In The Classroom

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In The Classroom

Untitled Document
In The Classroom
RECENT TRENDS IN GRADUATE EDUCATION IN ASTRONOMY IN CANADA by John Percy
and Kevin Douglas
Education Update by Heather Scott
The Planetarium Education Connection by Nathalie Martimbeau
Les planétariums : la communauté éducative by Nathalie Martimbeau
Canadian Astronomical Society Education Website Update by Heather Scott and Travis Whyte
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RECENT TRENDS IN GRADUATE EDUCATION IN ASTRONOMY IN CANADA
RECENT TRENDS IN GRADUATE
EDUCATION IN ASTRONOMY IN
CANADA
John R. Percy
University of Toronto; Chair: CASCA Education Committee
and
Kevin A. Douglas
University of Calgary; Secretary: CASCA Graduate Student Committee
The January 2003 meeting of the American Astronomical Society, in Seattle, included a special
session on Innovations in Graduate Education in Astronomy. One of us (JRP) was invited to
give a presentation on the situation in Canada. Together, we prepared a joint paper. We first
surveyed graduate departments of astronomy across the country; there are at least 16. About
80 per cent (including the largest ones) replied; we thank them for their help.
Infrastructure:
In our presentation, we began by outlining the federal and provincial roles in funding and
carrying out research and graduate education in Canada, and by stressing the differences
between Canada and the USA. We noted that funding for both research and for universities has
decreased over the past three decades. In recent years, it has begun to increase, but some of
the increase has been targeted for specific purposes. The federal government has set aside a
billion dollars for "Canada Research Chairs" to hire both "the global research stars of today"
and "the future research stars of tomorrow". This has had some positive effect in hiring firstclass astronomers, but the CRC holders often have reduced teaching loads, so the program
does not completely address the problem of dealing with university enrolments which are
increasing due to increases in population, and in participation rate. The Canada Foundation for
Innovation (CFI) is an independent foundation whose purpose is to strengthen the infrastructure
for research; it has had some positive effect on buildings and facilities. Some provinces have
developed programs to support research innovation, especially if there is some chance that it
would have economic benefit.
According to a recent survey, Canadian astronomy ranks first in the world in impact per unit of
funding (probably because we have to do things on the cheap!).
We also noted the role of CASCA, especially regarding graduate education. It has an active
Education Committee, a Graduate Student Committee (GSC), and a Job Registry. Among other
things, it awards graduate student travel grants, prizes for the best graduate student oral and
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poster presentation at the meeting, and (with the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada) the
Plaskett Medal for the best PhD thesis in astronomy each year. There are presently about 100
graduate student members of CASCA, but the total number of graduate students would be
larger than this.
There is also a move to form an organization, tentatively called ACURA: Association of
Canadian Universities for Research in Astronomy, which would play a role similar to that of
AURA in the US.
Facilities:
We also noted the observational and theoretical facilities available to Canadian astronomers
and their graduate students. There are Facilities Access Funds available to support students’
use of these, but these funds are not widely known. Canada is actually facility-rich, especially
with Gemini, CITA, and CADC, and the NGST, and the North American Partnership for Radio
Astronomy (including ALMA and the EVLA) and other initiatives on the horizon. The shortage of
university and HIA positions, and of operating funds, presents a substantial challenge.
Demographics
A large fraction of the astronomers in Canada were hired between 1965 and 1975, when the
university enrolments were expanding. These astronomers are now retiring, and this creates
opportunities for employment, and for changes in research directions. Throughout the 1990’s,
however, there were fewer replacements than retirements; the job situation stagnated, and this
had multiple effects on research and graduate studies. In the last 2-3 years, however, many
new positions have been filled.
The participation rate of 18 to 22-year-olds in post-secondary education is increasing, which
would create more employment opportunities if governments would fund them. There is also
the possibility that astronomers may be hired into positions which were previously held by
"mainstream" physicists.
Women have traditionally been under-represented in physics and astronomy in Canada. The
situation has gradually improved in the past two decades, and especially in the last year or two.
A substantial fraction of astronomy graduate students are women, and the fraction seems to be
increasing; at least one astronomy department reports that hiring a woman faculty member has
attracted more female graduate students. Graduate students in one department suggested the
need for "sensitivity training" for new graduate students, to deal with gender and diversity
issues.
