Six-week NASA-based integrated STEM Earth/Space curriculum unit

Design · All designs
Evidence · 3 claims (2 for, 1 mixed) · 1 study (1 causal), q2 · 1 of 1 report an effect size · 3 claims rest on one study

Description

An integrated, NASA-based Earth/Space curriculum implemented over six weeks by two experimental teachers, contrasted with a control teacher's regular Earth/Space lessons of the same duration. The article states "7reatment teachers employed an integrated 1ASA-based cXrricXlXm over a si[x-Zeek period Zhile the control teacher implemented her regXlar (arth/Space lessons for the same time dXration." Weekly activities (Table 1) included lunar journaling for five weeks, Stellarium software, 3D Earth-Moon-Sun modeling activities, altitude/azimuth angle measurement and graphing, longitude/latitude work, and scaling activities with balloons; some lessons were not part of the NASA-based curriculum.

Design Implications

Context

Requirements

• Teachers implementing it for the first time in the state needed the unit timeline, lesson topics, and instructional formats outlined in Table 1

Constraints

• This was the first time the NASA-based curriculum was implemented by teachers in this state
• Some weekly activities (marked with asterisks in Table 1) were not part of the NASA-based curriculum

Target Learners

• sixth-grade students in a south-central US school (84% White, 25% eligible for reduced-price lunches)

Learning Goals

• Earth/Space science content on the Solar System
• spatial mathematics reasoning including cardinal directions and periodic patterns

Claims

• Lpci Domain Gains Differ By Curriculum Group [+M]
• Gsa Gains Females Only [~M]
• Both control and experimental sixth-grade groups made statistically significant overall gains on the Lunar Phases Concept Inventory from pre to post [+M]

Related Designs

Examples

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Key Sources

• Jennifer Wilhelm, Christa Jackson, Amber Sullivan, Ron Wilhelm. (2009). Factors Influencing Middle School Students' Spatial Mathematics Development While Participating in an Integrated STEM Unit. https://eric.ed.gov/?q=Factors+Influencing+Middle+School+Students+Spatial+Mathematics+Development

Page metadata

Field	Value
type	design
id	nasa-based-integrated-stem-earth-space-unit
title	Six-week NASA-based integrated STEM Earth/Space curriculum unit
description	An integrated, NASA-based Earth/Space curriculum implemented over six weeks by two experimental teachers, contrasted with a control teacher's regular Earth/Space lessons of the same duration.
status	review
generated	by process:settle-candidates on 2026-11-01
trust	unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content
sources	1 — jennifer-wilhelm-2009

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