Teaching Seasons - Analyzing Data and Modelling: Pierre Chastenay at the OAE’s 5th Shaw-IAU Workshop
0Title:
Teaching the Seasons by Analyzing Data and Modelling
This was a talk given at the 5th Shaw-IAU Workshop on Astronomy for Education, organised by the IAU Office of Astronomy for Education (OAE, http//astro4edu.org).
The seasons is a concept in astronomy that is particularly difficult to understand. We propose to teach the seasons by prompting students to analyse day-to-day data (sunrise and sunset times and azimuth, height of the Sun at noon, length of day, etc.) for their location, and compare it with the same data for a location positioned at the same latitude in the Southern hemisphere. By modelling the reasons for seasons using concrete objects (a Styrofoam ball and a lamp), students will connect the apparent motion of the Sun with the inclination of Earth’s axis of rotation to the plane of the ecliptic. We will present the results of an experiment conducted with pre-service high school teachers enrolled in an astronomy teaching course, using a Seasons Concept Inventory as pre- and post-test.
About Pierre Chastenay:
Pierre Chastenay holds a master’s degree in astrophysics from Université Laval in Québec City and a doctorate in science education from Université de Montréal. He is now a Full professor of science education at Université du Québec à Montréal, where his main research interests are science and astronomy education, and elementary teacher training. Previously, he was Director of Education at the Planétarium de Montréal for 25 years. In 2017, he was awarded the Qilak Award from the Canadian Astronomical Society and the Sanford-Fleming Medal from the Royal Canadian Institute for Science, recognizing his long and distinguished record of outstanding contributions to communicating astronomy and science to Canadians.
About the 5th Shaw-IAU Workshop:
This year’s Shaw-IAU Workshop on Astronomy for Education focuses on two themes: one special practical astronomy education topic and one scientific topic. The special topic is astronomy education outside the classroom, looking at how astronomy can be taught in a diverse range of environments such as science centers, planetaria and youth clubs. The scientific topic is planetary atmospheres, both in the solar system and exoplanets as well as our own Earth. The workshop was organised by the IAU Office of Astronomy for Education (http://astro4edu.org/). More details can be found on: https://astro4edu.org/shaw-iau/5th-shaw-iau-workshop/schedule/
Keep up to date with future Shaw-IAU Workshops and other opportunities at the IAU Office of Astronomy for Education by joining our mailing list https://astro4edu.org/mailing-list/
Follow the IAU OAE on X and Facebook under @astro4edu