This trimester course explores the scientific principles often encountered in science fiction movies, television, and literature. These topics include time travel, “hyper” speed, worm holes, black holes, transporters, antimatter propulsion, effects of space travel on the human body, and the likelihood of encountering intelligent life in the universe. This course requires a strong background in science and a minimum of two years of high school science is a prerequisite.

MA Standard/Strands: Earth and Space Science
3.1 Explain how physical and chemical weathering leads to erosion and the formation of soils and sediments, and creates various types of landscapes. Give examples that show the effects of physical and chemical weathering on the environment.
4.2 Describe the influence of gravity and inertia on the rotation and revolution of orbiting bodies. Explain the Sun-
Earth-moon relationships (e.g., day, year, solar/lunar eclipses, tides).
4.3 Explain how the Sun, Earth, and solar system formed from a nebula of dust and gas in a spiral arm of the
Milky Way Galaxy about 4.6 billion years ago.
2 weeks Time Frame:
Text
(Chapter/Pages)
Other Resources: none

Lab – Making Craters

Internet Assignment – Investigating Crater Impacts

Documentary – Killer Asteroid

Article – Celestial Update

Article - Asteroids Make a Big Hit

Documentary – Asteroids – Deadly Impact

Documentary – Doomsday Asteroid

Article – Surviving on the Moon

Video - Armageddon
Essential Questions
Concepts, Content:

What is the difference between an asteroid, comet and meteor?

Where do asteroids, comets and meteors come from?

How often is the Earth hit by meteorites?

Why are craters not as visible on the Earth as on other celestial bodies?

What do craters reveal about impacts?

Targeted Skill(s):

Compare and Contrast asteroids, comets and meteors.

Distinguish between meteoroids, meteors, and meteorites.

Cite the likelihood of being killed by an asteroid, comet, or meteorite impact.

Describe the anatomy of a crater.

Calculate the energy released when an asteroid, comet or meteorite impacts the earth based on the size and mass of the body.
Writing:
Time Frame:
Text
(Chapter/Pages)
Other Resources:
Essay explaining why meteors are not as visible on Earth as they are on other planets and moons. Lab conclusions describing why the lab was done, how it was done, what happened and why the lab works. Science and Technical
Subjects sections of Appendix B, Writing Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical
Subjects6 – 12
Labs, Worksheets, Teacher-made tests and quizzes Assessment Practices:
MA Standard/Strands: Earth and Space Science
4.1 Explain the Big Bang Theory and discuss the evidence that supports it, such as background radiation and relativistic Doppler effect (i.e., “red shift”).
4.2 Describe the influence of gravity and inertia on the rotation and revolution of orbiting bodies. Explain the Sun-
Earth-moon relationships (e.g., day, year, solar/lunar eclipses, tides).
4.3 Explain how the Sun, Earth, and solar system formed from a nebula of dust and gas in a spiral arm of the
Milky Way Galaxy about 4.6 billion years ago.
Physics
1.4 Interpret and apply Newton’s three laws of motion.
1.7 Describe Newton’s law of universal gravitation in terms of the attraction between two objects, their masses, and the distance between them.
2 weeks none

Video – Mechanical Universe – The Apple and the Moon

Lab – Modeling Black Holes


Internet Activity – Black Holes Exploration

Video- Mechanical Universe – Curved Space and Black Holes

Documentary – NOVA – Monster of the Milky Way

Article – Hawking Shows His Hand

Article – Black Holes and Baby Universes
Essential Questions
Concepts, Content:
Targeted Skill(s):

What are the laws that govern the attraction of any two massive bodies in the universe?

What causes the formation of black holes?

How does Einstein’s principle of equivalence suggest that spacetime bends?

What special spacetime effects occur near the event horizon of a black hole?

Recognize that a gravitational force exists between any two objects. This force is proportional to the masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.

Recognize that all bodies fall at the same rate in the absence of air friction.

Describe the life cycle of a star.

Know the vocabulary of black holes.

Explain Einstein’s Principle of Equivalence.

Describe gravity as the bending of spacetime.

Compare Newton’s theory of gravity with Einstein’s theory of general relativity.

Describe how a black hole affects the area of space around it.
Writing:
Assessment Practices:
Essay describing the effects on an object entering a black hole. Lab conclusions describing why the lab was done, how it was done, what happened and why the lab works. Science and Technical Subjects sections of Appendix B, Writing
Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects6 – 12
Labs, Worksheets, Teacher-made tests and quizzes
MA Standard/Strands:
Time Frame: none
1 week

Text
(Chapter/Pages)
Other Resources: none

Documentary – NOVA – Time Travel

Short Story – Paycheck

Video – Deja Vu

What paradox’s exist when we discuss time travel?

What are some of the ways the paradoxes of time travel could be avoided?
Essential Questions
Concepts, Content:
Targeted Skill(s):

Discuss the grandfather paradox.

Describe a wormhole.

Identify wormholes as the most likely vehicle for time travel.

