What lies out there in the distance? And what lies beyond? How did it all begin? Are we alone in this vast universe? These questions have occupied human beings throughout history and continue to do so today. The Space program invites you to "touch" the heavenly bodies and learn of worlds that are different from, yet very much the same as, our planet Earth.

You will learn about the origin of the universe, the development of galaxies, various processes in the solar system, and the birth and death of stars. In the learning environment, you will also have an opportunity to "touch" the technology and scientific research that have accompanied space travel from its earliest days, as well as to join an effort that is common to us all - the attempt to decipher the riddle of the universe.

With its combination of an extensive knowledge base which includes the planets of our solar system, the sun, galaxies, constellations, stars, and the universe with project-oriented investigations and provocative ideas for creative writing, the Space program provides a focused, interactive environment for exploring phenomena in the universe.

The rationale

The rich learning environment of Space is aimed at providing Middle and High School students and other interested individuals with the skills associated with gaining knowledge about the universe, galaxies, solar systems, planets and their satellites. The knowledge base of the program concentrates on seven major themes that are inherent in a study of the universe: The Big Bang theory, Universality of the Laws of Physics, Organization of the Universe, Scale and Measurement, Changing locations of Celestial Bodies, Evolution of scientific theories, and Earth.

The objectives of the program are:

• To provide students with the skills associated with dealing with different concepts of time - a year, a month, a day, and becoming acquainted with the relationship between our concepts of time and the motion of objects in the universe.
• Help students achieve an understanding of the theories and models of space phenomena.
• The students will learn about the location in space of various types of objects, and the hierarchy of structures in the universe.
• To provide students with the skills of dealing with large units of measurement - scales of distance: the light year and the astronomical unit.

Highlights

• A rich multimedia knowledge base about the universe, the bodies in it, tools used in studying them, and the highlights of astronomical research past and present.
• 36 entries presented in the form of written text, narration, photographs, sounds, animated sequences, and full-screen video segments.
• Research projects, Internet-based activities, and writing assignments that focus on the information presented in the program.
• An electronic glossary provides definitions of terms and concepts found in the knowledge base, and hypermedia links take you to related information.
• Direct access to external productivity tools -- a word processor, a drawing program, presentation software, and a spreadsheet.