Astronomy has been a subject that has been of interest to the earliest civilizations through the centuries. Over the years different civilizations have contributed to the advancements in astronomy these advances have led to the ongoing exploration of space and thus increased our knowledge of our universe. The explorations and observations in astronomy have also added to the contents of both science and mathematics.
The objectives of this unit are:
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1. to introduce students to the study of astronomy
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2. to connect topics in the mathematics curriculum to topics in astronomy
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3. to provide interdisciplinary activities for students in mathematics.
The curriculum unit is written in three sections. The first section gives an overview of the earliest astronomers and their contribution to the field; the second section consists of topics from astronomy and their mathematical implications; the third section includes lesson plans that could be used to teach the concepts. The sections are designed as mini lessons. The first section of the curriculum unit gives the setting and the background that support the units. In some cases the background pertinent to the unit is included in the lesson plan.
