In this activity, the student will learn that people living in different parts of our planet see distinct constellations in the night sky. The student will also infer what is the shape of the Earth by observing a few constellations and by sharing data with other colleagues living in different latitudes and longitudes.

Involvement of communities during the activity

The student will involve the family, friends, and the local community during the different phases of the activity, by carrying out interviews, retrieving data, providing important information, and sharing results.

Topics

Science; Astronomy; Physics; Culture.

Learning objectives

The main learning objectives addressed in this project are:

• To realise that for a given moment, according to their geographical position, people observe different constellations, or the same constellations but in different positions in the sky;
• To infer the shape of the Earth by observing some constellation and compare data with observations performed in other parts of the planet;
• The student will learn or improve collaboration skills, by working with other students;
• The student will apply the steps of the scientific method, and will have the opportunity to become aware of its importance for the understanding of natural phenomena;
• The student will learn how to handle data, and the importance of following the necessary steps for data acquisition;
• The student will learn how to validate results, to discuss them with peers, to present findings, and to listen to other's ideas;
• The student will explore the surrounding environment, and will find more about his/her communities’ knowledge and beliefs;
• The student will learn how to present his/her own ideas, while engaging the local community in dissemination and awareness events.

Motivation

In a time where there is a big debate in the Internet about the true shape of the Earth, where many people call into question the veracity of photos, videos and data shared by renowned space research institutes, the key motivation for this activity is to give students the opportunity to find a way to infer the shape of the Earth by pure observation of natural phenomena and reasoning, following similar steps of great scientists and thinkers of humanking, such as Erathostenes.

Author

Nuno Gomes

nuno.gomes@nuclio.pt

NUCLIO, Portugal

May 2018