Parts of Canada are ethnically very diverse, and this diversity is beginning to be represented in
astronomy departments—partly due to the more diverse Canadian population, and partly
because graduate students are attracted from a variety of different countries across the world.
The density of astronomers in Canada is, of course, very low, and this makes it difficult for
astronomers or graduate students to come together for meeting, workshops etc. The annual
meeting of CASCA provides the most obvious opportunity.
Funding:
Graduate students in Canada are funded by a combination of (i) federal, provincial, university,
and department scholarships; (ii) teaching assistantships, and (iii) research assistantships from
the supervisor’s research grant; the latter are usually intended to support the student’s
graduate research project—not always the case in the USA. In some universities, most or all
students are funded by a combination of (i) and (ii). Most departments offer a "package" of a
minimum level of support, typically $16-22K, depending on local cost of living, and on what the
department can afford. Where possible, departments offer larger packages to attract the best
students. Because of the decline in provincial support for universities, tuition fees have risen
rapidly and substantially, and this has required departments to increase their packages as
much as possible. Some universities have undertaken major campaigns to raise funds for
undergraduate and graduate scholarships.
Curriculum and program:
As elsewhere, there are several models for graduate programs: MSc programs as prerequisites for PhD programs (not consolation prizes); transfer from MSc to PhD programs after
one year, for able students; and direct-entry PhD programs (recently adopted at Toronto). At
least one department stresses the importance of the MSc year as a chance for the student to
decide on career and research directions. When astronomy is part of a Physics department, it
may be autonomous (with no specific Physics course requirements), or astronomy students
may have to pass the same hurdles as Physics students. MSc programs take 1.5 to 2.5 years
(some departments report a trend to reduce this); PhD programs last 3 to 5 years.
There are ongoing discussions about the balance between depth and breadth, with no
concensus emerging.
Students typically take 7 to 10 one-term graduate courses in their MSc and PhD program,
though some departments are consciously reducing this number, and replacing courses by
research projects and/or self-study and/or mini-courses or special-topic courses. This is partly
to reduce the time to degree, and partly because most departments have too few faculty to
offer a wide range of graduate astronomy courses. The Graduate Student Committee (GSC) of
the Canadian Astronomical Society (CASCA) has proposed summer institutes. They also
organize annual one-day workshops at CASCA meetings, especially on important topics which
are seldom on the curriculum; the topic for 2003 is writing successful research grant and
telescope observing proposals.
The comprehensive exam ranges from a 1-day written exam, followed a few days later by an
oral, to an exam which centers on the student’s PhD project proposal. One university uses the
GRE as the equivalent to this hurdle; another uses a specific Physics course. There may also
be qualifying exams, early in the student’s career, and these may have more or less physics,
depending on the department.
In principle, the progress of each student can be planned and monitored by a committee
working with the student’s supervisor; in practice, this system does not always function
effectively.
Research Fields:
Graduate students’ fields of interests have been influenced by recent research developments;
on the other hand, the lack of hiring in the last two decades has (until recently) made it difficult
to hire potential supervisors in these areas. CITA, and the Canadian Institute for Advanced
Research (CIAR) Cosmology and Gravitation Program has led to hiring, and has promoted
student interest in these areas. Generally, astronomical research has diversified in Canada in
recent years, but there are still fields such as planetary astronomy, and high-energy
astrophysics, which are under-represented.
Education, outreach, and related activities:
Graduate students serve as paid teaching assistants, and sometimes as hosts for public nights
at campus observatories. They also spontaneously and voluntarily organize public lectures and
open houses, and visit schools through programs such as the award-winning Let’s Talk
Science. At the 2002 meeting of CASCA, the Graduate Student Committee organized a oneday workshop, for graduate students, on education and outreach.
Careers:
Undoubtedly, the job situation is the #1 concern of graduate students everywhere. In Canada,
there are relatively fewer astronomy positions outside universities and government labs, and
there are fewer paid positions in educationn and outreach (as a result of the lack of education
funding through the equivalent of NSF and NASA). Between 50 and 90 per cent of graduate
students continue in astronomy; the rest go into fields such as computing, remote sensing,
financial services, and schoolteaching. We are not aware of any concern, on the part of
Canadian departments, about this situation, or about preparing astronomy students for nonastronomical careers.
