In this module, students observe phenomena of ships disappearing below the horizon, shadows pointing in different directions, and balls falling to Earth. Students use these observations as well as models as evidence that gravity is directed to the center of a spherical Earth. Students use models as well as observations of shadows and stars to make a claim that Earth rotates once on an axis every 24 hours. Students carry out an investigation to determine the times of the year that different constellations are not visible and use the data to develop a model of Earth revolving around the Sun once a year. After learning the daily and annual patterns of motion of the Sun and stars, students consider the problem of using those patterns to navigate. This Asynchronous Canvas course prepares teachers to: • Access online teacher and student resources • Develop understanding of the unit’s storyline, instructional model, and standards alignment. • Organize and manage the materials in the unit to support student learning activities. • Support and assess student sense-making with a variety of strategies, including science notebooks. • Provide examples or resources about STEM-related career choices to use with students.

Each module within this course consists of 2-4 lessons in the curriculum and also follows a specific focus question that students will be working towards answering.  These modules contain short videos and "teacher tips" for every lesson which will support teachers in implementing this unit with students . Total time to complete the videos and teacher tips is approximately 4 hours.  The final reflection must be completed in order to validate participation and clock hours.

4 STEM Clock Hours