Resources for Teachers

New Zealand education resources for teachers

The Education Section of the Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand
The Education Section of the Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand promotes the teaching of Astronomy throughout New Zealand.
The Education Section also publishes a quarterly magazine "GALAXY - TE KORURANGI" a 16 page magazine for children with information on the night sky, space and astronomy articles, stories, cartoons and puzzles. Further information can be obtained from GALAXY Editor

Marilyn Head, marilyn@actrix.gen.nz

In addition to the above, resources and assistance to science educators and school parties are provided by many of the local astronomical societies throughout New Zealand. Such resources can be of great help to teachers wishing to provide quality learning experiences in Astronomy for their pupils and also to help with the professional development of science teachers themselves.

The Galaxy -Te Korurangi (the spiral sky)
Galaxy is a quarterly magazine written for young people interested in space. You do not need to know a lot about astronomy to enjoy galaxy but if you do, there are articles for you too. There are lots of interesting articles about space, stars, planets, technology, feature stories, charts and information about Maori, Aboriginal and Pacific astronomy since they are part of our culture. Galaxy has lots of ideas for activities that families can do together and it is a great resource for those who have an interest in science, an appreciation of our cultural heritage(s) and a love of our southern skies.

The Education news group website
The Education news group website provides a forum for the exchange of information related to the teaching of Astronomy.

Education Section Director: Mr John Dunlop, email: johnd@stardome.org.nz

astroedNZ Astronomy Education Email group
This group is primarily aimed at teachers, but RASNZ members who educate public, school groups or other groups might wish to join. Regular text messages about teaching 'Beyond Planet Earth', selected astronomy news, free goodies, helpful people in your area, or not-to-be-missed events will be sent out. Members can also ask questions and post messages, links or files. The website has resources for download and useful links.

Carter Observatory Schools Programmes.
Schools can arrange educational visits to the Observatory during term time throughout the year. Carter Observatory employs two fully registered teachers under a Ministry of Education's Learning Experiences Outside the Classroom (LEOTC) contract.

Carter Observatory Distance Education.
Secondary school students can now do astronomy unit standards online and obtain credits towards NCEA with the Carter Observatory. New Zealand students can gain extra credits towards NCEA. New Zealand secondary schools may invite the Carter Observatory to teach astronomy unit standards to their students. There are 7 courses: Our Solar System, The Milky Way and other Galaxies, Space, Cosmology, Maori Astronomy, Traditional Pacific Navigation, College Mathematics.

The AstronomyNZ Education Lectures Seminars
A current list of speakers and educational activities in NZ.

International web learning resources

The Venus Transit: THE AU CHALLENGE
In NASA CONNECT: Venus Transit, students will learn about the importance of using scale models to represent the size and distance of objects in the solar system and beyond. They will be introduced to the astronomical unit (AU), the baseline distance from the Earth to the Sun, which astronomers use to determine the relative distances from the Earth to other planets, stars, asteroids, and objects in space. They will also discover fascinating facts about the Venus Transit, a celestial and historical event, which helped astronomers determine the scale of the solar system. By conducting inquiry-based and web activities, students will make connections between NASA research and the mathematics, science, and technology they learn in their classrooms.

Venus Transit Challenge Video
Host, Jennifer Pulley, and NASA scientists will pose inquiry-based questions throughout the program. These questions allow the students to investigate, discover, and critically think about the concepts being presented. Thanks to NASA CONNECT, we have prepared a 7 part version of the NASA video available for viewing here. Students and teachers can view the designated segments so students can answer and discuss the inquiry-based questions. For more information about inquiry-based learning, visit the NASA CONNECT™ website.

Educator Guide
This hands-on activity Guide is teacher created and aligned with the National Council of the Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Standards and the National Science Education (NSES) Standards. Students will use measurement, ratios, and graphing to construct a model of the solar system and determine the relationship of each planet to the Sun. They will explore the scales needed to represent the size of the planets and the distances to the Sun. We offer this downloadable document courtesy of NASA Connect.

The Australia Telescope Outreach and Education website.
This site from CSIRO aims to provide the media and the general public with information about the Australia Telescope National Facility, Australia's premier radio astronomy research group. This website provides educational resources on many aspects of astronomy.

