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Astronomy Day 2011 with McDonald Observatory!
September 26-29, 2011
We would like to thank the following contributors for helping to make our Astronomy Day program available:
The Meyer-Levy Charitable Foundation
The Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation Education Endowment
The Carolyn Keenan and Charlie Gaines Endowment for McDonald Observatory Education and Outreach
The Hugh Gragg Educational Endowment
Leopold Tedesco Educational Endowment
Lynn Lyles Brill Education and Outreach Endowment
The Friends of McDonald Observatory
On September 26-29, 2011, the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center at McDonald Observatory and Connect2Texas invite students and their teachers across Texas to celebrate Astronomy Day and the International Year of The Solar System during this special interactive videoconference program.
This year, Astronomy Day from McDonald Observatory means more than ever. NASA has proclaimed 2011 as the International Year of The Solar System. Students will make live observations of the Sun using McDonald telescopes, participate in a fun and yet simple activity related to the early formation of our Solar System, and ask their questions to facilitator Marc Wetzel. We hope that our Astronomy Day videoconference will excite your students about science and technology. We've designed this videoconference session to align with TEKS for grades K-12. |
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To see pre/post conference tips, activities and required student activity sheet,
please see the following links:
Resources and information about the videoconference
Introduction to Astronomy Day Videoconferences
This sheet includes a time line for the teacher to prepare for the videoconference, and additional important information. It also includes behavior expectations for the students.
Pre-Conference Student Assessments
Please have each student complete an assessment sheet. The same assessment sheets are included below as a post-conference assessments for comparison. K-5 sheet | 6-8 sheet | 9-12 sheet
Videoconference Activity for all students: Active Accretion
The Active Accretion activity models how the specks of matter in our early solar system accreted (gathered together) to form asteroids and planets. While the activity is written for middle/high school, younger students will enjoy the kinesthetic nature of this activity. K-12 students should understand that our Solar System formed from the combining of smaller particles into, eventually, much larger objects. A large, open space in your classroom will be necessary to allow your students to walk (not run) around the Sun and begin to 'accrete'.
Due to the large number of schools participating in our videoconference, only one classroom will interact with the McDonald Observatory facilitator Marc Wetzel during the "Active Accretion" activity portion of our videoconference, while other participating schools watch. However, we hope that after reviewing the activity, you will also facilitate the activity with your students during or after the videoconference. During the Q/A portion at the end of the videoconference, Marc Wetzel will interact with selected schools to answer student questions. If your students don't get to ask their questions during the videoconference, please send them via email to Marc Wetzel, wetzel@astro.as.utexas.edu.
TEKS
For grades K-5 | 6-8 | 9-12
Post-Conference Student Assessments
Please have each student complete a post-assessment sheet. K-5 sheet | 6-8 sheet | 9-12 sheet
To learn more about McDonald astronomers and their research projects, the telescopes and the instruments astronomers use when doing research, visit our What Are Astronomers Doing website.
Post-Conference activities: You can enrich your students 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 are listed for each activity.
Modeling the Night Sky
Scale Models (volume and distance): Two "mystery" Solar System objects
Scale Models (size and distance): The Solar System
Solar System Science
Solar System Scale Model (distance) - TEACHER
Solar System Scale Model (distance) - STUDENT
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.
Schedule a Live! from McDonald Observatory videoconference for your class
Stay in your classroom and visit McDonald Observatory in our new distance learning program, called Live! from McDonald Observatory. Our videoconference programs are interactive science learning experiences that take you and your students on a virtual field trip to the Davis Mountains of west Texas. Videoconferences are $100, 50-minute, fully interactive connections between one class (or student club) of up to 35 students and your McDonald Observatory facilitator. Additional "view-only" connections are available for an additional fee. Versions for grades 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12 are available (recommended for IPC, Physics, or Astronomy classes).
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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