Books from the documentation & Information Centre (CDI)
The
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Pourquoi la nuit est-elle noire ? ("Why is the Night Dark?")
ALIMI Jean-Michel
Published by Le Pommier, 01/11/2002
Collection: Les Petites Pommes du Savoir
All ages
Scientists who have attempted to resolve the enigma of the darkness of night tend to fall into two groups, according to whether they prefer the hypothesis of missing light, or that of missing stars. Examining all the solutions considered by astronomers and philosophers, the author tells us why each one has failed and why the currently acknowledged hypothesis is acceptable to us: it explains the origin of the darkness of night while remaining consistent with our understanding of the Universe and the Big Bang theory. Short and serious answers to questions that anybody might ask about the world.
Pourquoi le Soleil brille-t-il ?(“Why does the Sun shine?”)
BOUQUET Alain
Published by Le Pommier,
Collection: Les Petites Pommes du Savoir
All ages
Why does the Sun shine? How long has it been shining? What is the Sun made of? Why is the Sun so cold? How has science – taking over from theology and philosophy – responded to these questions that have vexed so many astronomers and physicists? What discoveries have they made that enable us today to understand how this and all the other stars work?
250 réponses aux questions des curieux d'astronomie (“250 answers to questions on astronomy from the curious”)
BELY Pierre-Yves, ROY Jean-René, CHRISTIAN Carol
Published by Ed. du Gerfaut,
Collection: 250 réponses
All ages
Are we alone in the Universe? What was there before the Big Bang? Are there parallel universes? Why are there spots on the Sun? What is a shooting star? Could Mars have harboured life? This book is aimed at anyone curious about astronomy: its history, its links with mythology and science-fiction, space research, observation methods, choosing equipment, joining a club, etc.
Observer l'Univers (“Observing the Universe”)
ALLOIN Danielle M., FASTIER Yann
Published by Le Pommier,
Collection: Les minipommes
All ages – 8-12 year olds
This little book explains how to observe the Universe, what are dark matter, supernovas and galaxies, what is gravity, how to catch photons, how the lenses of a telescope work, etc. This book is the result of an exchange between a class of 9 year olds and the author, an astrophysicist who specialises in observing the universe and who is a research director at CNES.
La vie d’une étoile (“The Life of a Star”)
DUTERTRE Charles, BOUQUET Alain
Published by Le Pommier,
Collection: Les minipommes
All ages – 8-12 year olds
How is a star born? Do stars belong to families? How does a star live? How does it die? Where are the ashes of the stars? This book is the result of an exchange between a class of 9 year olds and the author, a research director at CNES and a specialist in the cosmology of the Big Bang and dark matter in the Universe.
OBSERVING THE SKY / UNDERSTANDING THE UNIVERSE
Observer le Soleil et la Lune : 333 figures pour comprendre (“Observing the Sun and the Moon: 333 figures for understanding”)
MESSINEO
Published by Ellipses,
All ages – Middle School – High School
A guide to observing the Sun and the Moon in the sky that explains the origin of the sky’s different colours, and their movements and positions through the years, seasons and the day, to help you find your way around the sky while observing, etc.
Construisez votre lunette astronomique : et observez le ciel…(“Build your own Astronomical Telescope and Observe the Sky”)
Published by ETSF,
Collection: Planète sciences
All ages – Middle School – High School
This book contains the practical information needed to outline, cut out and assemble an astronomical telescope which, once built, can be used to observe the main planets, the lunar craters and many objects located beyond our solar system. Simple at first, the observation instrument is perfected throughout the pages of the book. Its contents include production of a simple azimuth-mount telescope, astronomical observations with your azimuth-mount telescope, production of an astronomical telescope with an achromatic lens and an equatorial mount, and astronomical observations with your equatorial-mount telescope.