Discuss parallel universe theory.
Writing:
Essay discussing time paradoxes and possible ways the laws of physics could avoid such paradoxes. Lab conclusions describing why the lab was done, how it was done, what happened and why the lab works. Science and Technical
Subjects sections of Appendix B, Writing Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical
Subjects6 – 12
Worksheets, Teacher-made tests and quizzes
Assessment Practices:
MA Standard/Strands:
Time Frame:
Text
(Chapter/Pages)
Other Resources: none
2 weeks none

Article – A Universe Built for Us

Essential Questions
Concepts, Content:
Targeted Skill(s):
Writing:
Assessment Practices:

CD – Space, Time and Motion – Frames of Reference Interactive

Video – http://www.cell-action.com/einstein/einstein.html#Scene 1

Video – http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/einstein/rela-i.html

Game – http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/einstein/hotsciencetwin/

Lab – Special Relativity and Muons

Special Relativity Problem Sets

Video- Mechanical Universe – Special Relativity

Video- Flight of the Navigator

Why can nothing travel faster than the speed of light?

Why does length contract at relativistic speeds?

Why does time slow down at relativistic speeds?

Why does mass increase at relativistic speeds?

Why can we travel into the future based in special relativity but not into the past?

Why are we always looking into the past?

List Einstein’s Postulates.

Distinguish between Einstein’s postulates and the consequences of the postulates.

Discuss the consequences of Einstein’s postulates with respect to length, time, and mass.

Perform calculations using the Lorentz equations.

Discuss why we are always looking into the past.

Discuss the implications of special relativity on time travel.
Essay describing the twin paradox. Lab conclusions describing why the lab was done, how it was done, what happened and why the lab works. Science and Technical Subjects sections of Appendix B, Writing Standards for Literacy in
History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects6 – 12
Labs, Worksheets, Teacher-made tests and quizzes

MA Standard/Strands: Life Science
2.2 Compare and contrast, at the cellular level, the general structures and degrees of complexity of prokaryotes and eukaryotes.
3.3 Explain how mutations in the DNA sequence of a gene may or may not result in phenotypic change in an organism. Explain how mutations in gametes may result in phenotypic changes in offspring.
5.1 Explain how evolution is demonstrated by evidence from the fossil record, comparative anatomy, genetics, molecular biology, and examples of natural selection.
5.2 Describe species as reproductively distinct groups of organisms. Recognize that species are further classified into a hierarchical taxonomic system (kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species) based on morphological, behavioral, and molecular similarities. Describe the role that geographic isolation can play in speciation.
5.3 Explain how evolution through natural selection can result in changes in biodiversity through the increase or decrease of genetic diversity within a population.
2 weeks Time Frame:
Text
(Chapter/Pages)
Other Resources: none

Article – Lucy’s Baby

Article – What Will Become of Homo Sapiens?

Lab – The Great Fossil Find

Video- Cycles of Life – Exploring Biology – Lesson 10 Microevolution

Video- Cycles of Life – Exploring Biology – Lesson 11 Macroevolution

Lab – Human Chronology Lab

Lab – Footsteps In Time and the Laetoli Trackway Puzzle

Movie – Evolution
Essential Questions
Concepts, Content:

How did life begin?

How does natural selection drive evolution?

What causes the appearance of new species?

In what order did life forms appear on earth?


Are humans alone in the universe?
Targeted Skill(s):

Define evolution.

Define panspermia theory.

Describe two causes of evolution.

Distinguish between prokaryotes and eukaryotes.

Distinguish between phenotype and genotype.

Describe mutation and its causes.

Discuss the causes of speciation

Distinguish between punctuated equilibrium and gradualism.

Discuss fossil evidence for evolution.

Create a timeline for the development of life on earth.

Predict the likelihood of other intelligent life in the universe based on the Drake equation.
Writing:
Assessment Practices:
Essay describing the likelihood of other life in the universe and whether it is likely to be like us. Lab conclusions describing why the lab was done, how it was done, what happened and why the lab works. Science and Technical
Subjects sections of Appendix B, Writing Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical
Subjects6 – 12
Labs, Worksheets, Teacher-made tests and quizzes
MA Standard/Strands:
Time Frame:
Text
(Chapter/Pages)
Other Resources: none
1 week none

Short Story – Second Variety

Powerpoint project – Artificial Intelligence


Video- http://www.academicearth.org/lectures/brain-computer-interfaces-krishna-shenoy

Video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUR7IL3vITO

Video – http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4560922n

Video – I Robot

Article – A Robot in Every Home

Article – Robot Pills
Essential Questions
Concepts, Content:
Targeted Skill(s):

What is life?

Compare and contrast artificial life and artificial intelligence.
 What are the uses of artificial intelligence ?

List and discuss types of Artificial Intelligence.

Discuss the current technological state of artificial intelligence.

What is the Turing test?

