In this activity students are challenged to create a model of the universe in a single class period. This activity is designed to elicit student ideas and preconceptions about the contents and organization of the cosmos. Most students will be somewhat familiar with solar system objects, but may be confused about the relationship of stars to planets, and about their relative distances. This activity is part of the "Cosmic Questions Educator's Guide" developed to support the Cosmic Questions exhibit. The activites in the guide can be used in conjunction with or independently of the exhibit.

Created By: Hillary Brady, Digital Public Library of America - Time Period: The Development of the Industrial United States (1870-1900) - Subjects: US History; Native Americans - Remixed By: Nicole Cockey - The writing task described here can be used as a diagnostic to assess students' inferential and narrative writing skills. Teachers should asses students' ability to drawing inferences based on what the primary sources explicity show and say. Teachers are also assessing students' narrative techniques, include establishing point of view or perspective, sequencing events coherently, vivid use of language language, and resolution. As a diagnostic, this writing activity should be performed on demand after students have had sufficient time to examine and analyze the primary sources.See "Text Set Exploring Identity, Culture, Agency through Boarding Schools" for more details.

In this activity, a three-part questionnaire launches students on discussions about where objects in space are located, and when they formed. By physically manipulating images of objects in space, students represent their own mental models of space and time, which lays the foundation for thinking about the size and scale of the universe. This actvity can be used to assess students? understanding and introduce concepts before proceeding to other activities that follow this one. This activity is part of the "Cosmic Questions: Our Place in Space and Time" educators guide that developed to support the Cosmic Questions exhibit. This activity can be used in conjunction with, or independently of, the exhibit.