Astronomy Websites for Schools
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Armagh Observatory
http://www.arm.ac.uk
Armagh Planetarium
http://www.armaghplanet.com
UNAWE International
http://www.unawe.org/
UNAWE UK
http://uk.unawe.org/
UNAWE Educational Material
http://www.unawe.org/resources/edu
cation/
UNAWE Activity Sheets - upcoming area of
website - may not be live yet
http://www.unawe.org/resources/act
ivities/
Our Creativity video
http://star.arm.ac.uk/~lmk/ArmaghObservatory-CreativityNI.mp4
Universe in a box activity book, don’t forget zip
file has the images to use
http://www.unawe.org/resources/edu
cation/Universe_in_Box_activityboo
k/
Kepler/NASA information - exoplanet counter in
gold bar
http://kepler.nasa.gov/education/
BBC Stargazing LIVE
http://www.bbc.co.uk/tv/features/st
argazing/star-guides.shtml
Armagh Observatory FETTU Posters
http://star.arm.ac.uk/fettu/
Moon phase worksheet
http://sciencenetlinks.com/media/fil
er/2011/10/14/moon_worksheet.html
Paper plate resources
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/c
rafts/stars/
ESA for younger kids: follow Paxi
http://www.esa.int/esaKIDSen/Lifei
nSpace.html
ESA Materials – online
http://www.esa.int/Education
ESA Education
http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Lesso
ns_online/index.html
NASA Mars Rover Curiosity: latest info
http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/news/w
hatsnew/
UFO paper bowl craft for kids
http://www.daniellesplace.com/html/
outer-spacecrafts.html#paperplateufo
Heavens Above, configure your location "From
Database" on page that opens and save as your
home location
http://www.heavens-above.com
Beautiful time Lapse of ISS journey over Earth
http://vimeo.com/61487989
EU-UNAWE UK
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Views from the International Space Station (ISS)
http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/aro
und-the-world-in-90-minutes/
IAU Origin of the Constellations
http://www.iau.org/public/constellati
ons/
Details of the night sky each month
http://www.jodrellbank.manchester.a
c.uk/astronomy/nightsky/nskyaug12.
html
Send your school message into space in 2013!!!
http://uk.euunawe.org/updates/gathering/
ASTROEDU peer-reviewed astronomy education
activities
http://astroedu.iau.org/
Jocelyn Bell Burnell and John Stewart Bell are
featured on the 'Unsung Heroes of Belfast' list
http://www.jurysinns.com/hotels/bel
fast/unsung-heroes
NASA Kids
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forkid
s/kidsclub/flash/index.html
Keep up with Kepler discoveries with NASA
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/
kepler/main/index.html
NASA Picture of the Day index
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree
.html
NASA Picture of the Day archive
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepi
x.html
UNAWE DIY Solar System, icosahedrons
http://www.unawe.org/activity/euunawe1328/
Scholastic, buy books or download very useful
worksheets
http://education.scholastic.co.uk/sea
rch/search?age_type=&log=t&now=qu
ery&search%5Bquery%5D=space&sea
rch%5Bsection_id%5D=
Irish Astronomical Association
http://irishastro.org.uk/
Astronomy Ireland
http://astronomy.ie/
Aurora alerts to your email
http://aurorawatch.lancs.ac.uk/alert
s
BBC Universe Through Time poster
http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/tv/starg
azinglive/sgl_universe_through_time.
pdf
Eclipse table – Sun and Moon
http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse.h
tml
Hubble Space Telescope Gallery
http://hubblesite.org
Nine Planets, general audience information
http://nineplanets.org
Planet factsheet from NASA
http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary
/factsheet
NASA young astronomers
http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/
StarChild/StarChild.html
What is Aboriginal Astronomy?
http://www.atnf.csiro.au/research/A
boriginalAstronomy/whatis.htm
DCAL NI Learning Strategy
http://www.dcalni.gov.uk/quick_linksdcal_learning_strategy
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Discover Science and Engineering (DSE)
http://www.discover-science.ie/
DSE links with ESERO
http://www.discoverscience.ie/programmes-andaudiences/esero-and-dse
Mars Rover Landing Video
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/video/index.
