Classroom Outreach Overview - 2007/8
ELECTRONIC UNIVERSE - Explore Deep Space
Friends of Pine Mountain Observatory/University of Oregon*Rick Kang, from Eugene, brings you and your students (FOR ALL GRADES, K-14) an interactive, inquiry, and technology based program where students investigate "How do we know that?" rkang@efn.org 541-683-1381
- Classroom sessions (see topics below)
- Staff development workshops
- Opportunities for students to perform research
- Opportunities for classes to visit the Observatory
- Resources, primarily via Internet
- Sky observing sessions locally
1. Inquiry-based classroom sessions: 45 mins - 90 mins, Preferably < 30 students/class, NOT "assembly".
INVESTIGATE MAJOR QUESTIONS ABOUT THE SKY:
a. Why Does the Sky Appear the Way it Does? Use data to investigate the Sun-Earth-Moon system and the Solar System. Examine the orientation and motion of Earth and other Planets. See how these factors influence what we see in our skies and how we keep track of time. We'll interpret data, use kinesthetic and virtual reality techniques, make scale models, and view authentic pictures. This program is closely aligned with State Earth-in-Space CCGs. For grades K-12.
b. How We Know What We Know About Distant Objects: Determine how photons are collected and detected with telescopes and CCD (digital) cameras, and then analyzed to characterize distant objects. Students take images with a portable camera to perform experiments to investigate Parallax Shift and Photometry. Then we work with authentic sky data to sort objects into the three "ballparks" of the sky, or we can do a sky survey of stars and galaxies, or sort out the outer Planets of our Solar System. One to three sessions with potential computer lab as last session. Introduction to new high-tech JAVA-based virtual physics applets developed by *Professor Greg Bothun. Gd.4-14
c. What's New Under, Beside, and Beyond our SUN?: PowerPoint programs about current missions exploring Mars and Saturn, updates on missions enroute to Pluto and Mercury, and a review of some of the latest discoveries such as extra-solar planets by earth-based and/or orbiting telescopes. We'll investigate how the technologies and data are used. We'll do some scale modeling and kinesthetic activities to understand the discoveries and the telescope and spacecraft technologies. We'll show students where to find in tonight's sky the actual planets being explored. All grades.
Note: We often tailor a program to specific needs of a teacher or grade. Topics can be mixed and matched to some extent but we encourage depth of topic rather than trying to cover it all. Classes serve as staff development opportunities as we model inquiry practices and demonstrate and furnish a lot of resources.
We issue a prep video and/or worksheets in advance for most sessions, bring most of our own hardware, need a darkenable room with a table/screen, 30 mins setup and takedown time. Sliding scale $20-$100 fee paid to Friends of Pine Mtn. to defray equipment usage and other overhead expenses. We are trying to renegotiate travel expenses to be covered through NASA's Oregon Space Grant. For this coverage to occur, to comply with the NASA directive for science education focused on teachers, Space Grant requests that your school schedule a 15-30 min period for your science teachers to attend a brief seminar about Scientific Inquiry conducted by the FOPMO instructor. We have several Friends' instructors around Oregon.
2. Staff development from short after-school sessions to full workshops, many topics and technologies, your choice.
3. Research opportunities: Submit a research proposal that uses digital sky data from one of our cameras (several size images, FITS format), archival or downloadable data, check with Rick or Greg.
4. Bring your class to PMO in Fall or Spring (too snowy in Winter). Make reservations with Mark Dunaway, 541-382-8331, markpmo@oregon.uoregon.edu. Campground adjacent, virtual tour/details on website.
5. Many links on website, also see http://zebu.uoregon.edu.
6. Local Astronomical Societies collaborate for solar viewing during daytime and viewing of variety of objects in night sky with large portable telescopes and sometimes with CCD camera.
CONTACT RICK, rkang@efn.org, 541-683-1381