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Studying the Stars A Mile Above Sea Level
The Mount Wilson Observatory was kind enough to work with our science department to develop a day curriculum that explores the size of space and where our little planet fits within it all. Our tour was led by Cal Tech Professor Cynthia Hunt and Mount Wilson Observatory Astronomer and Board Member Dan Kohne, among many other active astronomers and astrophysicists who were on hand to help answer any of the deeper questions our students imagined on our trip. On our trip, students learned about space is measured and the different types of telescopes astronomers use, those using lenses and those using mirrors like the giant 100-inch and 60-inch telescopes at the observatory.
The history of the observatory blew a few minds when the students realized that they were placing their hands on the telescope that Edwin Hubble used to develop his theories on the expansion of space and the telescope that Einstein visited to observe sun spots. In some cases, the most amazing experience to the students was standing on the hiking trail looking over Pasadena from a mile up in the air, never having been up on a mountain before.
Everyone took home an experience all their own, whether it was a new appreciation for our local history or a new wonder about all those stars in the sky every night.
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Studying the Stars A Mile Above Sea Level
March 2, 2016 was no ordinary day for our 8th graders at MSA 5. That morning, students stepped onto a bus, went a mile above sea level, and studied the stars.
March 2, 2016 was no ordinary day for our 8th graders at MSA 5. That morning, students stepped onto a bus, went a mile above sea level, and studied the stars. While this may sound like an intro to a Magic School bus story, this is really a story of how our school has begun working with active scientists to put together a field trip experience that utilizes our new Next Generation Science Standards in the field of astronomy.The Mount Wilson Observatory was kind enough to work with our science department to develop a day curriculum that explores the size of space and where our little planet fits within it all. Our tour was led by Cal Tech Professor Cynthia Hunt and Mount Wilson Observatory Astronomer and Board Member Dan Kohne, among many other active astronomers and astrophysicists who were on hand to help answer any of the deeper questions our students imagined on our trip. On our trip, students learned about space is measured and the different types of telescopes astronomers use, those using lenses and those using mirrors like the giant 100-inch and 60-inch telescopes at the observatory.
The history of the observatory blew a few minds when the students realized that they were placing their hands on the telescope that Edwin Hubble used to develop his theories on the expansion of space and the telescope that Einstein visited to observe sun spots. In some cases, the most amazing experience to the students was standing on the hiking trail looking over Pasadena from a mile up in the air, never having been up on a mountain before.
Everyone took home an experience all their own, whether it was a new appreciation for our local history or a new wonder about all those stars in the sky every night.