The Rise of Intelligence and Culture SETI Academy Planet Project Revised 2010 Copyright © 1995 SETI Institute All Rights Reserved Printed in the United States of America No part of this publication maybe reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. An exception is made for individual library media specialists and teachers, who may make copies of the logbook and other pages as needed for classroom use in a single school. Other portions of the book (up to 15 pages) may be copied for in-service programs or other educational programs in a single school. TEACHER IDEAS PRESS A Division of Libraries Unlimited, Inc P.O. Box 6633 Englewood, CO 80155~6633 1-800-237-6124 Series Production Editor: Kevin W. Perizzolo Series Copy Editor: Jason Cook Series Proofreader: Ann Marie Damian Series Typesetting and Interior Design: Judy Gay Matthews Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data The Rise of Intelligence and Culture : SETI academy planet project / SETI Institute. xxvi, 277p. 22x28 cm. (Life in the Universe series) Includes bibliographical references and index ISBN 1-56308-326-4 1. Life on other planets--Study and teaching (Elementary) 2. Life on other planets— Study and teaching (Elementary)—Activity programs. 3. Civilization— Extraterrestrial influences—Study and teaching (Elementary) SETI Institute. II. Series. QB54.R48 1995 372.3'5--dc20 94-46537 CIP Contents Scope and Sequence Foreword, Preface Curriculum Development Team Acknowledgments Introduction Mission 1-The Rise of Human Intelligence: Welcome Aboard! Overview Concepts Skills Teacher's Guide Logbook Mission 2-Human Physical Traits and Behaviors: How Do They Contribute to Intelligence? Overview Concepts Skills Teacher's Guide Logbook Mission 3-Physical Traits and Behaviors of Earth Animals: What Species Might Develop Culture? Overview Concepts Skills Teacher's Guide Logbook Mission 4-Cranial Changes: Measuring Hominid Skulls Overview Concepts Skills Teacher's Guide Logbook Mission 5-Early Earth Cultures: Biological and Cultural Adaptations of Humans Overview Concepts Skills Teacher's Guide Logbook Mission 6-Meet Planet Z: Biomes and Habitats on an Alien World Overview Concepts Skills Teacher's Guide Logbook Mission 7-Intelligent Life on Planet Z: Could Beings from Planet Z Develop Technology? Overview Concepts Skills Teacher's Guide Logbook Mission 8-Cultures Evolve on Planet Z: How Might an Extraterrestrial Culture Develop? Overview Concepts Skills Teacher's Guide Logbook Mission 9-Extraterrestrial Communication: Can We Talk To Anybody Out There? Overview Concepts Skills Teacher's Guide Logbook Mission 10-Decoding an Extraterrestrial Message: Figuring Out a “Message from ET” Overview Concepts Skills Teacher's Guide Logbook Mission 11-What Do We Say and How Do We Say It? What Information Do We Want to Send? Overview Concepts Skills Teacher's Guide Logbook Mission 12-Detection: What Could Happen? What Will We Do When We Detect a Signal? Overview Concepts Skills Teacher's Guide Logbook Mission 13-Mission Completed! What Have You Learned? Overview Teacher's Guide Logbook Achievement Award Glossary Appendixes Suggestions for Cutting Costs Teacher Background Information Resources Black-Line Masters Scope and Sequence Life in the Universe Curriculum This scope and sequence is designed to describe the topics presented and the skills practiced in the Life in the Universe series curriculum as they relate to factors in the Drake Equation: (N) = R*fpneFlFiFcL In this equation, N is an estimate of the number of detectable civilizations in the Milky Way Galaxy that have developed the ability to communicate over interstellar distances. If a civilization has such an ability, it most probably arose from the desire to communicate. It follows that such a civilization is probably trying to communicate, just as we are trying. This was the rationale for formulating the Drake Equation, and this is the rationale for the search for extraterrestrial life. Factors in the Drake Equation Related Topics R* = the number of new stars suitable for the Astronomy, Chemistry, Mathematics origin and evolution of intelligent life that are formed in the Milky way Galaxy each year Fp = the fraction of these stars that are formed Astronomy, Mathematics, Physics with planetary systems Ne = the average number of planets in each Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, Ecology, system that can sustain life Physics Fl = the fraction of life-sustaining planets on Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, Ecology, which life actually begins Geology, Meteorology Fj = the fraction of life-sustaining planets on Anthropology, Biology, Geology, Meteorology, which intelligent life evolves Paleontology Fc = the fraction