Session 6 – POSTERS

A case study is here presented of an interdisciplinary course about Mars for teachers and science students.
We aim to share the experience of creating an interdisciplinary approach with lecturers spanning physics, geology, radiation physics and philosophy. Issues in ethics, morality, rights and obligations, conflict management and human psychology as well as rocket orbits, fuel economy, radiation hazards and knowledge of the solar system have proven to be a valued and successful initiative for the further training of teachers and science students.
The focus of the course is on planning for a journey with humans to the planet Mars. This provides a great opportunity to package complex societal problems in a physics context. The course is offered with a special sustainability content mark. Mankind has always had a strong and dependent relationship with the physical landscape. The land has given us food and shelter but also imposed challenges and disasters. Understanding the physical environment has been crucial for our survival and development. The same will be equally, or more important for Mars where life conditions are much more extreme. We highlight similarities and differences in the geologic processes that have shaped Earth and Mars. What conditions do the future explorers on Mars have to manage?
We then enter the modern era and explore the dynamic Martian landscape of today. Also, by learning to read the landscape we may find locations of shelter such as vast systems of lava tubes, or locations of essential resources such as preserved glacial ice etc.
A journey to Mars will cause substantially higher personal irradiation than obtained on Earth. The radiation part of the course lectures starts with defining the different radiation types and the biological effects these different types of radiation will cause. Then, the difference between the irradiation on Earth to the elevated irradiation in space and on Mars is described. Thereafter, it is discussed if this elevated radiation burden can cause acute biological effects, e.g. fatigue, vomiting and death, and late biological effects as cancer induction. Last, possible radiation protection strategies are described and discussed.
The philosophy of space exploration consists of philosophical approaches to ethics, presently applied to the topic of Mars exploration and colonization, with environmental ethics (anthropocentric vs ecocentric) and value theory at its core. Four main uses of philosophy are distinguished: ethics, aesthetics, cognition and existentialism.
Research has shown that visual representation is an important part for students to be able to create a deeper understanding of concepts as well as context about the material that is taught. Interdisciplinary and complex societal problems have also been shown to be important in science teaching. One way for the teacher to develop his/her teaching is to take further education courses in universities whose focus is to seek and discuss the complex societal problems as well as its solutions from a physics and teacher perspective.
Future research could be done on the impact of this course on the education in different levels.

Discovering thousands of planets beyond our solar system counts as a “eureka” moment in human exploration. But the biggest payoff is yet to come: capturing evidence of a distant world hospitable to life.To find another planet like Earth, astronomers are focusing on the ‘habitable zone’ around stars–where it’s not too hot and not too cold for liquid water to exist on the surface. Thus it is time all these information and discussions to come to education in a figurative way . In this paper we are going to present a reference exercise we created, with data taken from an ordinary telescope in order to check the existence of an exoplanet with the transit method the spectral type of the host star in order the hosted exoplanet to have chances to belong to the habitable zone. The exercise uses free software that can be found in the internet and introduces basic astrophysical principals concerning spectral types and the transit method. It is thus a totally hands-on exercise, with an additional observational experience for the students following all the educational principles.

Astronomy being the oldest existing science holds an interesting history and future in both formal and informal education system. Though basic knowledge of astronomy regarding the universe is a part of common science curriculum taught in schools it is observed that it does not have greater standardization after the high school curriculum. Currently in India we do not have any opportunities or formal courses offered in Astronomy as a core curriculum to students after or during their school education. We at Department of Astronomy, Osmania University being the only department which offers a post-graduation course in Astronomy/Astrophysics have noticed the glitch in this aspect of education and focused on activities that can develop interest and provide a platform for learning Astronomy through informal educational activities. These informal education techniques that we designed for students offer chance in providing exposure to and exploration of the tools, methods and understanding of our universe and directions on the available opportunities informal education. As part of this the department conducts a 10-day Foundation course in Astronomy/Astrophysics which is open for all levels & age-group of Astronomy enthusiasts. The department also has established a science center at Japal Rangapur observatory (JRO) in the state (of Telangana) to educate and encourage students at both rural and urban sector of education. A small mini planetarium is set up at the department that allows students to experience the beauty of the universe. The mini planetarium was designed and structured using cardboard. From initial design to constructive work the students were majorly involved and they have setup the planetarium. Overall, through this opportunity I would like to present the research experiments and results that we executed on and elaborate our work and challenges we face in taking forward the same.

