Project ASTRO-Tucson Workshop
Astronomers and Educators as Partners for Learning
If the Sun is a bowling ball ... This group photo from the Project ASTRO
training workshop shows participants in front of the Flandrau Science
Center on the University of Arizona campus in Tucson, AZ. Forty six
astronomers and teachers met for two days and learned hands-on activities for
teaching astronomy in the classroom. Highlights of the November 1996 workshop
are presented on this Web page.
Thursday, November 21, China Rose Restaurant, Speedway &
Rosemont
6:00 - 7:30 Ice Breaker & Dinner
7:30 - 9:00 Tour of the Universe Slide Show (A. Fraknoi)
Friday, November 22, Flandrau Science Center
Mezzanine
8:00 - 8:30 Check In
- Get your copy of The Universe at Your Fingertips
- Find and sit with partner
8:30 - 9:30 Overview & Introductions
- Philosophy
- Skim through the Resource Book (A. Fraknoi)
9:30 - 10:30 Unraveling Student Preconceptions in
Astronomy (Dennis Schatz, Pacific Science Center)
10:30 - 10:45 Break
10:45 - 11:45 Quality Astronomy Activities that Work
-I. (Dennis Schatz)
11:45 - 1:00 Lunch at UA Student Union
1:00 - 2:00 Quality Astronomy Activities that Work
-II. (Nancy and Larry Lebofsky)
2:00 - 3:00 What Makes a Good Partnership
(J.Richter)
- Activity and Small Group Discussion
3:00 - 3:45 Break & Planning (J. Richter)
- Introduction with suggestions
- Planning Time
- Pick up ASTRO kits
3:45 - 4:00 Announcements
Saturday, November 23, Flandrau Science Center
Mezzanine
8:00 - 8:15 Check In
8:15 - 10:00 Quality Astronomy Activities that Work -
III.
The following activities about the size and scale of the Solar System
will provide an opportunity to take an activity from the notebook and
modify it to an individual classroom situation. Dennis Schatz will
introduce the activity and local staff will lead small group activity
and discussion:
- The Thousand Yard Model
outdoor activity
- Small group reports on modifying activity to classroom
- evaluate usefulness of activity
- relevance to individual classroom situation
- possible modifications
10:00 - 11:00 Quality Astronomy Activities that Work
-IV.
- Hale-Bopp Update w/ Hyakutake video (Dean Ketelsen)
- Build Your Own Comet
- Comet Flip-Books (D. Schatz)
(<===) Nancy Webster apprehensively examines the comet model she and
partner Bob Gent created using dry ice, unusually dark dirt, and additional
ingredients.
Rudi Islas and Randi Holler receive instruction from Dennis Schatz (center,
partially blocked) on the finer points of making a comet model. (===>)
11:00 - 11:45 Breakout Sessions, Astronomers &
Teachers
- voice concerns, apprehensions
- Suzanne w/ astronomers, Jessica w/ teachers
- reports to group
11:45 - 1:00 Lunch in Space Sciences Building
Atrium
- box lunches set up at Mars Garden
- WWW demos by SEDS students, Rm 330
1:00 - 2:00 Local Issues
- Survey of local resources (TAAA, RTRC, NOAO POP, AL)
- Sign up for your first classroom visit
- Announce Star Party: March 14th, Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum
- Announce Star Party: May 3rd, Kitt Peak
2:00 - 3:00 Wrap Up & Evaluation
Page created and maintained by Suzanne H. Jacoby
(outreach@noao.edu)
Last Updated: 26 December 1996
Artwork by students of the Satori School and Miles Exploratory Learning
Center, Tucson, Arizona
Return to NOAO Educational Outreach Page