By R. Brent Cochran
So it’s come up again – that chapter on astronomy in your child’s Science book. To you, as a parent and teacher, it might be a rather flat and uninspiring topic. After all, does it really matter to your child – or to anyone else, for that matter – what the stars are doing up there? Perhaps learning about the coal deposits of Svalbard seems more interesting – and practical.
Or perhaps you really do like the thought of teaching your child about the stars, but you think you’ve basically covered all the subject material in the past few years of Science. Maybe your child is totally uninterested in the subject. Whatever the case, I would like to share a few pointers to help you teach your children about the night sky, and most of all, to inspire them with an enthusiasm to explore it for themselves.
- Be enthused. First of all, I would like to point out the need for your own enthusiasm. It may seem rather obvious, but any teacher will find it hard to inspire his or her students in the subject matter if s/he is not eager to share their knowledge. Basically, the more you enjoy studying the stars yourself, the easier it will be to propagate a similar interest in your children.
This does not mean that you must have the knowledge of a NASA astrophysicist in order to adequately teach your child about the stars. Far from it! If you don’t know much about astronomy, that’s okay. Only be willing to learn along with your student and enjoy the process.
- Obtain quality reference material. No matter how thorough your curriculum may be, there will always be a need for other reference materials. Make sure your child has access to good, up-to-date reference books. Especially try to have them up-to-date. Due to the plethora of new discoveries made every year, the field of astronomy changes and grows at an astonishing rate. Even books written ten years ago will usually be out of date in some areas.
Unfortunately, many libraries need help in this area. I have seen astronomical guidebooks for children that are full of erroneous information, having been published in the 1960’s or 70’s. Try to avoid these books if at all possible.
Be aware that a great diversity of books exists on this subject. I would suggest obtaining at least one (from the bookstore, library, or otherwise) devoted to an overview of the sky at night – how to recognize the constellations, etc. A very different type, which seems to be increasingly common these days, is the so-called “coffee-table” book. These are books filled with page after page of gloriously detailed, glossy photos, many with colors more vivid than a Monet canvas. The pictures are taken by some of the best observatories in the world (often the Hubble Space Telescope), and will scarcely resemble anything you and your children might see with your own eyes. Use one or more of these coffee-table books to show them how beautiful the universe really is – but don’t lead your children to expect to see sights just like them.
- Share weird, amazing facts. Children are naturally drawn to extraordinary events, unimaginably large numbers, and such like; so one of the fastest ways to engage a child’s attention is to share a few “extreme” facts with him. For example, did you know that temperatures on Venus soar to 900 degrees F? Or that the Milky Way contains (very roughly) 300 million stars? Or that some stars explode with the force of many thousands of atomic bombs? I didn’t at first, but it was facts like these that caught my attention and made me wonder – what other incredible stuff is out there?
- Learn about the constellations. Most science books spend a good bit of time discussing the constellations – patterns of stars in the sky that date back thousands of years. Point out to your child that most of these constellations and the pictures they represent were invented thousands of years ago, mostly by the Greeks. These stars are our link with the past, and when we trace the patterns out and call them by name, we are following in an ancient and time-honored tradition.
Most of the constellations don’t look much like their real-life counterparts (the ancients apparently had more imagination than some of us today!), so your child might enjoy thinking of them as abstract geometric shapes instead. Have them find patterns they especially like; why not have them make their own personal constellation?
Along with the actual star patterns, I think it wise to tell them the ancient stories and myths that accompany them. What child wouldn’t enjoy the story of Perseus, the hero, and his valiant steed Pegasus? Telling these stories will help to reinforce the constellations, and vice versa.
- Watch the stars together. Simply try observing the stars yourself! For a lucky percentage of us, we can simply step outside after sunset and look up to find the night sky spread above us, glittering with thousands of silver pinpricks. For many others (and I fear this number is increasing yearly), they can step outside as well – and find only a few dozen stars trying to shine feebly through the lurid glow of city lights.
I fully sympathize with those of you in this plight, but I hasten to add that you need not give up. Perhaps you can still show your child the moon and its changing phases – perhaps a few of the planets or some bright stars. And hopefully you can still show them the true night sky if you get a chance to go to a rural location – far from cities and their attendant light pollution. It’s well worth it!
Regardless of where you live, binoculars are a wonderful asset. Let your child try them out on the Moon, planets, and anything in the sky that grabs his attention. If you live in the country and have dark skies as a result, try for star clusters and galaxies. Don’t worry about a telescope for now – binoculars work best for teaching the basics.
