For centuries the moon has enchanted the world with its mystical appearance and is often a feature in many mythical stories, including the new Twilight saga.
Last month (24th November) E3+ students at Hawthorn High School took part in ‘Moon Watching’ sessions to see just what the story is behind that big light in the sky.
With the assistance of, Richard James, who teaches Physics at the school and Allan Trow from the University of Glamorgan, the young people have been exploring the world of Astronomy through the Planetarium, taking part in Astrophotography and learning about Mythology and Wandering Stars.
As part of the school’s ‘MoonWatch’ week designed by the Society for Popular Astronomy, the young people at Hawthorn High School who attend the E3+ Astronomy sessions have been looking through the telescope in the hope of observing the Moon and planet Jupiter.
Dylan Wilkinson, year 8, who attends the sessions every week said: “I haven’t seen any aliens yet, but the moon is amazing, the changes from one day to the next are magnificent. I really love these sessions, I have learned so much about the night’s sky.”
Claire Gee-Wing, E3+ Coordinator at Hawthorn High School, said: “The Astronomy sessions have been very successful with 28 pupils signed onto the 2-hour sessions that take place every week. The young people really love the course and are really enjoying the sessions. We are hoping to deliver GCSE Astronomy in September 2010 and the young people will be designing and building rockets in January 2010 at E3+.”
Councillor Eudine Hanagan, Cabinet Member for Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning, said: “The E3+ programme enables young people to take part in activities such as ‘MoonWatch’ which they wouldn’t normally be able to be involved in, and means they develop and learn from their experiences through fun and exciting opportunities. E3+ continues to go from strength to strength and is making a real difference to young people’s lives and their future prospects.”
If you would like further information on ‘moon watching’ at Hawthorn High School contact the E3+ Coordinator on 01443 846461 or 07825675788.
