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Marcha A Fox
a book bubble about
Star Trails Compendium
Science Fiction & Fantasy
Author Insight
Science Teachers, I'm on your side!
Learning should be fun, which is often antithetical for math and science. Yet kids and adults alike love science fiction. How many of today's engineers and scientists were inspired by the original Star Wars movie that came out in the late 1970s? So how can today's teachers, who are already overworked and challenged enough, not only teach these subjects but make them fun? How about a science fiction series that contains real science and demonstrates its relevance to life? And while we're at it, let's include a companion volume which expands upon a variety of principles introduced in the stories. Then let's throw in a special section for educators with chapter by chapter lesson plans and discussion topics, providing ready-made extra credit for advanced students. And best of all, let's make it FREE! (At least everywhere but Amazon who's a bit uncooperative and makes me charge $0.99.) Here's a small sample of the education section for "Beyond the Hidden Sky." But what are you waiting for when you can get the entire volume for free?
Book Excerpt
Star Trails Compendium
Volume I: Beyond the Hidden Sky
Family dynamics: How sibling quarrels can produce dire consequences, i.e. be careful what you wish for.
Right-brain or left-brain, logic versus intuition and its affect on learning style and communications.
Consequences of impulsive behavior.
Assumptions can bring considerable risks when not backed by facts.
Being responsible for one's choices as well as their affect on others.
Basics of Kepler's Laws of orbital dynamics and Newton's Laws of motion.
Einstein's Special and General Relativity theories and their application to space travel including time dilation and theory behind warp drive technology.
Effects of zero gravity, need for countermeasures to maintain physical strength.
Metaphysical speculations, e.g. thoughts become things, consciousness' effects on reality, telepathy.
Chapters 1 - 2
1. Creena and Dirck clearly don't get along. What are their basic differences?
Creena is driven by feelings, emotion and intuition while Dirck prides himself on being logical. Is one approach better than the other? Why?
2. Creena is upset and frustrated by the conditions onboard the Aquarius. There is no privacy which is part of the problem but in addition the technology on Mira III helped mitigate feelings through "holographix" which offered soothing colors and sounds as well as other environmental effects to keep people calm. Do you think that such technologies would help control emotions? What is the difference between controlling and suppressing?
3. Creena wants to get away from everyone. Some individuals need solitude to "recharge" and others seek out friends or activities. Which one are you?
4. What was the first mistake that Creena made? Did she know it was wrong? How did she rationalize her decision? When you have to talk yourself into doing something is it usually right or wrong? How much was driven by logic and how much by emotion?
5. Once inside the escape pod did she immediately know what it was? Why not? It looked like a mini-learning module. What additional mistakes did she make? What had her father told her that would have kept her from activating the pod if she had followed his advice?
6. The INTEGRATOR notes that "Mirans were so very easy to deceive." Why?
They are predictable in their actions.
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