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Learning with Granny!
Welcome Cyberkids! This month Granny wants you to look up at the stars.
Come and take a look at her star-charts and find out why. Have fun and don't forget to e-mail Granny and tell her what you
think. Send your science questions to Granny
Go ahead and ask your question. E-mail Granny granny@scienceinafrica.co.za
 Take
a look at the picture of Granny. Granny is pointing to her 'Starter kit' for young budding astronomers. These are special constellations of stars that can been seen only at certain times of the year.
What month were you born in? Let Granny know what your birthday is
and she will tell you when to look in the sky for your special group of stars.
Click here to take a look at the
constellations in Granny's Zodiac chart. It indicates the position of the stars in the constellations on the 'Ecliptic' which is the 'path' that the sun and the moon appear to travel on, but which really is the turning of Earth.
But there are many other stars and constellations in our Southern Skies. "See if you are able to identify any of them" - The Southern Cross is a well know one in
South Africa, as is Orion. The others might be a bit more difficult to find. Click
here to see a chart which will help you on your way.
Next month Granny will tell you more about the constellations in the Southern Skies and give you a key to identify them by.
If you are still not sure why you should be learning about the stars, Granny
tells us why she thinks you should:
Astronomy
By Jenny Marais
You too can walk in the hallowed halls
Where scholars from centuries back
Plotted the skies and made charts for the walls
And created the Zodiac.
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They noted the stars on the ecliptic belt
And studied the movements of Earth
Their findings remained - and hardly changed
Time just added more to their worth.
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The ‘University of the Sky’ is free
It’s just outside your door
A ‘star chart’- the key (no registration fee)
Just lie on you back and explore.
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But be warned - that once you have entered
You never will be the same
You’ll crave a deeper knowledge
And seek for a source to explain.
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If you seek high and low for the answers
It’s then you’ll become aware
Just how many scientific ‘masters’ -
Keen to share what they know - are out there.
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The secrets of the Universe
Can be learnt and used to acquire
A knowledge of the wonders
That will set your soul on fire.
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The tools to help are many
To view up close the mystery
So come and share the secrets
That await you in ASTRONOMY
********
Jennifer Leigh Marais
Feb 11th 2001
This Month's Best Letter
Dear Granny Jenny...
A Grade 9 friend of mine (Heidi), has asked me to request from you an unusual
Topic for her to do a project on !!
Can you perhaps help me ?
Wendy Hill
Granny's Reply:
Hi Heidi - Never stop asking questions.
The subject that is in the news at the moment is "Genetics'. I might choose to do a project on Genetically Modified Foodstuff - this is very much in debate. You would need to give your opinion as to whether you would be for or against the introduction of GMF and if it would be of benefit to the world and why. Also say why people should be encouraged to grow their own food gardens. You would have to read up about it and see what science says about the subject. I won't influence you with my views.
Still on genetics. You would have a great time researching DNA and the origins of our ancestors on a site called
http://www.oxfordancestors.com.It would need some simplifying - but is fascinating, especially if you are at all interested in genealogy.
Astronomy is a most fascinating subject with many branches. One, covers fascinating adventures with NEO's. These are 'Near Earth Objects', which are orbiting out in space and which the NEO society, which has observers all over the world, is constantly on the alert to ensure that we
(Earth) will have good warning of, should they come close to us. If you are interested in this as a project, come back to me for more details.
The Sasol SciFest in Grahamstown has recently been host to a number of scientists from
South Africa and abroad. You might be able to get hold of the programme in which everyone giving a lecture at the festival has a write up on their specific subjects.
This might help you to choose a subject or a scientific personality to do your project on.
SAFM's Patricia Glyn was at the SciFest and there are transcripts of her interviews with some of the scientists on their website.
The www.scienceinafrica.co.za website will also be a great help in
choosing a subject.
I wrote an essay once on 'The Value of TV Documentaries in Education'. There have been, and still are some wonderful subjects to choose from. Locally made documentaries that feature African experts from the field of palaeontology like Lee Berger, Philip Tobias, Richard Leakey and Frances Thackeray on the 'Origins of Man'.
We have also been fortunate to have seen the whole series of Carl Sagan's brilliant talks on the Cosmos. Graham Hancock's exciting explanations and theories on the Pyramids of Egypt and their connections with the stars and constellations. Jane Goodall and Dian Fossey and their lives among the apes makes for interesting study too.
Their Wonderful sites on the web about all of the above.
There is so much to tell about in science that one could just go on for ever. Flowers, atoms, brains, plate tectonics, evolution, etc etc. Don't shun the 'kiddies' programmes on TV either, there are some brilliant subjects covered for the little ones to get them interested in different scientific subjects. Locally made documentary type and imported cartoon ones made in Paris by
brilliant cartoonists working at a firm called 'Procides' among others.
I'd love to give you more direction, once you have some inclination of what you would like to concentrate on. Perhaps you should give up an afternoon to the 'Science' section in your local library. There is a whole world of interesting information waiting out there for you even if you don't have access to the Internet. Maybe you could make a dummy TV and produce your own show for your class.
Good luck
Granny Jenny
granny@scienceinafrica.co.za
Visit us next month to find out more on astronomy.
Granny looks
forward to letters from teachers and pupils and is happy to answer your
questions. Simply e-mail her at granny@scienceinafrica.co.za
Until Next Month...
Granny Jenny
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