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Astronomy Literacy & Education Standards

In 2015, representatives from all US regional planetarium associations decided on a set of astronomy standards for what every student leaving high school should know, at what grade concepts should be taught, and of how planetariums can assist in conveying those concepts.  Our Education Committee advanced the idea further by building an “Astronomy Literacy & Education Standards” Google Slides deck, aligning planetarium programming with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).

We invite anyone to review the slide deck embedded below, and use it as a resource to build curricula and connect with local planetariums.  Contact the Education Chairperson for additional information.

Contact Education Chair

Users Guide

The “Astronomy Literacy & Education Standards” slide deck contains developmentally appropriate examples and information for each grade level.  Click the “More” arrow at the bottom right to navigate through the content of a grade.

This document is useful for…

  • Planning and sharing information about programs at your facility
  • Encouraging teachers/principals to visit your facility
  • Training a new presenter, volunteer, or other employee
  • Gauging interest in a potential new show aimed at school groups (sponsors/show creators)

How to Personalize the Guide

Once copied by a user, any part of the slide deck can be deleted or modified to better reflect your institution’s curriculum/programs. 

How to Copy

  • Navigate to page 24 and click the link to make a copy of the handbook.
  • Once in the Google Slides app, click on the “File” menu and select “Make a Copy”.  From that point, you can save it anywhere in your Google Drive.  NOTE: A Google account is needed to copy a Google Slides deck.
  • Alternatively, you can download the entire handbook as a single PDF.

Any links to documents will be view-only.  If a link goes to a document that you need to personalize, make your own copy of the document. Make the necessary changes, and then make a new link to your modified document in your copy of the digital notebook. You can rename  and delete pages or links as needed. 

Please be sure to retain the credits (slide 25) and the SlidesMania logos.  Your facility can make multiple copies, and modify each one for a different purpose. The “Astronomy Literacy & Education Standards” slide deck cannot be sold.. 

How Updates will Occur

Each time the slide deck is updated, the date of the updated version will appear in the top corner of the cover.  The credits page contains a record of updates.

Contact the Education Chairperson to suggest updates or if you have any questions.