From Socrates to Saturn V: Our Journey to the Stars
As long as humans have been on Earth, we have caught ourselves gazing up at the night sky. Our sky is populated with millions of incredible characters, and this workshop will give students an introduction to our own cozy corner of the Universe. From the familiar Sun and Moon, our own stellar neighbors like Venus, Jupiter, and Neptune, and reaching all the way out to the tips of the Milky Way Galaxy, we will explore all of the ways that humans have worked to understand the stars and beyond, teaching students what to look for in their own backyards. We will begin with the earliest methods of stargazing, originating from the Ancient Greeks & Arabians, and move forward through time, culminating in the cutting-edge work that NASA continues every single day. We will also discuss all of the alien objects that populate our Universe, from gas giants and white dwarfs to black holes and supernovae. Similar to Astronomy itself, we will be working to understand the world beyond ours in both writing and numbers, creating an all-encompassing learning experience.
- Critical thinking
- Research skills
- Technical skills
- Topical expertise
- Writing & communication
Students will complete a final presentation on a currently relevant space topic of their choosing. Parents are encouraged to attend the final presentation!