ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY OF THE PACIFIC
in partnership with
AMERICAN GEOPHYSICAL UNION & SPACE TELESCOPE SCIENCE INSTITUTE
CONNECTING PEOPLE TO SCIENCE
July 30–August 3, 2011 • Baltimore, Maryland
A national conference on science education and public outreach
PROGRAM
Welcome
Dear Colleagues:
On behalf of the Board of Directors and the staff of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP), I’m pleased to welcome
you to Baltimore to the education and public outreach conference “Connecting People to Science”—a national meeting in
partnership with the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) and the American Geophysical Union (AGU), and a host of
co-sponsors. And to its accompanying teacher workshops and short courses.
This gathering marks the 123rd annual meeting of the ASP. Founded in 1889 “to advance the Science of Astronomy, and to
diffuse information concerning it,” the Society has increasingly worked to build bridges among the various sciences and their
constituencies to promote an integrated approach to improving science education and literacy. Through meetings such as
this, we hope to encourage the forging of stronger bonds with each other that translate into enhanced connections with our
audiences in advancing our common goals.
Charles Eames wrote: “Eventually everything connects—people, ideas, objects. The quality of the connections is the key to
quality per se.” It is our hope that you will enjoy a quality experience these several days in learning, sharing, and conferring
with each other, finding new and exciting ways to be the connective tissue that so vitally links the public to both the notion
and the practice of science.
Have a great conference, and again, welcome to Baltimore!
Sincerely,
James G. Manning
Executive Director, Astronomical Society of the Pacific
On behalf of the American Geophysical Union (AGU) I welcome you to “In the Footsteps of Galileo: A Workshop for
Teachers” and “Connecting People to Science: A National Conference on Science Education and Public Outreach.” I know
that this conference will provide a fabulous opportunity for Earth and space science educators and researchers to meet,
learn, share, and develop lasting professional relationships with one another.
Established in 1919, AGU is the world’s largest organization of Earth and space scientists, with 61,000 members around
the globe. AGU’s educational programs capitalize on the intrinsic allure of the Earth and space sciences, and their
fundamental relevance to daily life. Through education- and career-focused events at annual AGU meetings, professional
development workshops for teachers, special programs for pre-college and post-secondary students, awards for science
educators, and printed and electronic resources, AGU offers an array of opportunities that expose students, teachers, and
life-long learners to the freshest, most accurate scientific knowledge and the excitement of discovery.
AGU is very pleased to be a partner at the Astronomical Society of the Pacific’s national conference in beautiful Baltimore
as we all work to advance science education and science literacy for all practitioners of Earth and space science education.
If you haven’t already, I hope that you will join us at an AGU meeting in the future as we continue to focus on these
critical issues.
Christine W. McEntee
Executive Director and CEO, American Geophysical Union
2
Connecting People to Science
Welcome
Dear Colleagues,
On behalf of the Space Telescope Science Institute, welcome to the city of Baltimore and to “Connecting People to Science.”
It’s been five years since we last co-hosted this conference, and we’re delighted to once again have the opportunity to share
and explore the efforts, strategies and triumphs of the education and public outreach community as it strives to bring the
wonders of scientific discovery to the public.
At the Institute, education and public outreach is a fundamental part of our mission. The Hubble Space Telescope has
changed the way astronomers understand the universe in myriad ways, and the Webb Space Telescope will alter it even
more, but those accomplishments cannot truly impact the world unless they make their way into the consciousness of the
public. The teachers, outreach professionals, informal educators, scientists, researchers, writers, amateur astronomers and
many, many others who work to connect people to these discoveries are the backbone of this effort to make scientific literacy common and routine rather than exceptional. It would be difficult to overemphasize the importance of EPO organizations like the Astronomical Society of the Pacific and the essential role they play in driving this information to the public
and opening eyes to the marvels of the cosmos.
We have a full schedule of discussions, interactive workshops, courses and presentations ahead of us, and we’re greatly
looking forward to learning from this community, sharing experiences, and making the kinds of connections that lead to
future collaborations and innovations. We’re especially looking forward to seeing you on Monday’s Science Night, where
four of our astronomers will share the Institute’s latest news and discoveries. We hope you enjoy the special showing of
IMAX’s “Hubble 3-D,” chronicling Hubble’s highly successful recent repair mission, at the Welcome Reception on Sunday
evening. In your spare time, have fun exploring Baltimore’s entertaining Inner Harbor, Little Italy and Fells Point areas, accessible via walking or water taxi, and be sure to seek out a meal of our famous blue crabs.
Again, we appreciate this opportunity to join forces with the Astronomical Society of the Pacific and the American Geophysical Union to bring you this event. Best wishes for an inspiring and productive four days, and may our experiences
here provide a blueprint for building ever-more-effective connections with the public.
