Blossoms of Science - National Center for
Astronomy Education
Jordan Valley College & Tel Aviv
University, Israel
Astronomy from kindergarten
up to the boundaries of the universe
“COSPAR-2008”
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The Aim: to convert study of sciences in school and in
teacher colleges from process of violence of “stupid”
pupils by “stupid” teachers into process of join research of
collaborators in the field of join interest.
• Why astronomy and space science?
• Change of the paradigm from study to research = change
of educational unit from “knowledge” to “project”
• “Privatization” of knowledge and experience by pupil
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Strategy of the Blossoms of Science:
Study as scientific Research - Projects
Kindergarten+ Elementary School: 7-13 years
Units: NanoProjects from “Touch the Sky”=1 hour
Intermediate School: 13-17 year
Units: MiniProjects in “Day of Science”, “Portable Lab and
Mobile Observatory”, “Summer Astronomical Camps” =4-6 h
Internet sources: “Internet Astronomical School”,
“Astronomy Picture of the Day”, “Tours in the Solar System”
High School: (17-18 years) - ASTROTOP
Units: MacroProjects in real astronomical themes with real
observational data from solar activity up to Big Bang=100h=**
Unit: Final DIPLOMA Research – Participation of selected
students of high schools in real scientific projects with scientistsresearchers as collaboraters and support group.=400h=****
Preparation of teachers of Sciences in Colleges and University
to creative methods in astronomy education
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Astronomy for Kindergarten
“Touch the Sky”
• Morning
– Touching the sun
– My shadow
– The child at the mirror
– Puddle and the sky
• Noon
– How hot is it today?
– Where does the sun go?
– Follow the sun
– Who is longer: me or my
shadow?
• Evening
– Expanded moon
– Calendar and moon phase
– Is the moon the king of the
night?
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Portable Astronomical Laboratory
• The PAL includes set of telescopes (10 cm
and 2 * 20 cm) with solar filters, movable
planetarium, set for rockets experiments,
and more. It allow school children to do
astronomy experiments and observations
at school and in their own neighborhoods.
• The PAL has been designed to meet the
following objectives:
– To arouse an interest in astronomy.
– To provide basic concepts in astronomy.
– To stress the exploratory learning
environment
– To enrich the study of science.
– To enable children, students and teachers
to have a deeper interest in astronomy.
– To enable students to conduct research
and advanced projects in astronomy on
higher levels (summer camps, ASTROTOP,
Diploma Projects).
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Astro-Top - Projects for High
Scholl Students 11-12 grades
•An Astro-Top is an Astronomical
research project run by High School
students (years 11 & 12) in the
Physics class.
•The Astro-Top can take the place of
the Laboratory Matriculation Exam
and be developed further to cover
another exam unit.
•The Astro-Top is supervised by a
physics teacher and supported by
The National Astronomical Teaching
and Research center - The Jordan
Valley College & Tel Aviv University.
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Stages of Astro-Top
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Selection of Subject.
Background Research.
Preparation of Research Proposal.
Focus on the Research Question.
Hypothesis and its Criteria.
Planning of Methodology and Data
Collection.
Data Collection from Internet and our Data
Base.
Data Processing and Analysis of Result.
Conclusions.
Final discussion with attention to new
questions that arise from the Research.
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Selection of Subject.
• principles for selection of subject:
– The subject must be of interest to the students.
– There should be a reasonable chance that the student can
acquire a fair background to be able to understand the subject .
– The teacher or specialist assigned for each student can
supervise the assignment.
– The student can analyze the data and draw conclusions.
• How to chose a subject?
– Astronomy picture of the day – breath taking picture banks
that include over 1800 photos and pictures. To each an
explanation with relevant links.
– Pool of students projects – that includes 400 high school
projects organized by subject.
– Pool of Astronomy resources – the pool includes 150
different Astronomical concepts and is linked to additional
explanations on the net.
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Proposals for Research
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The Earth and it’s surroundings
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Cosmic Rays
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The interaction between Cosmic Rays and the Earth Atmosphere.
The interaction between Cosmic Rays, Earth Magnetosphere and Solar activity.
From Solar Storms to Magnetic Storms
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From Solar Storms in the sun to Magnetic storms on Earth.
The Northern Lights: Are they dangerous?
Solar eruptions and their shock waves impact on earth.
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The Sun
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Sun spots
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Sunspots and the Solar Magnetic Field.
Proof of the solar rotation through sunspots.
The Rotation of the Sun: from Galileo to present day.
Solar cycle activity and the effect on the Earth.
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The Solar System
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Eclipses in the solar System
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Lunar eclipses and measuring the radius of the moon.
Solar eclipses on other planets.
Eclipses of Jovian moons and measurement of the velocity of light.
Kepler’s Laws in the Solar System
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Kepler’s Laws and the definition of the masses of the planets.
High and Low Tides and Cannibalism in the Universe.
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Stars
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The colors of the Stars
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Spectroscopy of the Stars
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What does the Star’s color tell us.
Populations in the world of the stars.
The Continual Spectrum of the Stars.
The Line Spectrum of the Stars.
Eclipses in the world of the Stars: Measurement of the Physical Size of the Stars through their eclipses.
Galaxies and Quasars
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Measuring the Mass of the Quasars in the Universe.
What is the weight of the Black Hole in the Galaxy Center.
Populations of the stars and nebulae in our Galaxy – Milky Way.
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The Universe
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The Evolution of the Universe – Hubble’s Law
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Run-away of galaxies from Supernova observations in them – manifestation of the dark energy.
Measuring the distances and run-away velocity for spiral galaxies – Hubble law discovery.
