Baltimore Project ASTRO - Recently Updated Pages

TU Cook Library and Web Resources

jescott — Fri, 22 May 2009 08:58:39 CDT

This page includes useful books, websites, and other resources relevant to astronomy education and related topics. PDF version

Books -- available at Towson University Cook Library

Astronomy Education

Amazing Space:Education On-line from the Hubble Space Telescope: Hubble Space Telescope Deep Field Lesson Package, Grades 6-8, 4 Classroom Activities, Lithographs, Teacher’s Guide

Course Study | 522.291.A49

Learner-Centered Astronomy Teaching: Strategies for ASTRO 101 by Timothy F. Slater, Jeffrey P. Adams

Stacks | QB61.S53 2003

Lecture-Tutorials for Introductory Astronomy by Jeffrey P. Adams, Edward E. Prather, Timothy F. Slater, and the Conceptual Astronomy and Physics Education Research (CAPER) Team

Stacks | QB45.2.A33 2003

The Star Guide: Learn How to Read the Night Sky Star by Star by Robin Kerrod

Stacks | QB63.K45 2005

Juvenile

A Beginner’s Guide to the Universe by Andrew Conway and Rosie Coleman

Juvenile | 520.C7671b

Benjamin Banneker: Pioneering Scientist by Ginger Wadsworth

Juvenile Biography | .B219w

Exploring the Sky: 100 Projects for Beginning Astronomers by Richard Moeschl

Juvenile | 523.M694e

Galileo: The Genius Who Faced the Inquisition by Philip Steele

Juvenile Biography | .G158st

Mapping the Skies by Walter Oleksy

Juvenile | 520.O455m

Web Resources

Cultural Astronomy

(Please add good web resources you've found on this subject!)

Heavens Above

http://www.heavens-above.com/
Paths of various satellites in the sky

Amazing Space

http://amazing-space.stsci.edu/
Includes “teaching tools” (organized by topic and type) which cover classroom activities, images, educator guides, and related resources on a variety of astronomical topics.

Arty the Part-Time Astronaut

http://www.3pounds.com/artyastro/index.html
This interactive site includes games and multimedia explanations of space missions, lunar phases, meteor showers, and much more. A teacher guide is available as well.

Astronomy for Kids

http://www.frontiernet.net/~kidpower/astronomy.html
Consists of basic astronomy concepts explained briefly in simple terms.

Challenger Center for Space Science Education: Teacher Resources

http://www.challenger.org/teachers/index.cfm
Includes podcasts, information on standards, lesson plans, recommended web resources, and more.

Lunar and Planetary Institute: Educator Resources

http://www.lpi.usra.edu/education/resources/
Includes classroom activities and other resources (websites, books, videos) divided up by grade level. Covers the topics of space exploration, the solar system and select planets, astrobiology, and more.

A Mystery of Space: Stars

http://library.thinkquest.org/25763/
This interactive site includes lesson plans, animations, recommended books and websites, a glossary, a “planetarium” (a navigable view of the sky with marked constellations), as well as a place to post sightings, stories, and images.

NASA Education

http://education.nasa.gov/home/index.html
Contains a variety of information for students and educators. Educator resources include education programs and teaching materials organized by grade level.

Nine Planets

http://www.nineplanets.org/
“A multimedia tour of the solar system.” This image-rich site includes information on the sun, the moon, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, meteorites, asteroids, and more.

Stanford Solar Center

http://solar-center.stanford.edu/
Provides a wealth of information about the sun, including myths, news, and much more. Includes resources for students and educators.

Classroom Activities

jescott — Fri, 22 May 2009 08:52:07 CDT

This page is for the discussion of educational activities and any other ideas for promoting astronomy in the classroom. Add to this page or start a new page to describe your activity and elicit feedback. Regardless of whether or not your activity was successful, it will be beneficial to share with other educators. Use the "threads" link at the bottom of this page to start a discussion on a particular activity.

Comet Making Activity
Where to buy dry ice in Baltimore area:

AAA EMERGENCY ICE
6100 Belair Road
Baltimore, MD 21206
Telephone: 410-426-1204
Fax: 410-444-7728
e-mail: information@aaaice.com
www.aaaice.com

Capitol Carbonic
www.capitolcarbonic.com

Safeway: Ellicott City (Long Gate)
Westminster
Owings Mills
Sykesville
(add any others you find!)

