STUDENT GUIDE
Scientists Find an “Earth Twin,” or Perhaps a Cousin
Is there enough evidence in the article to determine if Kepler 186f is really as similar to Earth as the title suggests? Support your argument with evidence from the text.
View this lesson at ThinkCERCA
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Table of Contents
Skills Focus
Overview and Connect
Read and Check
Analyze / Engage with the Text
Summarize
Develop / Build Your Argument
Draft and Review / Create your CERCA
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Extension Activities
Definition | Facts and Characteristics___ |
Examples | Non-examples___ |
Vocabulary Word:�
GRAVITY
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SKILLS FOCUS
Build Your Vocabulary: �Frayer Model — Gravity �
The Frayer Model helps you learn vocabulary from different angles.
Frayer Model
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SKILLS FOCUS
Cornell Notes: Asking Questions and Defining Problems
What is a phenomenon? | A phenomenon is… |
List two types of scientific questions. | Two types of scientific questions are… |
What does asking scientific questions lead to? | Asking scientific questions leads to… |
Instructions: Take notes on the Direct Instruction lesson using the organizer below. Then summarize and reflect on the next page.
Complete the Direct Instruction lesson online at learn.thinkcerca.com
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SKILLS FOCUS
Cornell Notes: Asking Questions and Defining Problems
Summarize and Reflect
In your own words and in complete sentences, write a 3–4 sentence summary of this Direct Instruction lesson. An accurate summary will cover the lesson's central ideas and include important details to support those ideas.
Record your summary here:
OVERVIEW AND CONNECT
Find Your Purpose for Learning
Instructions: When you have finished reading the Overview for this lesson, answer the following questions in the space below:
What more would you like to learn about the properties that would be needed to survive on another planet? What would you like to know about how scientists might prove that there could be life on other planets?
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Read the Overview provided at learn.thinkcerca.com
OVERVIEW AND CONNECT
Share Your Personal Connection
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Complete the Connect section for this selection at learn.thinkcerca.com
Instructions:�
READ
Share Your Reflections
Instructions: During or after you have finished reading, find the questions in the text marked Pause and Reflect. These questions may help you understand the text, or they may help you connect the text to yourself, to other texts, or to the world around you.
Use the space on the left below to answer the reflection questions. Then discuss your answers, noting how they were similar or different.
Record “Pause and Reflect” answers here:
Record discussion reflections here:
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Refer to the Pause and Reflect questions within the Read section of the lesson at learn.thinkcerca.com.
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CHECK
Test Prep Strategy: Prediction
One way to prepare for assessments is to practice looking for the answers in the text before looking at the answer choices. Use prediction strategies as an opportunity to read a text more carefully.
Read each multiple choice question. In your own words, record your prediction of the correct response in the chart below.
Question on ThinkCERCA | What is the question asking you to do? |
Example: Which of the following statements best explains how the passage is structured? | Look for details on the order of ideas in the passage, like order of importance, or cause and effect. |
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Refer to the multiple choice questions for this lesson at learn.thinkcerca.com.
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ANALYZE / ENGAGE WITH THE TEXT
Highlight and Annotate
In this step, you will analyze the text closely, then discuss your findings to begin developing reasoning for your argument.
Return to learn.thinkcerca.com to complete Analyze / Engage with the Text.
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SUMMARIZE
Write a Summary
Summaries help you process your thinking about a text and are often a great way to start off an argumentative or informational essay. A good summary shows you have knowledge about a topic.
Practicing summarizing also helps you prepare for the main idea questions posed on many standardized assessments. In addition, summarizing is a helpful skill for working with others, such as when you need to confirm your understanding of what someone else has said. That's a useful skill for all parts of life.
Return to learn.thinkcerca.com to complete Summarize.
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DEVELOP / BUILD YOUR ARGUMENT
Share your Argument Builder
When you’ve completed the argument building step, share your results with others, and listen to how they responded to the same question. Ask questions, and give feedback to help strengthen your partners’ reasons and evidence.
Is there enough evidence in the article to determine if Kepler 186f is really as similar to Earth as the title suggests? Support your argument with evidence from the text. | |
Share Your Argument | Listen and Record Others |
1. | |
2. | |
3. | |
Complete Develop / Build Your Argument to begin building your argument at learn.thinkcerca.com
DRAFT AND REVIEW / CREATE YOUR CERCA
Peer Editing Activity
Complete your Draft at learn.thinkcerca.com
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DRAFT AND REVIEW / CREATE YOUR CERCA
Reflect on Your Writing
Before you submit your final CERCA, write a brief reflection describing your experience.
An area for growth for me on this piece or in my writing in general is…
The strongest areas of this piece of writing are…
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Through self-assessment and/or peer editing, I learned…
Extension Activities
The following activities can be used as extensions to this lesson.
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OPTIONAL EXTENSION : SPACE PROBE EXPLORATION
SPACE PROBES
Background
In this ten minute video, seven active space probes will be reviewed. These range from Opportunity, a land roving probe on Mars to Dawn, a probe that continues to move around the solar system capturing important data. In the spaces below, take some notes and then answer the reflection questions on the next page.
Activity
First, watch this video. Please note that you may want to watch it multiple times to get full information. As you are watching the video, complete the table below.
Probe Name | Description | One interesting fact |
Opportunity | | |
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OPTIONAL EXTENSION : SPACE PROBE EXPLORATION
SPACE PROBES
Reflection
Which of the seven probes noted above interests you the most? Why?
Which of the probes has the highest likelihood of life? Why?
If you were a space explorer, where might you want to send a probe? Why?
What are the most important space exploration opportunities right now? Why?
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OPTIONAL EXTENSION : INQUIRY TO RESEARCH
Ask Questions of the Texts
As you engage with texts in any subject, you can actively ask questions about the author’s purpose, intended audience, and occasion to understand the message. The table below provides examples.
Approaches | Example |
Questions about the author | Is the author an authority on this topic? What was the author’s motivation in writing this piece? |
Questions about the audience, purpose, and occasion of the text | Why was this article written? Why was it published at this time? |
Questions about civics, economics, geography, and history | What properties would be needed to survive on another planet? |
Questions about concepts and ideas | How might scientists prove that there could be life on other planets? |
Questions about self and community reflections | Why do people find the idea of life outside of Earth so interesting to study? |
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OPTIONAL EXTENSION : INQUIRY TO RESEARCH
Ask Questions of the Texts (continued)
Use the table below to record questions about the text you read.
Approaches | Questions |
Questions about the author | |
Questions about the audience, purpose, and occasion of the text | |
Questions about civics, economics, geography, and history | |
Questions about concepts and ideas | |
Self and Community Reflections | |
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