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Astronomy Day from McDonald Observatory
 A
videoconference program sponsored by
the Meyer Levy Charitable Foundation
On September 14, 2007 Region 11 “Connect2Texas” and the Frank N. Bash
Visitors Center at McDonald Observatory will partner to celebrate Astronomy Day with an interactive videoconference for you and your students. We hope that our Astronomy Day videoconference will excite your students about science and technology. During the videoconference, Marc Wetzel and your students will explore the Sun and make a scale model of our Solar System. At the end of the program, we will visit with astronomer Dr. Steve Odewahn, who explores our universe with one of the largest telescopes in the world, the 9.2m Hobby-Eberly Telescope at McDonald Observatory. To learn more about Dr. Odewahn and other McDonald Observatory astronomers, visit our What Are Astronomers Doing website.
Pre-Conference tips and activities
Before the videoconference, students should learn the names and order of objects in our Solar System.
 Introduction
to Videoconference: This sheet includes a time line
for the teacher to prepare for the videoconference. It also includes
behavior expectations for the students.
The Sun: Pre-Conference
Student Assessment: Please have each student complete the
simple sun sheet. This sheet was developed by the "Eye on
the Sky" program of
Project FIRST. Although it was designed for lower grades, we have
had success in using it with students of all ages. This same sheet is included below as a post-conference student assessment as well.
Resources for the Videoconference
Important: The Sun Drawing Sheet is designed for the students to fill in during the videoconference. You will need to copy one for each student or group of students. In addition to the sheets, each student should have a sentence strip, or a strip of paper 3" wide by 24" long and a pencil for our scale model of the Solar System.
Post-Conference Activities and Solar System Resources for Teachers
You can enrich your student's learning experience by doing our suggested post-conference activities. These activities are designed to provide linkage between the
videoconference and your classroom science program. The related TEKS and
NSES are listed for each activity.
Astronomy Day Videoconference Evaluation: If you participate in our videoconference, please download and fill out our evaluation.
The Sun: Post-Conference Student Assessment
Students
(all grades) should complete the post-assessment
sheet for comparision with their pre-assessment sheet.
Modelling the Night Sky
Scale Models: Two "mystery" Solar System objects
Scale Models: The Solar System
Solar System Science
StarDate Guide to the Solar System
The StarDate Solar System Guide is a perfect resource for students and teachers. Featured are the latest full color photographs of the Sun, Moon, planets, asteroids, and meteors and simple, jargon-free summaries and fact sheets.
Sun Resources
Solar Energy
National Energy Education Development, a website with
suggestions for educators. Look for the "NEED Schools Going Solar Curriculum" guides
for primary, elementary, intermediate, and secondary levels.
Visit McDonald Observatory with your Students
Interested in bringing students to McDonald
Observatory? We offer a TEKS-based informal program for students
that includes pre-visit and post-visit activities. To learn about and request a Student Field Experience program, visit our Student Field Experience Program website.
National Astronomy Day Site
Check out the National Astronomy Day Site from the Astronomical League.
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