2009 Workshop

jescott — Fri, 15 May 2009 12:43:17 CDT

The 2009 Project ASTRO workshop will be held at the Maryland Science Center on May 21 and 22.

2008 Workshop

jescott — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 09:10:11 CST

The 2008 Baltimore Project ASTRO workshop will be held on August 11 and 12 at Roland Park Elementary/Middle School at 5207 Roland Avenue. More details to come!

Baltimore Project ASTRO Home

jescott — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 09:07:35 CST

Towson University launched a Project ASTRO site for Baltimore to begin in the 2008-2009 academic year. Project ASTRO is a program that has been run by the Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP) since 1994 to link professional and amateur astronomers with local K-9 teachers and students to bring inquiry-based astronomy activities to classrooms. Local Project ASTRO networks currently operate in 15 other regions throughout the U.S., but this is the first program serving the Baltimore area, with its high concentration of space science professionals and amateur observers.

This wiki is for collaboration, comments, and ideas for classroom activities, teaching materials, and more.

For more information:

Support

jescott — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 15:32:46 CDT

A big thank you to the Towson University Fisher College of Science and Mathematics, to Maryland Space Grant Consortium, and to the Astronomical Society of the Pacific for supporting our first year!

We are currently engaged in efforts to secure funding for future years of Baltimore Project ASTRO. If you have ideas about proposals we might submit, please contact Jennifer or Rommel.

Local Astronomy Resources

jescott — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 14:47:16 CDT

Astronomy in Maryland

Johns Hopkins University
NASA/Maryland Space Grant Consortium
www.mdspacegrant.org
Scholarships, Grant support for space science research/teaching
Local events, including observatory open houses on Friday eveningswith clear skies

Sloan Digital Sky Survey Skyserver Products
cas.sdss.org
Online teaching resources using Sloan Digital Sky Survey data

FUSE Public Outreach and Education
fuse.pha.jhu.edu/outreach
Online teaching resources using Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer data

Maryland Science Center
Traveling Science Program
www.mdsci.org/educators/travelingscience.html
Bring hands-on science to your classroom!

Professional Development for Educators
www.mdsci.org/educators/development.html

NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
Afterschool Universe
universe.nasa.gov/au/
Out-of-school-time astronomy program for middle school students

Beyond Einstein Teachers Academy
universe.nasa.gov/education/beta.html
Year long program for high school physics teachers

Big Explosions and Strong Gravity and A.C.E. of Space
bigexplosions.gsfc.nasa.gov
Program for Girl Scouts

Visitor’s Center
www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/visitor

Several websites, see summary
astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/outreach

Space Telescope Science Institute
Amazing Space
amazing-space.stsci.edu
Online teaching resources

Hubble Source
hubblesource.stsci.edu
Online teaching resources using Hubble Space Telescope data

Youth for Astronomy and Engineering
www.stsci.edu/institute/conference/youthae
Internship/enrichment programs for middle & high school students

Public Evening Talks
hubblesite.org/about_us/public-talks.shtml
Free lectures by notable scientists on the first Tuesday of every month.

Towson University
Planetarium Shows
wwwnew.towson.edu/physics/astronomy/planet_shows.asp
Free presentations on the third Friday of every month

Hackerman Academy of Mathematics and Science
www.towson.edu/HackermanAcademy
Programs and events, including the Saturday Morning Science Series, to attract students to science, technology, mathematics, and engineering

University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Public Telescope Viewing Nights
www.jca.umbc.edu/telescope/OpenHouse.shtml
First Thursday of every month

University of Maryland, College Park
Observatory Open Houses
www.astro.umd.edu/openhouse
Guest speaker presentation followed by telescope viewing
5th and 20th of each month

Astronomy Clubs in Maryland
www.astroleague.org/al/general/society.html#Maryland

Astronomy Teaching Resources
See also the TU Cook Library and Web Resources Page on this site.

American Astronomical Society
www.aas.org/education

Astronomical Society of the Pacific
www.astrosociety.org/education.html

Astronomy Picture of the Day
antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html

Field Tested Learning Assessment Guide
www.flaguide.org

Space Science Education Resource Directory
teachspacescience.org