High School Students Inspire Grade 2s with Astronomy Lesson

Grade 9 and 10 science students guided Grade 2s through a learning experience that was out of this world.

As part of their assessments, High School students studying astronomy wrote fictional children’s books with accurate representations of key astronomical concepts, such as the Big Bang theory, the creation of stars, and the formation of the solar system.

During the activity, Grade 2 students split into groups while the High School students read them aloud each of their fictional stories. Then each student had the chance to use a telescope with a special solar filter to be able to look at the sun. See more photos here.

ICS Science Teacher Dr. Mat Pines said the assignment challenged students to simplify complex ideas, which required them to think critically and get a more complete understanding of the subjects they are learning. Meanwhile, the Grade 2 classes benefited from interacting with their older peers on campus.

“For the High School students, we wanted them to get a deep scientific understanding of the areas we were studying in class, and working with Grades 2s was a great opportunity for them to incorporate a service element into the learning experience,” Dr. Pines said. “We wanted to inspire the younger students and build some enthusiasm around the astronomy.”