Jim Hesser conducted the most recent
CASCA-Westar Lectureship at Selkirk College in British Columbia on Thursday,
September 26. There were two
talks presented, the first entitled “Cosmic Tinkering: Canadian Ventures
on the Frontiers of Science & Technology,” about the diverse occupations
involved in development & operation of observatories and
instrumentation, the LRP, economic spinoffs and technology transfer from
astronomy to industry. It was a luncheon talk attended by about 30-35
people. The second presentation, “Hubble's Universe: Space Telescope
Discoveries from Mars to the Farthest Realms,” was an evening talk,
attended by about 135 people. Both Jim and Selkirk College were pleased
with the turnout.
There is an upcoming Lectureship in the works for the Niagara Region this coming fall, involving pre-service teachers, current science teachers, students, as well as a general public talk.
At the end of January, Travis Whyte (web developer and founder, Educational Media Technologies) and Heather Scott (CASCA Education Coordinator) met with John Percy to begin the design of the final CASCA Astronomy Education site.
The temporary site, which is being used as a repository of resources and links, is still up and viewable at http://www.astro.utoronto.ca/~cascaed
While the new site is being built, a survey, aimed at teachers of astronomy (at all levels!), has been made available so as to probe what educators would like to see on the site. Please check out the survey – available in both English and French – by going to the URL above and clicking on the "Our Survey" link. As well, please see the article in this quarter’s E-Cass for more detailed information on the site.
The CSA Astro 6 Project – web-based Astronomy lesson plans, interactive appelets and resources for the Alberta Science Curriculum - is now being used by teachers all across Canada and is receiving very positive feedback. It has been presented at a few conferences and has been adopted as a resource by some school boards. It can be seen at: http://www.ioncmaste.ca or refer to the article "Web-Based Astronomy Curriculum Resources - Sixth-Grade Pan-Canadian Science Curriculum" from the June Solstice 2002 issue of E-Cass for a full-length article.
The CSA Astro 9 Project is now underway and should be ready for widespread use soon.
Astronomy Week is quickly approaching, leading up to International Astronomy Day on Saturday, May 10. On that day, special events and activities are hosted by astronomy clubs, observatories, universities, planetaria, science museums and libraries to acquaint the public with local astronomical resources and facilities. Celebrated in over 30 different countries, CASCA will be participating in the Ontario Science Centre’s week-long activities. Most RASC centers across Canada also have events planned. See http://www.rasc.ca/activity/astroday/ for more details.
In the RASC Journal (Feb. 2003), David Orenstein has an article on measuring the distance to Mars (which, this August, will be at the closest approach to the Earth in nearly 100 000 years) using basic calculations and data found in the Observer’s Handbook. The once-a-year occurrence of Mars’ closest approach could be introduced into either math or science classes, as the calculations are suitable for the secondary school level.
Think ahead! The deadline for submitting an abstract is only a few weeks away! Remember that you can contribute an education poster, as well as any additional research paper that you wish.
The CASCA education committee has organized a special workshop for grade 6 and 9 science teachers in the Waterloo Region District School Board. To be presented in the late-afternoon of Monday, June 2, the workshop will present current teachers with an overview of hot topics in astronomy, as well as separate sessions for each grade, discussing curriculum-teaching techniques and demonstrations. Though this will not be part of the Province’s Professional Learning Program, the hours will count toward professional development for the teachers. This is one in a series of steps to make astronomy less "frightening" for teachers who are new to the subject.
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Heather Scott, H.B.Sc., M.Sc.
CASCA Education Coordinator/Coordinatrice
d’Éducation
Ridley College
St. Catharines, ON
(905) 684 1889 x2545
heather_scott@ridley.on.ca