Camp: Astronomy Using Real Observatory Telescopes (STEM/Steam)
What's included
12 live meetings
10 in-class hoursClass Experience
US Grade 3 - 6
Does your child love astronomy, NASA or all things space? This summer camp gives kids the opportunity to experience controlling a professional observatory telescope via remote control, just like a real astronomer! Most astronomers don't live on-site at the observatories, but instead observe and control the telescope from a distance via special tools. Through a partnership with educational telescope provider Slooh, this course teaches students how to use observatory telescopes located in the Canary Islands and Chile for hands-on astronomy studies. Please note: This camp is also offered as a 12-week course (meeting once a week) at the link below: https://outschool.com/classes/astronomy-for-kids-using-actual-observatory-telescopes-stem-steam-space-fWuRXbbM?refuid=9fIT1FTd This course is taught by Quantum Physics for Kids instructor Prof. Mark Baraket (M.S. Astrophysics), an experienced astronomy educator with extensive Slooh telescope experience and a commitment to nurturing the next generation of scientists. We'll delve into a wide variety of astronomy topics in the course, exploring our solar system and universe together as a class. Students will also have the opportunity to take their own photos and to create a high-quality poster with their images. Recommended course materials: $30/year Student Subscription to Slooh remote telescope services to use during the course. A link to sign-up at the discounted student rate ($30 for a year) will be emailed upon registration. Note: If your learner is not interested in capturing their own telescope images, it is also possible to take this course to learn about Astronomy, without using a Slooh telescope account. Please Note: This Camp contains the same course content as the 12-week course of the same name, offered in a condensed 3-week format. The 12-week version of the course can be found at the link below (please copy-paste this link into a web browser to view): https://outschool.com/classes/astronomy-for-kids-using-actual-observatory-telescopes-stem-steam-space-fWuRXbbM We automatically post the Class Recording after each class meeting. Each class session is a standalone topic, so if students miss a class, they can always rejoin the next session. Over 12 sessions, we'll cover the following astronomy topics: Session 1: Introduction to using Slooh observatory tools and navigating the software; initial observations Session 2: Constellations Session 3: Our Sun Session 4: Our Moon Session 5: Distances of space objects - Solar System, Milky Way and Deep Space Session 6: Distant Stars Session 7: Planets in Our Solar System Session 8: Far Planets Session 9: Milky Way Galaxy Session 10: Star Clusters Session 11: Nebulae Session 12: Types of Galaxies
Learning Goals
Course Learning Topics:
Session 1: Introduction to using Slooh observatory tools and navigating the software
Session 2: Introduction to the constellations
Session 3: Our Sun
Session 4: Our Moon
Session 5: Distances of space objects - Solar System, Milky Way and Deep Space
Session 6: Distant Stars
Session 7: Planets in Our Solar System
Session 8: Far Planets
Session 9: Milky Way Galaxy
Session 10: Star Clusters
Session 11: Nebulae
Session 12: Types of Galaxies
Syllabus
12 Lessons
over 3 WeeksLesson 1:
Intro to Slooh Telescopes
In our first class, we'll learn about the Slooh observatory telescopes and begin using them to capture Live View images of astronomical phenomena.
50 mins online live lesson
Lesson 2:
Space Explorer Quest
In this session, we'll learn how to schedule Missions (reserved time on specific telescopes) to capture specific astronomical phenomena of the students' choosing. We'll also work on our first Quest - Space Explorer.
50 mins online live lesson
Lesson 3:
Our Closest Star
In session 3, we will learn about our closest star, the sun. The layers of the sun will be explored and we'll use Slooh's special solar telescope to capture close-up images of the sun.
50 mins online live lesson
Lesson 4:
Phases of the Moon
In class 4, we will learn about Earth's satellite, our moon. We'll discuss theories of the moon's formation, and create a model of the phases of the moon using Oreo cookies. We'll also start a Quest capturing images of the moon.
50 mins online live lesson
Other Details
Parental Guidance
This course utilizes the remote telescope service "Slooh" to provide access to live telescope images during class time and between classes for optional homework activities. The cost to use the Slooh telescope tools is $30 for a 1-year student subscription. A link to sign-up at this discounted student rate will be emailed upon registration. A link to the Slooh website is listed in the 3rd party tools section.
Supply List
Recommended course materials: $30/year Student Subscription to Slooh remote telescope services to use during the course. A link to sign-up at the discounted student rate will be emailed upon registration. Note: If your learner is not interested in capturing their own telescope images, it is also possible to take this course to learn about Astronomy, without using a Slooh telescope account.
External Resources
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
Teacher expertise and credentials
This course is taught by Quantum Physics for Kids instructor Prof. Mark Baraket (M.S. Astrophysics), a professional astronomer with a commitment to teaching the next generation of scientists. Quantum Physics for Kids is dedicated to introducing young students to the amazing world of quantum physics, invention & science research! We've been offering STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art & Math) classes and creating educational materials for students of all ages for over 15 years. We're excited to share this course content with more students through Outschool.
Reviews
Live Group Class
$72
weekly or $216 for 12 classes4x per week, 3 weeks
50 min
Live video meetings
Ages: 8-12
6-12 learners per class