John M. Grunsfeld
John M. Grunsfeld
Deputy Director, Space Telescope Science Institute
Conference Program
3
Table of Contents
Welcome Letters .................................................................................................................................................................... 2
Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................................................................... 6
General Daily Schedule ....................................................................................................................................................... 8
Conference Map .................................................................................................................................................................10
Detailed Schedule by Day...................................................................................................................................................11
Exhibits .................................................................................................................................................................................14
Raffle .....................................................................................................................................................................................15
Special Events .......................................................................................................................................................................16
Science Night .......................................................................................................................................................................18
Plenary Sessions...................................................................................................................................................................20
Tribute to Eugene E. Epstein ..............................................................................................................................................24
Full Conference Program ...................................................................................................................................................25
Author Index ........................................................................................................................................................................69
Give a Gift of Membership to the ASP
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www.astrosociety.org
4
Connecting People to Science
Announcing the
Astronomical Society of the Pacific’s
Newest Release
The Universe at Your Fingertips 2.0 DVD-ROM
of Astronomy Activities and Resources is now available.
ASP’s “greatest hits” of astronomy education, designed to help teachers,
curriculum specialists, museum educators, and astronomers find
the most effective way of teaching basic space science concepts!
This 2.0 DVD ROM includes:
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133 field-tested hands-on activities
17 topic specific guides to information in print and on the web
52 background articles on astronomy and education
12 short videos with instructions.
Themes include scales of size, distance, and time; comparing planets; understanding basic sky phenomena,
such as phases of the Moon, the daily motion of the Sun, seasons on Earth and other worlds, and the multicultural origins of the constellations; and ways of involving astronomy learning with other fields such as
geography, math, writing, and history.
Here are just a few classic activities:
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Exploring the Phases of the Moon
Modeling the Expanding Universe
Picking the Top Tourist Sights in the Solar System
Sensing the Invisible: Waves our Eyes Can’t See but
Simple Experiments Can Reveal
Counting to a Billion
Mars Opposition Dance: Using Movement to Teach
about Orbits
Fun with the Sun
Transit Tracks: How we Find Planets around Other Stars
Make a Model Comet in Your Own Classroom
The Toilet-paper Solar System Model
Should Pluto be Considered a Planet?
Bike Years Versus Light Years
Black Hole Math
The activities have a host of topics that are the staple of national and state science
frameworks and standards. Edited by Andy Fraknoi, ASP’s Senior Astronomy Educator.
Each activity comes with full instructions, student handouts, and connections to key
ideas for learning and teaching. Easy to navigate!
Price: $29.95
Sold through the non-profit AstroShop on ASP’s website.
Discounts are available for bulk orders and to catalogs, museum stores, and other resellers.
For more information and how to order, go to: www.astrosociety.org/uayf or call the
ASP at 415-337-1100.
ASP • 390 Ashton Avenue • San Francisco, CA 94112
Conference Program
5
Acknowledgements
The ASP thanks the following individuals and institutions for their generous support. Our conference would not be possible
without their time and dedication.
Local Organizing Committee
ASP Staff
Michael Gibbs, Capitol College
Rev. Frank Haig, S.J. Loyola University Maryland
Department of Physics
Wayne (Skip) Bird, Westminster Astronomical Society
Kerri Beisser, The Johns Hopkins University
Applied Physics Laboratory
Lou Mayo, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Stratis M. Kakadelis, Space Telescope Science Institute Office of Public Outreach
Susana Deustua, Space Telescope Science Institute
Rommel Miranda, Towson University Dept. of Physics, Astronomy &
Geosciences
Jim O’Leary, Maryland Science Center
Jordan Raddick, The Johns Hopkins University Institute for
Data-Intensive Engineering and Science
Carol Christian, Space Telescope Science Institute
Jennifer Scott
Brooke Hsu
Sten Odenwald
James G. Manning, Executive Director
Jonathan Barnes, Conference Series Associate Editor
Jared Bellows, Conference Series Technical Consultant