General impressions:
There is a tendency (specifically mentioned by one department) for astronomy groups to be
cohesive "happy families"—perhaps because of the special nature of astronomy, and the lack
of competition and politics which are found in more high-powered, lucrative fields such as
medicine, where the departmental atmosphere can be quite hostile.
CASCA Graduate Student Committee
The purpose of this committee is to lobby CASCA, HIA, and other relevant bodies on matters
related to graduate studies and students. The annual GSC one-day workshop, the proposed
summer institutes, and wider usage of the Facilities Access Grants mentioned above, are
topics of particular current interest. The summer institutes would require funding, both for
operation, and for student travel.
The Special Session at Seattle
This session was prompted in part by a series of meetings of chairs of graduate departments in
the USA. Steve Strom reported on these meetings, and their follow-up. Their
goals/consequences were: to bring this important issue to the AAS; to highlight graduate
education; and to prod departments to communicate more information to prospective graduate
students. The recommendations of the meetings were: to continue focussing graduate
programs on the training of future astronomers; but to also experiment a bit on graduate
curricula which train for a wider variety of other careers.
There were two presentations on MSc programs which prepared for a wider range of careers,
one a "professional" MSc program, and one a joint program with Computer Science. The
professional program provided extra training in tools, management skills, and included a
practicum in industry. To me, both programs seemed interesting, and contained some useful
ideas, but weren’t high-impact.
There were two presentations—one by a faculty member (Chris Impey) and one by a graduate
student (Chien Pang) -- from the University of Arizona, which has been experimenting with
several changes in their graduate curriculum. I was particularly impressed by Chien Pang’s
presentation. He emphasized the value of a "mentoring committee" for each student (that’s
what PhD committees should do!). He mentioned the value of "career seminars" on topics such
as teaching, and proposal writing; in Canada, the CASCA graduate student committee is
organizing these. Also dealing (at both ends) with the undergraduate-graduate transition. And
tracking PhD students after graduation—maybe to get feedback? There’s also the issue of
preparing students to move from the traditional supervisor-apprentice mode to one which
recognizes the importance of team projects in modern astronomy.
On the basis of my survey, and my participation in this session, I was struck by the variety of
models which are used in Canada and the USA: direct-entry PhD vs. programs in which the
MSc continues to play a key role; physics-rich programs vs. astronomy-rich ones; programs
with more or less coursework; different models for the qualifying and comprehensive exams. I
got the sense that the effectiveness of the graduate program depended less on its exact
structure, and more on how well it was executed: good teaching and learning, good supervision
by supervisor and committee. One appealing thought was that, at the beginning of a graduate
student’s program, the committee and the student should sit down to create a "custom"
program of content and skill courses (not just in astronomy), projects and other learning
experiences which were tailored to the student’s particular background and needs. It is also
important, at the beginning of a graduate student’s career, to provide effective orientation to the
graduate department, and to graduate study. This is especially important for international
students. In this way, we can nurture our graduate students, and ensure that they are broadly
trained for their professional life—whetever it might be.
John R. Percy, PhD
Professor: Astronomy & Astrophysics [email protected]
Erindale Campus, University of Toronto
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5L 1C6
phone: (905) 828-5351
fax: (905) 828-5425
Education notes
Education Update…
CASCA-Westar Lectureship Series
Jim Hesser conducted the most recent CASCA-Westar Lectureship at Selkirk College in British
Columbia on Thursday, September 26. There were two talks presented, the first entitled
“Cosmic Tinkering: Canadian Ventures on the Frontiers of Science & Technology,” about the
diverse occupations
involved in development & operation of observatories and instrumentation, the LRP, economic
spinoffs and technology transfer from astronomy to industry. It was a luncheon talk attended by
about 30-35
people. The second presentation, “Hubble's Universe: Space Telescope Discoveries from Mars
to the Farthest Realms,” was an evening talk, attended by about 135 people. Both Jim and
Selkirk College were pleased with the turnout.
