Welcome to our summer reading adventure in celebration of International Year of Astronomy! Join educator Jill Hodge and Director of Education, Laurie Duncan as they read George’s Secret Key to the Universe by Lucy and Stephen Hawking. We will read three chapters each week, so be sure to log on every week to share your favorite parts and ask questions. Be sure to visit the links in the text for extra information!
Hello Everyone!
My name is Jill and I am the astronomy educator at the Discovery Center. I am really excited to talk with you about my favorite moments in George’s adventures, and to hear your ideas about the science in the book. In fact, did anyone try the experiment with the ruler and the water that Eric shows George in chapter 2? Did it work? George’s parents believe that science is bad, and that our scientific inventions only hurt us and our planet. But, Eric thinks science is wonderful and helpful. What do you think?
My favorite part so far was when George used Galileo’s telescope to look at the moon. I have a new telescope and my favorite thing to look at is the moon. I hope you noticed the cool scientific facts in the special box in chapter 3! Did you know that we always see the same side of the moon? Because of its synchronous rotation, we never get to see the far side of the moon, so NASA sent astronauts to take the picture you see here. The far side has many more craters than the side we see. Be sure to come to one of our star parties this year to get a chance to look at the moon through a telescope!
Keep Reading!
Jill
I too welcome you to our very first book blog! My name is Laurie, and I’m the Education Director at the Discovery Center. I’ll be asking you questions about the characters, the plot, new vocabulary, and how the story connects to your personal experiences. Here are three questions to think about:
1. “George….always liked to know why.” What are some of your favorite “why” questions to ask?
2. In chapter 1, George chooses to disobey his parents’ rule to never ever go Next Door. Do you agree or disagree with his decision? Have you ever had a time when you disobeyed something your parents told you to never ever do? What happened?
3. “Science is…about gaining knowledge through experience…” Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Why or why not?
