The Cosmic Perspective 10e ©2024
Core Code Alignment
Science
Physics
08060000010: Astronomy
Physics
08060000010: Astronomy
Recommendation
Recommended Primary
Evaluation
Overall, this resource collection is great. The book is very extensive and very thorough. It would be very hard to cover all of the material covered in this textbook in a semester-long Astronomy course. It is suggested that this be used for a year-long course or only use certain chapters in the book. The reviewers agreed that the large amount and variety of homework and review questions was great. The assessments (both summative and formative) include short answer, long answer, math (ranging from pre-algebra level to pre-calculus levels, depending on the concept), conceptual, multiple choice, and observations. The reviewers liked the inclusion of the "supplemental chapters". These include explanations of concepts like "sidereal days" and the "building block of the universe". These are shorter sections with great graphics and conceptual explanations. The reviewers also liked the graphics, data sets, constellation charts, and sky maps. The resources encouraged observations and include many "See it For Yourself" sections. The teacher resources are fantastic and include PowerPoints, solutions guides (not just the answers, but the worked out solutions), and ways to track student progress. The reviewers found some typos (for example, on page 477 it reads "Idas", rather than "Ideas"). Hopefully, these will be corrected in future editions of the resources. The reviewers had some concerns about the math level in this book. Although the reviewers liked that the math was accessible for most students in 10th or 11th grade, some of the explanations tried to oversimplify the math and made the explanations confusing. This was the case in the first few chapters. In later chapters, the math become more straight forward and the explanations were easier to follow. Some of the later chapters do include logarithms, so it would be necessary for the teacher to be aware of the math levels of their students.
Educators Using These Materials
No educators found.
Material Categories
No categories assigned.
Rubric : Science 2025
Final recommendation published; partial rubric scores available.
Standards
| Item | 3 - Extensive | 2 - Adequate | 1 - Inadequate | 0 - None | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Presence of Three Dimensions of Science: Builds understanding of the science and engineering practices (SEPs), disciplinary core ideas (DCIs), and crosscutting concepts (CCCs). i. Provides opportunities to develop and use specific elements of the SEP(s) ii. Provides opportunities to develop and use specific elements of the DCI(s) iii. Provides opportunities to develop and use specific elements of the CCC(s) | 3 of the Criteria Indicators are met | 2 of the Criteria Indicators are met | 1 of the Criteria Indicators are met | None of the Criteria Indicators are met | ||
| This is achieved through the many ways provided to learn and dive deeper into the concepts with simulations, tutorials, discussion questions and activities, videos, text, images, and different ways and options for showing learning through the types of questions asked and ways to answer them. | ||||||
| Integration of Three Dimensions of Science: Materials integrate elements of the SEPs, CCCs, and DCIs for student sense‐making: Three dimensions of science (SEPs, CCCs, and DCIs) are integrated (consistently utilized in conjunction with each other) to help students make sense of phenomenon and solve problems. | Three dimensions of science (SEPs, CCCs, and DCIs) are consistently integrated. | Three dimensions of science are integrated in certain portions of the instructional material. | Three dimensions of science are rarely integrated in the instructional material. | Three dimensions of science (SEPs, CCCs, and DCIs) are separated and not integrated for student sense making. | ||
| This resource includes a lot of simulations, tutorials, and reading text. Throughout the entire resource, students have the chance to make sense of phenomenon and solve problems. | ||||||
| Alignment to Standards: The DCI Concepts (science content) in the instructional materials align to the Utah Science with Engineering Education (SEEd) Standards | DCI concepts (science content) in the instructional material align to 100% the SEEd Standards for the Grade/Course. | DCI concepts (science content) in the instructional material align to 75% the SEEd Standards for the Grade/Course. | DCI concepts (science content) in the instructional material align to 50% the SEEd Standards for the Grade/Course. | DCI concepts (science content) in the instructional material align to less than 50% the SEEd Standards for the Grade/Course. | ||
| The student resources cover all of the required science content for Astronomy. In fact, this book covers much more than the required content. It would be extremely difficult to cover all of the material in this book during a semester long course. The reviewers recommend that this book be used for a year long course, or that the teacher choose not to use the entire textbook and cover the required content (and a few more chapters, if desired). This textbook resource is very extensive. | ||||||
| Scientific Accuracy: Uses scientifically accurate and grade‐appropriate scientific information, phenomena, and representations to support students’ three‐dimensional learning. | Instructional materials are scientifically accurate and grade appropriate. | N/A | N/A | Instructional materials are NOT scientifically accurate and grade appropriate. | ||
