Cohen Andrew

This second edition presents various principles for guiding teachers through the assessment process (dictation, close summary, oral interview, role-plays and portfolio assessment techniques).

Human life is a staggeringly strange thing. On the surface of a ball of rock falling around a nuclear fireball in the blackness of a vacuum the laws of nature conspired to create a naked ape that can look up at the stars and wonder where it came from. What is a human being? Objectively, nothing of consequence. Particles of dust in an infinite arena, present for an instant in eternity. Clumps of atoms in a universe with more galaxies than people. And yet a human being is necessary for the question itself to exist, and the presence of a question in the universe - any question - is the most wonderful thing. Questions require minds, and minds bring meaning. What is meaning? I don't know, except that the universe and every pointless speck inside it means something to me. I am astonished by the existence of a single atom, and find my civilisation to be an outrageous imprint on reality. I don't understand it. Nobody does, but it makes me smile. This book asks questions about our origins, our destiny, and our place in the universe. We have no right to expect answers; we have no right to even ask. But ask and wonder we do. Human Universe is first and foremost a love letter to humanity; a celebration of our outrageous fortune in existing at all. I have chosen to write my letter in the language of science, because there is no better demonstration of our magnificent ascent from dust to paragon of animals than the exponentiation of knowledge generated by science. Two million years ago we were apemen. Now we are spacemen. That has happened, as far as we know, nowhere else. That is worth celebrating.

Sunday Times Bestseller A breathtaking and beautiful exploration of our planet, this groundbreaking book accompanies the acclaimed BBC TV series, providing the deepest answers to the simplest questions. How did life on Earth begin? What is the nature of space and time? What are the chances that we will discover life on other worlds? Forces of Nature takes you from the mid-Atlantic ridge in Iceland, the volcanoes of Indonesia and the precipitous cliffs in Nepal, to the manatees off the coast of Florida and the northern lights of the Arctic, in search of the fundamental laws that govern our world. These universal laws shape everything, from the structure of snowflakes to the elegant spirals of the galaxies. By seeking to understand the everyday world - the colours, structure, behaviour and history of our home - we can step beyond the everyday and approach the Universe beyond. Think you know our planet? Think again.

'So staggering you go "whoa!" every few seconds' Guardian 'Really impressive' Eamonn Holmes, ITV This Morning A companion book to the critically acclaimed BBC series. The bestselling authors of Wonders of the Universe are back with another blockbuster, a groundbreaking exploration of our Solar System as it has never been seen before. Mercury, a lifeless victim of the Sun's expanding power. Venus, once thought to be lush and fertile, now known to be trapped within a toxic and boiling atmosphere. Mars, the red planet, doomed by the loss of its atmosphere. Jupiter, twice the size of all the other planets combined, but insubstantial. Saturn, a stunning celestial beauty, the jewel of our Solar System. Uranus, the sideways planet and the first ice giant. Neptune, dark, cold and whipped by supersonic winds. Pluto, the dwarf planet, a frozen rock. Andrew Cohen and Professor Brian Cox take readers on a voyage of discovery, from the fiery heart of our Solar System, to its mysterious outer reaches. They touch on the latest discoveries that have expanded our knowledge of the planets, their moons and how they come to be.

Taking readers on a breathtaking visual and scientific adventure, renowned physicist Brian Cox reveals the Solar System as you have never seen it before: from Saturn's moons, where giant ice fountains spout into space and oceans are made of liquid methane, to Jupiter, where storms rage that are twice the size of Earth and giant super-volcanoes dominate its tortured moon of Io. Professor Cox takes you on a journey of discovery where alien worlds become places you can see and explore. He introduces you to the planets and moons beyond our world, finding the biggest and most bizarre and powerful natural phenomena. He visits some of the most spectacular and extreme locations here on Earth to unveil what our planet can reveal about the wonders of the Solar System. Employing his trademark authoritative yet down-to-earth approach, Brian explores how these previously unseen phenomena have dramatically expanded our horizons with new discoveries about the planets, their moons, and how they came to be the way they are. Includes 500 diagrams and full-color photographs

This second edition presents various principles for guiding teachers through the assessment process (dictation, close summary, oral interview, role-plays and portfolio assessment techniques).