Photographier le ciel (“Photographing the sky”)
DAUVERGNE Jean-Luc
Published by Delachaux et Niestlé, 01/03/2008
Collection: Les petits guides d'astronomie
All ages
A review of the techniques and technologies associated with astrophotography: digital cameras, webcams, CDD cameras, image processing, etc. It also gives 36 lessons on how to practise taking pictures of various subjects such as the Moon, an eclipse, constellations, a storm, etc.
EXPERIMENTS
Expériences pour découvrir l’espace (“Experiments for discovering space”)
GRINGBERG Delphine, BALICEVIC Didier
Published by Nathan Jeunesse, Cité des sciences et de l'industrie, 01/10/2008
Collection: Croq'sciences
6 to 8 year olds
This book invites you to discover space through a series of experiments (such as learning how to look at the sky, building a rocket) and is full of informative explanations (on the life of an astronaut, etc.). There are also pop-up pictures and little flaps that you lift to find explanations or the answers to brainteasers.
Le ciel à portée de main : 50 expériences d’astronomie (“The Sky Within Reach: 50 experiments in astronomy”)
CAUSERET Pierre, FOUQUET Jean-Luc, SARRAZIN-VILAS Liliane
Published by Belin, Pour la science, 01/05/2005
Collection: Bibliothèque scientifique
8 year olds – Middle School
Why do we always see the same side of the Moon? Where can we find Cassiopeia in the sky? Does the Sun really rise in the east? When can we observe Jupiter? These are just some of the questions that this book attempts to answer. The book proposes 50 fun experiments and cardboard cut-out models ready to build, which teach children to observe the stars and understand the movement of the stars, Moon, Sun, etc.
DISCOVERING THE SOLAR SYSTEM
Copain du ciel : explorer le ciel pour mieux connaître la Terre (“Friend of the Sky: Explore the Sky to learn more about the Earth”)
MASSON Claudine, MASSON Jean-Michel, MAROGER Isabelle
Published by
Collection: Copains
6 year olds – Middle School
This book guides children in their discovery of the Universe: maps of the sky, recent photos taken by space probes, diagrams, text boxes, short descriptions of mechanisms, experiments and easy-to-build projects, plus advice on observing the sky and mythological and historical anecdotes.
Système solaire (“Solar System”)
GRAHAM Ian
Published by Fleurus,
Collection: Doc animé
6-12 year olds
Pop-up scenes to enable children to discover the solar system, with explanations by scientists on the Sun, the Earth’s formation, the planet Mars, space exploration, etc.
TEACHING ASTRONOMY
Le ciel et la Terre : adapté au cycle 3 de l’école élémentaire (“The Sky and the Earth: adapted for cycle 3 of elementary school”)
PADILLA Fernand, SOUM Gabriel, FREDE Valérie, BUTTO Claude
Published by Cépaduès, 15/11/2008
Collection: Construire ses connaissances en sciences par l'expérimentation
8-11 year olds
This booklet is aimed at Cycle 3 primary school teachers (children aged 8-11). It shows how to teach astronomy through four sequences that use experimental analysis to cover the concepts to be learned. These are: the characteristics of the “Earth”; the “Earth and Sun” sequence (understanding the cycle of days and nights, and how their length varies with the passing of the seasons); the “Solar System” and how to model it; and lastly “Earth, Moon, Sun” (phases of the Moon and its movement).
Mathématiques et univers : éclairages mathématiques pour une autre vision de l’Univers * Mathématiques et univers: éclairages mathématiques pour une autre vision de l’Univers (“Mathematics and the Universe: mathematical perspectives for a different view of the Universe”)*
CHABRIER Jean
Published by CRDP de l'académie de Grenoble, 01/07/2007
Collection: Focus
15-16 year olds
The author studies the contribution made by mathematics to the elementary study of the Universe. The contents include syllabuses for the physical sciences, earth and life sciences, and mathematics; measurements in practical work on the Universe and mathematics; physical quantities, units and numbers; the mathematics syllabus and the part of the physical sciences syllabus that covers the Universe; elementary concepts of astrophysics and mathematics.
(*) this book is not included in the IYA Kits but can be consulted at the CSG Documentation and Information Centre.
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