What's Up?

FALL, 2007-2008

What's up? The first expedition for the 3rd graders this year tackles some of the many meanings of this question. What's up there in the nighttime sky? What does "up" really mean? What's up with patterns on the earth including day and night and the seasons? In order to uncover the answer to these questions, students grapple with content and concepts including the solar system, gravity, light, and the origin of the universe, among others.

A major focus in this expedition is on the use of questions as a way to get to larger understandings. Students find themselves faced with a series of mysteries and use models, articles, experiments, fieldwork and other resources to solve them. They even find themselves questioning their preconceptions along the way! As they become immersed in the content, students are guided to research one of the questions they find particularly compelling and create an entry for a class created FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) document to be offered to children visiting the Strasenburgh Planetarium. Exhibition Night includes a performance that illustrates what they have learned.