Enacting Planets to Understand Occultation Phenomena

TL;DR

This paper explores the use of a human-scale Solar System model to teach children about planetary motion and occultation phenomena, effectively linking science and mathematics education through hands-on activities.

Contribution

It introduces a pedagogical tool, the Human Orrery, as an innovative method to teach complex astronomical concepts to school children.

Findings

Enhanced understanding of planetary motion among students

Effective integration of science and mathematics education

Successful use of modeling activities to explain occultations

Abstract

The Solar System motivates students to interest themselves in sciences, as a large number of concepts may be easily introduced through the observation and understanding of planet's motion. Using a large representation of the Solar System at a human scale ("a human Orrery"), we have conducted different activities with 10 to 16 years old children. In this contribution, we discuss the different scientific concepts covered by the Human Orrery, allowing the connection of both science and mathematics subjects in schools. We then detail how this pedagogical tool may serve to introduce abstract concepts required to understand occultation phenomena through a modelling activity.