Scratch Logo, courtesy of MIT Media LabScience through Arts

An international, cross-curricular exploration of Space Science, through on-line learning

STAR logo, designed for the project by NASA, and used with kind permission.

STAR logo, designed for the project by NASA, and used with kind permission.

Science Through ARts or STAR, is a cross-curricular, science-based school project, primarily for pupils aged between 9 and 13, though it has also successfully supported creative and analytical writing at AS Level English.

STAR is an ICT forerunner of Literacy from Scratch, being a cross-curricular, collaborative, and international project. ITE students at Brunel University have used the STAR curriculum model, however, as inspiration for developing Primary classroom activities and materials in space science, using Scratch.

Devised by Lawrence Williams, MirandaNet Senior Fellow, London, UK and developed with active support from US educationist Ruth Petersen, and NASA Pathfinder scientist Joe Kolecki, both formerly of the NASA Glenn Learning Technologies Project (LTP), Cleveland, Ohio, it was developed over many years, using email, video-conferencing tutorials, and collaborative web sites. Our warmest thanks are due to Ruth and Joe for their vision, energy and expertise.

STAR has, uniquely, been endorsed by NASA, ASE, ITTE, NATE, MirandaNet, Naace, WCCE, and The British Council.

Follow the links for further detailed information, including lesson plans, support materials, and examples of pupils’ inspirational work. There is also a time-saving Excel database of useful Space Science web sites, suggested by NASA and created for the project by UK Year 7 pupils, as well as an extensive science tutorial by Joe.

Learning Science should be fun.

Enjoy!

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