A Stargazing Opportunity for Half of England's Pupils

在激发年轻人对科学的热情方面，直观的动手活动可能非常有效。从这方面来说，天体的美丽一直使天文学特别有吸引力，这也解释了它普遍受到媒体的关注。然而，天文学在国家课程中的空间有限，而且在实践中，学生没有太多机会接触这门学科，更不用说进行第一手实验，例如通过望远镜目镜观察。该计划的目标是在三年的时间里为尽可能多的学生带来这样的观星体验，同时提高他们的教师在提供该课程和其他科学科目方面的能力。为了实现这些目标，我将借鉴我自己在赫特郡大学贝福德伯里天文台担任活动组织者的5年经验，并利用伦敦、英格兰东南部和中部科学学习中心联盟（SLCC）的毛细血管网络，该联盟的总部也设在贝福德伯里，在覆盖英格兰47%公立学校的地区举办近40场观星活动。为了举办如此多的活动，其中还包括讲座，天文馆表演，实验室实验和计算机活动，我将在我将访问的每个地区寻找并邀请热心的教师，并与当地的业余天文团体联系，以协助活动的观星元素。为了确保这些活动的成功，并-最重要的-为教师提供持久的资源，我将组装成一个单一的可部署的开放式晚间包的所有解释设置和运行将发生在这些事件中的所有活动，这也将链接到课程，特别是在天文学的GCSE资格的主题。这样一个软件包--很可能是平板电脑应用程序的形式--将是该计划的真实的遗产，帮助教师进一步激发学生对天文学的热情，无论是在课堂上还是通过组织自己的观星活动，也可能与社区中的业余天文学家合作。如果事实上，我将判断我的计划是否成功，不仅取决于我的活动所产生的热情程度，但主要是关于教师长期使用我的可部署开放式晚间套餐，并监测在我的奖学金期间将选择，或显示兴趣选择GCSE在天文学。

When it comes to enthusing young people into science, intuitive hands-on activities can be extremely effective. In this respect, the beauty of celestial objects has always contributed to make Astronomy particularly attractive, which would also explain the attention it generally receives from the media.Yet, Astronomy has only a limited space in the national curriculum and in practice pupils are not provided with many chances to approach this subject, let alone to engage in first-hand experiments such as looking through the eyepiece of telescope. The goal of this programme is to bring such a stargazing experience to as many pupils as possible over the course of three years, whilst boosting their teachers` in delivering this and other scientific subjects of the curriculum. To achieve these goals, I will draw from my own 5-years-long experience as event organiser at the Bayfordbury observatory of the University of Hertordshire and tap into the capillary network of the Science Learning Centre Consortium (SLCC) for London, South-East and Central England, the head-quarters of which are also based at Bayfordbury, to mount nearly 40 stargazing events across an area that covers 47% of England's state schools. In order to man such a large number of events, which will feature also talks, planetarium shows, laboratory experiments and computer activities, I will seek out and involve keen teachers in each of the regional areas that I will visit, liaising also with local amateur astronomy groups to assist with the stargazing element of the event. To ensure the success of these events and - most important - provide a lasting resource for teachers, I will assemble into a single Deployable Open Evening package all the explanations for setting up and running all the activities that will take place at these events, which will also link to the curriculum and in particular to the subject of the GCSE qualification in Astronomy. Such a package - most likely to be in the form of a tablet application - will be the real legacy of this programme, helping teachers to further carry on enthusing their students into Astronomy, either in class or by organising their own stargazing event, possibly also in collaboration with amateur astronomers in their communities.If fact, I will judge the success of my programme not only on the level of enthusiasm that will be generated by my events, but mostly on the lasting use of my Deployable Open Evening package by teachers and monitoring the number of pupils that during my fellowship will choose, or show interest in opting for a GCSE in Astronomy.