The Kingsley Times

Sometimes the stars align, so-to-speak, and you can provide an immersive Astrophysics lesson to your Lower Elementary students; harnessing their interests, knowledge, and the awe-inspiring vastness of the universe.

Astrophysics in Lower Elementary

For the third year in a row, Lower Elementary students had the wonderful opportunity to learn about astronomy and astrophysics first-hand, and with the help of an accomplished astrophysicist. Lower Elementary teacher Alex Canning invited his cousin, Emmet Golden-Marx, an astrophysicist and PhD candidate studying early universe galaxy clusters at Boston University, to join their class for a quick lesson and an extended question-and-answer period.

Emmet has graciously volunteered to step into the classroom and answer every student's question for the past three years, and the students always appreciate his ability to break down massive and complex concepts, delivering true and easily-understood answers to some of life's most sprawling inquiries.

Emmet joined the class for a short presentation, complete with a striking visual slideshow, about the universe and our place in it. Students (and teachers) were struck by the brilliant colors, massive scale, and novel shapes of the different aspects of our universe.

Q&A with the Pros

After the presentation was a lively Q-and-A session. Students used their science knowledge, and what they learned during the Creation of the Universe lesson to delve deeply into questions of size, scope, time, and the physics of gravity and black holes. Students were thrilled to be able to ask their questions and get real, detailed answers that they could understand. And the fun didn't stop there!

Stargazing the Boston Way

The next night, a group of students had the amazing opportunity to view the night sky from Boston University's Judson B. Coit Observatory! Students were able to utilize the telescopes and the amazing viewing platform at the top of the College of Arts and Science building to get a whole new perspective on our sky. Students and parents alike were awestruck at the amazing sights and new 

vantage point on our ever-present sky. It looks like we may have some future astronomers on our hands!