Searching for the structure of the universe on a global scale using deep survey of the galaxies in polar strip.
Gamma bursts, their position on the sky and possible nature.
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Research Proposal:
The Rotation of the Sun,
from Galileo to the present time
•Aims
–To compare Galileo’s observations of the sun’s rotation from 400 years ago to recent
observations.
–To check any changes over the years and describe them.
–To explain the reasons for these changes if found.
•Objects
–Sunspots and the solar rotation.
•The Research Question
–What are the changes in the sun’s rotation over the 400 years from Galilleo till now.
•General Knowledge
–Historical Background: The history of science in Gallileo’s time.
•Background in Physics:
–Mechanics:
–rotation, angular motion and rotation period, conserving of angular momentum.
–Electricity and Magnetism: Electric fields and currents, magnetic fields, Ohm’s Law,
Faraday’s Law.
•Astronomical Background:
–The structure of the sun.
–The origin of solar energy.
–The propagation of solar energy outwards from the center.
–The origin of magnetic fields in the sun.
•Mathematics and computer background:
–Algebra, Spherical geometry, trigonometry, EXCEL.
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The Rotation of the Sun,
(cont.)
•Required information
– Data from observations of sunspots in the optical light from Galileo
and in present time
– Sunspots images from the internet.
–The data can be found in the recommended links.
•Stage of Project
– Measurement of coordinates of the sunspots in Galileo’s sketches by Microsoft
PhotoEditor or Photoshop and estimation of the rotation period of the sun in his time.
– Measuring in the same way using up last years observations.
– Comparison of the rotation periods and the predominant sunspots position from Galileo’s
observation till now.
– The differential rotation should be taken into consideration.
– Summary of the project.
•Recommended site (general knowledge)
•http://www.exploratorium.edu/sunspots/index.html
•Recommended sites for Data
•Background and general information.Optical Pictures from the Satellite SOHO OBSERVATORY:
http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/soho _images_bydate?summary
•sunspots observations from the Hawaii observatory
•sunspots in real time from the SOHO satellite
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Looking for Cooperation
• We would like to cooperate with Space and
Astronomy Education Centers (AEC) in the
world
• Looking for sharing:
– Astronomy education experience
– Astronomy educational matter and approach
– Joint projects and activities in the International
Cooperation
– Adaptation of our methodic and matter for our
international collaborators
• Dr. David Pundak
• Dr. Lev Pustilnik
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david@yarden.ac.il
levpust@post.tau.ac.il
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Preliminary Results after 13 year experience
• Several thousands pupils –authors of micro and mini projects in
the frame of “Day of Science”, “Portable Lab and Mobile
Observatory”, “Summer Astronomical Camps”
• First places in Pan-European competitions of educational project
in astronomy (Sky-Watch 2005 and Discovery Space 2006).
• Hundreds pupils, who tested themselves as reseachers and
continue this activity in universities and after.
• (unique experience in different national-religious-mentality
groups of Israel society from orthodox judish (hasids from Migdal
Ha Emeq), arabian mouslims (Um Al Fahm) and arabian
christians from Nazareth up to extra-atheist groups from kibutses
of Jordan Valley – joint research in space/astrophysics field with
natural experience of intergroup coolaboration .
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Thank you
We are open for
collaboration
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Blossom of Science Activities:
• Research
• Development of astronomical
material for:
– Kindergarten
– Elementary School
– High School
• Interactions with the
community:
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Teacher center
Internet astronomy school
Portable astronomy lab
Science and astronomy camps
ASTROTOP – mini-projects in
astronomy
– Diploma Projects – participation
in research in astronomy (TAU)
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Research:
(SGAO) Sea of Galilee
Astrophysical Observatory, Wise
Observatory of Tel Aviv Iniversity, Israel
Space Weather and Cosmic Ray Center
with Hermon Observatory
• The SGAO Observatory is located in the southern
part of the sea of Galilee (-200 m).
• Includes 2*40-cm optical telescopes MEADE with
ST-6 CCD matrix (5 years archive of 154 nights,
35 variable stars, 53,000 files).
• Includes solar radio telescope RT-2.5: monitoring
and forecast of solar flares
• Cooperation with Cosmic Ray Observatory (Mnt.
Hermon) of Space Weather Center (ISA&TAU)
and Wise Observatory in Mitspe Ramon (Negev)
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A short list of projects we lead
• Astronomical research (stellar and solar
activity)
• Development of educational projects using
the Internet: Internet Astronomy School,
(Eng and Heb), Astronomy Picture of the
Day (Heb), Resource Dictionary (Heb),
Collection of Students’ Projects (Heb),
Tours in the Solar System (Heb).
• Guiding high-school students working on
research projects (ASTROTOP and
Diploma Projects)
• Extracurricular classes in science and
astronomy
• An astronomy newsletter
• An annual summer science youth camp in
Astronomy (micro-projects) - 200
participants/summer
• Teachers' seminars in the fields of
astronomy, physics and computers.
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Student Activities
Astronomy in Action
• Introduction to astronomy
by active learning
• Cycle of : question,
conjecture, research,
conclusions, new questions
• Peer instruction
• Astronomy phenomena:
– sun
– moon
– light and sight
– atmosphere
– solar system
– heat and color
• 22 activities
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Active Astronomy
Teacher Guide
• Pedagogy:
– Discovery approach
– Peer instruction
– Student learns like a
researcher
– Paves the way from the
class to the boundaries of
the Universe.
• Physics Education
Research (PER)
• Background in
astronomy for physics
teachers.
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Internet Astronomy School
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