Abstract
"This study was designed to ascertain (1) what objects in outer space first, second, and third graders have heard about or seen, (2) what concepts these children have concerning objects in space, (3) what children know about space exploration, and (4) from what sources children have obtained their information.
Possible sources of children's information were examined and described. The concepts about astronomy found in three primary grad science series were tallied by using publishers' scope and sequence charts. These, children's questions, and classroom discussions were used to construct and pretest an interview guide.
One hundred fifty tape recorded interviews with primary grade children in three Wisconsin counties were conducted to survey children's concepts of astronomy and their sources on information. Children's comments were classified and tabulated. Jurors, working independently, helped to validate this procedure."
