Published online by Cambridge University Press: 12 April 2016
Most pre-college teachers in the United States have not been trained in astronomy. In Texas, astronomical concepts enter the pre-college science curriculum at all levels.
During the last six years, I have presented two different types of workshops: intensive three-week summer institutes for rather small numbers of teachers, and shorter 6- to 18-hour workshops for larger groups.
The University of Texas Astronomy Department and McDonald Observatory have hosted five of the intensive institutes. The institutes were established to offer an opportunity to learn astronomy through hands-on activities (Texas education regulations mandate that 40 per cent of all pre-college science classes should be laboratory oriented), and to introduce the teachers to modern astronomical research and facilities.