Transit of Venus.org Education Resources
The US based transit of venus website lists a number of resources available to teachers including:

global student observing projects

hands-on paper plate activities

interactive programs

animations

simulations and Applets

song lyrics with lesson plans

measuring A.U. with Voyager II software

books about the transit of Venus

FAQ informational flyer

NASA Sun-Earth Connection Education Forum

Amazing Space for educators
Amazing Space for educators compiles all of the educational materials at Amazing Space, and sorts them by topic or type of tool.
Teaching tools Reveal the beauty and wonder of the cosmos to your students with this comprehensive listing of all of our interactive activities, graphic organizers, science content reading selections, and more. A description, suggestions for using the resource in the classroom, and related materials accompany each tool.
Astronomy basics Get the science behind the scenes! From quick facts to tales of intriguing celestial phenomena, learn some fundamentals of astronomy and find the answers to your students' questions about many space-based themes.
E/PO resources Develop your own education/public outreach program. Explore how we did it, the lessons we've learned, and tools we've developed. Includes funding opportunities and tips on getting scientists involved.

NASA CONNECT
NASA CONNECT is an annual series of FREE integrated math, science, and technology programs for students in grades 6-8.

Planet Quest
Planet Quest website from NASA JPL with a focus on events and resources for teachers, including some interactive tools.

Fact files National Maritime Museum
Educational resources from Britain's Maritime Museum. This is the complete list of free fact files from the Education and Interpretation Group at the NMM. They have been prepared for children by Museum Education Officers on subjects relating to the Museum's collections and the National Curriculum. Most are now available here.

Sun-Earth Day 2004
Sun-Earth Day 2004 has selected the transit of Venus as this year's theme. This website has been developed to provide the necessary resources and opportunities for participation in our fourth Sun-Earth Day. This year's program will continue to offer new and exciting space science content that will cross all of space sciences, offering activities and resources for every classroom and museums event. The goal is to involve as much of the student population and the public in this event as possible and to help them understand the immense importance and excitement surrounding this and previous transits.

The Sun-Earth Connection Education Forum
This partnership shares knowledge from NASA Sun-Earth Connection missions and research programs with educators, students, and the general public. The Sun-Earth Connection Education Forum (SECEF) partnership brings together the rich expertise of scientists, educators, and museums to develop innovative products and programs.

The Student Observation Network
Student Observation Network modules allow you to discover answers to some of the questions that excite NASA scientists. "How can we predict solar storms to protect satellites and astronauts?"; "How can falling snow, snowpacks, and ice cores help us decode climate and climate change?" "Where are we in the Universe?" "Are there places in our Solar System, other than Earth, that may harbor life?". Each SON module shows you how to make your own observations and compare it with NASA data. Discover cutting edge science with NASA mission data that are easy to use. Each SON module provides tutorials to help you understand the scientific data and step-by-step guides to using the data. In addition, there is background information, including connections to NASA scientists, to help you understand these essential scientific questions.

Learning Technologies
Learning Technologies, Inc. has sought to make available high-quality, hands-on, minds-on tools for education. Our goal is to provide innovative, high-quality, affordable tools and materials to educators that foster interactive and hands-on learning while motivating students of all ages. Our products reflect our belief that students will better learn a concept when they explore and then test their own theories using minds-on tools and materials that challenge, inspire and generate enthusiasm. It is also our aim to contribute astronomy education opportunities where they may never have existed previously.

Aerospace Education's Rocketry
Aerospace Education's Rocketry programmes in school use the construction, preparation, flight and recovery of model rockets as the motivation for students to learn about space exploration, the laws of motion, forces acting on objects in flight, predicting flight patterns (motion) using computer software, collecting data using altimeters, clinometers, stop watches and protractors and analysing this on graphs.

The Venus Transit 2004... for Students and Teachers!
The European Southern Observatory's VT-2004 programme is aimed at students and teachers in schools all over Europe, indeed on all continents. The website helps students and their teachers to enjoy this event and learn from it. It provides information and possibilities for active participation.