Reviewed by Shannon Cde Baca
Lead Teacher/science
Craters! is a joint project between NSTA, the Planetary Society, and NASA. It provides a wonderful blend of some familiar labs (optics) and a central theme from planetology (impact studies) that is well suited for secondary classes. This well-designed, teacher-friendly resource illustrates great teaching methods.
Most of the 20 labs in Craters! are structured for groups of two to four students, but there are some larger group activities and some independent investigations. The labs go far beyond the craters of the Moon--students investigate geometric measurement, models and photographs, distributions, kinetic energy, mass extinctions, the K/T impact theory, and the possibility of future Earth impacts. Although light in the chemistry area, the book touches on every other science discipline from biology to physics. There is also some essential mathematics, concentrating on basic probability and geometry. The skills are presented in context and well integrated. Teacher preparation for these activities is thorough and the materials are easy to locate.
A wealth of information, including websites, government agencies, photographs, charts, and diagrams makes this book well worth the price. A wonderful CD-ROM is also included that is loaded with impact photographs from almost every planetary body, including Earth. The extensions for more advanced students are rich with ideas for further study. I was particularly impressed with the fact that as soon as a student finishes one area there is another to follow, showing students how one scientific question always leads to another.
Earth science teachers will find Craters! a great source of activities, and physics teachers will welcome these explorations as a way to bring abstract ideas “down to Earth.” I would also recommend Craters! to any methods instructor as an example of what an excellent interdisciplinary science unit should look like.
Review posted on 6/6/2001
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