Date:  January 30, 2009

Title:  Using Astronomy to Teach Kids about Science

Podcasters:  Terry and Stephen Whelan

Description:  We use observations of the constellation Orion to provide an example of critical thinking.  The podcast includes a short dramatic presentation of the greek legend of Orion.

Bio:  Terry is a Software Engineer working in Southern California; Stephen is a high school drama student.

Today’s Sponsor:  This episode of “365 Days of Astronomy” is dedicated to Jordan and Madison Koza.  Whatever you do with your lives, we hope that you will always leave time for science.  Love, Grandma and Papa.

Transcript:

Hi, I am Terry Whelan, this is my son Stephen, his friends call him Cornelius.

For my contribution to 365 Days of Astronomy I am going to be talking about using astronomy to teach children to think in an objective, scientific manner.

I am a trained research scientist, although I currently work in computer software.  My children have artistic inclinations.

High school science has to cover a lot of different subjects,  and learning facts often takes precedence to understanding the process of knowledge development.

I feel it is my role to remedy this deficiency.

The goal is to create a situation where discussion can progress, questions asked and hypotheses tested.  I want to allow the phrase ‘I might be wrong…’ to be said in a non personally threatening environment.

A clear example in mass media is Mythbusters.  Every week they discuss several popular beliefs and construct experiments to test the idea. Its not always exactly science, no statistical analysis is done, they encourage the right kind of thinking and make it fun.

Astronomy has a lot to offer in this area.  The stars are available every night, at least here in Southern California.  There are a lot of easy projects that can be undertaken with minimal equipment, and are still both fun and educational.

So this is how our exercise in critical thinking happened…

I got a copy of Find The Constellations by H.A. Rey, and a pair of binoculars.  We started learning about the constellations.  It must have been the winter because Orion was visible.

We looked at the Orion Nebula, identified the belt, and Betelgeuse a bright red shoulder, and Rigel a blue star marking one of his feet.

It turned out that Stephen was more interested in the stories that are spun around the constellations .

….

Orion Skit SCRIPT

 So, I’m Orion and while alive I was a hunter, and pretty darn good at it. Give me the name of the beast and I could have it dead by the end of the day. The key was my great arsenal: my trusty club, a sweet sword with a shield to boot, and my two loyal dogs, Sirius and that other little one I never really named. Together, we made my name legendary, and apparently my bragging of my awesome skills ruffled Gaia’s feathers.

Gaia:  Orion, will you shut up! I’m the Earth goddess; I have to put up with your constant self-aggrandizing stories!

Orion: Yes… but I’m awesome! I killed a bull once.

Gaia: That tears it… Scorpio, sic ’em!

Orion: Hey, what the- (sting sound effect) YEOWCH!!!

Gaia: Ha. Good riddance

So, just like that Achilles loser, I snuffed it from a heel injury. It might have ended there, if not for goo ol’ Asclepius.

Asclepius: Oh my, this looks like a tough case… is that gold…hmm… I’ll see what I can do.

(Zapping sound effects followed by a whoosh)

Orion:  Gaaaah! Whoa… I live!

So, I paid Asclepius and all was good… until Hades heard about the whole thing.

Hades: Darn it! If Orion can be revived, what’ll happen to my dead kingdom if medical science wakes them all up? I’d be unemployed!            Hey, uh, Zeus?

Zeus: What do you want?

Hades: Um, can you do me a favor and blast Orion and that Asclepius doctor person? I’d hate to have to move back into Olympus with you.

Zeus: Yeah, that would suck. All right, Orion, you’re supposed to be dead, so stay there.

(Lightning blast and Orion scream)

Asclepius, you revived Orion for a bribe, so I’m going to execute you for the rest of your life. Nothing personal.

(Lightning blast and Asclepius scream)

Hades:  Well, that’s that.

Later, when the constellations were being organized, I got a big old celestial image of me in the winter sky, with a customized three-star belt. My dogs are close by me, and that blasted scorpion was put up in the summer so we wouldn’t have any more problems. Still, I really ought to have a little chat with Gaia someday about leashing her pets…

That was fun, but not exactly astronomy, and certainly not critical thinking.  However because the story was put in the context of actual star observing it was clear that the story was fiction.

It turned out that an unexpected lesson emerged: often explanations of observations get far away from the facts that were originally presented.  People make up stories that sometimes contain more imagination and wishful thinking than facts.  These stories can be entertaining and comforting but are not descriptions of nature.

I hope this lesson helps my children distinguish fact from fiction and make good decisions as they grow into productive adults.   I know it has helped them enjoy the sky and the fun that astronomy can offer.

365 Days of Astronomy
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