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Huron Family Astronomy Night Planning Page

(As plans develop, we should update the event appearing in our calendar. Once that page develops enough, I will copy the content onto the event calendar for the main school webspace.)

Huron Family Astronomy Night Calendar Event Page

 

Notes from John Goodyear- Feb 3, 2012:

Astronomy Night at Huron – Thursday, Mar 1. 2010

Possible Alternate Title: “Lost in Space”

Activity Ideas

1. Moon Phases with Styrofoam balls, skewers and a bright light

  • Put ball on stick, hold at arms length, turn counter-clockwise (toward left hand) in a full circle. Watch the phases occur.
  • (alternate method is to work in partners, one with a bright flashlight, and the other with the ball) – we’d need to get a few good quality bright flashlights. The flashlight method is not as “accurate” due to kids not holding still.

2. Make and take (in a classroom)

  • Get some templates (eg Subaru telescope), scissors, etc and make a model of a telescope.
  • Make a comet flipbook (also a template for this)
  • Colour in a simple drawing of the solar system and label the planets (this is for the young kids)

3. Scale model of the Solar system (in main hallway)

  • This is in the mail hallway – could be made in advance
  • The sun is at one end, Neptune (or Pluto) at the other end.
  • Small drawings of each planet with an indication of it’s distance from the sun as it relates to this model (I think to figure this one out, you would need to find the relative distances, then use ratios of the distances to fit the hallway).
  • I did find an online tool to help with this  (Can you share the link?)
  • Or: Give people the distances and then have them figure it out in the hallway

Other Ideas:

  1. Promote the Venus Transit! Caution against looking at sun. Distribute sun viewing glasses?
  2. Straw/paper rockets activity (template)
  3. Starry Night computer software or Stellarium – set up for people to try or a demo that people watch
  4. Story (read aloud using the ELMO)
  5. Video of Moon landing and other things
  6. Sing along (the sun is a mass of incandescent gas – karaoke music
  7. “Where were you on July 20, 1969” – a big sheet that people can write on
  8.  “Questions about Space” – A big sheet where people can write questions about space
  9. have kids write some poems about space and post them around the school
  10. wear my starry bandana, or a Star Trek uniform (maybe)
  11. dress up as Galileo, carry his book “starry night” under arm
  12. Dropping meteors (marbles) into flour activity (very messy, but fun)
  13. U of T – bring samples of asteroids, students, John Percy
  14. A Little Astronomy “library” with cozy chairs and some books (near couches in library)
  15. Design an astronauts meal.
  16. Dress up like an astronaut.
  17. Inflatable planetarium – this would need to be rented from somewhere
  18. Invite Khan Scope centre
  19. RASC – contact their outreach dept
  20. Coffee/tea fundraising station (food/drinks/pop); sun, moon and star shaped cookies (star dust and moon juice)
  21. Souvenir Passport – tour the Universe – kids stamp them at each station
  22. Collect brochures from science centre/RASC/u of t and york/weblinks

Useful areas in the school:

  • Library (both ends)
  • JK/SK (rm 5 – MacLeod)
  • Gym
  • Staffroom
  • Main Hallway
  • Foyer (coffee/cookies/welcome area)
  • Field

Some things to do:

  • Advertise on webspace, etc
  • Put up posters
  • Announcements
  • Astronomy club memebers go class to class and generate interest.
  • Contact Ray Khan
  • U of T/York outreach
  • Contact RASC
  • Who else?

Invited Special Guests