Light pollution

Light pollution

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  How many starscan I see at night? José Gonçalves www.eufisica.com astropt.org
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  Introductory section andpreparatory phase ● Short Description: Students in this scenario will study the effects of light pollution on the observation of the stars at night and they will simulate with Stellarium. ● Keywords: Astronomy, Hands-On, Stellarium, observation, pollution, light. ● Target audience: Students at 7th grade ● Age range: 11+ years ● Context: After the constellations subject, this scenario will be implemented at home, and at school. ● Time required: 90 min (or 2 periods)
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  ● Technical Requirements: ●Teacher: ● Computer with Stellarium and Excel ● Data projector and, if possible, an interactive board. ● Students: ● Computers with internet connection and Stellarium. ● Author’s background: ● Connection with the curriculum: Astronomy at 7th grade, in Physics lessons. ● Learning Objectives: Verify that the artificial light affects the observation of the stars at night ● Guidance for preparation: Introductory section and preparatory phase
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  To provoke curiosity, teacherscan do it in two ways: 1. Presented the following timelapse video http://vimeo. com/channels/eufisicatv/ 24551969 2) The students must to complete the tasks presented in the Worksheet 1 at home, in a night before this class lesson. Pre-Experiment / Observation– Teaching Phase 1: Questions Eliciting Activities – PROVOKE CURIOSITY Timelapse author: Randy Halverson One of the tasks from Worksheet 1
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  Pre-Experiment / Observation–Teaching Phase 1: Questions Eliciting Activities – DEFINE QUESTIONS FROM CURRENT KNOWLEDGE ●Questions from data: ●Do we see the same number of stars if we are in the same region? ●Can some students observe more stars than others? ●Can any factors (human, nature) influence our observation? ●Is any factor more important than another?
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  Pre-Experiment / Observation–Teaching Phase 2: Active Investigation – PROPOSE PRELIMINARY EXPLANATION OR HYPOTHESES ● We can’t see many stars at night sky because of: ● City lights (even if we are in an urban region); ● The pollution from industry; ● The clouds; ● The moonlight; ● Volcano’s activity; ● The atmosphere, air; ● The satellites (too many). International Dark-Sky Assocation. When the eastern power grid failed, from Ontario to New York City, in August 2003, it revealed something many city dwellers had never seen: from horizon to horizon, a sky full of stars. Then the power came back on.
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  Pre-Experiment / Observation–Teaching Phase 2: Active Investigation – PLAN AND CONDUCT SIMPLE INVESTIGATION ●Worksheet 1 (at home before this class lesson) ●Using stellarium “Atmosphere” feature to explain different observations by changing the artificial light. ●Turn the lights off and on and ask the students explanations. Choose → Sky and window options [F4] In the “Atmosphere” area, select a value for artificial light.
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  Experiment / Observation–Teaching Phase 3: Creation – GATHER EVIDENCE FROM OBSERVATION ●After the first worksheet is completed at home, the teacher will collect the data to a spreadsheet and display the graphs. Observation of the Orion’s Constellation. Source: Wikipedia
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  Experiment / Observation–Teaching Phase 3: Creation – GATHER EVIDENCE FROM OBSERVATION Counting the stars using STELLARIUM and interactive board.
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  Experiment / Observation–Teaching Phase 3: Creation – GATHER EVIDENCE FROM OBSERVATION ●Observation gathered from STELLARIUM.
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  Experiment / Observation–Teaching Phase 4: Discussion – EXPLANATION BASED ON EVIDENCE By using Stellarium the students concluded: ● Atmosphere has a little influence our night sky observation; ● Artificial light are more influent in our night sky observation; ● With the increasing of artificial light the number of astronomical objects that we can see is reduced to a minimum.
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  Post-Experiment / Observation–Teaching Phase 5: Reflection – COMMUNICATE EXPLANATION Postercreatedbythestudents withteacher’shelp
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  ● Worksheet 2 Causesof light pollution, by their nature (natural and anthropogenic). Two measures to reduce light pollution. Best places to make the observation of the Universe. ● Homework Take a look to the constellation of Orion and register it at: http://www. globeatnight.org/webapp/ (visit website to participation dates). Post-Experiment / Observation– Teaching Phase 5: Reflection – FOLLOW UP ACTIVITIES AND MATERIALS
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  Local places tomake the observation at night. Post-Experiment / Observation– Teaching Phase 5: Reflection – FOLLOW UP ACTIVITIES AND MATERIALS CreatedwithGoogleFusionTables
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  Local places tomake the observation at night. Post-Experiment / Observation– Teaching Phase 5: Reflection – FOLLOW UP ACTIVITIES AND MATERIALS CreatedwithGoogleFusionTables
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  ● Reading: ● http://www.darksky.org/ ●http://www.cleveland.com/nation/index. ssf/2008/11/bigcity_light_pollution_may_go.html ● http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/11/light- pollution/klinkenborg-text ● http://www.noao.edu/education/ ● More activities: http://portal.discoverthecosmos.eu/en/node/191453 ● http://portal.discoverthecosmos.eu/en/node/191458 ● http://www.need-less.org.uk/ (online Sky Night simulator) Post-Experiment / Observation– Teaching Phase 5: Reflection – FOLLOW UP ACTIVITIES AND MATERIALS
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  ● My personal evaluationof this scenario Evaluation: Reflection
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  Contact Information ● JoséGonçalves ● Physics teacher at the public schools in Portugal ● ● Email: ● [email protected]