Marni Berendsen, Education Project Coordinator, Night Sky Network
Wilson Chung, Accounting Assistant
Paul Deans, Mercury Editor
Noel Encarnacion, Inventory and Customer Service Manager
Andrew Fraknoi, Senior Educator
Kenneth Frank, Night Sky Network Administrator
Suzy Gurton, Astronomy Education Manager
Anna Hurst Schmitt, Astronomy Educator
Joseph Jensen, Conference Series Managing Editor
Brian Kruse, Lead Formal Educator
T.J. Mahoney, Conference Series LATEX Consultant (Spain)
Cindy Moody, Conference Series Editorial Assistant
Pablo Nelson, Project Coordinator, Astronomy from the Ground Up
Michèle Pearson, Director of Advancement
Leslie Proudfit, Senior Designer/Webmaster
Charlene Quach-Thai, Membership Coordinator
Pepita Ridgeway, Conference Series Publication Manager
Jessica Santascoy, Astronomy Outreach Project Coordinator
Greg Schultz, Director of Education
Albert Silva, Executive Assistant/Office Administrator
Michael Sowle, Director of Finance and Operations
Paula Szkody, PASP Editor
Perry Tankeh, Accounting Manager
Vivian White, Project Coordinator, Bay Area Project ASTRO
EPO Conference Program Committee
Greg Schultz, Astronomical Society of the Pacific (Co-chair)
Suzanne Jacoby, Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (Co-chair)
Russanne (Rusty) Low, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies
(Co-chair)
Pranoti Asher, American Geophysical Union
Lindsay Bartolone, Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum
Lora Bleacher, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Bonnie Eisenhamer, Space Telescope Science Institute
Rick Fienberg, American Astronomical Society
Andrew Fraknoi, Foothill College and the ASP
Pamela Gay, Southern Illinois Univ. Edwardsville
Beth Hufnagel, Anne Arundel Community College
Laura Peticolas, Univ. of California, Berkeley
Julia Plummer, Arcadia University
Daniella Scalice, NASA
Theresa Schwerin, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies
Stephanie Shipp, Lunar and Planetary Institute
Christine Shupla, Lunar and Planetary Institute
Denise Smith, Space Telescope Science Institute
Connie Walker, National Optical Astronomy Observatory
Meeting web site and graphics: Leslie Proudfit
Meeting coordination: Cinndy Hart
Meeting registrar: Albert Silva
Meeting Sponsorship: Michèle Pearson
6
ASP Board of Directors
William A. Gutsch, Jr. (President), Great Ideas/St. Peter’s College
Judy Kass (Vice President), AAAS
Michael G. Gibbs (Secretary), Capitol College
Eugene Epstein (Treasurer)
Bruce Partridge (Past President), Haverford College
James G. Manning (Executive Director)
Other Board Members
David Black, USRA
Russ Carroll, Miva Merchant
Edna DeVore, SETI Institute
Shawn A. Laatsch, Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawaii
Cathy Langridge, Levi Strauss & Co.
Donald McCarthy, University of Arizona
Gordon Myers
Sandra Preston, University of Texas at Austin
Schyleen Qualls, Arkeon Entertainment & Arkeon Education
Connie Walker, National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO)
Connecting People to Science
Acknowledgements
Support and Sponsorship
The following organizations have contributed significant support to the success of this conference.
American Geophysical Union (partner) • Space Telescope Science Institute (partner)
u
NASA’s Exoplanet Exploration Program (managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory)
Infrared Processing and Analysis Center • NASA’s Herschel Science Center • Spitzer Science Center
u
Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) • NASA’s Chandra X-Ray Observatory
u
The University of Chicago Press • National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO)
Ball Aerospace • Capitol College • Sky-Skan
u
University of Wyoming CAPER Team • The American Astronomical Society (AAS) and the AAS Education Office
Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) • Seiler Instrument
u
W. H. Freeman • MWT Associates, Inc • American Elements • Charlesbridge • Celestron
Conference Program
7
General Daily Schedule
Sunday, July 31, 2011
5:00 p.m.
Annual Members Meeting — Veterans Room, Tremont Plaza Hotel
6:30 p.m.
Welcome Reception — Maryland Science Center
Monday, August 1, 2011
8:00 a.m.
Conference Registration Desk Opens
8:30 a.m.
Introduction to the Conference — Mirror Room
9:00 a.m.
Plenary Session 1: Unscientific America: What’s the Problem? What’s the Solution? — Mirror Room
10:00 a.m.
Poster viewing/break —Edinburgh Hall
10:30 a.m.
Poster Presentations (1 minute talks) — Mirror Room
11:45 a.m.
Lunch (on your own)
1:30 p.m.
Plenary Session 2: Looking Homeward Toward Earth: The Power of Perspective — Mirror Room
2:30 p.m.
Poster viewing/break —Edinburgh Hall
3:15 p.m.
Concurrent Session 1: 1-Hour/2-Hour Workshops, 10-Minute Orals
4:15 p.m.
Transition Break
4:30 p.m.
Concurrent Session 2: 1-Hour/2-Hour Workshops, Special Interest Group Discussion, 10-Minute Orals
7:30 p.m.
Science Night with STScI — Mirror Room
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
8
8:00 a.m.
Conference Registration Desk Opens
8:30 a.m.
Plenary Session 3: Engaging Girls in STEM: A Discussion of Foundational and Current Research on
What Works — Mirror Room
9:30 a.m.
Poster viewing/break —Edinburgh Hall
10:00 a.m.
Concurrent Session 3: 1-Hour/2-Hour Workshops, Special Interest Group Discussion, 10-Minute Orals
11:00 a.m.
Transition Break
11:15 a.m.
Concurrent Session 4: 1-Hour/2-Hour Workshops, Special Interest Group Discussion, 10-Minute Orals
Connecting People to Science
General Daily Schedule
12:15 p.m.
Transition break/Lunch (on your own)
12:30 p.m.
NASA Town Hall —Mirror Room / Lunch (on your own)
1:30 p.m.
Transition break/Lunch (on your own)
1:45 p.m.
Plenary Session 4: Why Counting Attendees Won’t Cut It for Evaluation in the 21st Century: Planning
and Evaluating Informal Science Programs — Mirror Room
2:45 p.m.
Poster viewing/break —Edinburgh Hall
3:15 p.m.