There is an upcoming Lectureship in the works for the Niagara Region this coming fall,
involving pre-service teachers, current science teachers, students, as well as a general public
talk.
Canadian Astronomy Education Website
At the end of January, Travis Whyte (web developer and founder, Educational Media
Technologies) and Heather Scott (CASCA Education Coordinator) met with John Percy to
begin the design of the final CASCA Astronomy Education site.
The temporary site, which is being used as a repository of resources and links, is still up and
viewable at http://www.astro.utoronto.ca/~cascaed
While the new site is being built, a survey, aimed at teachers of astronomy (at all levels!), has
been made available so as to probe what educators would like to see on the site. Please check
out the survey – available in both English and French – by going to the URL above and clicking
on the "Our Survey" link. As well, please see the article in this quarter’s E-Cass for more
detailed information on the site.
CSA Astro Projects
The CSA Astro 6 Project – web-based Astronomy lesson plans, interactive appelets and
resources for the Alberta Science Curriculum - is now being used by teachers all across
Canada and is receiving very positive feedback. It has been presented at a few conferences
and has been adopted as a resource by some school boards. It can be seen at:
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Education notes
http://www.ioncmaste.ca or refer to the article "Web-Based Astronomy Curriculum Resources Sixth-Grade Pan-Canadian Science Curriculum" from the June Solstice 2002 issue of E-Cass
for a full-length article.
The CSA Astro 9 Project is now underway and should be ready for widespread use soon.
Astronomy Week: May 5-11, 2003
Astronomy Week is quickly approaching, leading up to International Astronomy Day on
Saturday, May 10. On that day, special events and activities are hosted by astronomy clubs,
observatories, universities, planetaria, science museums and libraries to acquaint the public
with local astronomical resources and facilities. Celebrated in over 30 different countries,
CASCA will be participating in the Ontario Science Centre’s week-long activities. Most RASC
centers across Canada also have events planned. See http://www.rasc.ca/activity/astroday/ for
more details.
Articles
In the RASC Journal (Feb. 2003), David Orenstein has an article on measuring the distance to
Mars (which, this August, will be at the closest approach to the Earth in nearly 100 000 years)
using basic calculations and data found in the Observer’s Handbook. The once-a-year
occurrence of Mars’ closest approach could be introduced into either math or science classes,
as the calculations are suitable for the secondary school level.
Education at CASCA General Assembly 2003
Think ahead! The deadline for submitting an abstract is only a few weeks away! Remember
that you can contribute an education poster, as well as any additional research paper that you
wish.
The CASCA education committee has organized a special workshop for grade 6 and 9 science
teachers in the Waterloo Region District School Board. To be presented in the late-afternoon of
Monday, June 2, the workshop will present current teachers with an overview of hot topics in
astronomy, as well as separate sessions for each grade, discussing curriculum-teaching
techniques and demonstrations. Though this will not be part of the Province’s Professional
Learning Program, the hours will count toward professional development for the teachers. This
is one in a series of steps to make astronomy less "frightening" for teachers who are new to the
Education notes
subject.
---------------------------------Heather Scott, H.B.Sc., M.Sc.
CASCA Education Coordinator/Coordinatrice d’Éducation
Ridley College
St. Catharines, ON
(905) 684 1889 x2545
[email protected]
The Planetarium Education Connection
'Tis the season for spring? ...
by Nathalie Martimbeau
If the snow has finally gone (what a wish!), and warmer weather closer, we might be enticed to
spend more time outside looking up. But again, when indoors, weather is not really a problem...
Here is what's going on in our Canadian planetaria this spring.
MacMillan Space Science Centre (Vancouver)
Much of the new programming at the H R MacMillan Space Centre is focussed on the 100th
Anniversary of Flight. In the planetarium "Flying into the Future: 100 years of Flight and
Beyond" opened March 14th. The show looks at some of the unique contributions Canada has
made to the history of flight, from the "Silver Dart" to bush planes, the Avro Arrow and more,
and ends with a review of all the latest developments in the field of rocketry.
In the GroundStation Canada theatre "Space: A Dangerous Place" looks at the pro's and con's
of manned versus robotic space missions. "Wings: The Ride" is playing on the Virtual Voyages
Simulator.
