Activities

20091024.M45.DDP_600sec

Remote telescopes (for use by classes)

Software for use in HOU activities:

    • SalsaJ Image Processing Software
    • JS9 Astronomical Image Display – online tool; pilot tested June 2017. See JS9 Manual by Mr. Robert Curtiss, Science Teacher and Quiz Bowl Coach, Theodore Roosevelt High School, Wyandotte, Michigan.

HOU high school curriculum, A Changing Cosmos (from Lawrence Hall of Science (LHS)– students use astronomical telescope images to explore science, math, and technology concepts. This is the “Best” of the 7 original HOU books (developed by TERC). The essential components are: TERC). The essential components are: Student bookswith investigations, Image Processing Software (e.g. JS9 or SalsaJ) with images. For Teacher Guides contact USA HOU staff of the Global Systems Science (GSS) project for free access to latest version.

HOU middle school curriculum, Solar System Science,(previously Hands-On Solar System or HOSS) – students use images from professional telescopes along with image processing software developed for use in the classroom to learn key concepts in astronomy, mathematics, and technology. Solar System Science blends content learning with critical thinking skills and processes such as data interpretation, measurement techniques, and using appropriate tools for exploration. Solar System Sciencecurriculum materials include:Solar System Science Student Book (3 Mb PDF download), Teacher Guide (1.4 Mb PDF download), Image Processing Software (e.g. JS9 or SalsaJ), with images.)

From Yerkes Observatory (Vivian Hoette):

  • Explorations
  • Explore and Discover Observing! – Astronomy Projects and Science Guides
  • Optical Powers: Telescopes and Imaging

HOU Modeling Unit (high school – Newton’s Universal Law of Gravitation and Kepler’s 3rd Law; summer 2005)

FITS images for HOU Transit Unit (high school – Discovering New Planets)

Uncle Al’s Sky Wheels – an astronomical tool to help find constellations and other sky objects.

What Is It? How Far is It? (for middle school)

From HOU teacher/TRA Dane Toler:

From HOU teacher/TRA Harlan DeVore:

  • The Mass of Jupiter Project
  • Titan Project Project by Cape Fear High School students to find the mass and density of Saturn. Orbital data for Titan and Rhea were obtained for 19 images using HOU-IP. An Excel spreadsheet was used to fit a sine curve to the moons’ data to determine their orbital periods and orbital radii. These values were then used to find Saturn’s mass.
  • Io Project by Cape Fear High School students to find the mass of Jupiter. Orbital data for Io was obtained from images using HOU-IP. An Excel spreadsheet was used to fit a sine curve to Io data to determine its orbital period and orbital radius. These values were then used to find Jupiter’s mass.

From HOU teacher Fred Page:

  • Apogee/Perigee: Using Geometry to Investigate the Moon and Its Orbit

For a nice simulation illustrating the principle of alt-azimuth coordinates, see the Azimuth/Altitude Demonstrator from University of Nebraska, Lincoln (UNL). UNL has produce many astronomy interactives available through https://astro.unl.edu/interactives.

To be added…

  • Tour of the Universe (ISE) [Look for lunar crafts and puzzles, explore the motions of the planets and their moons; make a flip-book animation of Jupiter; find a comet; see the Orion Nebula; star hop to the Pleiades; learn to photograph constellations and to classify galaxies.]
  • NASA’s Saturday Academy for Space Science, at Chicago State University in Chicago
  • Explorations page from Kitanomaru Internet Telescope (KIT)
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