Images of Space

• The Hubble Space Telescope images are all copyright free and some of the best are available to download from the ESA/Hubble site.
• Webb Telescope images can be found here.
• Compare Webb and Hubble images at WebbCompare.
• A daily image is found at Astronomy Picture of the Day, with descriptive caption and links.

Educational Material

• The European Space Agency (ESA) has an informative site with details of current and future space missions. This is where you can find the excellent International Space Station Education Kits, for Primary and Second-level
• ESA has also produced “Teacher’s Notes,” a good summary of concepts in Astronomy.
• NASA has vast resources available to teachers, including many lesson plans and activities. Follow links for educators. SpaceMath can be searched by grade level.
• Windows on the Universe has 3 reading levels and a host of games.
• StarChild “A Learning Center for Young Astronomers” has 2 reading levels, Imagine the Universe is for readers 14+.
• AstroEdu hosts peer reviewed astronomy activities.

Observing Space

• For an excellent guide to the current sky use Heavens Above. To use this site you will have to enter the exact longitude and latitude of your observing site. This can be found with Google Earth.
• Explore Mars with Google Mars. Arizona State University runs a fabulous Mars education program.
• Interactive Scale of the Universe (slow to load and lighthearted in tone, i.e. “Shrew: 10 cm. Shrews are great little thingies. Their metabolism rate is so high they must eat their body weight every single day…“.)

About the Teaching of Science and Astronomy

• Science in School is published quarterly and is available free, with a searchable database of articles, teaching resources for both primary and second level, interviews with scientists and more.
• American Astronomical Society Resources for everyone who works in astronomy and space science education.
• UNAWE for the teaching of space topics with very young learners.

The revised Junior Cycle Science Specification has a new section: Earth and Space. The eight learning outcomes in this section cover a wide range of earth and space science topics.

Lesson activities, interactives and other student supports are listed below by learning outcome.

EARTH AND SPACE

General sites for students:

• Windows2Universe (three different reading levels)

For Teachers:

• ESA Teacher notes, 6 booklets (available as pdfs or as webpages) on various astronomy /cosmology topics.
• LCOGT (Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network) Education
• Space Book and Astronomy Education at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln has an extensive selection of online simulations, interactives and question banks for undergraduate astronomy. This is superb background for teachers and some of the topics can be adapted for use with students.
• AstroEDU – a portal of peer-reviewed astronomy education activities.
• UNAWE – Universe Awareness for young children, many activities can easily be adapted for Junior Cycle students. Includes a link to Space Scoop: astronomy news for children age 8+.
• Space Awareness – Free high quality tools to inspire and engage young people in science with space. Educational resources, stories about space and careers, webinars, interviews… Includes a unique Islamic Heritage Kit fostering tolerance and inclusion for different cultures.

ELEMENT: BUILDING BLOCKS

Students should be able to:

1. Describe the relationships between various celestial objects including moons, asteroids, comets, planets, stars, solar systems, galaxies and space

• Cosmic Quest Education Guide : Education Guide with background reading and many student activities for “Cosmic Questions: Our Place in Space and Time” a travelling exhibition. It includes:  How Big? How Far? How Old?
• How High Up is Space?
• Powers of Ten: Youtube link to the classic film
• Magnifying the Universe: Size of objects in the Universe.
• Voyage: A Journey through our Solar System Lesson 8: Comets, Bringers of Life?  Includes an introduction about the chemical elements found in the Universe, activity is based on students making a model comet from dry ice.
• ESO (European Southern Observatory) produces ESOCastLight, billed as “Extreme Science with extreme Telescopes and bite-size astronomy,” videos can be found on their YouTube channel.

2. Explore a scientific model to illustrate the origin of the universe

• Introductory activity: Modelling the Expanding Universe is in the Cosmic Quest Education Guide and here.
• Cosmic Times:  Cosmic Times is a series of curriculum support materials that trace the history of our understanding of the universe during the past 100 years, from Einstein’s formulation of gravity to the discovery of dark energy. It consists of 6 posters, each resembling the front page of a newspaper from a particular time in this history, with articles describing the discoveries. The language of the articles mimics that of a newspaper from its respective era – different reading ages / teacher guides / extension materials. Lesson Plans extend students understanding though a series of practical activities.
• The Expanding Universe can be modelled with elastic and balloon resources. Cosmic Times also has a raisin bread model.
• Big Bang Misconceptions article.   History of Cosmology article.
• Junior Cycle for Teachers activity on Exploring the Big Bang.

3. Interpret data to compare the Earth with other planets and moons in the solar system, with respect to properties including mass, gravity, size, and composition.

• Why Pluto isn’t a planet anymore, article from the International Astronomical Union.
• Student Article ‘Goldilocks and the Three Planets’ with questions on Habitable Zone.  And here you will find a teachers guide to discussion. Includes details on the slow carbon cycle and its effect on habitability.
• Temperature and Habitability in the Solar System. Extensive teacher notes, three-lesson student activities from the Messenger Mission.

ELEMENT: SYSTEMS AND INTERACTIONS

Students should be able to:

4. Develop and use a model of Earth-Sun-Moon system to describe predictable phenomena observable on Earth, including seasons, lunar phases, and eclipses of the Sun and the Moon

• Lunar Phases: Cosmic Times lesson plan from 1919, emphasis is on modelling and explaining models.
• Physical Outdoor Activity1 and Activity2.
• Interactives of the lunar cycle.
• Moon Phases and Headband from spaceweek.ie

5. Describe the cycling of matter, including that of carbon and water, associating it with biological and atmospheric phenomena.

• From UCAR (The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research): Soda and Oceans: hands-on activity with background reading. US Grade 9-12 suggested.
• Simple Climate Model, with Educators’ Guide to the Very Very Simple Climate Model, Computer-based interactive plus optional assessment.
• “Follow the Carbon“: modelling the fast carbon cycle with rice & “Our Changing Atmosphere“: plotting the Mauna Loa CO2 monthly averages; both are ‘Science Snacks’ from the Exploratorium.

ELEMENT: ENERGY

Students should be able to:

6. Research different energy sources; formulate and communicate an informed view of ways that current and future energy needs on Earth can be met.

• Energy Budget: The Universe in the Classroom Summer 2013, overview of many teaching resources and websites.

ELEMENT: SUSTAINABILITY

Students should be able to:

7. illustrate how earth processes and human factors influence Earth’s climate, evaluate effects of climate change and initiatives that attempt to address those effects

• Climate Change online lessons, superb background reading for teachers, lessons can be adapted. Originally designed for “(a) 16-19 year old students, (b) teachers at the secondary and first year tertiary levels, and (c) chemistry professionals. The materials will also be accessible to the general public”

8. Examine some of the current hazards and benefits of space exploration and discuss the future role and implications of space exploration in society.

• NASA’s Human Research Program article.
• Planetary Society has links to all space missions to other planets, sorted by planet.
• Recent interview with Dr Varsha Jain about astronaut’s health from the BBC.
• Science in Society Mars Debate: should we send a human to Mars? from spaceweek.ie