth different from the other planets in our solar system?
2. What characteristics does the Earth have that enables our planet to
support life?
(Continued)
3
3. What do you know about the layers of the Earth’s atmosphere?
What do you know about the layers of the Earth's core?
After the class has completed their “Everything We Think We Know
About…” list, ask them what other questions they have that they hope
will be answered during this program. Have students listen closely to
learn if everything on their class list is accurate and to hear if any of
their own questions are answered.
Focus Questions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
What makes the Earth’s location in space so important?
What are the essential ingredients for life on the Earth?
What three gases can be found in the Earth’s atmosphere?
What are the four layers of the Earth’s atmosphere? What occurrences take place in each layer?
What is the ozone layer? How are holes in the ozone layer formed?
What percentage of the Earth is water? How much of that is fresh
water?
What are the steps in the water cycle?
If most water evaporates from our salt-water oceans, why aren't
raindrops salty?
How do mountain ranges form? What is the process of erosion?
What are the four layers of the Earth’s interior?
Who was Isaac Newton and what was his “law of inertia?”What
role does inertia play in keeping the Earth in orbit around the sun?
Follow-up Discussion
Research indicates that students will retain their previous misconceptions about a topic, in preference to new information, until they
actively recognize and correct their own errors. Therefore, it is important to have your students re-examine the facts/beliefs they put on
their “Everything We Think We Know About…” list. It might also be
helpful to review the list by marking each entry with a “+” or “-” to
show which facts were correct and which were incorrect.
Discussions that ensue from thought-provoking questions provide a
good way to assess the overall depth of student understanding. The
following are some suggested discussion questions.
1. Discuss what scientists mean when they refer to the Earth’s orbit
as falling within a “life zone.” Have students theorize as to what the
effects would be if the Earth’s orbit moved slightly closer or farther
away from the sun.
(Continued)
4