IIT astrophysicist Dr. Sally Laurent-Muehleisen is working with all the 3rd grade classrooms at Longfellow School through OPEF’s Science Alliance program as students study seasons and phases of the moon.
Dr. Laurent-Muehleisen is teaching kids to build astrolabes, a device ancient mariners used to measure the height of stars (particularly the North Star) above the horizon in order to navigate. During the project, the students will learn how the position of the moon changes over time and how to make predictions based on their knowledge. The students will then take measurements using their astrolabes.