Stellarium: A Realistic Sky in 3D

If you have been looking for an easy way to teach astronomy to your students, Stellarium is the answer. This open source software turns your classroom into a planetarium by displaying a realistic 3D sky on your interactive whiteboard. Stellarium can also be used with a computer and projector.

The Stellarium program was created by Fabien Chereau, a French research engineer and computer programmer. It can be downloaded for free by anyone and allows users to input their individual coordinates so the displayed sky is as realistic as possible.

Planets, major moons, and more than 600,000 stars can be viewed with Stellarium. The program also displays constellations from ten cultures and realistic images of the atmosphere, sunrise, and sunset. In short, you can see everything that you can and can't see with your naked eye or telescope.

Stellarium is such a good program that there are several planetariums around the country that use it on their projectors. The best part about it, other than the fact that it is free, is that it is simple to use. Stellarium works on virtually any platform (Windows, Mac, and Linux) and provides an easy-to-use interface that allows you to zoom, choose projection options, and control what your students see. The program also has a record feature that allows you to play back shows at a later date.

If you do have any problems with Stellarium, you can consult the extensive user guide or get answers to your questions on a special forum set up specifically for this purpose. You can also make suggestions on the Stellarium site to help improve the program and influence future updates.

Guest post from education writer Karen Schweitzer. Karen is the About.com Guide to Business School. She also writes about online school for OnlineSchool.net.

Technorati Tags: Stellarium | stars | astronomy

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Mangahigh: A New Way to Study Math

Math is arguably one of the most essential subjects to study in school. Unfortunately, it's also the subject that tends to cause the most anxiety for students. After recognizing this problem, a group of mathematicians and game designers created Mangahigh.

Mangahigh, one of the world's first games-based learning sites, provides casual games that make learning math fun and easy. The games are curriculum-compliant and adapted to the individual student so that they are challenging but not overwhelming.

While playing games, students are introduced to mathematical concepts in a logical order based on their age and skill level. Mangahigh provides individualized lesson sets and to-do lists to keep each user on track. Students also have the option of adjusting their own syllabus to get extra practice with problem areas.

The safety factor is another nice feature of the site. Mangahigh does not have advertising of any kind. They also avoid chat, messaging, and user-generated content so that there is no chance of a third party contacting a Mangahigh user.

The site is designed for kids between the ages of 10 and 16, but would undoubtedly benefit both younger and older children. Students and parents can try the site by registering for a free user account. This account offers access to a limited number of games and learning activities as well as the ability to save status, points, scores, levels, and achievements.

Users who would like full access to the site must pay a membership fee. This fee can vary depending on subscription length and the number of students who will be using Mangahigh. With the site's current special launch discount, fees average somewhere around $15 per student. Memberships are designed primarily for schools. However, a one-student or family subscription can be purchased if you contact the site directly.

Guest post from education writer Karen Schweitzer. Karen is the About.com Guide to Business School. She also writes about online college classes for OnlineClasses.org.

Technorati Tags: video games | learning | math