Take a look at seasons, the earth’s rotation, the moon’s phases, and more! If you want a course that blends history, geography, and religion in a way that makes science fun, this middle school course is for you!
Total classes: 6
Duration: 55 minutes per class
Prerequisite: None
Suggested grade level: 6th to 8th grade
Suggested credit: ½ semester Earth and Space Science
Instructor: Kris Correira, DSc
Instructor Email: athomescience@gmail.com
This course is the story of how people have marked and measured time. From the sun, moon, and stars to years, months, days, and hours, to calendars and clocks, we will see how the celestial cycles became the basis of keeping time. We will look at the influence of the ancient Zodiac (from a strictly astronomical perspective—NO astrology will be discussed), the Church’s influence from the Liturgy of the Hours, the switch from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar, and more. We will also learn about how the earth is divided into longitude and time zones. It is a science course with history, geography, and religion woven throughout. This course includes Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) for middle school earth and space science.
Course outline:
- Class 1: Introduction
- Class 2: Days and the earth’s rotation
- Class 3: Years and the earth’s revolution
- Class 4: Weeks and months, moon and stars
- Class 5: Earth as a clock
- Class 6: Timekeepers
Course materials:
- All other learning materials will be provided.
Homework: Grades are based on completing class preparation question sheets and quizzes. Students should expect to spend 1 to 2 hours preparing for the following class and completing any assignments.
- Teacher: Kris Correira