At Shanti Asiatic School, we believe in giving our children opportunities for doing little things; for looking around and exploring. We firmly believe that these little things occupy the biggest part in their heart and lead to the most joyful learning.
As a part of an effort to make learning more meaningful, a Sky gazing activity was organized in the School campus from 6pm – 8 pm on Thursday, November 18, 2010. The faculty team from the astronomy department of Vikram A Sarabhai Community Science Centre was instrumental in setting up several telescopes in the lawn and making the event a grand success. A live practical explanation to locate various constellations (Lyra, Summer Triangle, Cassiopeia etc), pole star, planets and their satellites was lucidly provided.
Children were thrilled to actually see these celestial bodies about which they had only read about in their books. A wave of exhilaration ran through them as they located an artificial satellite moving very swiftly. Through the telescope, students could observe the planet of Jupiter with its four satellites and a belt of gases, rocks and ice around it. The craters of the Moon with its terminating line were also very vividly observed through the powerful telescopes.
While the information provided about the focal lengths of the telescope and the magnification with respect to the human eye intrigued those interested in physics, the ‘aha’ experience of all the children after seeing the planets and their satellite was a joy to watch and cherish.
We are hopeful that this activity would have inspired many of our young children to build on their dream and pursue research in the field of Astronomy and Science in their future lives.
As a part of an effort to make learning more meaningful, a Sky gazing activity was organized in the School campus from 6pm – 8 pm on Thursday, November 18, 2010. The faculty team from the astronomy department of Vikram A Sarabhai Community Science Centre was instrumental in setting up several telescopes in the lawn and making the event a grand success. A live practical explanation to locate various constellations (Lyra, Summer Triangle, Cassiopeia etc), pole star, planets and their satellites was lucidly provided.
Children were thrilled to actually see these celestial bodies about which they had only read about in their books. A wave of exhilaration ran through them as they located an artificial satellite moving very swiftly. Through the telescope, students could observe the planet of Jupiter with its four satellites and a belt of gases, rocks and ice around it. The craters of the Moon with its terminating line were also very vividly observed through the powerful telescopes.
While the information provided about the focal lengths of the telescope and the magnification with respect to the human eye intrigued those interested in physics, the ‘aha’ experience of all the children after seeing the planets and their satellite was a joy to watch and cherish.
We are hopeful that this activity would have inspired many of our young children to build on their dream and pursue research in the field of Astronomy and Science in their future lives.
