Re: [ATM] 5th/6th Grade Class ATM Presentation

["Mel Bartels" <mbartels@bbastrodesigns.com>]

> 1)  I'm sure that a little bit of the discussion will be in describing how
> a
> newtonian reflector telescope focuses, magnifies, gathers light, etc.  Is
> there anyone out there who might have good easy to follow powerpoint type
> presentations or images on how a reflector scope works, who might also be
> willing to allow me to share it with a group of 5th and 6th graders?  I'd
> also appreciate links to existing items of this sort, that are posted on
> the
> internet, ready for download.
> 
> 2) I'd also like to make the talk as exciting as possible.  Does anyone
> have
> any special thoughts of points that help to keep the interest and
> excitement
> up?  I'm sure our scopes themselves, and a quick powerpoint presentation
> of
> 'The Making of Our Scopes" will help in that respect, just looking for
> extra
> ideas.



Yes, ideas.  Absolutely don't do a presentation on a projector; don't do a
passive explanation where you talk through some model in your hands.

Kids gotta learn that this is about discovery on every level that they can
imagine.

Get ahold of some raw materials (cheap big lenses, cardboard tubes,
binocular eyepieces) and whatnot, break the kids up into small groups, and
give them 15 minutes to figure out how to make a magnifier of distant
objects (a telescope).  Do solar pinhole projectors with some cardboard
boxes and aluminum foil: let them investigate differing solar diameters and
why that could be.  That's a telescope too!  Oh, and see if anyone mentions
any sunspots.  Then talk about the scale of the Earth vis-à-vis a sunspot.
Ask how far away the Sun is if a sunspot is bigger than the Earth's
diameter.  Ask them to figure out as a class why stars cannot be seen during
the daytime.  Ask them why the sky is dark at night.  Give them something to
see that night with their unaided eye: Moon, Venus, Sirius, Big Dipper,
whatever.

Mel Bartels


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