North and South

in the Celestial Sphere

An international partnership in space education.

UK project leaders:

Michael Cripps, Joint Head of Science at Dereham Sixth Form College and the Head of Science at Neatherd High School , Dereham.

Helen Mason is Assistant Director of Research at the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, Centre for Mathematical Sciences, Cambridge University .

SA partner organisations:

South African Astronomical Observatory/Southern African Large Telescope

The University of the Western Cape .

Principal US partner:

Lou Mayo, Project Manager NASA After School Astronomy Clubs, Goddard Space Flight Centre, Maryland

Aims of the project:

To enable a group of 12 th grade UK students to become ambassadors for science in South Africa the UK and the wider international space education community via the internet, by giving them exposure to cutting edge international science and technology in collaboration with students from a different cultural background.

Form a partnership with South African science educators to develop approaches for inspiring scientific interest and ambition in young people

Highlight the importance of international science to development.

Share the project with the international space educator community via the NASA After School Astronomy Clubs (NASA ASAC) website and forum

Objectives:

 10 UK students to visit the South African Sutherland Observatory and use instruments (including one of the largest and most advanced telescopes in the World) with an international team of scientists

Students to act as ‘Science Ambassadors’ and carry out space science work with students in South African high schools.

Back in the UK the ‘Science Ambassadors’ will visit schools and use their experiences to educate and enthuse pupils about international science and technology. They will publish the resources developed for teaching and learning space science on the NASA ASAC website

In partnership with South African teachers, the UK teachers will develop approaches to carrying out practical space science learning activities using basic equipment.

Provide two South African High School ’s with equipment that will allow the students to continue space science studies after the visit and share these with the international community via the internet. The majority of this equipment has been donated by US companies.

Develop closer links between South African Higher Education (University of the Western Cape ) and Cambridge University

Create ties between member clubs of the NASA ASAC and South African schools

Explore opportunities for South African students to visit UK, Dereham schools and the University of Cambridge

Background

The Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) in situated in South Africa ’s Northern Cape , on the edge of the Kalahari Desert . Here an international effort lead by South Africa has built the greatest telescope in the Southern Hemisphere. At 11 metres in diameter it is able to probe the southern skies deeper than any telescope ever before. It is operated by the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO). The South African Government has a very positive attitude to supporting cutting edge science and uses it to promote development of the country through education.

Helen Mason visited this area of South Africa in the summer of 2004. She made contact with the educational section of SAAO/SALT, who are keen to collaborate. She also went on a motivational tour of South African High Schools in the educationally disadvantaged areas. This was organised through the University of the Western Cape , and was facilitated by the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) schools enrichment project. The educators and schools are keen to collaborate in the development of space science educational materials and to facilitate contact between South African and students in other countries.

Michael and Helen have a Royal Society sponsored partnership aimed at bringing cutting edge scientific research into the classroom. They also work on the ‘Space Observatories in School’ project which is developing innovative space science educational resources with backing from the European Space Agency (ESA), the UK Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council (PPARC), NASA and the Norfolk Education Business Exchange.

Neatherd High School and Dereham 6 th Form College Astronomy Club was initiated in 2001 with a substantial grant from the Royal Commission for 1851 and fund raising from the school. It now operates “Space@School”, the largest space science school website in the world, which spearheads national and international projects.

By students, for students

The planned work by the 12 th grade student ‘Science Ambassadors’ in the UK includes assemblies and classroom presentations in local high and junior schools. The main aim of the activities with older students will be to show the nature of cutting edge international science and technology and inspire the audience to the possibilities of involvement. The Science Ambassadors will create a program for use in mobile planetaria to show younger students that they live in a point in space that provides a view of the cosmos in every direction, not just a hemisphere. The ‘Science Ambassadors’ plan to achieve this by presenting the content as a personal experience of someone close to the age of the audience. They will create an online version of their presentations, lessons and roadshow. All SA schools will be encouraged to join NASA ASAC to participate in this exciting, developing community of space educators and obtain mutual long-term support.

The engineering of the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) is a unique example of the balance of new technology and cost effectiveness. This smart use of resources is something that is at the heart of much science research in the 21 st century and is an aspect that we want to communicate to the audience. The ‘Science Ambassadors will also show the work of scientist they have met and worked with, and give their own personal responses to what they found exciting and valuable. This approach will also be tempered with their experience of what they have shared with South African students, some of who have far less privileged opportunities than most of their audience.

Budgetary Breakdown

Estimated Costs

Current Funding

Costs are for 10 students and 3 adults. The second supervising teacher is Mr Graham Colman, a teacher of Mathematics at Taverham High School , Norwich . He has collaborated with Mike and Helen on several astronomical projects in the past.