Concurrent Session 5: 1-Hour/2-Hour Workshops, Special Interest Group Discussion, 10-Minute Orals
4:15 p.m.
Transition break
4:30 p.m.
Concurrent Session 6: 1-Hour/2-Hour Workshops, Special Interest Group Discussion, 10-Minute Orals
6:30 p.m.
Awards Banquet — Oriental Room, Tremont Plaza Hotel
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
8:00 a.m.
Conference Registration Desk Opens
8:30 a.m.
Plenary Session 5: New Views of Diverse Worlds — Mirror Room
9:30 a.m.
Poster viewing/break —Edinburgh Hall
10:00 a.m.
Concurrent Session 7: 1-Hour Workshops, Special Interest Group Discussion, 10-Minute Orals
11:00 a.m.
Transition Break
11:15 a.m.
Concurrent Session 8: 1-Hour Workshops, Special Interest Group Discussion
12:15 p.m.
Lunch (on your own)
1:45 p.m.
Plenary Session 6: Tales from the Twitterverse — Mirror Room
2:45 p.m.
Poster viewing/break —Edinburgh Hall
3:15 p.m.
Concurrent Session 9: 1-Hour Workshops, Special Interest Group Discussions
4:15 p.m.
Transition Break
4:30 p.m.
Concurrent Session 10: 1-Hour Workshops, Special Interest Group Discussion
5:30 p.m.
Closing Happy Hour/Reception — Edinburgh Hall
Conference Program
9
Conference Map
The conference is held in the Tremont Grand Historic
Venue at 225 North Charles Street, which is attached to
the Tremont Plaza Hotel at 222 Saint Paul Place. The two
buildings are connected by a bridge on the 5th floor of
the hotel. If you are staying at the hotel, you may access
the meeting space via the 5th floor bridge. If you are
staying elsewhere, you may enter the Tremont Grand via
the North Charles St. entrance.
10
Connecting People to Science
Conference Program
11
7:30 – 9:30
1-Hour/2-Hour
Workshops
Special Interest
Group (SIG)
10-minute
orals
4:30 – 5:30
Concurrent
Session 2
4:15 – 4:30
1-Hour/2-Hour
Workshops
10-minute
orals
3:15 – 4:15
Concurrent
Session 1
2:30 – 3:15
1:30 – 2:30
Plenary
Session 2
11:45 – 1:30
10:30 – 11:45
Science Night with STScI
Session Chair: Gurton
Mayo: Sun Earth Day 2012, The
Venus Transit [2E.1]
Deans: The 2012 Transit of Venus
[2E.2]
Jones: Amateur Astronomers
as Educators: An Ethnographic
Study of Club Culture [2E.3]
Arion: Engaging the Public with
Astronomy in Collaboration with
Outdoors/Nature Education
Programs [2E.4]
Camphire: Making the Most of
Your Annual Outreach Event or
Campaign: Lessons Learned from
Earth Science Week [2E.5]
Session Chair: Berendsen
Squires: Astropix [1E.1]
Holzer: Chandra EPO: Making
the Invisible Universe Visible and
Accessible [1E.2]
Butcher: NASA’s Tour of the
Electromagnetic Spectrum [1E.3]
Asbell-Clarke: Investigating
Astronomy: A Unique High School
Curriculum for All Students [1E.4]
Abdalati: Looking Homeward
Toward Earth: The Power of
Perspective
1-minute Poster Presentations
Mooney: Unscientific America:
What’s the Problem? What’s the
Solution
9:00 – 10:00
Plenary
Session 1
10:00 – 10:30
Introduction to the Conference
8:30 – 9:00
8:00
MIRROR
IONIC
Fraknoi: Publishing Your
Research and Ideas in
Astronomy Education
Review: A Hands-on
Workshop for New and
Veteran Authors [2A]
Costello: Hanny and the
Mystery of the Voorwerp
— Citizen Science in the
Classroom [1A]
MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 2011
Dussault: STEM Pathways:
Is Early Intervention
Enough? [2B]
Hurst Schmitt: So What?
