P2-B1A new astronomy education

web site for child-care support people

Tomita, Akihiko （富田 晃彦）Faculty of Education, Wakayama University, Japan

（和歌山大学 教育学部、日本）atomita@center.wakayama-u.ac.jp

http://www.wakayama-u.ac.jp/~atomita/

EASE 2011 ConferenceChosun University, Gwangju, Korea, 27 October 2011

At N Nursery, Osaka City, Japan

Star/Sky triggers various and continuous activities

July 7, 2006

TriggerMy talk on

a school-stay night

September 8, 2006Children and teachers went to science museum.

December 8, 2006A parents-children joint event

January 2007 Messages to Kaguya, a Japanese moon probe

Nov 30 & Dec 1, 2006

Hand-made planetarium by children!

January 2007 Children enjoyed Moon watching by themselves.

February 2007

Star watching using a small telescope. Adults jumped for joy.

Spread very-large-format printings, and see pics, read letters…

Chaotic, randomly-moving-around, jumping-all-over Q&Q&A&Q session

At H Nursery, Fujiidera City, Osaka Prefecture, Japan

Star/Sky is a topic fascinated bychildren (even under primary school age),

nursery teachers, and parents.

5 year-round activity at

H Nursery proves that

children can improve their

scientific skill through

“star/sky kids fun” activity

with scientist’s support.

ProblemParticipation in nursery school is important to develop the material and to observe how children improve their scientific skills. However, it is very difficult to visit many nurseries because of safety management of each nursery, unlike primary and high schools.

Though star/sky field is a good material for children’s science education, many nursery and other preschool teachers, and other child-care support people are not so interested in star/sky, or do not have many ideas. However, it is not easy to share the materials and tips with other nurseries because not all nurseries are under a bureau with a well-organized information system.

SolutionA web site- gathering information and tips / supervised by astronomer- connecting with the participation in nurseries and other groups

http://www.wakayama-u.ac.jp/~atomita/gartene/

Idea, please!

Just opened

Feel the season changing in trees, flowers, sky, clouds, the Sun, the Moon and stars

Tips and Materials are now being collected though the site.Astronomer and educators will discuss together.

The polished tips and material will be opened and published.

Imaginary travel to the universe with paintings

-- Go to Jupiter --

A volcano satellite, Io

An icy satellite, Europa

We can understandthe mechanisms of mysterious star/sky

phenomena by connecting them with daily experiments and

observations.

Connecting the heaven with your room

You can make the rainbowin the kitchen.

きり の なかま

White smoke coming out fromthe fridge is similar to fog and clouds.

What makes the clouds?

Shade of twilight sky and clouds

Searching for the first star(each season has each first star)

Crescent Moon with EarthshineMany children know that

crescent Moon is full moon!

Star/sky activity does not necessarily need

much money trip to countryside special preparation

Friends in K preschool, Hawaii, USA

Dr. Kumiko Usuda-Sato, an outreach scientist of Subaru Telescope, Hawaii, kindly introduced us wonderful friends!

- Where are we?children: Earth!- Yes! You and your friends in Japan live on Earth!

Play with stars connects children all over the worldAll nurseries and preschools, and other child-care support people in the world, can share the star/sky kids fun tips and material, and use them for children’s science education, and teachers’ and parents’ life-long science education.