Iceland is a country of 320 000 people situated in the middle of the North-Atlantic Ocean. The national language is Icelandic which is closely related to Norse, Swedish and Danish.
UNAWE in Iceland started in October 2008 as a part of the preparation for the International Year of Astronomy in 2009. Members of the national committee for IYA2009 and The Icelandic Amateur Astronomical Society gave three workshops to elementary school teachers demonstrating some ideas for teaching about things like the Moon's phases, the Earth-Moon system and Earth's place in the Solar system.
Children begin attending preschool at the age of 2 or 3 and elementary school at the age of 6. The elementary school is divided into three stages and according to the national curriculum guide it is compulsory to teach about astronomy on each stage. At first the focus is on the Earth-Moon-Sun system but is later on the Solar System as a whole and in the end on the universe around us.
In spring of 2009 there is a session planned for children at the age of 6 to 12 and their parents. It will probably be similar to sessions in spring 2008 where children got to know the Moon, Mars and Saturn and visit a portable planetarium.
There is an Icelandic website on astronomy with information on programs targeted at teachers and the public (www.stjornuskodun.is). The Icelandic team is also preparing material and teaching instructions for elementary school teachers.
Below are two pictures from one of the teachers workshops.
Images:
http://www.unawe.org/site/images/COUNTRIES/iceland/picture1.jpg
http://www.unawe.org/site/images/COUNTRIES/iceland/picture2.jpg
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