Dawn Classrooms: Dwarf Planets

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Dwarf Planets

The decision by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 2006 to define the terms “planet” and “dwarf planet” has caught the attention of the public and students from grade school to graduate school.

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	Dwarf Planets as a New Way of Thinking About an Old Solar System This middle school activity, developed for NASA’s Dawn mission, utilizes a researched-based instructional strategy called direct vocabulary instruction to help students understand the new definitions of planet and dwarf planet. Grades 5-8 1-3 days + Teacher Guide (PDF 506 Kb) + Student Activity (PDF 313 Kb)
	Examples in the Evolution of Language + Essay (PDF 506 Kb)
	Podcasts From MarK Sykes + 'What Makes a Planet?' Lecture (QT) + What's A Planet, Anyway? (MP3)
	Great Planet Debate An educator's workshop was held on August 16, 2008 to provide a forum on how the planet debate can be used to spark scientific inquiry in the classroom. + Click here to see the official GPD poster + Learn more about the GPD Conference + Video-onDemand--see system requirements for PC/Mac

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