Make Your Message Matter
with Interpretation [1B]
TUSCAN
Krishnamurthi: Afterschool
Programs: Your next partners
in STEM Learning? [2C]
Mandryk: Identifying
Sources of Climate Change
Misconceptions and Crafting
Non-Ambiguous Climate
Change Messages in
Materials Developed for E/PO
Audiences [1C]
COMPOSITE
Willard: Using Project
2061 Tools to Promote
Education and Public
Outreach in Astronomy
(Part 2 of 2) [2D]
Willard: Using Project
2061 Tools to Promote
Education and Public
Outreach in Astronomy
(Part 1 of 2) [1D]
VETERANS
Transition Break
Poster Viewing/Break
Lunch on your own
Poster Viewing/Break
Registration Desk Open
EDINBURGH HALL/OTHER
DETAILED SCHEDULE BY DAY • SESSIONS LISTED BY LEAD PRESENTER
12
Connecting People to Science
6:30 – 9:00
1-Hour/2-Hour
Workshops
Special Interest
Group (SIG)
10-minute orals
4:30 – 5:30
Concurrent
Session 6
4:15 – 4:30
1-Hour/2-Hour
Workshops
Special Interest
Group (SIG)
10-minute orals
3:15 – 4:15
Concurrent
Session 5
2:45 – 3:15
1:45 – 2:45
Plenary Session 4
1:30 – 1:45
Session Chair: Hufnagel
Turney: Mars Exploration Student Data Teams-Impacting Students’ Decisions to
Pursue STEM Pathways [6E.1]
Wesney: Introducing Astrophysics and Cosmology as Part of Multi-Disciplinary
Approaches to Liberal Arts Courses Addressing “The Big Questions” of Human
Experience [6E.2]
Sinex: Spectra, Doppler Shifts, and Exoplanets: A Novel Approach via Interactive
Animated Spreadsheets [6E.3]
Thurston: Astronomical Simulations Alongside Text is Easy in HTML5 [6E.4]
Session Chair: Low
Odenwald: Space Math @ NASA: Putting the ‘M’ Back in STEM [5E.1]
Sealfon: Improving the Pipeline of Women in STEM Fields: Addressing Challenges
in Instruction, Engagement, and Evaluation of an Aerospace Workshop Series for
Girl Scouts [5E.2]
Matiella Novak: The Unknown Moon — Eliminating Misconception and
Strengthening Lunar Science Literacy in the Classroom [5E.3]
Elvidge: The River Mile: A Student Inquiry Approach to Watershed Health of the
Columbia River Watershed [5E.4]
Korn: Why Counting Attendees Won’t Cut It for Evaluation in the 21st Century: Planning
and Evaluating Informal Science Programs
Korn: Handson Workshop
on Evaluation
of informal
Science
Education
and Outreach
Projects (Part
2 of 2) [6A]
Korn: Handson Workshop
on Evaluation
of informal
Science
Education
and Outreach
Projects (Part
1 of 2) [5A]
Buxner:
Barriers,
Lessons
Learned, and
Best Practices
in Engaging
Scientists in
Education
and Public
Outreach [6B]
Transition Break
Mendez:
Data in the
Classroom:
Promoting
STEM Learning
in Formal
Education
using Real
Space Science
Data [5B]
Wyatt: Teaching
with the Digital
Universe Atlas [6C]
Newbury:
Exploring
Transiting
Extrasolar Planets
in Your Astronomy
Lab, Classroom
or Public
Presentation [5C]
Sharma:
Engaging Girls in
STEM: How to Plan
or Revamp Your
E/PO Resources
or Activities to be
More Effective for
Girls
(Part 2 of 2) [4C]
Sharma:
Engaging Girls in
STEM: How to Plan
or Revamp Your
E/PO Resources
or Activities to be
More Effective for
Girls
(Part 1 of 2) [3C]
Lewis: MY
NASA DATA:
An Earth
Science Data
Visualization
Tool for the
Classroom [6D]
Slane: STOP
for Science!
— A SchoolWide Science
Enrichment
Program [5D]
Cominsky:
Using the
Big Ideas in
Cosmology to
Teach College
Students [4D]
Kuchner:
Marketing for
Scientists [3D]
VETERANS
EDINBURGH HALL/OTHER
Transition Break
Poster Viewing/Break
Registration Desk Open
ASP Awards Banquet (Oriental Room)
Transition Break
Poster Viewing/Break
Transition Break /Lunch on your own
Lunch on your own
Sparks: Best
Practices for
School and
Community
Star Parties [4B]
Oostra: Mobile
Apps for
Education: A
Roundtable
Discussion [3B]
COMPOSITE
Transition Break /Lunch on your own
NASA Town Hall
Fraknoi:
Sources,
Techniques,
and the
Future of EPO
Funding: A
Panel and
Discussion
[4A]
Fienberg:
How, and
Why, to
Facilitate
Group
Viewing of
the 2012
Transit of
Venus [3A]
TUSCAN
DETAILED SCHEDULE BY DAY • SESSIONS LISTED BY LEAD PRESENTER
12:30 – 1:30
Session Chair: Hurst Schmitt
Wawro: SDO Citizen Scientists: The Camilla Space Weather Project [4E.1]
Basham: Citizen Science as Cognitive Justice: Integrating Citizen Science into an
ELAA 2 Curriculum for the Adult Hispanic Immigrant [4E.2]
Wallace: StarryTelling: Discover the Galileo in You [4E.3]
Hermann: Amidst the Beauty of the Night Sky, Which of the Constellations Am I?
