Astronomy Day from McDonald Observatory
 A
videoconference program sponsored by NASA, the Amon
G. Carter Foundation and the F. B. Doane Foundation
 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.
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.
Pre-conference Activities:
This document suggests classroom activities and discussion that
could take place before the videoconference. It will assist the
students in organizing the questions they might ask during the
conference. There are many more suggestions than most teachers
may find time to use.
Guides for Students During the Videoconference
The student sheets are 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, the instructor should have a pre-cut piece of string that is 2.1-m in length. At one point during the videoconference, two students will stretch the string out to show how large the telescope mirror is.
Post-Conference Suggestion
If you did not complete the suggested pre-conference activities, you can
still 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 and
NSES are listed for each activity.
Post-Conference Activities
These post-visit activities will help your students transfer their McDonald
Observatory experience back to the classroom science curriculum.
| Grades K-12 |
Grades K-5 |
Grades 6-12 |
Post-Assessment
Students
(all grades) should complete the post-assessment
sheet for comparision with their pre-assessment sheet. |
Observatories,
Domes, and Telescopes for grades K-5 |
Observatories,
Domes, and Telescopes for grades 6-12: These activities
were designed for students who visit McDonald Observatory,
but should be transferable to students participating in
a videoconference. |
| |
|
Mirror, Mirror
An expanded unit for grades 6-12 on reflection is
recommended if you did not complete the suggested pre-conference
reflection activity. |
| |
|
Generating
Questions and Communicating Results: This activity was
designed for students who visit McDonald Observatory, but
should be transferable to students participating in a videoconference. |
| |
|
Telescope
technology:
An extensive set of activities about the
Hobby-Eberly Telescope is designed for grades 9-12. |
Sun Resources
Solar Energy
Solar cooking plans.
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
Student Field Experience Program: Interested in bringing students to McDonald
Observatory? We offer a TEKS-based informal program for students
that includes pre-visit and post-visit activities. For more information,
contact Marc Wetzel at teachers@mcdonaldobservatory.org.
 Support
for HST-ED90282.01-A was provided by NASA through a grant from
the Space Telescope Science Institute, which is operated by
the Association of Universities in Astronomy, Incorporated,
under NASA contract NAS5-26555. Additional funding provided
by the Amon G. Carter Foundation.
|
Contact | About | Friends of McDonald | StarDate Online | Sign up for Sky Tips