The H R MacMillan Space Centre has also recently received funding to undertake a major
technical upgrade of systems and equipment. A particular emphasis will be on increasing the
capacity for distance learning delivery of programs, including video conferencing and web
based programs. The Space Centre is looking to play a larger national role in the development
and delivery of astronomy and space programs to Canada's rural, aboriginal and northern
communities.
Calgary Science Center (Calgary)
The Calgary Science Centre enjoyed record attendance in 2002, with a total of 225,000 people
taking in our exhibits, school shows, and public programs. This is up about 25% from the
previous year, itself a record year. Attendance continues to be high so far in 2003. Current
projects include co-production of a federally-funded exhibit called One World, about the issue of
climate change and energy conservation. Also in production, a new family-oriented planetarium
show called "Far Out Man!" will feature the first fully animated character who serves as host for
a tour of the wonders of space. Later this spring a new large format film, "Jane Goodall's Wild
Chimpanzees", complemented by an extensive exhibit on chimpanzees later this summer.
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Astronomy courses also have done record "box office," with a full house of 200 people
attending a post-Xmas Telescope User's Course, and 90 parents and children attending a
"family edition" of an introductory Explore the Sky course. Though poor winter weather has
clouded out most nights, when skies cooperated the public turned out in droves to look through
telescopes on Friday Night Stargazing sessions. On one ideal Friday night in January, several
hundred people lined up for half an hour for a glimpse of Saturn at its best for a generation (at
maximum altitude and with its rings wide open). Later this year Mars will be the main attraction,
as it reaches its closest opposition in recorded history. During the prime Mars viewing season
in late August and early September, nightly live lectures will be offered in the Discovery Dome
theatre followed by telescope viewing on the rooftop Observing Deck.
Ontario Science Center (Toronto)
The STARLAB at the Ontario Science Centre (OSC) is Toronto's only public planetarium. The
OSC continues to present daily public shows 7 days a week, as well as curriculum-related
school programming for Grades K-9. Planetarium shows schedule will be increased during
Astronomy Week (May 5-11) to include public demonstrations and displays. The week's
festivities culminates in a star party on Saturday May 10th, where visitors can attend a public
lecture on the night sky and then stay for an evening of star-gazing with members of the Royal
Astronomical Society of Canada. Check the OSC's website for further planetarium connections
to Mars' August opposition:
http://www.OntarioScienceCentre.com
Planétarium de Montréal
A new afternoon planetarium show entitled "Mysteries of Jupiter" will start on Mach 20th. It will
feature the Galileo spacecraft's main discoveries, which its mission is nearing its end.
The production of an evening show is also in progress, to be presented Fridays through
Sundays starting May 16th. This show, entitled "Night Sky!" , will be presented entirely live by
the lecturer whom will feature the night's sky during the coming weeks. The constellation of the
month will be highlighted with current astronomical news. This show is a good venue to enable
regular modifications. This particular show is geared towards the sky savy audience and those
wanting to learn more about the sky. PowerPoint presentations via video technology will be
used to offer flexiblility and rapid daily update.
A vast programme of on-going training for the lecturing staff is under way to allow audience
interaction with the lecturer and participation during the show. This is a trend that is coming
back in the planetarium world. In the last 20 years, planetaria around the world have gone from
a live lecturing style to a part- or all taped-presentations. As the live lecturing style is coming
back, lecturers are using an interactive style to enhance the public' learning of astronomy by
participating to the shows.
Elsewhere...
Canadian Science Museums/Centers reciprocity
A new reciprocal admission agreement has been implemented for 2003, giving members
complementary or reduced admission fees to other facilities within the Canadian Association of
Science Centers. Check with your local science museum or planetarium.