[4E.4]
Miller: Video Productions for Organizations and Companies in a Changing World
[4E.5]
Session Chair: Schultz
Kruse: What Would Galileo Do? Developing the Galileo Teacher Training Program, a
Science Process Professional Development Workshop for Teachers [3E.1]
Harvey: Hawaii’s Annual Journey through the Universe Program [3E.2]
Udomprasert: WWT Ambassadors: Interactive Learning with WorldWide Telescope
[3E.3]
Doran: The Galileo Teacher Training Programme Global Efforts [3E.4]
Russo: The Universe Awareness [3E.5]
Peterson (moderator), Jesse, Migus: Engaging Girls in STEM: A Discussion of
Foundational and Current Research on What Works
IONIC
12:15 – 12:30
1-Hour/2-Hour
Workshops
Special Interest
Group (SIG)
10-minute orals
11:15 – 12:15
Concurrent
Session 4
11:00 – 11:15
1-Hour/2-Hour
Workshops
Special Interest
Group (SIG)
10-minute orals
10:00 – 11:00
Concurrent
Session 3
9:30 – 10:00
8:30 – 9:30
Plenary Session 3
8:00
MIRROR
TUESDAY, AUGUST 2, 2011
Conference Program
13
5:30 – 6:30
1-Hour
Workshops
Special Interest
Group (SIG)
4:30 – 5:30
Concurrent
Session 10
4:15 – 4:30
1-Hour
Workshops
Special Interest
Group (SIG)
3:15 – 4:15
Concurrent
Session 9
2:45 – 3:15
1:45 – 2:45
Plenary
Session 6
12:15 – 1:45
1-Hour
Workshops
Special Interest
Group (SIG)
11:15 – 12:15
Concurrent
Session 8
11:00 – 11:15
1-Hour
Workshops
Special Interest
Group (SIG)
10-minute
orals
10:00 – 11:00
Concurrent
Session 7
9:30 – 10:00
8:30 – 9:30
Plenary
Session 5
8:00
Smalley: Kinesthetic Activities to Teach
Challenging Topics [10E]
Crider: The Pluto Debate: Learning
Astronomy Content and Process Through
Role-playing [9E]
deGrasse Tyson: Tales from the Twitterverse
Summers: From Hubble Data to IMAX
3D: Techniques in Cinematic Scientific
Visualization [8E]
Session Chair: Fienberg
Dickow: CAISE: What We Know About
Science Learning in Informal Settings [7E.1]
Palmquist: Engaging Youth in Exhibition
Development and Evaluation [7E.2]
Brandt: Greening the Science Center —
Progress and Next Steps [7E.3]
McConnell: NASA’s Deep Space Network —
Bringing the Universe to Local Communities
[7E.4]
Blewett: New Views of Diverse Worlds
MIRROR
IONIC
Shipp: Examining
Large Public E/PO
Events: Defining,
Achieving, and
Measuring Success
(Part 2 of 2) [10A]
Shipp: Examining
Large Public E/PO
Events: Defining,
Achieving, and
Measuring Success
(Part 1 of 2) [9A]
Hennig: Minimum
Astronomy and Space
Science Concepts in
a K–12 Curriculum:
Astronomy and the
“Next Generation
Science Education
Standards” [8A]
Schatz: NRC
Framework for K-12
Science Education [7A]
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 3, 2011
Crecelius: Earth
Science Mobile App
Development for
Non-Programmers
[10B]
Transition Break
Porro: Incorporating
the Performing Arts
and Museum Exhibit
Development in a
Multidisciplinary
Approach to Science
Learning for Teenage
Youth [9B]
Walker: Best
Practices for
Community
Outreach to Save
the Night Sky while
Saving Energy [8B]
Shupla: Bring
NASA’s Year of the
Solar System Into
Your Programs [7B]
TUSCAN
Berendsen: Finding
Science in the Night
Sky [10C]
Deustua: Citizen
Science for Discovery:
Planet Investigators
and Ice Hunters [9C]
Smith: Collaborating
with Public Libraries:
Successes, Challenges,
and Thoughts for the
Future [8C]
Bracey: Citizen
Science: Mapping the
Moon & Mercury [7C
COMPOSITE
Gould: How to Let
Planetarium Visitors
Interact! [10D]
Riebeek: Using the
Planetarium to Talk
about Climate Change
[9D]
Venner: Astrobiology
Engineering Design
Challenge: The Search
for life in the universe
[8D]
Stimmer: From Outof-School to Outer
Space — A Case Study
in NASA Education
Product Adaptation
and Dissemination for
Afterschool [7D]
VETERANS
Closing Happy Hour/Reception
Transition Break
Poster Viewing/Break
Lunch on your own
Transition Break
Poster Viewing/Break
Registration Desk Open
EDINBURGH HALL/OTHER
DETAILED SCHEDULE BY DAY • SESSIONS LISTED BY LEAD PRESENTER
Exhibits – Edinburgh Hall
The following will be exhibiting during the conference in Edinburgh Hall. Please be sure to stop by during exhibit hours.