php?id=1090
Nursery Age Star Movie – slow to download
http://star.arm.ac.uk/~mdp/IYAbeyond/news/universeawareness/nursery-astronomymov.mov
Word search generators
http://tools.atozteacherstuff.com/w
ord-search-maker/wordsearch.php
BBC’s Explore the solar system
http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/space/
solarsystem
Children's University Manchester - Astronomy
Near Mars Comet October 2014
http://www.childrensuniversity.manc
hester.ac.uk/interactives/science/ea
rthandbeyond/
http://science.nasa.gov/sciencenews/science-atnasa/2013/26mar_marscomet/
Ideas from other countries
http://www.guardian.co.uk/teachernetwork/2012/sep/28/teaching-education-ideasfrom-othercountries?newsfeed=true&utm_source=buffer&bu
ffer_share=77254
Stellarium, the sky at your location - downloadable
http://www.stellarium.org
Royal Astronomical Society
http://www.ras.org.uk/
Teacher's Pet (currently £12 per year
subscription)
http://activities.tpet.co.uk/#/Searc
h/space
Music inspired by Astronomy
http://aer.aas.org/resource/1/aersc
z/v11/i1/p010303_s1?view=fulltext
Monty Python Galaxy Song
http://dingo.care2.com/cards/flash/
5409/galaxy.swf
Geogentric explanation
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geocent
ric_model
Solar eclipses visible from UK to 2090
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_solar_eclips
es_visible_from_the_United_Kingdom_AD_1000–
2090
BBC Sky at night
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b
006mk7h
BBC Moore Marathon
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b
006mk7h/clips
Plough – cultural stories
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p
00cydkv
Orion – stars in the constellation
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p
00fd2qx
Transit of Venus in June 2012
Pictures from just after Big Bang
EU-UNAWE UK
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencete
ch/article-2155140/Transit-Venus2012-Spectacular-seen-time2117.html?ito=feeds-newsxml
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencete
ch/article-2156273/Amazing-newpictures-moments-following-BigBang.html
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National STEM Centre – you may have to register
free
http://www.gresham.ac.uk/professor
s-and-speakers/professor-ianmorison
http://www.nationalstemcentre.org.u
k/elibrary/resource/1922/birth-ofthe-solar-system
STEM Centre, mass, gravity etc.
http://www.playbackschools.org.uk/programme/3
020/ks2-science-forces-mass-weight-and-gravity
Science News Daily: Life from space?
http://www.sciencedaily.com/release
s/2012/09/120924144751.htm
Women in Astronomy - from the past
http://www.sheisanastronomer.org/in
dex.php/history
Women in Astronomy - modern Day
http://www.sheisanastronomer.org/in
dex.php/profiles
Black Hole event 2013 and other videos
http://www.space.com/16332-milkyway-black-hole-eats-gas-cloudcoming-2013-video.html
Constellations and Astrology etc.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidereal
_and_tropical_astrology
FORA.tv a conference channel with over 100
astronomy videos
http://fora.tv/search_video?q=astro
nomy
More advanced lectures for parents and teachers
Gravity question and video
NASA Trading Cards
Armagh Observatory Annual Report
BBC Scientists - Galileo
ESA videos
CLEAPSS H&S etc. use your UK school’s
membership password
http://science.howstuffworks.com/e
nvironmental/earth/geophysics/ques
tion232.htm
http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/multime
dia/downloads/SSE_trading_card.pd
f
http://star.arm.ac.uk/annrep/annrep
2012/annrep2012_small.pdf
http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/space/
solarsystem/scientists/galileo_galilei
#p006hq3n
http://spaceinvideos.esa.int/Videos/
2013/08/Did_you_know_How_often
_do_astronauts_wash_their_clothes
_in_space
http://www.cleapss.org.uk/ L198
Earth in Space KS2 and safe
observing of Sun PS17
Mars crater
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article2156466/Meteor-carved-30-mile-crater-Marsreveals-buried-layers-carved-ancient-waterflows.html
Posters
http://www.daydreameducation.co.uk
A day in the life of European Southern
Observatory ESO
http://www.eso.org/public/outreach/
50years/webcast.html
“Good sites for Kids”
http://www.goodsitesforkids.org/Ast
ronomy.htm
International Projects
http://www.guardian.co.uk/teachernetwork/2012/sep/24/internationalcollaboration-curriculum-learning/print
International Astronomical Union (IAU) Defining
our place in the cosmos
http://www.iau.org/public/place_in_c
osmos/
Met Office weather conditions for observing
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/
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For real?!!
http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/borowitz
report/2013/02/house-science-committeequestions-existence-of-meteors.html
STFC – download or order materials
http://www.so.stfc.ac.uk/publications
/publorderform.aspx#PSA
STFC Public Engagement
http://www.stfc.ac.uk/1360.aspx
Teachit Primary UK (can do free registration)
http://www.teachitprimary.co.uk/ind
ex.asp?CurrMenu=1405
Silicon Valley Astronomy Lectures
http://www.youtube.com/SVAstrono
myLectures/
Comet ISON
http://science.nasa.gov/sciencenews/science-atnasa/2013/18jan_cometison/
“Babies are born scientists”
http://nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=125
575&org=NSF&from=news&utm_source=buffer&b
uffer_share=3e565
Were the Aboriginal Australians the world's first
astronomers?
http://www.atnf.csiro.au/people/rnor
ris/papers/_n217.pdf
World Space Week 4-10th October
http://www.worldspaceweek.org/wsw
/index.php
XEphem – Astronomical software
http://www.clearskyinstitute.com/xe
phem/
KS2 Resources from Royal Obs Greenwich
RTE interview Irish Scientists at CERN
Children chatting with an ISS astronaut
http://www.rmg.co.uk/schools/royalobservatory/classroomresources/key-stage-2/
http://www.rte.ie/news/specialreports/2013/0718/463278-irishscientists-at-cerns-cutting-edge/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bz
KVPnmI-8Q
Reccomendations from ESERO Ireland:
Online resources for Primary Teachers linked to the
International Space Station (ISS) Education Kit
Section 1 : Gravity, the earth & the moon
• Discover Primary Science & Maths (DPSM) Gravity Activity
• Weightlessness/Free-Fall animationhttp://esamultimedia.esa.int/docs/issedukit/en/html/t040505r1.html
• DPSM Cosmic Collisions
• Greenwave – what is spring?