National Dark-Sky Week Set for April 1-8, 2003
(excerpt from the March 2003 issue of Planetarian, Journal of the International
Planetarium Society)
The International Dark-Sky Association encourages all to use the evenings of April 1st to April
8th 2003, from 10 pm to 12 am (ET & CT) and 9 pm to 11 pm (RT & PT) to attend public star
parties, visit their local planetarium or public observatory, or simply go outside to a safe, dark
location to enjoy the wonde of the night sky. Learning the constellations, observing the planets,
wondering about the stars and the Milky Way are some of the most basic of human
experiences and should be enjoyed by all. For more information on National Dark-Sky Week is
available at:
http://www.nationaldarkskyweek.htmlplanet.com/
Acknowledgments
I would like to thank the following people for their contribution to this issue's column: Pierre
Chastenay (Planétarium de Montréal), John Dickenson (MacMillian Space Science Center ),
Alan Dyer (Calgary Science Center), Joseph Wilson (Ontario Science Center) and the
Planetarian (March, 2003, vol 32, no. 1 issue) by permission John Mosley, editor.
Nathalie is a member of the CASCA
Education Committee. She is
currently at the HarvardSmithsonian Center for
Astrophysics in Cambridge,
Massachusetts, and formerly from
the Planétarium de Montréal.
Les planétariums : la communauté
éducative
Le retour du printemps ?...
par Nathalie Martimbeau
Si la neige est vraiment partie (ou est-ce un souhait?), et avec l'approche du beau temps, nous
devrions êtres plus enclins à sortir et lever nos yeux vers le ciel. Mais de l'intérieur, est-ce
vraiment un problème... Voici ce qu'ont à nous offrir les planétariums Canadiens ce printemps.
MacMillan Space Science Centre (Vancouver)
La plupart de la programmation au H R MacMillan Space Centre tourne autour du 100e
anniversaire de l'aviation. Le théâtre du planétarium présente depuis le 14 mars dernier : «
Flying to the Furture: 100 years of Flight and Beyond ». Ce spectacle souligne les contributions
uniques que le Canada a apporté dans l'histoire de l'aviation, des avions de brousse tels le «
Silver Dart », le Avro Arrow et plus, et se termine par une revue des derniers développements
dans le domaine des fusées.
Le théâtre GroundStation présente « Space: A Dangerous Place », un spectacle qui regarde
les pour et les contre des missions spatiales humaines versus robotisées. « Wings: The Ride »
est présenté sur le Virtual Voyages Simulator.
Le H R MacMillan Space Centre vient tout juste de recevoir des fonds pour entreprendre des
rénovations majeures de ses équipements. Une emphase plus importante sera mise sur
l'habileté de présenter des programmes à distance, incluant les conférences par vidéo ainsi
que des programmes basés sur le web. Le Space Centre voudrait se voir jouer un plus grand
rôle au niveau national dans le développement et la présentation de programmes en
astronomie et dans les sciences de l'espace aux communautés rurales, autochtones et celles
du nord.
Calgary Science Center
Le Calgary Science Center a pu jouir d'un record de visiteurs en 2002, pour un total de 225 000
personnes, lors de leur visite dans les exhibits, et aux spectacles scolaires et publics. Ceci est
une augmentation de 25 % par rapport à l'an dernier, qui est un record par lui-même. Le
nombre de visiteurs continue d'augmenter en 2003.
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Les projets en cours inclus la co-production, financée par le fédéral, d'un exhibit intitulé : « One
World » qui traitera des problèmes de changements climatiques et de la conservation de
l'énergie. Un autre projet, en cours de réalisation, un spectacle de planétarium intitulé : « Far
Out Man! » mettera en vedette le premier personnage entièrement animé qui servira de guide
pour effectuer une tournée des merveilles de l'Univers.
Plus tard ce printemps, un nouveau film de grand format fera une première dans le théâtre : «
Jane Goodall's Wild Chimpanzees ». Un exhibit sur les chimpanzés ouvrira dans le courant de
l'été pour accompagner ce film.
Les cours d'astronomie ont aussi connu un grand succès, accueillant une salle complète de
200 personnes pour le cours d'après Noël sur l'utilisation des télescopes, ainsi que 90 parents
et enfants qui ont pris le cours, édition familiale, d'introduction à l'exploration du ciel. Même si le
temps cet hiver fut mauvais et a ennuagé la plupart des soirées, le public est venu en grand
nombre lors des quelques rares belles soirées étoilées pour regarder dans les télescopes pour
les sessions d'observations du vendredi soir. Par un vendredi soir exceptionnel de janvier,
plusieurs centaines de personnes ont pu admirer Saturne à son meilleur (elle était visible toute
la nuit avec les anneaux à leur inclinaison maximale). Le Science Centre offrira des soirées de
présentations animées dans le théâtre Discovery Dome ainsi que l'observation au télescope
sur le toit pour l'observation de Mars à la fin août et au début septembre.
