Visiting nursery, kindergarten and after-school day care as astronomy for development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tomita, Akihiko

2015-08-01

One of the frontiers of astronomy for development is astronomy education for young children. Note that it is not too-much-going-ahead education nor education for so-called gifted children. It is for all children in various situations. As an example, I present "Uchu no O-hanashi," a visiting activity which includeds slide show, story telling, and enjoying pictures on large sheets for children. Not only just for young children, but this activity also aims at intercultural understanding. Sometimes guest educator from abroad join the activity. Video letter exchange was successful even though there is a language barrier. For assessment of the activity, I have recorded the voice of children. I will present various examples of written records and their analysis of activites, at nursery, kindergarten, preschool, after-school day care for primary school children, and other sites. I hope exchanging the record will make a worldwide connection among educators for very young children.

Assessment of visiting activities for young children using the UNAWE Evaluation Guide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tomita, Akihiko

2015-08-01

When the target is young children and the activity type is play, the assessment of the activity is not easy. The table of domains of active learning shown in the EU Universe Awareness Programme Evaluation Guide is useful for the assessment; the Guide shows the four domains; motivation, scientific skills, universe knowledge, and intercultural attitudes, and many items of objectives in each domains. The Guide can be a basic format and the items can be modified so as to fit each activity. Taking my activity as an example, I will present an assessment using the Guide. The activity I will present is "Uchu no O-hanashi," a visiting activity which includeds slide show, story telling, and enjoying pictures on large sheets for children at nursery, kindergarten, preschool and other sites. In order to obtain the data, I have recorded the voice of children. The analysis method is a kind of qualitative one. I picked up "motivation" and "scientific skills" words from the record when they muttered about and asked each other what they felt, what they found, and what they got excited about. Among the items in the "scientific skills domain," looking at carefully, asking, exchanging opinions, interpreting or trying to interpret, and trying were frequently appeared. Other skills such as devising and confirming were not frequently appeared but they would sometimes appear later at home or at school after the activity. I also picked up the words of children obtaining scientific way of view and attitude through the activity. One example is "It seems that stars float in the sky and do not move. Do they really set like the Sun, our nearest star? I never saw stars set!" A boy was trying to make a new framework for his understanding. This kind of thinking will enrich his or her future "universe knowledge" and "intercultural attitudes."

Inspiring the Next Generation: The International Space Station Education Accomplishments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alleyne, Camille W.; Hasbrook, Pete; Knowles, Carolyn; Chicoine, Ruth Ann; Miyagawa, Yayoi; Koyama, Masato; Savage, Nigel; Zell, Martin; Biryukova, Nataliya; Pinchuk, Vladimir;