Presents activities for observing, measuring, collecting, and graphing data about times of sunrise and sunset to teach an understanding about arrival of Daylight Savings Time in April. Also discusses seasonal affective disorder (SAD). (TM)

Leeuwenhoek's demonstration proving the Earth's rotation, which leads to some significant errors in reasoning, can be reproduced from this article and used to provide an interesting discussion in undergraduate astronomy and physics courses or clubs. (LZ)

Presents an experiment to demonstrate the diurnal and seasonal motions of the sun, which can be used in different grade levels, depending on the degree of difficulty required for the analysis, as an effort to generate student interest in the scientific method. Includes an activity to teach students elementary concepts of the sun's apparent motion…

Looks at the careers of several women astronomers and how the opportunities, work, and self-images of women in astronomy have changed over the past two centuries, in conjunction with a discussion of the role of women's colleges. The women include Caroline Lucretia Herschel, Maria Mitchell, Williamina Fleming, Annie Cannon, Antonia Maury, Henrietta…

Describes activities to stimulate school astronomy programs. Topics include: counting stars; the Earth's centripetal force; defining astronomical time; three types of sundials; perceptions of star brightness; sunspots and solar radiation; stellar spectroscopy; number-crunching and the molecular structure of the atmosphere; the Earth-Moon common…

Various aspects of the solar sail spacecraft such as solar sailing, solar sail design, navigation with solar sails, solar sail mission applications and future prospects for solar sailing are described. Several possible student projects are suggested. (KR)

An activity that shows how mathematics can be used to model events in the real world is described. A way to calculate the area of the sun covered by the moon during a partial eclipse is presented. A computer program that will determine the coverage percentage is also included. (KR)

Describes events that occur during an eclipse. Finds that the solar eclipse provides a tremendous opportunity for teaching about the earth and beyond in content. (Author/CCM)

Outlines the development and use of hands-on astronomy activities with street children in Mexico. Focuses on the high level of interest shown by homeless children in astronomy-related topics. (DDR)

Explores Montessori's concept of cosmic education and recommends expanding it in school curricula. Suggests integration of science about the universe and earth with intuitions about the meaning of life and humans' role in the universe. Discusses God versus chance as the source of life, and emphasizes developing cosmic values and responsibilities.…

Identifies the growing importance of electronic preprints in the published literature of physics and astronomy and address several areas of concern regarding the future role of electronic preprints in scientific communication. Topics include a history of preprints in astronomy and physics; inaccuracies in preprint citations; and archival issues.…

Presents the goals, philosophy, and methods of the SPLASH (Student-Parent Laboratories Achieving Science at Home) program. Describes an at-home, parental-involvement activity called Moon Watch in which students and their parents observe how the phases of the moon and the moon's position in the sky change over a two-week period. (WRM)

Presents activities that combine astronomy problems with algebra, geometry, trigonometry, data analysis, and physics. Provides experiences for students in making distance measurements themselves by using the method of parallax. (ASK)

This study explored the relationship between night-sky watching and self-reported cognitive variables: need for cognition and social problem-solving. University students (N = 140) completed the Noctcaelador Inventory, the Need for Cognition Scale, and the Social Problem Solving Inventory. The results indicated that an interest in the night-sky was…

This article focuses on the geology of a single area of the Moon, the Imbrium Basin, and shows how geologists have combined basic geologic principles with evidence collected by the Apollo missions to learn more about the history of the Moon as a whole. In this article, the author discusses lunar geology teaching tips and mapping the Imbrium Basin…