[Nfb-science] Taking an Astronomy Class

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 Here are two labs of the National science teacher's association websites to go to for Lab Out Loud. These are both about astronomy. You can get Lab Out loud to be emailed to you.  They are in season three now. But you can get all the ones they made before. Get Lab 12 and 24. They are about astronomy. I hope I have helped you. Keep in touch, please. 

 

It is a biweekly podcast from NSTA on science teaching, science news, and anything else about science. I am a teacher for the VI and I am also visually impaired myself. I only need larger font though. The website is

 http://www.nsta.org/publications/laboutloud.aspx

 

Lab Out Loud 12: Skepticism and The Bad Astronomer (2008.03.17)
This week's guest calls himself The Bad Astronomer. Phil Plait is an astronomer, an author, and a well-known blogger at www.badastronomy.com. Phil talks to us about myths and skepticism in the science classroom. 
 

 

Lab Out Loud 24: The Bad Astronomer Returns (2009.01.12)
Brian and Dale welcome Phil Plait (aka The Bad Astronomer) back to the show. Phil talks about the International Year of Astronomy and highlights a few events planned for the IYA. As President of the James Randi Educational Foundation, Phil also discusses the role of skepticism in education. 
 



 

 

 
> Date: Thu, 13 May 2010 21:22:43 -0400
> From: herekittykat2 at gmail.com
> To: nfb-science at nfbnet.org
> Subject: [Nfb-science] Taking an Astronomy Class
> 
> Hi all,
> 
> I love astronomy a huge amount. I read a lot of astronomy books, and
> am particularly interested in studies about black holes, super-earths,
> and the possibility of a mission to Centaurii Alpha. I am intending to
> take as many astronomy classes in college as are available. However,
> as a blind student, I am not sure the best accommodations to learn
> astronomy tactilely.
> 
> I am considering using a Lite Brite, a pegboard that lights up, to
> imitate a planetarium set up. Basically, I would get images of
> constellations, solar systems, and the like blown up to the right size
> for the Lite Brite. Then, I would have a sighted person (probably a
> volunteer who enjoys Astronomy) place pegs in the board in positions
> that simulate the image best, making holes in the picture placed on
> the board. Once a picture is done once, I would be able to go back and
> place the pegs myself at a later date to study constellations, solar
> system types, planet size differences, planet distances, etc. What do
> you guys think of this idea as an accommodation for a student who has
> some residual vision (enough that I can see colours and lights, though
> not much else). Do you think this is a good way to study the stars'
> shapes and positions in space? If so, do you have any ideas of
> improvemnt; if not, do you have any suggestions of other ways of
> learning the shapes, sizes, and distances of constellations, solar
> systems, solar flares, varying ray types, and the like?
> 
> I have read the NFB/NASA books, and loved them, but I know that
> creating images like the ones in those books is an expensive process
> and requires a Tiger embosser, which my school does not have, nor do
> they have any plans of getting one. Is ther a reasonably-priced way of
> creating tactile images without using a lot of a person's time (in
> other words, something that the college might be willing to provide as
> an accommodation?).
> 
> Any other suggestions about making astronomy easier to study and more
> fun to learn tactilely would be much appreciated. I am very interested
> and quite excited about taking astronomy classes, but a bit concerned
> that it will be too visual. I took one astronomy class before, and it
> was very visual, taking place in a planetarium where we spent most of
> the class period staring up at the ceiling as the professor created
> the images. We rarely opened our books in that class, except to study
> what we had gone over in class, and much of what was on the test was
> based on constellatin and system projections in the planetarium. One
> test, the professor would point at a star, constellation, or planet,
> and we had to write down its name and classification, an entirely
> visual test...what would be an alternative to a test like this?
> 
> Curious and hopeful to study astronomy,
> Jewel
> 
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