This is our catalog of courses. We will occasionally adjust the course listing to reflect the addition of new courses and the retirement of others.
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
Prerequisite: None
Suggested grade level: 6th to 8th
Suggested credit: ½ semester Earth and Space Science
Description
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.
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
Materials and Homework
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.