One of the factors that most affect ground-based astronomical observations is the seeing caused by atmospheric turbulence. To counteract this effect, adaptive optics elements are used in modern telescopes. In order to quantify this phenomenon, an instrument called scintillator can interpret thermodynamic fluctuations within an atmospheric cell (Seykora, 1993). With a series of photodetectors, which respond to the twinkling of moonlight, the scintillator probes the turbulence structure along the line of sight through the atmosphere (Hickson, 2002) . The measured quantities are time series of intensity fluctuations received by the individual detectors in the array, from which the turbulence profile can be inferred. This work describes the implementation of a site-testing instrument that measures solar scintillation, therefore used to examine the quality of the sky in order to find favorable places for installing a ground-based facility for observing and monitoring the Sun from Colombia.

We present a 20 h inquiry based teaching-learning sequence, featuring paper-and-pencil tasks and practical activities, focused on gravity key, idea for 17-19 years old high school students. The activities’ design was implemented in collaboration with astrophysics of INAF-Astronomical Observatory of Capodimonte in Italy. The module is divided into three phases: (i) use gravity to justify the shape of celestial objects, stellar stability, death of the stars and formation of planetary systems; (ii) understand how gravity drives stellar pulsations; (iii) provide evidences of the role of gravity at large scale. We implemented a first version of teaching-learning sequence with 43 high school students. We assessed the teaching-learning sequence through the same interview, submitted before and after the teaching intervention.

Now a days we can see evolution of science and technology worldwide.But teachers and students in many developing countries are not aware about it that much.Also they should know that how we can use this technology in learning and teaching process. So here I want to share my practices to all of them.I have done some low cost experiments and used them in teaching .It’s proven that they are so much effective.Students can easily make them and understand basic concepts in science better way. This experiments are cost effective,easy to make and understand.This also can be used as best teaching aid’s. We basically call it «Science Toys». Materials Needed: Balloon,Straw, rubberband,plastic bottle(1lit), Android cellphone.

Many years of experience in the field of non-formal education in Physics and Astronomy are presented, as well as some good practices in online learning (synchronous and asynchronous).

The main educational component of the EU Funded Optical Infrared Coordination Network for Astronomy (OPTICON) is organised through its work package ‘Enhancing community skills, Integrating communities’. The core activity of this work package is the yearly NEON Observing school that gives young astronomers hands-on observing experience at a professional telescope. Additionally, OPTICON organises other schools concentrating on different aspects of observational astronomy, for example on astronomical instrumentation and proposal writing. In this talk I will discuss the activities we have carried out over the years, the diversity of the alumni, and the impact the schools have had on their careers.

This work is an experience report about interventions in a local school carried out by the ‘Laboratório de Geociências Espaciais e Astrofísica’ (LaGEA), at Universidade Federal do Pampa (UNIPAMPA), Campus Caçapava do Sul, Brazil. This project aims to bring basic knowledge of Astronomy and show how this can be applied in the regular courses of high school. This project had been active during four years, having carried out five interventions per year in E.M.M. Antônio José Lopez Jardim, a rural school of Caçapava do Sul, Brazil. We used a 6” telescope to carry out astronomical observational, the targets were the near planets (Venus, Mars and Jupiter, according to the epoch of the year) and the Moon. All these observations were supported by talks about what we are seeing and, at the same time, an exposition of the Caçapava do Sul meteorite (CSM), an octahedrite siderite fallen in the early 1900s. The presentations were guided by the use of processes and technical resources in Astronomy and communication of scientific and technological information to the general public. Within this context, it was necessary for to us found how to introduce knowledge about Astronomy to the public that is not familiar with this subject or the usual terms used, and how to make this interesting for them. We decided to use different medias to show the formation of the Solar System and, for example, what the main difference between Venus and Jupiter, both observable during the observational night. The CSM was presented with the purpose of showing what the rock bodies in the Solar System are composed. We used this concept to explain the importance of understanding the meteorites since they keep records of the composition of the celestial bodies that constitute the Solar System. During these moments we did round tables to discuss what was being observed and how that information could be used on formal learning. We noted that projects like this one have contributed to a scientific and critical formation of secondary students. Indeed, a large part of graduates in this high school are in some university right now, some of them are studying with us. This number is higher than usual noted for a rural school like this one. After all, we are sure that we are forming citizens concerned with Science, Technology and Society.

