Astronomy

Welcome!

This page links to resources supporting various units in astronomy, intended primarily for students in the IBO’s Middle Years Programme. You’ll find class presentations, videos, simulations, and a variety of other resources related to the study of outer space on this page.

Because the MYP approaches science conceptually (rather than through the memorization of facts), each of our units of study focuses on one of the key concepts of systems, relationships, or change. Each unit uses related concepts, such as energy, movement, transformation, and models to strengthen and deepen students’ understanding of the content.

If the scientific concepts of each unit are what students should know, then the skills in each unit comprise what students should be able to do. MYP science skills can be  broadly categorized into two categories: 1) designing, conducting, and evaluating scientific investigations, and 2) reflecting on the ways science impacts society. The content in some units is particularly suited for lab or field experiments, while other content is more approachable via reflection.

Units of Study

• Introduction to Astronomy and Distances in Space
• The Big Bang
• Stars and planetary systems
• Planetary motion
• The Sun-Earth-Moon System
• Astrobiology: The search for life in outer space
• Deep Space Phenomena

 

General astronomy resources

•  Big History Project – a history of everything from the start of the Universe through today!
• The Scale of the Universe – a fantastic scaleable animation from tiny to tremendous (developed by high school students, by the way)
• 100,000 Stars – visualize the Universe on a variety of scales
• Planet Hunters – search actual astronomical data for exoplanets
• Solar Beat – make music from the motion of the planets
• Full Moon Atlas – interactive maps of the moon
• Planetarium – interactive star map and virtual sky
• Your Sky – see what the sky looks like from many different cities around the world
• Hands-on astronomy activities – Astronomical Society of the Pacific
• Advanced astronomy simulations – University of Nebraska, USA
• SEDS Messier database
• Astronomical distances – how long would it take to travel to…?
• The sound the universe makes – TED-Ed
• Is space trying to kill us? – TED-Ed
• Is time travel possible? – TED-Ed
• Free falling in outer space – TED-Ed
• A rare, spectacular total eclipse of the Sun – TED-Ed
• Tycho Brahe: The Scandalous Astronomer – TED-Ed
• The Moon Illusion – TED-Ed