Astro Adventures is an activity-based astronomy curriculum for grades 4 and up. It is available from the Pacific Science Center, 200 Second Ave. N., Seattle, WA 98109-4895; (206) 443-2870.
Great Explorations in Mathematics and Science (GEMS), a series of more than 50 teacher’s guides and handbooks, features a number of publications covering activity-based astronomy education. Planetarium Activities for Student Success (PASS) also contains good hands-on activities for teaching astronomy. Information is available from the Lawrence Hall of Science, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720; (510) 642-7771.
Project ARIES is an astronomy-based physical science curriculum for elementary school children. For information about the modules developed to date, contact the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Science Education Department, 60 Garden St., MS-71, Cambridge, MA 02138; (617) 495-9798.
The Universe at Your Fingertips: An Astronomy Activity and Resource Notebook contains classroom activities, comprehensive resource lists and bibliographies, background material on astronomical topics, and teaching ideas from astronomy educators. It is available from the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, 390 Ashton Ave., San Francisco, CA 94112; (415) 337-1100.
The following organizations offer workshops and other activities focused on astronomy for elementary and secondary school teachers, often in conjunction with their annual meetings:
American Association of Physics Teachers, One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD, 20740-3845; (301) 209-3300; www.aapt.org.
American Astronomical Society, 2000 Florida Ave., N.W., Suite 400, Washington, D.C. 20009; (202) 328-2010; www.aas.org.
Astronomical Society of the Pacific, 390 Ashton Ave., San Francisco, CA 94112; (415) 337-1100; www.aspsky.org.
Lawrence Hall of Science, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-5200; (510) 642-7771; www.lhs.berkeley.edu.
National Science Teachers’ Association, 1840 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA 22201; (703) 243-7100; www.nsta.org.
