Life in the Universe Curriculum FAQs
What is the Life in the Universe Curriculum?
Who developed them?
Who are the target students?
How many teaching packages are there?
What is the subject of each package, and the appropriate grade levels?
What is included in each package?
Have these been tested?
Have they been reviewed?
How do I obtain the guides?
The Life in the Universe curriculum is a set of resources designed to bring the excitement of searching for life beyond Earth into elementary and middle school classrooms. It explores the many facets of how scientists are trying to answer these questions: Where did life come from? What is its future? Are we alone?
The SETI Institute, with funding from the National Science Foundation, joined with a team of educators, curriculum developers, and scientists to create these award-winning classroom materials. SETI Institute scientists researching the varied disciplines of astrobiology share their expertise and experiences.
The curriculum is targeted to a range of students from elementary through middle school, depending on the teaching package.
The Science Detectives, grades 3-4: the Solar System and States of Matter
The SETI Academy Planet Project Volume 1: The Evolution of a Planetary System, grades 5-6: Earth Science
The SETI Academy Planet Project Volume 2: How Might Life Evolve on Other Worlds, grades 5-6: Life Science
The SETI Academy Planet Project Volume 3: The Rise of Intelligence and Culture, grades 5-6: Paleontology and Sociology
Life: Here? There? ElseWhere? The Search for Life on Venus and Mars, grades 7-8: Biology
Project Haystack: The Search for Life in the Galaxy, grades 8-9: Astronomy and SETI Science
Each package contains a supplemental teacher's science guide with sequential, interdiscipinary, hands-on science activities, a videotape, and a poster to complement the guides.
The guides have been nationally tested in a variety of schools representing a broad range of students.
Yes, by such sources as Science Books and Film, Space Frontier News, and THINK. Click here to see the reviews.
The Life in the Universe curriculum Guides Planet Project volumes 2 and 3 were designated "Best Children's Science Book" by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
The guides can be downloaded as free PDF Files insert http://www.seti.org/epo/litu