Knowledge-Rich Indian Astronomy Heritage Approach to Teaching Earth's Shape & Day-Night Cycle

This is a poster presented at the 7th Shaw-IAU Workshop on Astronomy for Education, organised by the IAU Office of Astronomy for Education (OAE, https://astro4edu.org/shaw-iau/7th-shaw-iau-workshop/). Title: Knowledge-Rich Indian Astronomy Heritage Approach to Teaching Earth’s Shape & Day-Night Cycle Presenter:Venkateswaran Thathamangalam Viswanathan (Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Mohali, India) This paper proposes a 'knowledge-rich' curricular approach to teach the shape of the Earth and the day/night cycle at the upper primary level, drawing from classical Indian astronomy's historical developments, arguments, and theoretical frameworks. The approach prioritises academic knowledge as central to schooling, ensures equitable access for all social groups, and fosters rational thinking in modern pluralist societies. Integrating concepts, content, and competencies cohesively overcomes the tendencies of pitting 'skills' vs. 'concepts', fragmented content delivery, and excessive focus on pedagogy over subject matter. The framework leverages episodes from classical Indian astronomy to make science education rigorous and culturally relevant. About the 7th Shaw-IAU Workshop:The 7th Shaw-IAU Workshop took place 18 - 21 November 2025. The Shaw-IAU workshops focus on astronomy education for primary and secondary school students and teacher training both in universities and in service. This year's Education focus session on Teaching with authentic data and the Science focus is on Galaxies.More details can be found on: https://astro4edu.org/shaw-iau/Keep up to date with future Shaw-IAU Workshops and other opportunities at the IAU Office of Astronomy for Education by joining our mailing list https://astro4edu.org/mailing-list/ Follow the IAU OAE on Bluesky and Facebook under @astro4edu