Shaw-IAU Workshops by the OAE

Tropics, especially close to the Equator experience mild changes of temperature during the year, so seasons are marked primarily by the bimodal rainfall pattern which is broken by proximity to ocean, resulting in weakly defined seasonal changes. Astronomical causes of seasons are taught using the northern "gospel" of summer, winter, autumn and spring without understanding the regularity and profound seasonal changes experienced away from the tropics. Hence the local seasons as well as its astronomical causes are not properly understood and misconceptions and wrong ideas are introduced at a young age. We show how this problem is reflected in Tanzanian learning, especially when local language (Kiswahili) terminologies are used to describe seasons.

About Noorali Jiwaji

Dr N T Jiwaji teaches Physics at Marian University College and consults on Astronomy for the Open University of Tanzania. He is an experimental Physicist with a Ph D in Environmental Physics in micro-meteorology and instrumentation. His research interest are Light Pollution and Active Galactic Nuclei. He is also the founding Chairman of the Astronomy and Space Science Association of Tanzania (ASSAT).
Dr Jiwaji has pioneered the development of Astronomy in Tanzania since 1978 and is the International Astronomical Union (IAU) National Astronomy Education Coordinator (NAEC) as well as the National Outreach Coordinator (NOC) for the Tanzania. He writes regularly about Night Skies of Tanzania and special celestial events in English and Kiswahili to promote science education through Astronomy.

Watch a recording of this talk (external link)