•
Met Eireann Education Resources http://www.met.ie/education
• The earth & the moon (Orrery) Stargazing Live
(http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00wnvpf)
http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/tv/guides/bbc_stargazing_live_activity_pack
.pdf
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Make a Moon Watch Flip book
http://www.amnh.org/ology/features/stufftodo_astro/imgs/moonflipboo
k.pdf
DPSM The moon, craters and meteorites
DPSM – How big is the moon?
Scale Models : Playdoh : Playdoh Earth and Moon
Section 2 : Being an Astronaut and travelling to Space
• DPSM Make your own hovercraft
(Note: we have found that using bluetak is just as effective as glue for
this activity)
• DPSM Aeroplanes
• DPSM Rockets (note foam rockets will be added soon)
• The NASA Rocket Educator’s Guide
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype
/Rockets.html
• Mission V Train Like an Astronaut
http://trainlikeanastronaut.org/mission-data a physical education linked
series of activities – with maths and space an integral part.
• Eggnaut – bring your astronaut (egg) safely back to earth!
http://esamultimedia.esa.int/docs/edu/Eggnaut_EN.pdf
• European Astronauts http://www.esa.int/esaHS/eurastronauts.html
• Timeline of space exploration
http://www.instantdisplay.co.uk/spacetraveltimeline.jpg
http://www.spacekids.co.uk/spacehistory
Section 3 : On Board the ISS
• Building the ISS – DPSM Design a bridge
• DPSM Amazing Triangles
• DPSM Satellites & Reflection
• Earth Observation http://www.esa.int/esaEO/index.html
• DPSM Astronomy & Football
• Receipt roll/cash register (Pocket) Solar System is at:
http://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/download-view.cfm?Doc_ID=392
• Calulate relative size & distance to the Sun of all the planets in the Solar
System http://www.exploratorium.edu/ronh/solar_system/
• The 3-D Big Dipper / Plough is at the American Museum of Natural
History Site: http://clccomet.wikispaces.com/file/view/3DConst.pdf
• Make a Star Wheel (planisphere)
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/letsgo/familyfun/Make_a_Star_Wheel.
html
• Make a star finder: http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/starfinder/
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Use this model of the Milky Way and other galaxies to indicate relative
distances to other galaxies. A Universe of Galaxys is at:
http://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/download-view.cfm?Doc_ID=389
Observing the sun safely
http://resources.yesican-science.ca/trek/eclipse0602/pinhole2.html
http://solar-center.stanford.edu/observe/#section1
Section 4 : Living in Space
• Daily schedule for crew of ISS
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/timelines/index.html
• Where/when to see the ISS : Heavens Above (printable sky map, times
of sunrise and sunset, ISS spotting) http://www.heavens-above.com/
• Flash for the Mars Rover Driving
http://www.marsquestonline.org/tour/rovers/drivearover/index.html
• Little Green Martians http://www.athena.cornell.edu/kids/home_08.html
• Mars Express http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Mars_Express/index.html
• Daily updates and images from Mars Rover Curiosity
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/index.html
Other useful links/references
• http://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/
use with caution – the suggested American grade levels are not good
matches, and some of the language used in the sheets is too advanced.
Great use of visuals though.
Kindergarten – aged 5, will turn 6; 1st grade – 6 yrs; 2nd grade – 7 yrs;
3rd grade – 8 yrs; 4th grade – 9 yrs; 5th grade - 10 yrs; 6th grade – 11
yrs, so grades are a near enough match for classes-but the grade
references are not always suitable
• Night Sky Network – wonderful searchable list of activities:
http://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/download-search.cfm
• Black Holes is at: http://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/downloadview.cfm?Doc_ID=317
• Galaxy Zoo, Moon Zoo and Ice Hunters: http://www.galaxyzoo.org/
http://www.moonzoo.org/ http://www.icehunters.org/ all linked, require
free registration.
• Astronomy Picture of the Day http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/
• Multimedia imagery
http://www.esa.int/esammg/mmg.pl?b=b&type=IVA&keyword=IOW&start
=2
• Hubble images http://hubblesite.org/gallery/
• Daily images of the sun
http://www.esa.int/esaCP/ASE08Y9KOYC_Protecting_0.html
• Aboriginal: http://www.atnf.csiro.au/people/rnorris/papers/_n217.pdf
EU-UNAWE UK
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