”We have used Skyglobe for about 5 years now. It is an integral part of our Science course in years 8, 9 and 10.
We encourage the students to have their own laptops so it is a special tool in the study of Astronomy. Thank you very
much for providing such a valuable teaching program. Our lessons are more exciting, the students are learning difficult concepts so
much easier and it is an enjoyable part of learning.”
Keith Treschman
The Glennie School
Toowoomba
Australia
Astronomy is a comprehensive teaching package in practical astronomy based on the Skyglobe program.
The student CD supplied contains the shareware version of Skyglobe and and all the Word files needed to run the program -
exercises, homework exercises and revision exercises. The teacher CD contains the test and answers for everything!
The files are copyright but you may copy them to an unlimited number of computers or make as many photocopies as you wish
for students attending the institution that purchases the package.
The exercises are designed to be completed by the student while sitting at a
computer running Skyglobe. They can be completed by typing directly into the Word file or it can be printed first and
answers handwritten. No introductory lessons are required. Whole class discussions are
needed, to revise work and provide further explanation of the finer points covered.
The Astronomy Exercises page has a description of each exercise. Two exercises contain a link for downloading so you can
become familar with
the style and content of what we have to offer.
Experience shows that the package is suited to extending above average ability students
in Year 10 Science and for schools who require all students to have a Notebook Computer. The concepts covered and the
style of thinking developed is of great benefit to the students who move on to Physics in the senior years.
Skyglobe brings the night sky into the classroom. The Windows version produces displays that are
amazingly realistic. Identification of objects in the nightsky is no longer a problem. For the
ultimate lesson, students can take a notebook outside with the current nightsky on the screen.
Identification of constellations and planets is easy when they have a labelled display as a
reference. With Skyglobe set in Real Time mode, the motion of objects in the sky will match
their motion on the screen.
Skyglobe can change the location and direction of view, animate the stars and change the time
and date in steps ranging between 1 minute and 1000 years. Throughout the study, students tour the world and view the stars
from many different locations and travel back to Ancient Times and forward into the future. Sidereal time mode demonstrates
the motion of the sun, moon and planets relative to the stars. These features enable the student to
go far beyond the traditional naming of the stars and constellations and making a model of the Solar System.
Skyglobe can store a display for future use. Astronomy contains many preset displays called upon during the study.
This avoids loss of time while a student sets the parameters of the required display.
Astronomy contains more work than is normally completed in a 3 to 4 week unit. Teachers can divide the work into core
and options as recommended below. It is anticipated that students with a flair for astronomy will work ahead at home.
The optional exercises cater for these students.
A possible core/options split is:
Core: Introduction to SkyGlobe, Stars and Constellations, A Day In..., Looking at the Stars, Motion of the Stars 1,
Right Ascension and Declination, Motion of the Stars 2, Sidereal Time, Motion of the Sun.
Options: Motion of the Planets, Astrology, Time, Navigation, Motion of the Moon, Solar Eclipses and Distance
of the Moon.
Teachers may select their own core/options split. However, the exercises in the core listing are sequential and
must be covered in the order stated. A second approach would be to spit the study into two parts and cover part A in
semester 1 and part B in semester 2. Top