The Antioch ESPACE Academy is a local and regional center for standards-based astronomy education at all grade levels.

The Academy provides students with a motivational venue for learning about science through research or outreach oriented projects based on instruction in earth science, astronomy and space science.

 

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Course Sequence for Academy

Academy courses are open to non-academy students. The distinction is that academy students get preferential registration and certain other benefits including recognition at the end of the year including a recognition ceremony, formal presentation of research results, letters of recommendation for college, and other things to be determined.

The current plan is to adopt one or more 9th grade and 10th grade teams and have them prepare students for entry into the formal academy courses in the junior and senior year. This year, interdisciplinary projects for a 9th grade and 10th grade team will be developed for the academy, and students will be recruited to join the academy formally as juniors. Next year, sophomores will be asked to self-select for the academy team during registration. Eventually, all or most of these teams and courses will be established in a single house.

Once the junior year is reached, (or in some rare cases the sophomore year) students should take one of the following courses:

Astronomy and Space Science- a basic astronomy course, required for academy students

Astronomy and Earth Science - an alternative course concentrating on Earth Science instead of Space Science

Geology - an introduction to Geology, meteorology, astronomy, and oceanography

Marine Science- an introduction to Marine Biology and Oceanography (site pending)

In the senior year, students should take one of the following courses:

Planetarium Production - a course about developing content for planetarium shows

Astronomy and Physics Research - an independent study course designed to let you focus on a long-term research project

Senior students in the academy are expected to complete a research project, publication, or other culminating project specializing in some aspect of Earth or Space Science.

Students can also propose a course sequence which contains other courses or has courses out of the general sequence. This course sequence is explained more thoroughly on the application form for course planning. (pdf file)

 


Jeff Adkins, Director
astronomyteacher@mac.com

Cheryl Domenichelli, Assistant Director
cheryldomenichelli@antioch.k12.ca.us

4700 Lone Tree Way
Antioch, CA 94531

The ESPACE Academy is sponsored in part by a grant from the California Department of Education's Specialized Secondary Program.