Orchids The International School (OIS), the leading K–12 school chain in India, has announced the launch of its astronomy curriculum in Indore for its students.
The curriculum is a unique pedagogical approach for grades 3 to 8, with an objective to promote experiential learning through planetarium shows at the campus. A mobile planetarium, which is a domeshaped theatre that projects images and videos of the sky to help students gain practical knowledge on the subject, was also unveiled at the school’s Manglia branch on Sunday.
“In line with NEP 2020, where experiential learning is given much more importance, we are happy to introduce the astronomy curriculum, which includes theoretical and practical approaches to learning. It helps in the skill development aspects of the students, including observational skills, problem-solving techniques, scientific temperament, data analysis, and critical thinkingâ€, said Sameer Mathe, Senior Curriculum Planner & Team Lead - Astronomy.
The astronomy curriculum at Orchids The International School has been meticulously designed to allow young geniuses to learn astronomy far more engaging than simply reading textbooks.
The Central Astronomy Team, comprising seasoned astronomers and educators, has carefully crafted the curriculum. It includes: Classroom demonstrations - The astronomy department takes advantage of the routine classroom setting to explain several phenomena using scale models and demonstrations created by the astronomy team.
The team uses simple scale models to explain complex topics ranging from ‘Why do black holes appear as we see them in google images?’ to “How is the tilt of the earth’s axis causing seasons?†and many more. Space Camps – Stargazing is a must when the sky is clear.
The students are taken for space camp or overnight stargazing trips, a bit far away from the city. The school uses 6-inch and 8-inch Newtonian telescopes through which students can observe planets, clusters, nebulae, and even galaxies.
