This interactive, online activity traces the history of the telescope from Galileo's first look at the stars to the work of modern observatories. Learners will read about the milestones in telescope development, witness the interplay between... (View More) technological and scientific advances, glimpse the humanity of the inventors and astronomers behind the telescopes, find out what the telescopes discovered, as well as learn the science of light and optics. Students can work through the activity independently or in groups. Teachers may also choose to have students study a portion of the activity and then share their learning with the class. The science of light and telescopes is presented in the section called "Get to the root of it" that can be used for review, learning the basics, or remediation. Detailed teacher pages, identified as Teaching Tips on the title page of the activity, provide science background information, lesson plan ideas, related resources, and alignment with national education standards. (View Less)

This interactive, online activity allows students to examine the Hubble Deep Field image and simulate the process astronomers have gone through to classify the objects in it. Students classify select objects in the image based on observable... (View More) properties such as color and shape. Students then compare their classifications to those made by astronomers. Upon completion of this activity, students will have classified objects in the Hubble Deep Field, described their characteristics, and used a table to display their data. Students can work through the activity independently or in groups. Teachers also may choose to have students prepare oral reports based on what they learned after performing the activity. Detailed teacher pages, identified as Teaching Tips on the title page of the activity, provide science background information, lesson plan ideas, related resources, and alignment with national education standards. This activity is part of the online exploration "The Hubble Deep Field Academy" that is available on the Amazing Space website. (View Less)

This is an activity about astrology and the scientific reasons behind the zodiac cycle. Learners will form a model by sitting in a circle, holding constellation signs, and placing a light source representing the Sun in the middle. Then, using the... (View More) model, they will explain why one cannot see their zodiac constellation or sun sign on their birthday, and predict how long they would have to wait to see it in the nighttime sky. Finally, learners will understand why the ecliptic, which contains the zodiac constellations, changes over time as a result of the Earth’s processional cycle. This is Actividad 11.1 as part of El Universo a Sus Pies, a Spanish-language curriculum, available for purchase. (View Less)

This is an activity about astrology and the scientific reasons behind the zodiac cycle. Learners will form a model by sitting in a circle, holding constellation signs, and placing a light source representing the Sun in the middle. Then, using the... (View More) model, they will explain why one cannot see their zodiac constellation or sun sign on their birthday, and predict how long they would have to wait to see it in the nighttime sky. Finally, learners will understand why the ecliptic, which contains the zodiac constellations, changes over time as a result of the Earth's precessional cycle. This is Activity K-1 of Universe at Your Fingertips 2.0: A Collection of Activities and Resources for Teaching Astronomy DVD-ROM, which is available for purchase. (View Less)