Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre Classroom Materials for Schools

Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre Classroom Materials for schools

Links to resources The resources below are suggested activities your class could complete before or after this workshop. Please note these are recommended activities; it is not compulsory that students complete them.

Some of the resources require access to ICT. The University of Manchester cannot be held responsible for the content of external sites.

1. IoP: EM Waves in Astronomy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GIvktBSxvw

An extremely relevant video from the Institute of Physics, explaining how astronomers use different wavelengths such as radio and infrared to see through dust clouds in space. Features the Lovell telescope at Jodrell Bank.

2. Institute of Physics: Classroom demonstration: Invisible wavelengths https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4FS9F4XgDU

Some digital cameras are sensitive to wavelengths of light that we cannot see with our eyes. This simple demonstration shows that an ordinary camera on a mobile phone can "see" the invisible infrared light emitted by a television (or other) remote control.

3. Chromoscope: See the universe in all wavelengths http://www.chromoscope.net

An interactive webpage which allows users to zoom into different parts of the sky and observe them in any part of the electromagnetic spectrum.

4. The Square Kilometre Array http://www.skatelescope.org The future of radio astronomy is the Square Kilometre Array, a colossal network of radio telescopes spread across Australia and South Africa. This will act as the largest radio telescope ever constructed and many vast engineering challenges must be faced. The project headquarters of the SKA is based at Jodrell Bank.

5. National STEM Centre: Teaching Advanced Astronomy http://www.nationalstemcentre.org.uk/elibrary/collection/346/teaching-advanced-physics- astronomy

From the Institute of Physics, a series of resources teaching advanced astronomy topics. Each topic includes activities such as discussions, demonstrations, student investigations and calculations.

www.jodrellbank.net Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre Classroom Materials for schools

6. ESA Hubblecast: Telescope special video series a. History of telescope astronomy http://www.spacetelescope.org/videos/hubblecast17a/ b. Reflector vs refractor telescopes and why bigger telescopes are better http://www.spacetelescope.org/videos/hubblecast19a/ c. How computers revolutionised telescopes in the 70s and 80s http://www.spacetelescope.org/videos/hubblecast20a/ d. How technology profoundly changed how astronomers record and analyse data http://www.spacetelescope.org/videos/hubblecast21a/ e. Multi-wavelength astronomy: beyond visible wavelengths http://www.spacetelescope.org/videos/hubblecast23a/ f. Space telescopes http://www.spacetelescope.org/videos/hubblecast24a/ g. What’s next? The future of astronomy http://www.spacetelescope.org/videos/hubblecast25a/

A series of seven videos produced to celebrate the 2009 International Year of Astronomy. The videos cover almost all aspects of telescope astronomy, from its beginnings with Galileo’s early drawings, to future projects such as the Square Kilometre Array. Some videos will be more relevant than others.

7. NASA: Crab Nebula in multi-wavelengths http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/science/know_l2/multiwavelength.html

The Crab Nebula is a supernova remnant, which can be seen in visible wavelengths, but radio waves reveal the Crab pulsar; an object much studied by Jodrell Bank.

8. Multi-wavelength matching activity http://herschel.cf.ac.uk/activity/multiwavelength

In this activity, students must match images of astronomical objects, observed in different wavelengths, with the object's visible image.

9. Build your own radio telescope http://www.scienceinschool.org/2012/issue23/telescope For more technically minded teachers, you may be interested in this step-by-step guide to constructing a working radio telescope.

Feedback If you discover any broken links, or if you have any questions, comments, suggestions or feedback regarding these materials, please get in touch with the education team.