Mission
The education mission of the American Astronomical Society is to optimize the contributions of both the AAS and its members to enhanced science literacy for all, provide encouragement and to broaden educational opportunities for all, with particular attention to groups under-served in the physical sciences, and ensure that undergraduate and graduate programs in astronomy prepare not only the next generation of professional astronomers but also broadly trained individuals with strong technical and scientific backgrounds.
Goals
Its goals are to improve undergraduate and graduate education in astronomy and promote science literacy for all. In the Society, and more widely in the astronomical community, advocate greater attention to, encouragement of, and rewards for both excellence in astronomy education and research on teaching and learning in astronomy. Advocate astronomy and astronomy education in national and state education forums, to funding agencies, and to the scientific and education communities.
News
Volunteers Needed for National Lab Day
National Lab Day, billed as “a national barn-raising for hands-on learning,” is an effort to bring more high-quality, discovery-based lab experiences to U.S. middle- and high-school students. Here, a “lab” is any place where students can explore, experiment, test, and get their hands dirty and their minds engaged. The inaugural Lab Day will occur during the first week of May 2010. University students and professionals working in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are needed to collaborate with local teachers to improve labs and discovery-based science experiences for students in grades K-12. Teachers will organize and coordinate Lab Day volunteers for their classrooms. Volunteers will engage in a variety of activities to strengthen laboratory experiences in their local schools and communities. Examples include conducting workshops, identifying useful Web resources, repairing equipment, implementing hands-on projects, helping with science fairs, mentoring a student, chaperoning a field trip, providing internship opportunities, helping with lesson plans, or advising an after-school program. National Lab Day is supported in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Science Teachers Association, and the AAS is a participating organization. To learn more and get involved, visit the National Lab Day website.
| Astronomy Education Review |
| Our Planet from Space: Pedagogical Implications of the DISH Earth ChannelWilson Gonzalez-Espada, Jennifer J. Birriel, and Ignacio Birriel A new camera attached to EchoStar 11, a geostationary communications satellite, recently started sending breathtaking and near real-time images of Earth. Available on one of DISH Network's channels, viewers can see our planet 24/7, including occasional appearances by the Sun, the Moon, Venus, and sp ... [AER 9, 010302 (2010)] published Fri Feb 5, 2010. |
| What It Would Take to Increase the Number of High School Astronomy Courses: A Survey of Principals and a Comparison to Astronomy Teachers, and a Prescription for ChangeLarry Krumenaker A survey to principals of high schools without astronomy points to the conditions needed to increase the number of high school astronomy courses and acceptable justifications for adding in a course. The former includes the need for more and better trained teachers, changing the perceptions of higher ... [AER 9, 010102 (2010)] published Fri Jan 29, 2010. |
| Resource Guide to the Moon for Educators Available from the Astronomical Society of the PacificSidney Wolff An annotated list of resources for helping students and the public to understand and appreciate the Moon is now available on the website of the nonprofit Astronomical Society of the Pacific at: http://www.astrosociety.org/education/family/resources/moonguide.html. ... [AER 9, 010301 (2010)] published Tue Jan 26, 2010. |
| Visualizing Cosmological Concepts Using the Analog of a Hot LiquidE. Yusofi and M. Mohsenzadeh We have used the expansion process of hot milk, which has similarities with the cosmic expansion, to facilitate easier and better visualization and teaching of cosmological concepts. Observations of milk are used to illustrate phenomena related to the Planck era, the standard hot big bang model, cos ... [AER 9, 010201 (2010)] published Tue Jan 26, 2010. |
| Using Visual Assessments and Tutorials to Teach Solar System Concepts in Introductory AstronomyMichael C. LoPresto Visual assessments and tutorials are instruments that rely on student construction and/or examination of pictures and/or diagrams rather than multiple choice and/or short answer questions. Being a very visual subject, astronomy lends itself to assessments and tutorials of this type. What follows is ... [AER 9, 010101 (2010)] published Tue Jan 26, 2010. |
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