Astronomy Education Resources

Digitalis Curricula

A set of astronomy lesson plans for use for kindergarten through twelfth grade students.

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Below we have included references to useful websites for astronomy background information and activities, followed by a recommended reading list.

Background information

Basic astronomy/general interest

http://www.badastronomy.com
http://www.nasa.gov
http://www.spacetoday.org
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html
http://www.astronomy.com/
http://skyandtelescope.com
http://www.lowell.edu/Public/LEARN
http://www.darksky.org

Constellations and astronomy of different cultures

Multiple cultures

http://www.dibonsmith.com/data.htm
http://www.learnwhatsup.com/prc/space/constellations.html
http://home.cwru.edu/~sjr16/advanced/pre20th_ancients_others.html
http://www.astronomy.pomona.edu/archeo/
http://ecuip.lib.uchicago.edu/diglib/science/cultural_astronomy/cultures.html
http://members.optusnet.com.au/~gtosiris/page4.html (Bibliography, not weblinks)
http://www.windows.ucar.edu/cgi-bin/tour_def/mythology/stars.html
http://www.geocities.com/starstuffs/native/myths/stars/index.htm

Chinese

http://ecuip.lib.uchicago.edu/diglib/science/cultural_astronomy/cultures_china-4.html
http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/Museum/Space/Research/StarName/e_research_chinengstarzone_b.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_constellation
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Chinese_astronomy
http://physics.gac.edu/~chuck/astro/archeo.html
http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/startales2a.htm

Ancient Egyptian

http://ecuip.lib.uchicago.edu/diglib/science/cultural_astronomy/cultures_egypt-1.html
http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/gods/home.html
http://www.egyptologyonline.com/astronomy.htm
http://www.hallofmaat.com/modules.php?name=Articles&file=article&sid=24
http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/d/r/drn116/egypt.html
http://stardate.org/egypt/resources.html

Navajo

http://www.clarkfoundation.org/astro-utah/vondel/dilyehe.html
http://www.clarkfoundation.org/astro-utah/vondel/rabbit.html
http://www.clarkfoundation.org/astro-utah/vondel/laws.html
http://www.twinrocks.com/legends/legends/stars.html
http://www.sciencecases.org/pleiades/pleiades.asp
http://www.mc.maricopa.edu/dept/d10/asb/anthro2003/religion/navajo_worldview.html
http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/mythology/northamerican_culture.html
http://www.astrophys-assist.com/AA/session1.htm

Norse

http://www.DigitalisEducation.com/resources-norse.html

Polynesian

http://starryskies.com/The_sky/constellations/pleiades.polynesian.html
http://www.ethnomath.org/resources/daiber1986.pdf
http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~feegi/astro.html
http://www.pvs-hawaii.com/navigation/hawaiiancompass.htm
http://www.pbs.org/wayfinders/index.html
http://www.astronomy.pomona.edu/archeo/islands/polynesia2.html

Planets

http://www.nineplanets.org
http://pds.jpl.nasa.gov/planets/welcome.htm

Moon (Luna)

http://www.nineplanets.org/luna.html
http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/earth/moons_and_rings.html
http://hea-www.harvard.edu/ECT/the_book/Chap6/Chapter6.html

Hubble Space Telescope

http://hubblesite.org
http://stipo.larc.nasa.gov/browse/hubble.html

Cosmology

http://www.astro.ucla.edu/~wright/cosmology_faq.html
http://map.gsfc.nasa.gov/m_uni.html
http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/~jcohn/tcosmo.html

History of astronomy/important astronomers

http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/the_universe/uts/timeline.html
http://www.spacetoday.org/History/History.html
http://www.physics.sfsu.edu/~gmarcy/cswa/history/history.html

Electromagnetic spectrum

http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/sitemap.html (Click on the “electromagnetic spectrum” link under the “Science” heading.)
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/ems1.html
http://www.geo.mtu.edu/rs/back/spectrum

Debunking astrology

http://www.astrosociety.org/education/astro/act3/astrology.html
http://www.badastronomy.com/bad/misc/zodiac.html

Astronomy Activities

http://www.exploratorium.edu/observatory/index.html
http://www.exploratorium.edu/science_explorer
http://www.astrosociety.org/education/activities/activities.html
http://hea-www.harvard.edu/ECT/the_book/
http://cse.ssl.berkeley.edu/AtHomeAstronomy
http://amazing-space.stsci.edu

Shows/fixed domes/planetarium products

http://www.lochnessproductions.com/shows/shows.html
http://www.lochnessproductions.com/links/pltrel.html
http://www.ips-planetarium.org

Recommended Reading

Bad Astronomy, Philip Plait. What misconceptions do your students hold? A very engaging and informative book.

Facts on File Dictionary of Astronomy, Valerie Illingworth and John O.E. Clark. If you're going to buy only one reference book, make it this one! It never leaves my desk.

Universe at your Fingertips, Project ASTRO. Two binder set of excellent astronomy activities and background information. Available through the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. www.astrosociety.org.

Stars of the First People, Dorcas S. Miller. North American Indian constellations and legends. Sadly out of print as of 10/03, but available in many libraries.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Astronomy, Christopher G. De Pree. A thorough but gentle introduction to astronomy.

The Stars: A New Way to See Them, H. A. Rey. A different way to see the stars, from the creator of that mischievious monkey Curious George.

Deep Sky Companions: The Messier Objects, Stephen James O'Meara. Designed to be used with a telescope. Provides photographs of all Messier objects, as well as information on where to look for them.