Astronomy Education Resources and Links
Crux region; image courtesy DMI/Akira Fujii

These links are not meant to be exhaustive, rather they give some key sites for astronomy education, magazines, research in astronomy education and on some specific programs for teachers and schools. More detailed and area-specific links will shortly be available on the main ATNF Outreach and Education site.

International Year of Astronomy 2009 (International homepage)

Australian IYA2009 site

General Astronomy Education

Australia Telescope Outreach and Education is the dedicated public and schools site. it has a wealth of material with new additions added regularly.

Australian Astronomy is the portal to professional and amateur astronomy in Australia. It has education and general interest categories as well. Compiled by CSIRO and the Astronomical Society of Australia.

Astronomy Picture of the Day is a wonderful site that provides a new image with short explanation and links each day. It has a searchable archive an education links.

Astronomy Education Resources an extensive list compiled by the Space Telescope Science Institute

Google Science>Astronomy>Education directory

Organisations

Astronomical Society of the Pacific

European Association for Astronomy Education

Association for Radio Astronomy in Education (UK)

Magazines

Astronomy Now (UK magazine)

Astronomy Magazine (US magazine)

The Classroom Astronomer is a relativley new 'quarterly PDF and printed publication designed as a practitioner journal for classroom teachers of astronomy. While centered at the high school level, it also provides tips, techniques and informative how-to articles for teachers of grades K-8 and undergraduate college "Astro 101" courses.'

New Scientist

Scientific American

Australian Sky and Telescope (new AUS version of US magazine. Has local content)

Sky and Telescope (US magazine)

Sky at Night (UK magazine with CD)

 

 

Astronomy Research Programs for Schools

Australian
CSU Remote Telescope is a scheme allowing primary and secondary students to use a telescope in Bathurst remotely over the web. Complete curriculum units that integrate skills across KLAs exist.

Space to Grow is an ARC-funded scheme by Macquarie University and CSU providing high schools access to the two Faulkes 2-m class telescopes, one in Hawaii and one in Siding Spring, NSW.

Overseas-based

Astro Projects: Expanding space - expanding minds is a series of open-ended student investigations developed by Richard Beare from Warwick University using data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and the Faulkes Telescopes.

Galaxy Zoo is an online activity that uses the vast Sloan Digital Sky Survey. Participants visually inspect and classify galaxies from the database.

Global Jetwatch s an exciting new project which links astronomers at Oxford University with schoolchildren around the world in order to carry out cutting edge research.

Globe at Night is an annual global activity where students and the public observe Orion. The results provide information on light pollution.

HOU header is a scheme where students request, process and analyse images from telescopes around the world.

How many stars...? is a simple activity where students study Orion with the unaided eye and contribute to a global database on light pollution.

The National Schools Observatory is a UK scheme using the Liverpool Telescope Project but there are opportunities for international school collaborations.

Project Radio Jove is a NASA sponsored project where students construct decametric radio telescopes to study emissions from Jupiter and the Sun.

Research Experience for Teachers (RET) is an NRAO scheme that allows teachers to conduct a research project at one of their radio telescope sites.

Teacher Leaders in Research Based Science Education (TRLBSE) is a US-based scheme run by the NOAO allowing US teachers to participate in short research projects at one of their optical telescopes.

Astronomy Education Research

Astronomy Education Review; an online refereed journal dedicated to research in effective astronomy education. An essential reference.

CAPER (Conceptual Astronomy & Physics Education Research)

Montana State University Physics and Astronomy Education Research Group has a wealth of information and useful links from a dynamic research group.

Astronomy Education: A Selected Bibliography is a 1998 compilation by Andrew Fraknoi for the ASP.

Astronomy Education at University of Nebraska-Lincoln includes ClassAction and Virtual Astronomy Labs resources.

Astronomy Education Research Charter Wiki

Some Useful Astronomy Blogs

Bad Astronomy is an excellent site that includes detailed rebuttals of numerous misconceptions, hoaxes and pseudoscience.

Astroblog is an excellent Australian blog.

Astronomy blog is based at UK's Jodrell bank Observatory.

Astronomy & Education is an Australian-based blog.

Chris Lintott's Universe, UK astronomer and science communicator.

Sydney Observatory blog.

 
 
       
Page last updated:

January 29, 2010

         
           
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