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$12

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or $72 for all content
Class

Hands on Astronomy

Completed by 17 learners
Ages 7-12
Self-Paced Course
Explore outer space in your creative space!
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:
(401 reviews)

24 pre-recorded lessons
6 weeks of teacher support
Choose your start date
1 year of access to the content

Enroll Now, Start Anytime

Go at your own pace
Your learner can start learning when they want and progress at the speed that works best for them.
Start when you want.
Learn at your own pace
Access course material for a full year.
Get hands-on support from teacher.

What's included

24 pre-recorded lessons
6 weeks
of teacher support
1 year access
to the content
Homework
1-2 hours per week. Weekly assignments will be provided to help deepen the learner's understanding of the material.

Class Experience

The Universe is incredibly fascinating and enormously vast. The celestial bodies (like planets, comets, and galaxies) that make it up are very intriguing and its size can be mind-boggling.

This is an asynchronous course. There are no live meetings. This type of learning is wonderful for learners who live across different time zones and/or don’t prefer to be on camera.

In this course, students will learn about some of the objects that can be found in our Universe. Each week, a new topic will be discussed through a series of four videos to be viewed at your convenience.

With each new topic learners will also be given a fun hands-on activity to complete if desired. **The projects use simple supplies that can typically be found around the house such as paper, markers, cardboard, and paperclips. If the learner doesn't have the supplies, they are encouraged to use other items that are available to them.**

Week 1: The Stars and Our Night Sky
We will investigate the night sky and discuss stars, constellations, and other objects that are visible right in your own backyard.

Class 1-- Best Viewing Techniques (9 minutes)
Class 2--Northern Hemisphere: Summer Constellations (9 minutes)
Class 3--Northern Hemisphere: Winter Constellations (6 minutes)
Class 4--Southern Hemisphere: Summer and Winter Constellations (8.5 minutes)
*******************************************************************************************

Week 2: Earth’s Moon
Earth’s moon is more than just a beautiful object to see! We will discuss the Moon’s importance and discover what causes its phases.

Class 1--Relative sizes (7.5 minutes)
Class 2--Apparent sizes (5 minutes)
Class 3-- Virtual Field Trip (Nearpod interactive feature)
Class 4--Moon phases (6 minutes)
*******************************************************************************************

Week 3: Mars
Mars is the most studied planet beyond Earth. With its red surface, rugged terrain, and global dust storms, Mars is a fascinating world!

Class 1--Mars vs. Earth (6.5 minutes)
Class 2--Atmosphere (9 minutes)
Class 3-- Geography and Moons (7 minutes)
Class 4--Exploration (10 minutes)
*******************************************************************************************

Week 4: Pluto, Dwarf Planets, Asteroids, and Comets
If Pluto isn’t a planet, what is it? What exactly is a dwarf planet? Are there differences between asteroids and comets? In this lesson, we will talk about these rocky bodies.

Class 1--Pluto (9 minutes)
Class 2--Dwarf Planets (8.5 minutes)
Class 3--Comets (7 minutes)
Class 4--Asteroids (5.5 minutes)
*******************************************************************************************

Week 5: Exoplanets
Since the discovery of the first exoplanet PSR B1257+12, the search for planets outside of our Solar System has yielded thousands of incredible alien worlds. While it’s still unknown if any are suitable for life, detection methods and chemical analyses have allowed astronomers to better understand extrasolar systems. In this lesson, we will explore the amazing worlds outside of our Solar System.

Class 1--Exoplanet history (5 minutes)
Class 2: Detection Methods (10 minutes)
Class 5: Types (6.5 minutes)
Class 4: Examples (11.5 minutes)
*******************************************************************************************

Week 6: Galaxies and Black Holes
Look out! It's a black hole! Should we be concerned that a black hole will swallow the Earth? Are there really billions more galaxies beyond our own Milky Way? These are questions that any space enthusiast has asked. In this concluding lesson, we’ll study some of the Universe's most fascinating objects: galaxies and black holes.

Class 1--Black Holes: Anatomy and detection (11 minutes)
Class 2--Black Holes: Types and formation  (3.5 minutes)
Class 3--The Milky Way (5.5 minutes)
Class 4--Galaxies (12 minutes)
*******************************************************************************************

Syllabus

6 Units
24 Lessons
over 6 Weeks
Unit 1: The Sky in Your Backyard
Lesson 1:
Best Viewing Techniques
 You will learn how to make the most of your night sky viewing. (Video lesson length: 9 minutes) 
Lesson 2:
The North Star and the Northern Hemisphere Summer Sky
 You will learn about the North Star and other stars and constellations visible in the Northern Hemisphere's summer sky. (Video lesson length: 9 minutes) 
Lesson 3:
The Northern Hemisphere Winter Sky
 You will learn about stars and constellations visible in the Northern Hemisphere's winter sky. (Video lesson length: 6 minutes) 
Lesson 4:
The Southern Hemisphere Sky
 You will learn about stars and constellations visible in the Southern Hemisphere's sky. (Video lesson length: 8.5 minutes) 

Other Details

Parental Guidance
Students will access NASA (nasa.gov), Kahoot (kahoot.com), and Nearpod (nearpod.com) in this course for research and review purposes. No account is needed.
Supply List
A supply list and handout will be provided before the start of the session.
 1 file available upon enrollment
External Resources
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:

Meet the teacher

4.9
401reviews
Profile
Teacher expertise and credentials
Master's Degree in Science from The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa
For the past 20 years, Alana has taught astronomy to children. She worked at the Angelo State University Planetarium, is part of NASA's Nightsky Network, and regularly provides astronomy outreach opportunities to her community.

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