Skype Brings Renowned Astrophysicist to 6th Grade Classroom

Noted astrophysicist, Robert Nahory, recently Skyped into a sixth grade science classroom at the Robert R. Lazar Middle School in Montville Township. The renowned Fiber Optics developer participated in an interactive video discussion on astronomy.

“This may be your first college level class,” Nahory told the more than fifty middle school students in attendance as the conversation began.

A Rutgers Professor, Nahory participates in “Ask an Expert.” The program is dedicated to bringing professional, college level, experts from around the globe into classrooms.

Lazar students came prepared with a wide variety of astronomy questions: “Is there an edge to the universe?” “How many miles has light traveled since The Big Bang?” and “Is the universe expanding or contracting?” were just a few of the topics covered in the almost sixty minute conversation.

In the end, Nahory asked the students to go home and look at the night sky. He gave them an assignment to find several particular points, including Jupiter, Mars and Saturn, which recently aligned. He also explained identifying characteristics of each, such as the polar ice caps on Mars, the rings of Saturn, and some of Jupiter’s moons.  

The 21st Century lesson was arranged by Lazar’s sixth grade science teachers, Jonathan Huppert and Karin Simeone.

“I want to arrange more of these across all curriculum areas and for larger groups of students,” said Jerry Wayne, the computer teacher who interfaced the technology and made the connections. “We have the technology. We can do even more.”

Participation in “Ask an Expert” was arranged by the Montville Public School District’s Educational Technology Teacher Coach, Andrea Wallace.