Ontario Science Center (Toronto)
Le STARLAB au Ontario Science Center (OSC) est le seul planétarium public à Toronto. Le
OSC continue de présenter des spectacles 7 jours par semaine, ainsi que des spectacles
scolaires pour les classes de la maternelle à la 9e année. La fréquence des spectacles
augmentera durant la semaine de l'astronomie (du 5 au 11 mai) pour inclure des
démonstrations publiques et des exhibits. La semaine se terminera par une soirée
d'observation le samedi 10 mai : les visiteurs pourront assister à une conférence sur le ciel
étoilé et rester par la suite pour une soirée d'observation avec les membres de la Société
Royale du Canada. Veuillez consulter le site web du OSC pour plus d'informations sur
l'opposition de Mars en août : http://www.OntarioScienceCentre.com/.
Planétarium de Montréal
Le nouveau spectacle « Mystères de Jupiter » prendra l'affiche en après-midi à compter du 20
mars prochain. Ce spectacle fera le point sur les principales découvertes de la sonde Galileo
dont la mission tire à sa fin.
Un nouveau spectacle qui prendra l'affiche en soirée du vendredi au dimanche à compter du 16
mai est présentement en cours de réalisation. Intitulé « Ciel de nuit », ce spectacle entièrement
commenté en direct par un animateur du Planétarium présentera en détail le ciel étoilé visible
au cours des semaines suivantes, en plus de présenter la « constellation du mois », l'actualité
astronomique et un thème qui changera régulièrement. Ce spectacle s'adresse aux mordus et
à ceux et celles qui désirent apprivoiser le ciel étoilé. La technologie vidéo alliée à des
présentations PowerPoint sera utilisée pour offrir un spectacle flexible et remis à jour au rythme
de l'actualité.
Un vaste programme de formation continue est en cours avec les animateurs. Le désir est
d'augmenter le niveau d'interaction entre animateurs et spectateurs dans chacune des
représentations, qu'il s'agisse d'un spectacle scolaire ou grand public. Le style de présentation
interactive reprend de la popularité dans les planétariums autour du monde. Dans les dernières
vingt années, c'était tout le contraire qui se produisait : les spectacles étaient pour la plupart
pré-enregistrés. Le retour des présentations interactives permet un style d'apprentissage de
l'astronomie beaucoup plus adapté à la clientèle qui se trouve dans le théâtre.
Ailleurs...
Réciprocité à l'Association Canadienne des Centres/Musées de
Science
(extrait du numéro de Mars 2003 de la revue Planetarian, Journal of the International
Planetarium Society)
Une nouvelle politique d'admission fut introduite pour 2003, donnant ainsi accès gratuitement
ou à des rabais aux droits d'entrées aux membres des institutions membres de l'Association
Canadienne des Centres de Sciences. Veuillez contacter votre musée/centre de science ou
planétarium local pour plus d'informations.
Semaine du 1er au 8 avril, 2003 : National Dark-Sky Week
Le International Dark-Sky Association encourage petits et grands à prendre le temps d'assister
à des soirées d'observation publiques, visiter leur planétarium local ou un observatoire public,
ou simplement aller dans un endroit éloigné des lumières de la ville pour admirer les merveilles
que le ciel a à nous offrir lors des soirées du 1er au 8 avril prochain, de 22h à minuit (HE et HC)
et de 21h à 23h (HR et HP). Apprendre les constellations, observer les planètes, rêver des
étoiles et de la Voie Lactée sont quelques-unes des expériences humaines les plus fascinantes
et devraient être admirés par tous. Pour plus d'informations sur la semaine du National Darkfile:///C|/kings/public_html/astro/ecass/issues/2003-me/classroom/martinbeau/planetarium_fr.html (3 of 4) [3/27/2003 2:42:29 PM]
Sky Week, veuillez consulter le site web suivant (en anglais seulement) :
http://www.nationaldarkskyweek.htmlplanet.com/
Remercierments
Je voudrais remercier les personnes suivantes pour leur contribution à cet article : Pierre
Chastenay (Planétarium de Montréal), John Dickenson (MacMillan Space Science Centre),
Alan Dyer (Calgary Science Centre), Joseph Wilson (Ontario Science Center) et la revue
Planetarian (Mars, 2003, vol 32, no. 1) avec permission de John Mosley, éditeur.