| The scientific content is accurate, grade-appropriate, has historical information as well as current real-world phenomena. Although this book uses more of a conceptual approach and does lean toward simplifying concepts, it does not over-generalize and does keep definitions and explanations accurate. | ||||||
Pedagogy
| Item | 3 - Extensive | 2 - Adequate | 1 - Inadequate | 0 - None | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Focus on Phenomena (Science) or Problems (Engineering): Making sense of phenomena and/or designing solutions to a problem drive student learning. i. Student questions and prior experiences related to the phenomenon or problem motivate sense‐making and/or problem solving ii. The focus of the lesson is to support students in making sense of phenomena and/or designing solutions to problems iii. When engineering is a learning focus, it is integrated with developing disciplinary core ideas from physical, life, and/or earth and space sciences | 3 of the Criteria Indicators are met | 2 of the Criteria Indicators are met | 1 of the Criteria Indicators are met | None of the Criteria Indicators are met | ||
| This book starts many chapters with a question about a phenomenon (as a hook) and then uses the chapter to explain the phenomenon. At the end of many chapters, there are sections called "See if For Yourself" (or similar titles.) These sections ask students to try a short experiment or to look at the night sky to find the answer to a question. The focus on phenomenon-driven instruction was found throughout the text, simulations, and tutorials. The resources provides opportunities to learn and dive deeper into the concepts with simulations, tutorials, discussion questions and activities, videos, text, images, and different ways and options for showing learning through the types of questions asked and ways to answer them. | ||||||
| Scaffolding: Identifies and builds on students’ prior learning in all three dimensions i. Provides supports to help students engage in the practices and gradually adjusts supports over time so that students are increasingly responsible for making sense of phenomena and/or designing solutions to problems (Required) ii. Explicitly identifies prior student learning expected for all three dimensions iii. Clearly explains how the prior learning will be built upon | 3 of the Criteria Indicators are met | 2 of the Criteria Indicators are met (i MUST BE MET) | Only Criteria Indicator i has been met | None of the Criteria Indicators are met | ||
| This resource does provide supports for students to engage in the practices. For example, in the homework sections, there are links to reference videos, constellation charts, graphs, vocabulary, and star charts. The reviewers could not find any "explicit identification" or building upon prior learning with "gradually adjusted supports over time" to scaffold learning and support. The teacher would be responsible for looking at the student risk data, creating groups of students who need similar support, and assigning assignments/content according to student needs. | ||||||
| Teacher Supports: Supports teachers in facilitating coherent student learning experiences over time i. Provides strategies for linking student engagement across lessons (e.g. cultivating new student questions at the end of a lesson in a way that leads to future lessons) ii. Providing strategies for ensuring student sense‐making and/or problem‐solving is linked to learning in all three dimensions (e.g. Claim Evidence Reasoning-CER Framework for communicating sense-making, teacher probing questions) iii. Provides additional resources for student learning (e.g. Models, simulations, and/or data sets for students investigation) | 3 of the Criteria Indicators are met | 2 of the Criteria Indicators are met | 1 of the Criteria Indicators are met | None of the Criteria Indicators are met | ||
| The teacher resources are very thorough. In the teacher guide, there are helpful lesson ideas and topics for discussion, or notes for discussion. The material is evidence driven and recent (for example, there is new data from the Mars Rover recent mission). In the teacher resources, there are detailed solutions to end of chapter problems, not just the answer, but the whole solution. There are both PDF and word files for the solutions. There are PowerPoints with lots of graphics. There are question banks for both the chapters and for the supplemental sections. In the gradebook, it allows the teacher to track and assess student risk data and create notices to the teacher so that the teacher can create an action plan/study plan for students who are struggling and for students who may need more in depth discovery to broaden their concept mastery. There are many strategies for ensuring student sense‐making and/or problem‐solving is linked to learning in all three dimensions. The resource does this through discussion questions, multiple voice questions, interactive simulations and online labs, essay questions (CER) and short answer questions. | ||||||
| Assessments: Includes formative, summative, and guidance measures for interpreting student performances that assess three‐dimensional science learning. i. Embeds formative assessment processes throughout conceptual development that surfaces student understanding to inform instruction ii. Embeds summative assessment processes following conceptual development that evaluate student learning and measure understanding iii. Includes aligned rubrics or scoring guidelines that provide guidance for interpreting student performance | 3 of the Criteria Indicators are met | 2 of the Criteria Indicators are met | 1 of the Criteria Indicators are met | None of the Criteria Indicators are met | ||
