Teaching Guide: Victor Blanco in Chilean Skies

AUG 09, 2018

In this lesson students will learn about the life and work of Victor Blanco.

AIP History

Victor Blanco was a Puerto Rican astrophysicist who helped navigate political strife and forge the way for international observatories and research centers. Blanco was born in Puerto Rico and went to school in the United States. An exceptional student he received free tuition and work for his needs in college. Later in life, Blanco was responsible for the formative years of the Cerro-Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO), and international science center between Chile and the United States. Despite government conflicts at the time, Blanco was able to build and keep the observatory open and continue to do research on star classification and the structure of the milky way. In this guide students will learn about the balance between science and politics, as well as learn to pick out astronomical objects in the sky form a sky survey.
Grade level(s): 9-12
Guide subjects: Physics
Minority Group(s): Hispanic
In-class time: 70 min
Prep time: 30 min
Technology Requirements: Student web access not required
Common Core Standards: Reading: Informational Text, History/Social Studies, Science & Technical Subjects
Next Generation Science Standards: Physical sciences

Downloads

Teaching Guide: Victor Blanco in Chilean Skies Lesson Plan (.pdf) Victor Blanco’s Autobiography (.pdf) Scavenger Hunt Worksheet (.pdf) Teaching Guide: Victor Blanco in Chilean Skies Discussion Questions (.pdf) Teaching Guide: Victor Blanco in Chilean Skies Discussion Question Answer Key (.pdf) Teaching Guide: Victor Blanco in Chilean Skies Original Documents ZIP Archive (.zip)