08 April 2009

Planning an Astronomy Unit

So, I should totally be doing my homework right now, but I needed a distraction. Unfortunately, this distraction is compounded by the fact that I have dial-up and live in Lincoln County, which automatically triples the time it takes to be effectively distracted than it would for people with DSL living in normal places.

I have an 8-day unit to plan, type, format, and complete so that I can teach the 8-day unit to a high school environmental science class. I have my unit topic down: Astronomy. That's fine. I know where I'm going with that. I am confident in my understanding of astronomy and feel I am perfectly qualified to teach it since I have a biology degree (well, this logic seemed to work for the school system when having me teach middle school music, at least.) Of course, my desire to teach astronomy at all is because I used to work in a planetarium, wherein I gained most of my interest and knowledge of things astronomical.

But, how do I teach a unit on astronomy to students? What do I start with? The solar system, then stars. Start with stars first, with a little history of Galileo, then lead into constellations?

How long will it actually take to get the concept of astronomical units into the unwilling minds of high school students?!

Alas, my distraction must needs come to a close soon. At least I have both of my socks on today. I can't say as much for my brain's synapses.



(This MySBlentry was originally posted on 22 March 2007 at 8:22PM.)

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