Published: 16th September 2025 07:00 (UTC)

The Office of Astronomy for Education (OAE) Node at Cergy University in France and the OAE Center India carried out one-week of collaborative work to address the astronomy contents of school curriculum and improve pedagogical techniques and approaches to teach astronomy to school students. On the occasion of National Science Day celebrations in India, a teacher training session was co-organized on February 22nd, which brought together 46 teachers, with backgrounds in math and science.

The teacher training session revolved around the use of the Human Orrery. The Orrery is a science and mathematics teaching/learning device that is promoted by the French association Hands on Universe (F-HOU) and the French laboratory of science and math education LDAR. The teaching plan is based on the collective physical involvement of pupils. A representation of the Solar System is drawn on the ground or printed on a tarpaulin including models the movements of several celestial objects orbiting the sun (planets, comets). Participants investigate this representation by physically engaging in guided, coordinated and rhythmic movements, interspersed with freer, more autonomous moments of exploration. The immersive nature of the activities and reflection upon the concepts, create a close relationship between the learner and abstract concepts of the kinematics and dynamics of planets in the solar system.

During the training, teachers practiced sequences that were designed by researchers of LDAR and recently through the European project Aristarchus coordinated by LDAR/CY Cergy Paris University. Those sequences cover a large part of the mathematics and science curricula at the secondary level of any country. The teachers identified the movement and location of planets. They danced on the orbit of planets following the dots on the tarpaulin. They observed that planets change their relative positions over time, and that planets move faster as they are closer to the Sun. They could correlate the movement of Earth around its axis and the Sun with phenomena such as day and night as well as changing seasons. There were discussions related to differences in seasons experienced in France and in tropical parts of India.

The Human Orrery also allowed participants to explore the near circularity of the shapes of orbits of planets. It also allowed them via accurate measurement to realize that they are not exact circles and that the Sun is not the centre of planetary orbits! These concepts often offer surprises to teachers as well as students but can be used to introduce geometrical and artistic activities with the drawing of an ellipse.

All these activities brought together science and arts, perception and dance on one hand, measurements and equations on the other hand. After the training, online resources were presented to the teachers so that they can engage in activities by themselves. Some school representatives have shown interest in constructing the Orrery in the courtyard of the school, a nice way to involve the school community in the project!

A tarpaulin of the Human Orrery has been given to IUCAA on behalf of the Aristarchus/OAENF-CY team. A construction of a large Orrery is in progress at IUCAA.

         

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