Astronomy activities in Schools

[Ad Astra]

Hi Gang!

We (my astronomy students and I) did a nice little outreach event for the kids in the local middle school (11-13 year olds) where my students (in groups of 3) each took a 150mm dobsonian, and other pairs took 7x50 bins (15 pair), or a simple planisphere (rotating star map) out to show the younger kids and their parents.

About 60 of my students participated, and they showed the Moon and Saturn to about 300 people over the course of the night. Many "Wow!!" and "You're a Genius!" responses from the little kids (and their parents!).

Lest you wonder why I post this here is the "beginners" section on SGL, please know that none of these "experts" who operated the scopes and bins for the little ones had ever used a telescope before the start of the class. Like you, they are all beginners, but they are not untalented or unskilled. They had the skills after just a few months in class (and a relatively few nights behind the eyepiece) to go out and help out -- and you can do it, too!

If you have a telescope of your own, and you've been observing for more than a couple of months, I urge you to contact your local school. You and your local science teacher can help make a world of difference in a child's life!

There is a nice little write up on the school's web site you can see by clicking <HERE>. If you want to see better photos, you can try clicking <HERE>.

Cheers,

Dan