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Articles for Educators

This page has astronomy education articles for teachers in grades 3 -12, educators in science museums and planetariums, and instructors of introductory astronomy classes in college.  Included are pieces on teaching techniques, resources for astronomy education, the story of why textbook prices are becoming…well… astronomical, a survey of community college astronomy instructors, ways of handling pseudoscience in the classroom, and more.

 

An Ancient Universe (on how we know the age of the universe is much longer than creationists claim; with B. Partridge, G. Greenstein, and J. Percy):
http://aas.org/education/ancientuniverse
(an earlier version, with activities can be found at:
http://www.astrosociety.org/edu/publications/tnl/56/index.html

Astronomy Textbooks, Used Book Chains, and Big Macs: A Perspective (in Astronomy Education Review):
http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/AER2005012

Astronomy: A Free, On-line Astro 101 Textbook (on the American Astronomical Society Education Blog): https://aas.org/posts/news/2021/09/astronomy-free-online-astro-101-textbook

The August 2017 Total Solar Eclipse: The Perfect Opportunity to Highlight Three-Dimensional Science Learning:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/316910502_The_August_2017_Total_Solar_Eclipse_The_Perfect_Opportunity_to_Highlight_Three-Dimensional_Science_Learning

Black Lives in Astronomy: A Resource Guide for Educators on the Work and Challenges of Black Astronomers: http://bit.ly/blackastro

The Cosmos in the Classroom Conferences (symposia on teaching Astro 101):
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/269403760_The_Cosmos_in_the_Classroom_Conferences

Dealing with Astrology, UFOs…: A Guide to Addressing Astronomical Pseudoscience in the Classroom (in Astronomy Education Review):
http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/AER2003022

Enrollments in Astronomy 101 Courses: An Update:
http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/AER2001011

Insights from a Survey of Astronomy Instructors in Community and Other Teaching-Oriented Colleges in the United States (in Astronomy Education Review):
http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/AER2004002

“Music of the Spheres” in Education: Using Astronomically Inspired Music (in Astronomy Education Review):
http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/AER2006009

Obituary for the journal Astronomy Education Review:
http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/AER2013017

Science Teachers as Community Eclipse Outreach Agents:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/315375034_Science_Teachers_as_Community_Eclipse_Outreach_Agents

Seven Concepts of Effective Teaching:
http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/AER2011008

The Silicon Valley Astronomy Lectures: Ongoing Institutional Cooperation for Astronomy Outreach:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/287645089_The_Silicon_Valley_Astronomy_Lectures_Ongoing_Institutional_Cooperation_for_Public_Outreach

So You Want to Start a Project ASTRO Site (Q & A on a program where professional and amateur astronomers are trained and assisted on how to adopt a grades 3-12 classroom):
http://www.astrosociety.org/edu/astro/about/astrofaq.html

Steps and Missteps Toward an Emerging Profession (Education and Outreach in Astronomy):
https://astrosociety.org/file_download/inline/7366b5f2-54d8-484c-a7e4-e04e11434e6a

Student Aid: A Free Astronomy Textbook:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/319319970_Student_Aid_A_Free_Astronomy_Textbook

Teaching Astronomy with Science Fiction (in Astronomy Education Review):
http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/AER2002009

Teaching What a Planet Is: A Roundtable on the Educational Implications of the New Definition of a Planet (in Astronomy Educat. Review):
http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/AER2006028

Training Young Astronomers in Education and Outreach: The AAS Ambassadors Program (a workshop and community to help early-career scientists be better at outreach):
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/268280400_Training_Young_Astronomers_in_EPO_An_Update_on_the_AAS_Astronomy_Ambassadors_Program

Unheard Voices: The Astronomy of Many Cultures (resources for astronomy instructors on the contributions of non-European civilizations to astronomy):
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/271593401_Unheard_Voices_Part_1_The_Astronomy_of_Many_Cultures_–_A_Resource_Guide

Unheard Voices: Women in Astronomy (resources for astronomy instructors on the role of women in astronomy throughout history and today):
https://astrosociety.org/file_download/inline/c008f391-233f-4c3b-89ed-b41ae92336fc

Why Should I Believe a Word of This? (a commencement speech on skeptical thinking):
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/313023820_Why_Should_I_Believe_a_Word_of_This

Writing and Assessing Student Learning Objectives for Introductory Astronomy: Tips, Techniques, and What Our Community Needs (a conference report):
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/268277729_Writing_and_Assessing_Student_Learning_Objectives_Tips_Techniques_and_What_Our_Community_Needs

Articles for Educators - Andrew Fraknoi - Astronomy Lectures - Astronomy Education Resources