Discuss the current technological state of robotics and cybernetics.
Writing:
Project on the current state of artificial intelligence or robotic technology. Lab conclusions describing why the lab was done, how it was done, what happened and why the lab works. Science and Technical Subjects sections of Appendix
B, Writing Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects6 – 12
Worksheets, Teacher-made tests and quizzes
Assessment Practices:
MA Standard/Strands: Earth and Space Science
1.3 Explain how the transfer of energy through radiation, conduction, and convection contributes to global atmospheric processes, such as storms, winds, and currents.
1.4 Provide examples of how the unequal heating of Earth and the Coriolis effect influence global circulation patterns, and show how they impact Massachusetts weather and climate (e.g., global winds, convection cells, land/sea breezes, mountain/valley breezes).
1.5 Explain how the revolution of Earth around the Sun and the inclination of Earth on its axis cause Earth’s

Time Frame:
Text
(Chapter/Pages)
Other Resources:
Essential Questions
Concepts, Content: seasonal variations (equinoxes and solstices).
1.6 Describe the various conditions associated with frontal boundaries and cyclonic storms (e.g., thunderstorms, winter storms [nor’easters], hurricanes, tornadoes) and their impact on human affairs, including storm preparations.
1.7 Explain the dynamics of oceanic currents, including upwelling, deep-water currents, the Labrador Current and the Gulf Stream, and their relationship to global circulation within the marine environment and climate.
1.8 Read, interpret, and analyze a combination of ground-based observations, satellite data, and computer models to demonstrate Earth systems and their interconnections.
2.1 Recognize, describe, and compare renewable energy resources (e.g., solar, wind, water, biomass) and nonrenewable energy resources (e.g., fossil fuels, nuclear energy).
2.2 Describe the effects on the environment and on the carbon cycle of using both renewable and nonrenewable sources of energy.
2 weeks none

Article – Fracking Nation

Lab – The Greenhouse Effect Analogy

Internet assignment: GISP2 Climate Card

Documentary – An Inconvenient Truth

Internet assignment – Global Warming Research

Lab Understanding Ocean Currents

Article – Meltdown in the North

Article – Impact From the Deep

Video – The Day After Tomorrow

What is the greenhouse effect?

Is the earth really warming?

How do we collect data on earth’s temperature over time?

How is ocean circulation related to global warming?

What are the long term effects of global warming?


What are some ways of combating the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere?
Targeted Skill(s):

Describe the greenhouse effect.

Relate the greenhouse effect to global warning.

Identify three greenhouse gases and their relative effects on the climate.

Understand some of the easy data is collected from ice core samples.

Describe two major driving forces of the ocean conveyor.

Describe the effects of the ocean conveyor on climate.

Explain possible consequences of melting ice on the ocean conveyor.

Develop ideas for combating global warming as an individual and as a society.
Writing:
Assessment Practices:
Essay describing the student’s position on climate change. Lab conclusions describing why the lab was done, how it was done, what happened and why the lab works. Science and Technical Subjects sections of Appendix B, Writing
Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects6 – 12
Labs, Worksheets, Teacher-made tests and quizzes
MA Standard/Strands: SIS1. Make observations, raise questions, and formulate hypotheses.


Observe the world from a scientific perspective.
Pose questions and form hypotheses based on personal observations, scientific articles, experiments, and
 knowledge.
Read, interpret, and examine the credibility and validity of scientific claims in different sources of information, such as scientific articles, advertisements, or media stories.
SIS2. Design and conduct scientific investigations.




Articulate and explain the major concepts being investigated and the purpose of an investigation.
Select required materials, equipment, and conditions for conducting an experiment.
Identify independent and dependent variables.
Write procedures that are clear and replicable.

Time Frame:
Text
(Chapter/Pages)
Other Resources:
Essential Questions
Concepts, Content:
Targeted Skill(s):
Writing:

Employ appropriate methods for accurately and consistently o making observations o making and recording measurements at appropriate levels of precision o collecting data or evidence in an organized way

Properly use instruments, equipment, and materials (e.g., scales, probeware, meter sticks, microscopes, computers) including set-up, calibration (if required), technique, maintenance, and storage.

Follow safety guidelines.
SIS3. Analyze and interpret results of scientific investigations.





Present relationships between and among variables in appropriate forms.
Represent data and relationships between and among variables in charts and graphs.
Use appropriate technology (e.g., graphing software) and other tools.
Use mathematical operations to analyze and interpret data results.
Assess the reliability of data and identify reasons for inconsistent results, such as sources of error or uncontrolled conditions.

Use results of an experiment to develop a conclusion to an investigation that addresses the initial questions and supports or refutes the stated hypothesis.

State questions raised by an experiment that may require further investigation.
Throughout course none
Lab throughout the course
What constitutes a valid scientific argument?
How can data support a scientific hypothesis?
Take data in a lab setting.
Make conclusions based on data presented in an article or acquired through experimentation.
Ask questions suggested by experimental conclusions.
Project where students critique a science fiction book for the correctness of the science in the plot. Lab conclusions describing why the lab was done, how it was done, what happened and why the lab works. Science and Technical
Subjects sections of Appendix B, Writing Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical

Assessment Practices:
Subjects6 – 12
Labs