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Alien Worlds: What Kinds of Life Will We Find on Other Planets?

In this one-week class, students will use life-science facts and information about our universe to imagine what types of life might be found elsewhere in the cosmos. #academic
Stacy Stevenson
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:
(158)
Class

What's included

1 live meeting
55 mins in-class hours

Class Experience

US Grade 7 - 10
With thousands of confirmed planets existing outside our solar system -- a number that continues to grow as astronomers keep searching -- it seems almost certain that life, in some form, exists somewhere else in the universe. But if one day we find this life, what is it likely to be like? Should we expect to only find single-celled organisms, like bacteria? Or advanced civilizations?

In this one-session class, students will engage in an analytical reasoning exercise, using a combination of critical thinking and creativity to imagine what kinds of life might exist elsewhere, basing their opinions and projections on life science from here on Earth. Students will consider, will examples of convergent evolution (a process by which different species have independently evolved in similar ways to one another) mean that life on earth-like planets would likely be similar to that of Earth? Or do the more surprising, unfamiliar species found within the deep seas show that we can only begin to imagine how different life on other planets might be? Perhaps most interesting of all, we will discuss what factors might indicate whether intelligent life is likely to be common, and we will consider whether that life is likely to show similarities to us.

After this class, students will have a greater understanding of important concepts in life science, such as the ways in which the environment affects evolution. Additionally, students will have flexed their analytical and reasoning skills, while also stimulating their imaginations and creativity.

Other Details

External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Joined August, 2020
4.9
158reviews
Profile
Teacher expertise and credentials
Hello there! Thanks for coming to my profile.

Things I love to teach: science, particularly life-sciences, natural history, and evolution; and art, ranging from simple drawings for beginning artists to advanced oil-painting techniques for advanced learners.

Personally, I'm also just a huge fan of science, and I love learning about it, talking about it, and teaching it, particularly focusing on life sciences. As an undergrad at Penn State University, I took as many science classes as I could, dealing with biology, anthropology, psychology, and sociology, and I graduated with high honors with a social-science degree. (Then I got a JD (law degree) from University of Florida.)

When teaching science, I like to use stories, analogies, and graphics to make complex scientific concepts come alive for students. Also, I encourage students to use critical thinking and creativity to work out answers to questions. I believe that not only helps students to understand more difficult topics, but also helps them to retain the information longer.

I was once certified to teach middle school science, high school biology, and middle school social science in Florida, USA, though I never used those certifications in a classroom.

Regarding art, I've been a part-time, professional artist for almost 20 years. I began watercolor painting at the age of 4, switched to oil painting at 9, and have been at it ever since. My art hangs in homes (and some businesses) around the country and on three continents. My typical subjects are landscapes, wildlife, and figures, often covering subjects like predator-prey relationships of natural history and human cultural developments.

Having been home-schooled myself when I was a child, I'm a real fan of that educational style (I plan to home school my daughter), and I'm excited to help other home-schooling parents and their kids to learn.

Have an art, science, or science-art request or idea? I'd love to hear it!

Reviews

Live One-Time Class
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$16

per class
Meets once
55 min

Completed by 68 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 12-17
3-18 learners per class

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