Shaw-IAU Workshops by the OAE

This paper discusses two arguments widely used by supporters of conspiracy theories about the space missions that took man to the Moon. The first claims that the images produced at the time are of high quality, which would not be possible at the time. The second claims that the photos taken on the Moon do not show any star, implying the images were taken in a studio. To demonstrate that these claims have no scientific basis, we developed activities for middle school classes to discuss the technology of the trips and how cameras work. These activities can be applied using the Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) methodology. Students are expected to understand the historical context and how such claims can be disproved through astrophotographs.

Biography:

Aline Tiara Mota is a high school physics teacher at the Federal Institute of Southern Minas Gerais – Três Corações campus and a doctoral student in the Science Education program at the Federal University of Itajubá. Her research includes issues related to technologies associated with astronomy education.