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| Paper: |
Astronomy and Remote Learning: A Stellar Combination |
| Volume: |
531, ASP2020: Embracing the Future: Astronomy Teaching and Public Engagement |
| Page: |
280 |
| Authors: |
Bernhardt, C. H. |
| Abstract: |
In response to the COVID-19 global pandemic, many K-12 teachers are currently adapting their curriculum for remote instruction. Implementing the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) with its focus on learning content through science and engineering practices is challenging when students are attending school from home and do not have access to materials that would allow students to interact with phenomena. Fortunately, astronomical phenomena are already accessible to students remotely and many resources can be easily integrated into remote settings, and may even allow for greater investigation than in a face-to-face setting. Astronomy education has the capacity to empower students to investigate and design solutions to real world problems, and the space environment presents the evidence for global patterns of change. This session will spotlight several remote astronomy investigations which are embedded into NGSS courses of Living Earth, Chemistry in the Earth System, and Physics of the Universe. Spotlight lessons include: Satellites and Social Justice, Satellite Dynamics, Starlight, Solar Observations, Investigating Lunar Craters, and Citizen Science Aboard ISS. Participants will gain access to over a semesters' worth of NGSS-aligned take-and-go remote astronomy lessons for grades 7-12. Lessons can be taken as a sequence or a snapshot, and are ready to embed into Learning Management Systems. Each lesson focuses on the value of studying space, and the implications for society. Lessons address equity in STEM, and include opportunities to engage in multiple modalities of learning, while utilizing real-time data (solar observations). Each lesson is free and requires only internet access. Teaching remotely may present new challenges; however, teaching space content should not be one of them. This workshop will provide resources for easy integration of topics that maximize student engagement and encourage students' natural curiosity. |
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