Community Based Astronomy: Bringing families and communities together

Details Community Based Astronomy: Bringing families and communities together Community Based Astronomy: Bringing families and communities together

Dec 2001

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2001agufmed42b0179m&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2001, abstract #ED42B-0179

Computer Science

Learning

6605 Education

Scientific paper

Astronomy in K-12 formal education is still largely underrepresented as a science. Yet, it is arguably one of the most engaging and entertaining of the physical sciences. Many school systems have been slow to adopt curriculum frameworks that include astronomy. Even when astronomy is required either as a distinct subject or hidden within the catagory of "Earth science", many teachers spend little time on it in their classrooms since they have no formal training in this subject. A community based, informal astronomy education model that encorporates resources from government agencies, industry, local colleges, science centers and planetariums, families, civic groups, schools, and amateur astronomy clubs can provide a solution and be highly effective in creating sustained learning environments in this discipline as well as fostering an atmosphere of general acceptance and promotion of astronomy by whole communities. In addition, the opportunity exists to reinforce the teaching of astronomy in schools through the involvement of these groups in an informal education setting. This paper will discuss a Community Based Astronomy program that has been implemented in Montgomery County, Maryland. The tie-in to formal education through both schools and systemic reform initiatives will be presented. In addition, detailed guidelines for running astronomy clubs in conjunction with family astronomy nights will be provided.

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