Resources - Astronomy Day in Schools

PROJECTS

Astronomy Day in Schools

Global Projects

Astronomy Day in Schools

Resources

Guidelines

Prizes

Resources

We invite you to explore the variety of resources below that can support the outreach and engagement activities conducted as part of the activities related to the project. Translated resources can be found at the bottom of the page

Astronomy Day in Schools Project Visual

IAU AstroEdu Activities

IAU AstroEDU is a platform for peer-reviewed, open-access astronomy education activities. On this website you can search for education resources and activities for specific astronomy topics or browse one of the 13 activities collections. IAU astroEDU activities are available for all ages and levels. There is also a collection of tactile astronomy activities, that use cheap or household items to create a tactile hands-on experience for visually impaired stu- dents and their non-visually impaired peers.

Network for Astronomy School Education (NASE) activities
The main objective of NASE is to educate new generations of teachers and re-educate the current ones. NASE works with university professors in order to train future teachers and we cooperate with the departments of education in order to train experienced primary and secondary school teachers. This page includes all materials for the basic teacher training course and a repository of educational materials for astronomy with activities, animations, articles, photos, games, simulations, interactive programs and videos.

Big Ideas in Astronomy: A Proposed Definition of Astronomy Literacy
This booklet was developed by the International Astronomical Union’s C1 Commission. It is intended for use by the astronomy education and outreach community, and within a process of community consultation. The booklet is the culmination of years of debate and discussion over the essential things that an astronomically literate person should know. The astronomy literacy booklet presents eleven “Big Ideas,” each with seven to ten sub-ideas. These cover a range of different aspects of astronomy, including the historical, philosophical, sociological, theoretical and observational. They address a variety of topics from the Earth to the edge of the cosmos and back again.

IAU100 MoonLanding 50 Lunar Activities Booklet

This booklet was created as part of the IAU100 Global Project Moon Landing 50. This document (PDF format) contains various activities and resources pertaining to the moon.

Einstein School Resources

The IAU100 Einstein Schools Programme helps schools and students worldwide explore the fascinating force of gravity, which acts across the universe. Students can learn about current research on black holes, gravitational lenses, and gravitational waves as they explore the importance of gravity and its effect on stars, galaxies, and light.

We Share the Moon Resources
We Share the Same Moon is an innovative project that was developed to create an inclusive approach to science education, by introducing science through storytelling about the Moon and connections to the 50th anniversary of the 1969 moon landing. Resources include stories from various countries, listed by age, country, science topic, etc. Science activities designed to teach individual parts of the UK primary science curriculum are also provided.

IAU100 Above and Beyond Exhibition Posters
12 posters have been created as a scaled-down version of the IAU100 Above and Beyond Exhibition. This exhibition showcases some of the most significant and surprising astronomical breakthroughs that have shaped science, technology and culture over the last century.All of its content and designs are available under an open source license for adaptation and further reuse. You can download the print versions and the source files on this page.

Ada’s Adventures in Science
This activity blends scientific vocabulary, collaboration, creativity and artistic skills. Students are introduced to Ada’s adventures and how to convey ideas and information with a comic book. The students create their own comic strip to tell a science story using given themes and words.

100 Educational Activities about Light and Photonics Booklet
The e-book 100 educational activities about Light and Photonics is a quick reference guide to freely available resources for teachers and educators. The list of activities consists of educational activities for children 6 years and older and includes material developed by Opticks4Kids, Exploratorium.edu, the Optical Society, TeachEngineering and Universe Awareness, among others. The e-book is available as an Open Educational Resource and the source file is available for translations and adaptations.

Black Holes Activities Booklet
This booklet contains a variety of activities pertaining to black holes. It was developed as part of the Einstein Schools programme, that helps schools and students worldwide explore the fascinating force of gravity, which acts across the universe.

Mercury Transit Observations
During the transit of Mercury, the planet appears to us as a tiny black dot moving across the disk of the Sun. This event will take place on 11 November 2019 (and will not occur again until 2032), offering an exciting outreach opportunity for students. The following links provide information about the transit and how to observe it safely on this date:
-Transit of Mercury, 11 November 2019: what it is and how to see it - Sky At Night Magazine
-A Guide to the Transit of Mercury - InTheSky.org
-The Transit of Mercury - Naked Eye Planets
-Royal Astronomical Society of Canada’s Observer’s Handbook: Transit of Mercury - EclipseWise.org

If you have suggestions for other outreach and educational resources that can support astronomers participating in the Astronomy Day in the Schools initiative, please complete this form.

Translated Resources

Spanish

Star in a Box: High School (AstroEDU)

Star in a Box: Advanced (AstroEDU)

GalileoMobile Handbook

Portuguese

Seasons Around the World (AstroEDU) (Brazilian)

Star in a Box (AstroEDU) (Brazilian)

How Light Pollution Affects the Stars: Magnitude Reading (AstroEDU) (Brazilian)

DIY Tactile Celestial Sphere (AstroEDU)

NASE Sun and Eclipse (European)

GalileoMobile Handbook