- Encourage their natural curiosity. As in any other area of homeschooling, be sure to encourage your children to use their imagination and curiosity. It doesn’t take long until they start asking questions like, “Why don’t stars hit each other up there? There’s so many of them!” Or, “How come Mercury always stays near the Sun?” Some of these can be baffling, but try to find the answers even if you don’t know them. Many of the best scientists, philosophers, and inventors have been persons who simply asked questions.
- Check out local astronomical facilities. If possible, visit a planetarium or observatory. The difference between the two, you ask? Observatories are dedicated to observing the sky, usually with telescopes. Planetariums do not necessarily have a telescope in their facility, but rather project images of the night sky upon a domed ceiling for their audience. Especially try to visit a planetarium if you live in the city. This will help your children visualize the real night sky even if a visit to a dark, country site is impractical.
- Study space exploration. Learn about the space program and what man has accomplished. Much has happened since man went to the moon fifty years ago! We know much more than we did then, but there seem to be two new questions for every new answer. Find out about past spacecraft like Mariner, Pioneer, and Voyager, and current missions like Cassini, New Horizons, and the Spitzer Space Telescope. Don’t forget the 2 modern space exploration projects, Elon Musk’s Space X and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin. There are a good many online NASA resources for educators at these spacecraft’s websites – I suggest you check them out at the links listed below.
According to scientists, man hopes to be on Mars within your children’s lifetimes – maybe much sooner. Discuss this possibility (perhaps more so with your older students), and explore why man wants to do this. I realize many of us have differing views on this subject, ranging from eager anticipation to outright displeasure. Be sure to mention the enormous costs of these space programs, and discuss whether the money, time, and risk involved are worth it. Try to analyze it objectively. Perhaps discuss the role the Cold War played in the rapid acceleration of the space program.
- Make it fun! In the ninth place, be sure to make your learning fun, especially with younger children. Invent games if you like. Point to a star and ask your child to identify it. Find out when a meteor shower is coming and camp outside to watch them. Draw pictures of what you see – craters on the moon, constellations, whatever. Explore!
And remember, take time. The stars have been there for thousands of years – a few weeks, or months, or years to learn about them is not overlong. Enjoy the journey as you learn together!
- Be open to other fields of interest. The tenth tip might seem counter to all that I’ve said up until now, and it is this:. Recognize that astronomy is only one way in which we explore God’s creation. After you cover all this in your schooling, your child might be ready to go on to far different things. Or, as could well be the case, his or her interest might have gone to a related field, such as meteorology or Greek history. Older students might be drawn to aspects of physics, cosmology, or optics. Wherever your child’s interests may lead, I am sure some of the stellar (pun intended) lessons he learned will stay with him for years to come.
As an inspirational footnote, I would like to relate my own encounter with astronomy and the benefits I feel I have received from it. It began about a few years ago, when I was eleven years old. The groundwork had, of course, been laid in the earliest grades of school, but it was then that astronomy caught my attention like never before. Just two little sparks were responsible for the resulting blaze of interest: (1) My sixth-grade science book, which contained several detailed chapters on the stars, and (2) the transit of Mercury in 1999, which a neighbor was kind enough to show me through his telescope. After this, I was hooked!
Over the next year, I taught myself basic binocular astronomy, pored over reference books, and grew familiar with the motions of the night sky. When it became apparent that my interest was more than transient, I was allowed to get an inexpensive telescope. This fueled my interest even more; I spent hours upon hours with it and learned quite a lot about the cosmos.
Now, many years later, I would say that my interest has modulated and tempered as it has been balanced with the responsibilities that come with years. The passion has never left, however, nor do I think it will. Studying the stars is addicting!
The benefits I have received are many, and perhaps I can’t even identify them all. First, it has definitely broadened my horizons – realizing just how large the universe is and how small humans are in comparison, leads me to think new thoughts and ponder new ideas. Secondly, it connects me more with the world, and I realize how privileged all of us are to be alive and witnesses to the incomprehensible beauty around us. Thirdly, and more mundanely, continued stargazing seems to improve my eyesight, especially night vision. And fourthly, it fosters a mentality of curiosity and exploration.
Studying the heavens is an ancient tradition, and an integral part of exploring the creation around us. Please don’t be intimidated or bored by it but enjoy it and give it your best shot. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
Handy Links:
http://www.hubblesite.org/; http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov; http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/
http://www.physlink.com/Education/Astronomy.cfm; http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/ RBC
