Bridging the gap between subjects and educational levels using space educational activities

Poster
Teaching astronomy as part of other subjects in secondary schools – astronomy as a “gateway science”
4th Shaw-IAU Workshop
Wednesday Nov. 16, 2022
UTC: 8 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. America/New_York: 3 a.m.- 4:30 a.m.
, UTC: 8 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. America/New_York: 3 p.m.- 4:30 p.m.
, Thursday Nov. 17, 2022
UTC: 10 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. America/New_York: 5 a.m.- 6:30 a.m.
, UTC: 1 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. America/New_York: 8 a.m.- 9:30 a.m.

In the Croatian educational system there is a big gap in science curriculum between middle school and the start of high school. This gap results in insufficient student knowledge of STEM subjects. Students that have attended astronomy as an extracurricular subject have been more successful in bridging that gap. We will showcase educational activities that help bridge this gap by exploring astronomy using scientific concepts summarized in a project called "Exploration of Mars". We will show activities that explore the connection between gravity, terraforming and atmospheric structure of the planet, hydroponics, assembling, programming and "driving" a rover on Mars, space tourism. These activities allow us to explore scientific concepts beyond the construct of the national curriculum.

Biography:

Physics, Technology and Astronomy teacher and Erasmus+ project coordinator in elementary school Pantovčak, Zagreb, Croatia. A passionate fan of Astronomy and eTwinning. Erasmus +, IAU and Universe Awareness ambassador for the Republic of Croatia.

Click here for a copy of this poster (PDF file 1.80 MB)