Many of the concepts we teach in science relate to the concept of “scale” – things that are at the extremes of small (as in atoms, nanotechnology, or microbes), large (as in galaxies or blue whales), long (geologic time scale), short (half-life of some elements), or far (distances between planets and stars). Within the confines of a classroom and a short science class period, it can be difficult for students to think about these extremes.
Last year, I had the opportunity to visit the Rose Center for Earth and Space at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. My colleague and I were blown away as we walked along the “Cosmic Pathway” and the “Scales of the Universe” exhibits. An alternative would be to explore the online resources suggested by the authors, including Cosmic Distance Scale from NASA, Get Quarked, Powers of 10, and Secret Worlds: The Universe Within from Florida State University’s Molecular Expressions website (one of my favorites). Supplement these with suggested websites in the SciLinks category Scale, with topics ranging from geologic time to explorations of the powers of 10.
Most middle school students are eager to participate in hands-on activities. The ones in this issue are also “minds-on.” The authors provide teaching suggestions, rubrics, and other resources for topics such as dealing with misconceptions (Visualizing the Earth and Moon Relationship Via Scaled Drawings), performing calculations (Using Powers of 10 to Help Students Develop Temporal Benchmarks), incorporating the topic into a 5E framework (Big Ideas at a Very Small Scale), and types of scales Giants Don’t Exist in the Real World).
I’ve seen middle school thoroughly engaged in activities such as (Get Quarked and Walking Out Graphs).
If you think you can’t do inquiry science because your school doesn’t have a lot of resources, check out The Great Top Challenge, which uses simple tops and the 5E framework to help students explore physics concepts. Look at Motion of a Spinning Top if you need a refresher and Spinning Top Circus if your students don’t know what a “top” is.