Exhibit Hours:
Monday, August 1
Tuesday, August 2
Wednesday, August 3
8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP)
The ASP’s numerous education and outreach programs include: Project ASTRO, the Universe in the Classroom teacher’s
newsletter, the NASA Night Sky Network, Astronomy From the Ground Up, Family ASTRO, and the SOFIA Education and
Public Outreach program. The Galileo Educator Network is the newest ASP project, beginning in 2011 to grow a NASAsupported teacher professional development network, beginning with several ASTRO sites and others, and expanding in
coming years. Your membership in the ASP is the first step to support the one organization whose primary mission is to
advance science literacy through engagement in astronomy for students of all ages. Come visit our booth to learn about our
latest education programs and find out how, beyond membership, you can partner with us. www.astrosociety.org
Capitol College
Capitol College is the only independent college in Maryland dedicated to engineering, computer science, information
technology and business. Among its seven graduate online programs, Capitol offers a master’s and a doctoral degree in
Information Assurance which is designed to meet the growing demand for highly skilled professionals in the specialty field
of information assurance/cybersecurity. The latest degree, a master’s in Astronautical Engineering, will assist students with
an engineering background to learn project management, satellite operations and mission planning, remote sensing and
systems engineering, and develop scientific understanding of the spacecraft. Additionally, with Capitol’s Space Operations
Institute, working in partnership with the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, and the Space Science Education and
Public Outreach, is educating and developing the future leaders of the STEM career fields through utilizing space science,
astronomy and other related areas of study.
NASA’s Kepler Mission
NASA’s Kepler Mission is designed to search a nearby region of the Milky Way galaxy to discover dozens of Earth-size
planets in or near the habitable zone of their stars. With Kepler, scientists may determine how many of the billions of stars
in our galaxy have such planets. The Kepler Spacecraft measures the light from over 100,000 stars for minute changes
in brightness caused by exoplanets passing in front of the parent stars. Kepler launched in March of 2009 and has over
1200 planet candidates, and 17 confirmed discoveries. Results from this mission will allow us to place our solar system
within the continuum of planetary systems in the Galaxy. Visit the exhibit to view discoveries, light curves and exoplanet
characteristics.
National Earth Science Teachers Association (NESTA)
The National Earth Science Teachers Association (NESTA) is the leading Earth and Space Science (ESS) professional
society for K–12 ESS educators, whose mission is to facilitate and advance excellence in ESS education. NESTA’s members
are leading ESS teachers across the country, and we provide publications, programs and services for our members.
NESTA is the new home for Windows to the Universe (http://www.windows2universe.org), one of the most popular ESS
education websites globally. With three bilingual (English and Spanish) levels of content, the website is an ecosystem for
ESS education, with over 9000 interlinked webpages enriched with images, movies, animations, interactives, games, and
classroom activities. Visit our booth to find out about our programs and services, and become a member!
14
Connecting People to Science
Exhibits – Edinburgh Hall
Sky-Skan
Sky-Skan’s award-winning products educate millions of people with fantastic voyages through space and time, entertain
using ultra-high resolution visuals, and inspire young people to science and technology careers. From its Definiti fulldome
digital theaters to show production and distribution, custom exhibits, and consulting, Sky-Skan is a world leader in 3D
visualization technology. Definiti theater installations include Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, University of
Notre Dame, and Australia’s Horizon Planetarium. World’s firsts include Queen Mary 2 (only planetarium at sea), ‘Imiloa
Astronomy Center (first 3D stereo planetarium), Beijing Planetarium (first 8K planetarium), Münster in Germany (Europe’s
first 8K planetarium), Macao Science Center (first 8K + 3D stereo planetarium), and Nagoya City Science Museum (largest
planetarium screen in the world).
SOFIA
The world’s largest flying observatory is called the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy or SOFIA. Operated
by NASA, the SOFIA Mission is a modified Boeing 747SP with a 2.5 meter infrared telescope in the fuselage. SOFIA
observes the night sky in infrared and is now observing planets, star-forming regions, and the interstellar medium. The
exhibit features a 10'x 10' SOFIA pop up plus a model of the airplane will be in the background and a TV monitor showing
SOFIA’s first open door test flight as well as teachers on board during a recent mission.
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)
We manage the science program for the Hubble Space Telescope and will be the science and operations center for
its successor, the James Webb Space Telescope. With its spectacular views of galaxies, stars and nebulae, Hubble has
transformed our understanding of the universe and become a cultural icon. Webb will probe even more deeply into the
universe, seeking answers to fundamental questions about the birth of the first galaxies, the rise of solar systems, and the
presence of planets with the potential for life. Visit our exhibit to see Hubble and Webb 3-D visualizations and movies, and
to sample the resources that our Office of Public Outreach produces to share the wonders of the universe with teachers,
students and the public.
Terminal 11
Terminal Eleven specializes in creative and interactive mobile applications for iOS and Android. Their latest release,
SkyView — Explore the Universe, allows a student to track planets, constellations, stars, and satellites using Terminal
Eleven’s advanced augmented reality engine, transforming the student’s mobile device into a real-time heads-up display of
the sky. As the student scans the sky with their mobile device, SkyView plots the current position and trajectory of celestial
objects onto the device’s live video view. SkyView displays thousands of interesting facts for the student to uncover as they
explore the universe. SkyView has over 1 million downloads on the Apple App Store and was chosen as an iPhone App of
the Week.
Raffle
Raffle tickets are available to purchase at the conference registration desk. $5 per ticket or 3 tickets for $10. The drawing will
be held at the Closing Reception on August 3. You need not be present to win!