| This is a large variety of assessment opportunities in this resource. The textbook has section questions to check for understanding (formative assessments) and then end of chapter questions that are multiple choice, higher level thinking questions that ask for well thought out answers to real-world scenarios, discussion questions to aid in deeper learning with a peer, and mathematic real-world problems to solve (ones that scientists use in the field). In the gradebook, it allows the teacher to track and assess student risk data and creates notices to the teacher so that the teacher can create an action plan/study plan for students who are struggling. The questions vary from "easy" to "hard" and from conceptual to mathematical. | ||||||
Accessibility
| Item | 3 - Extensive | 2 - Adequate | 1 - Inadequate | 0 - None | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Relevant and Authentic: Engages students in authentic and meaningful scenarios that reflect the practice of science and engineering as experienced in the real world. i. Students experience phenomena or design problems as directly as possible (first-hand or through media representations) ii. Includes suggestions for how to connect instruction to the students' home, neighborhood, community and/or culture as appropriate iii. Provides opportunities for students to connect their explanation of a phenomenon and/or their design solution to a problem to questions from their own experience | 3 of the 4 Criteria Indicators are met | 2 of the 4 Criteria Indicators are met | 1 of the 4 Criteria Indicators are met | None of the 4 Criteria Indicators are met | ||
| Students experience phenomena through simulated labs as well as hands-on investigations (like looking at the night sky and identifying constellations, galaxies, etc.). There are cultural references to concepts and explanations of how different cultures have interpreted the night sky. The reviewers didn't see many suggestions for connecting instruction to the student's homes, neighborhood, or community, but there are plenty of investigations that students can, of course, share with their community. In the tutorials, students have the opportunity to make predictions to explain various phenomena. The text and simulations don't necessarily give students a chance to connect to their own experiences, but the discussions and group activities do provide this chance. | ||||||
| Teacher Supports for Diverse Learners: Provides guidance for teachers to support differentiated instruction i. Includes appropriate reading, writing, listening, and/or speaking alternatives (e.g., translations, picture support, graphic organizers, etc.) for students who are English language learners, have special needs, or read well below grade level ii. Provides extra support (e.g., phenomena, representations, tasks) for students who are struggling to meet the targeted expectations iii. Provides extensions for students with high interest or who have already met the performance expectations to develop a deeper understanding of the practices, disciplinary core ideas, and crosscutting concepts | 3 of the Criteria Indicators are met | 2 of the Criteria Indicators are met | 1 of the Criteria Indicators are met | None of the Criteria Indicators are met | ||
| The "Teacher Item" library provides usage statistics to see how students are doing and what they are and aren’t understanding. There are multiple picture supports, reading supports, listening supports, and note taking options (although the reviewers would have liked to see a graphic organizer to support note taking). If students need extra support, there is an AI option to ask for help and there is a “review” option in the virtual labs to review the text that corresponds to the concept in the lab. There is also the search for glossary terms and concepts. This resources also provides extensions for students with high interest. There are self-paced study options for students that include text, vocabulary flashcards, conceptual questions, group discussions, online interactives, online simulations, self-paced tutorials on different topics, and much more. | ||||||
| Accessible for all students: Engages students using methods, vocabulary, representations, and examples that are accessible and unbiased for all learners (e.g., Deaf and Blind, English Learners, Gifted and Talented, Special Education). | Instructional Materials are accessible for all students | N/A | N/A | Instructional Materials are NOT accessible for all students | ||
| The textbook and other resources offer many options for all types of learners. There is a read aloud option with additional options to speed up or down the reading, rewind and fast forward to either a paragraph or 10 seconds ahead, and read-along that highlights the test as it is read to you. When text is highlighted a menu pops up that offers an AI study tool, option to create flashcards out of terms or concepts, and translate the text into 138 different languages. The text contains bolded, underlined text for important terms that pop up with an explanation and an option to learn more about it. Students can highlight and take notes inside the text, make notes, share notes, select a word in the text and search selection to learn more about it, and customize the menu options. The videos in the text do provide closed captions in English and German. All images in the text can be clicked on to make larger. Text can be changed for font, background color and size. When using the course coaching activities, students can select a section of text and have google translate it. The review questions contain a variety of question types including vocabulary, sentence completion, labeling, sorting, ranking, diagrams, graphing, essay and short answers. | ||||||
UTAH STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION
250 East 500 South
Salt Lake City, UT 84111-3204
Phone: 801.538.7807