Nathalie est membre du Comité
Éducation de la CASCA. Elle
travaille au Harvard-Smithsonian
Center for Astrophysics à
Cambridge, Massachusetts, et fut
membre de l'équipe du Planétarium
de Montréal.
Canadian Astronomical Society Education Website Update
Canadian Astronomical Society
Education Website Update
Heather Scott and Travis Whyte
Recent changes in the Canadian elementary and secondary science curricula, which include
more astronomy at the grades 1, 6 and 9 levels, have left many elementary and science
teachers feeling somewhat displaced. Much as an astronomer would feel ill at ease teaching a
course on cellular biology, many grade school teachers may feel apprehensive when faced with
teaching astronomy. Unfortunately, a lack of expertise can lead to incomplete or incorrect
coverage of topics, or, in some cases, even exclusion. This nation-wide dilemma finds teachers
who have never given the night sky a second thought are now having to teach the effects of
stellar evolution, the relative motion and positions of the Earth, Moon, and Sun, and the
formation of the Solar System.
Enter the Canadian Astronomical Society’s new Education Website, designed by their
Education Committee with the support of the NSERC Promoscience Program and the Ontario
Ministry of Enterprise, Opportunity and Innovation, this definitive, bilingual website aims to fulfill
the needs of all Canadians teaching and learning Astronomy. Originally targeting teachers of
astronomy, the CASCA Education Committee sought to bridge the gap between textbooks and
professional astronomical periodicals, providing tested classroom activities, simple
demonstrations, and reliable online resources at the level of teachers’ classes.
CASCA’s orginal intent was then expanded to include youth organizations, such as the Girl
Guides, Boy Scouts and church youth groups with an interest in astronomy. The Guides and
Scouts can use the site to research their astronomy badge, while other group leaders may use
it to plan a stargazing session or stay abreast of the latest astronomy news.
Professional astronomers were later included. As CASCA members are often asked to give
public talks, open houses, youth group presentations or telescope demonstrations (as well as
teaching "Astronomy 101"), the website will now offer ideas for topics, activities, and
demonstrations made specifically for short presentations with no follow-up.
Finally, amateur astronomers and the general public have been included in the website’s target
audience. Such people may be interested in general astronomy news, astronomy-related
activities within the community, or background information on telescopes and
astrophotography.
file:///C|/kings/public_html/astro/ecass/issues/2003-me/classroom/scott/scott.html (1 of 2) [3/27/2003 2:42:29 PM]
Canadian Astronomical Society Education Website Update
The prevailing philosophy behind the website design has been one of "ease" – ease of access
on the part of the user, and ease of maintenance over the long term. The website is being
developed with extensive html templates and cascading style sheets in addition to a simple yet
attractive and functional navigation system. The web development contract for this project was
awarded to Educational Media Technologies (http://www.edmediatech.ca) , based in
Edmonton, Alberta.
Catering to all the groups, particularly when many will have overlapping interests, has proven to
be a challenge. At the end of January, Travis Whyte (web developer and founder, Educational
Media Technologies), Heather Scott (CASCA Education Coordinator), and John Percy (CASCA
Education Committee Chair) met to develop the site map and the specific role of each part of
the website. A temporary website, created by Heather Scott as a storehouse of links and
resources, contains a survey soliciting user feedback, and is accessible from
http://www.astro.utoronto.ca/~cascaed. The survey incorporates the newly developed
templates and style sheets reflecting the new look and feel for the official Canadian Astronomy
Education website, which is slated for completion by July of this year. All teachers of astronomy
are invited to fill out the survey and contribute resources to this compelling project.
file:///C|/kings/public_html/astro/ecass/issues/2003-me/classroom/scott/scott.html (2 of 2) [3/27/2003 2:42:29 PM]

In The Classroom

Transcription

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