In the spring of 2020, the Southwest Research Institute/NASA (project leader Marc BUIE) entrusted the Senegalese Association for the Promotion of Astronomy (ASPA) (led by Mr. Maram Kaire) with the organization of an important mission to observe a stellar occultation by the asteroid Polymele in September 2020. In 2018 there had already been a successful campaign in Senegal to observe a stellar occultation by Arrokoth, the object visited by the New Horizons spacecraft on January 1, 2019. The Polymele campaign frames in the preparation of upcoming NASA space mission Lucy (launch scheduled for October 2021), which will be the first space mission to approach the Trojan asteroids of the planet Jupiter. The mission mobilises 19 telescopes on the different observation sites with participation of 32 Senegalese researchers in collaboration with 6 French and Belgian colleagues. Am important aspect of the Polymele mission in Senegal is its concept and planning in which – besides top-notch research – astronomy education, astronomy outreach and astronomy for development are all combined. In this talk we will discuss all of these aspects of the mission and its significance for the development of professional astronomy in Senegal.

This investigation was derived from the observation and teaching process carried out in elementary classes at the Brigadeiro Eduardo Gomes Municipal Middle School (Natal, Brazil) at the end of 2019. The sciences classes taught were the following: the development of astronomy and astronautics since antiquity to the modern era and, introduction to stellar evolution. The goal was to focus on preparing for the Brazilian Astronomical Olympics (OBA) for students in these classes. The results, both quantitative and qualitative, were quite satisfactory. Taking into account the region’s socio-economic vulnerability profile. In this context, the study of Astronomy in the classroom in search of creating new mechanisms to improve pedagogical activities encourages the critical and creative development of students, showing that they have a potential and want to make use of it.

We present the results of the implementation of a didactic sequence based on the formulation and resolution of astronomical problems by seventh grade elementary school students from the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Its objective is to generate a meaningful understanding of the heliocentric model of the Solar System from the systematization of topocentric observations of the sky, either direct or mediated by resources such as diagrams, Stellarium software and tables, which we correlate with the parallel globe, other models with specific material and the Solar System Scope software.
Throughout the sequence we address topics such as the diurnal and annual movement of the Sun, the night sky, astronomical ephemeris, Moon phases and eclipses. These are developed in parallel to the sphericity of the Earth and the concept of motion in science. For each of these topics we start from its recognition. We then implement strategies to guide students towards a possible description from the local point of view, and then extend it to other locations on the surface of the Earth. We encourage them to explain their ideas about the possible links between these topocentric observations and the corresponding relative positions of the celestial objects involved from an external point of view to the Earth. These ideas are then contrasted with geocentric and heliocentric models.
Here we highlight the integrative instances in which the students formulated problems in small groups and shared them for their resolution. Thus, motivated and challenged by the collaboration between peers, they became the protagonists of their learning.

This project is conducted at El Bolsón and Bariloche, two cities located in the Argentinean Andean Patagonian area of Río Negro province. Its main goal is to teach and disseminate astronomy among children and young people, mainly through the naked-eye observation of the sky. It consists of a work team composed by high-school students and teachers, called «Astronomic Group Osiris», which gathers beyond school hours. Activities are aimed for learning by means of sky observations, discussions, and planning further dissemination activities to be conducted by themselves in benefit of other students and the community in general. The project was founded in 2005 at the Pre-Service Teacher Institute of El Bolson and extended its activities to the National University of Río Negro in 2014.
The project organizes regularly hosts workshops for schools students, talks for broader audiences, mobile planetarium sessions, training courses for teachers, «Young Astronomers’ meeting», sky observations, outreach activities related to eclipses, and other astronomical events, among others. Also, educational resources are produced and made available via our website (www.miradasalcielo.com.ar, where all the past and future activities are detailed) and distributed in schools. Over its 15 years of life, the project has grown and reached more than 50,000 students and teachers, having facilitated their first astronomical experiences related to the observation of our celestial environment. The project is also enriched by collaborators from other institutions who regularly contribute to the activities. The project has been recognized for its societal and educational impact, having obtained different distinctions and awards along its lifetime.
Recently, the project has incorporated a research line in astronomy didactics. In this presentation, we briefly summarize what it has been done while evaluating the achievements and considering the future prospects.

In this poster, we will introduce «The Internet Encyclopedia of Astronomy» compiled and provided by the Astronomical Society of Japan. http://astro-dic.jp/
In particular, the following points should be addressed in future astronomy education in developing countries. In some cases, basic terms are misunderstood for the concepts they mean.