Astronomy Home Education Curriculum

Astronomy Projects

Janice Vancleave’s Astronomy for Every Kid
101 Easy Experiments That Really Work
Janice Pratt Vancleave
An elementary science experiment book that provides young scientists with safe, workable astronomy projects.

Janice VanCleave’s Constellations for Every Kid : Easy Activities that Make Learning Science Fun
by Janice VanCleave
Each of the activities begins with a statement of purpose, followed by a list of materials, step-by-step instructions, expected results, and an easy-to-understand explanation. Every activity has been pretested and can be performed safely and inexpensively at home.

Janice VanCleave’s the Solar System: Mind-Boggling Experiments You Can Turn into Science Fair Projects
by Janice VanCleave
Try these awesome projects at home or in the classroom: trace the Earth’s path through the celestial sphere, create a comet in your own bedroom, and build a model of Saturn and its rings. Each experiment includes an illustration and simple, step-by-step instructions, as well as clear explanations of the astronomical concepts you’re seeing at work.

Secrets of the Night Sky
The Most Amazing Things in the Universe You Can See With the Naked Eye
Bob Berman
Without using technical jargon, Berman follows the seasons with what can be easily seen in each. He makes the study of the universe exciting and understandable.

Buy a View

SLOOH
Membership-based group viewing of live telescope images coming from the Canary Islands, and thus visible in the USA and Canada afternoons and evenings. Audio commentary about what you are seeing. Possible to buy time so you can control the telescopes yourself.

DVDs and Videos

The Standard Deviants – Astronomy 2-pack
A wild and wacky overview of astronomy as only Standard Deviants can present it.

Guide

Guide to the Stars by Ken Graun Map The 5th edition (published 2013) of the 16-inch diameter plastic Guide to the Stars chart (formally called the David H. Levy Guide to the Stars) is an instrument to help you identify the constellations. You simply dial-in your observing time and date to find the set of constellations visible in your sky. (This is accomplished by turning the clear top piece.) Although this chart is designed for beginners, seasoned amateur astronomers will find it useful, too.This chart can be used anywhere in the world between latitudes 30 and 60 degrees North, which includes the US and Canada, England, Europe, Northern China and Japan.The 16-inch diameter is large and easy to read, ideal for families, teachers and seniors! The 4th edition has been improved by indicating more binocular objects and providing more pertinent information on the back, all without increasing clutter or decreasing the text size.

Telescopes

Exploring the Sky
Projects for Beginning Astronomers
Richard Moeschl
Projects for beginning astronomers. Recommends and provides instruction on how to use a camera with your star studies. Instructions on making your own telescope.

Making & Enjoying Telescopes
6 Complete Projects & A Stargazer’s Guide
Robert Miller, Kenneth Wilson
Easy to follow instructions on making amateur, 10″ or less telescopes. Does not get into mirror grinding or optical testing.

Telescope Power
Fantastic Activities & Easy Projects for Young Astronomers
Gregory L. Matloff
This book will guide you into discovering the beauty and mystery of the stars using your telescope. It will teach you to care for and use your telescope creatively.

Tags: astronomy, science books