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EDUCATION PROGRAMS—
The Institute was founded in response to the demand of local elementary school teachers for professional development of space sciences curricula. Our predecessor organization, Island Astronomy became an affiliate of NASA's Maine Space Grant Consortium, from which it received $10,000 in funding to initiate this effort. As the successor to Island Astronomy, the Astronomy Institute of Maine is now responsible for this growing activity.
As a direct result of Maine Space Grant funding, we have delivered formal educational presentations and curriculum development to Pemetic School, Trenton Elementary School, Tremont Elementary School, Islesford Elementary School, and Mount Desert Elementary School. The Institute has also supported Mount Desert Island’s local school district (Union 98) as a member of the Science Curriculum Team.
The perspective approach was extended to the Philosophy of Astronomy course offered by Peter Lord at the College of the Atlantic. Funded in part by the Maine Space Grant Consortium, the pilot course "The Philosophy of Astronomy" was offered in the spring term of 2006.
Our final goal is students who can look at the sky long after the course is over and appreciate the motions of sun, moon, and stars that gave birth to the modern world of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.To learn how it feels like to think like a scientist we use hands-on team based learning opposites that invite a life long engagement with spatial thinking of island astronomy.
The students also learned how important it is to be able to explain their work to non-scientists. Like many of her classmates, Maeve Geary recognized that in order to solve the growing problem of light pollution, we must all work together as a nation. To make her point, Maeve pointed out that there are more stars visible on the American flag than in the sky over New York City.
Mrs. Howley’s class was part of a school-wide student service learning project initiated by Pemetic’s teachers in the summer of 2007. The project is part of the Institute's Starlit Communities Program, which was conducted in collaboration with Acadia National Park and Friends of Acadia. The class was interviewed about their work by Bar Harbor Times reporter Laurie Schreiber ("Eyes on the Sky," January 14, 2008).
The Institute provides workshops and classes to promote astronomy as a rewarding cultural activity for people of all ages. These include basic lessons in naked-eye viewing of the depth and structure of the Milky Way, introducing the constellations and their mythology.
Fledgling astronomers often purchase fine equipment, only to become overwhelmed by the learning curve after they take it out of the box. Besides assisting with the nuts & bolts and basic observing techniques, we are also developing a program for rescuing, refurbishing, certifying and selling used equipment, and providing support to the buyer.
In addtion to presenting the Maine Starlight Festival and providing programs for the developing campus on Eagle Hill, we collaborate with a wide variety of organizations and have provided informal lectures and stargazing opportunities to:
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Fifth-grade students at Pemetic School learned firsthand about how light pollution fills the sky above them. Fran Howley's class used sky quality meters purchased by an Emery Science Grant to measure and map how much artificial light is in the skies over their homes in Southwest Harbor. The best of nearly 100 measurements taken by the students was added to the  | ||
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Educating Maine's Starlit Communities Since 2004 | ||
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