of systems of intelligent Language Arts, Mathematics, Physics, Social creatures that develop the technological means Sciences and the will to communicate over interstellar distances L = the average lifetime of such civilizations in Astronomy, History, Mathematics, a detectable state Paleontology, Social Sciences Life in the Universe Series Topics Skills Grades 3-4 Art Attribute Recognition The Science Detectives Astronomy Cooperative Learning Chemistry Mapping Language Arts Measurement Mathematics Problem Solving Physics Scientific Process Grades 5-6 Art Problem Solving The Evolution of a Planetary Astronomy Cooperative Learning System Biology Scientific Process Ecology Mapping Geography Measurement Geology Inductive Reasoning Language Arts Graphing Mathematics Meteorology Social Sciences Grades 5-6 Art Classification How Might Life Evolve on Other Biology Inductive Reasoning Worlds? Chemistry Laboratory Technique Ecology Mapping Language Arts Microscope Use Mathematics Scientific Process Paleontology Cooperative Learning Social Sciences Grades 5-6 Anthropology Creative Writing The Rise of Intelligence and Art Graphing Culture Biology Laboratory Technique Ecology Mapping Geography Problem Solving Language Arts Cooperative Learning Mathematics Social Sciences Zoology Grades 7-8 Art Cooperative Learning Life: Here? There? Elsewhere? Astronomy Design Biology Graphing Chemistry Inductive Reasoning Comparative Planetology Laboratory Technique Ecology Microscope Use Problem Solving Scientific Process Engineering Language Arts Mathematics Physics Zoology Grades 8-9 Anthropology Cooperative Learning Project Haystack: The Search for Art Design Life in the Galaxy Astronomy Graphing Biology Inductive Reasoning Chemistry Laboratory Technique Ecology Microscope Use Geometry Problem Solving Language Arts Scientific Process Mathematics Physics Trigonometry Zoology Foreword Carl Sagan, Cornell University The possibility of life on other worlds is one of enormous fascination-and properly so. The fact that it's such a persistent and popular theme in books, television, motion pictures, and computer programs must tell us something. But extraterrestrial life has not yet been found-not in the real world, anyway. Through spacecraft to other planets and large radio telescopes to see if anyone is sending us a message, the human species is just beginning a serious search. To understand the prospects, you need to understand something about the evolution of stars, the number and distribution of stars, whether other stars have planets, what planetary environments are like and which ones are congenial for life. Also required are an understanding of the chemistry of organic matter-the stuff of life, at least on this world; laboratory simulations of how organic molecules were made in the early history of Earth and on other worlds; and the chemistry of life on Earth and what it can tell us about the origins of life. Include as well the fossil record and the evolutionary process; how humans first evolved; and the events that led to our present technological civilization without which we'd have no chance at all of understanding and little chance of detecting extraterrestrial life. Every time I make such a list, I'm impressed about how many different sciences are relevant to the search for extraterrestrial life. All of this implies that extraterrestrial life is an excellent way of teaching science. There's a built-in interest, encouraged by the vast engine of the media, and there's a way to use the subject to approach virtually any scientific topic, especially many of the most fundamental ones. In 1966, the Soviet astrophysicist I. S. Shklovskii and I published a book called Intelligent Life in the Universe, which we thought of as an introduction to the subject for a general audience. What surprised me was how many college courses in science found the book useful. Since then, there have been many books on the subject, but none really designed for school curricula. These course guides on life in the universe fill that need. I wish my children were being taught this curriculum in school. I enthusiastically recommend them. Preface Are we alone in the Milky Way Galaxy? Many people think of science fiction stories or tabloid reports about UFO abductions when they hear about the search for intelligent life on other planets. The reality is that many scientists take seriously the possibility of life on other worlds, and some have undertaken the difficult task of discovering if we are the only intelligent beings in our galaxy. Astronomer Frank Drake proposed an equation to estimate the number of civilizations in our galaxy that produce radio waves. We might be able to detect such civilizations with our radio