Prizes include:
• 1st prize: A NexStar 4SE Telescope (Generously donated by Celestron)
• The Universe at Your Fingertips 2.0 DVD-ROM ~ a collection of activities and resources for teaching astronomy
• Tours of the Night Sky ~ collection of 4 seasonal audio nightsky tours
• Cosmic Decoders ~ unique astronomical card games
Conference Program
15
Special Events
Sunday August 1
ASP Members Meeting
Veterans Room, Tremont Plaza Hotel
5:00 – 6:00 p.m.
Free to all ASP Members. No registration to the Conference is necessary.
Welcome Reception
Science, Data, and Art in the Making of “Hubble 3D”/“Hubble 3D” Screening
Maryland Science Center
6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
The ASP’s Welcome Reception, Sunday evening will feature a special showing of the IMAX movie “Hubble 3-D” at the
nearby Maryland Science Center. This spectacular film chronicles the last Hubble Space Telescope repair mission, using an
IMAX 3-D camera that the astronauts took along.
Science, Data, and Art in the Making of “Hubble 3D”
Dr. Frank Summers of the Space Telescope Science Institute will give an insider’s view of the
making of Hubble 3D. IMAX “Hubble 3D” chronicles the challenges and successes of building,
launching, and maintaining the world’s most famous telescope. In high resolution and stereo
3D, the film features space footage shot by shuttle astronauts during servicing missions as well
as breath-taking imagery from Hubble. Dr. Summers will highlight the scientific basis, the
image and data transformations, and the artistic inspiration used in creating 12 minutes of aweinspiring scientific visualizations in this highly acclaimed film.
Monday August 1
Science Night with STSci
Mirror Room, Tremont Plaza Hotel
7:30 – 9:30 p.m.
Join scientists associated with the Space Telescope Science Institute for an evening of cutting-edge science insights based on
their research with the Hubble space Telescope and Hubble’s most recent great discoveries. See page 18–19 for speakers and
talk descriptions.
Tuesday August 2
NASA Town Hall Meeting
Mirror Room, Tremont Plaza Hotel
12:30 – 1:30 p.m.
The NASA Science Mission Directorate will host a NASA Town Hall, hosted by SMD EPO leaders Stephanie Stockman and Jim
Lochner.
To facilitate grabbing a quick to-go lunch and heading back to the Mirror Room for the NASA Town Hall we have made
arrangements with the Grand Café to pre-order lunch. Order forms will be at the ASP conference Information desk in Edinburgh
Hall. You may take the form to the Grand Café and pay for your lunch any time prior to 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, August 2. Your lunch
will be ready and waiting at Noon.
16
Connecting People to Science
Special Events
2011 ASP Award Winners
Catherine Wolfe Bruce Gold Medal
Klumpke-Roberts Award
Awarded since 1889 for a lifetime of
outstanding research in astronomy
For outstanding contributions to the
public understanding and appreciation of astronomy
Dr. Jeremiah P. Ostriker
Dr. Paul Davies
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Amateur Achievement Award
Robert J. Trumpler Award
For significant observational or technical achievements
by an amateur astronomer
For a recent Ph.D. thesis considered
unusually important to astronomy
Kevin Apps
Dr. Philip Hopkins
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Las Cumbres Amateur Outreach Award
Maria and Eric Muhlmann Award
For outstanding outreach by an amateur astronomer
to children and the public
For important research results based upon
development of groundbreaking instruments and techniques
Lonnie Puterbaugh
Gaspar Bakos
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Thomas J. Brennan Award
Richard H. Emmons Award
For exceptional achievement related to
the teaching of astronomy at the high school level
For excellence in college astronomy teaching
Mark S. Reed
Dr. Douglas Duncan
Tuesday August 2
2011 ASP Awards Banquet
Oriental Room, Tremont Plaza Hotel
6:30 p.m. Reception followed by a Banquet at 7:15 p.m.
The ASP will present this year’s awards at the Society’s Annual Meeting Awards Banquet on Tuesday, August 2, 2011. The annual
ASP awards recognize meritorious work by professional and amateur astronomers, science educators, and those who engage in
public outreach.
Advance purchased tickets are required to attend this event. Your ticket is included with your registration packet. If your prepurchased ticket is not in your packet, please visit the Registration Desk. Tickets will be available to purchase onsite until end of
day August 1. The ASP cannot accept any refunds to this event.
Wednesday August 3
Closing Happy Hour/Reception
Edinburgh Hall, Tremont Plaza Hotel
5:30 p.m.
Please join us for refreshments at the closing ceremony. Raffle winners will be announced (see page 15 for raffle details).
Conference Program
17
Science Night with STScI
Join scientists associated with the Space Telescope Science Institute for an evening of cutting-edge science insights based on
their research with the Hubble space Telescope and Hubble’s most recent great discoveries.
Monday August 1
7:30 – 9:30 p.m.
Mirror Room
Making the Universe Safe for Worlds
Rachel Osten, Assistant Astronomer, Space Telescope Science Institute
The universe is a violent place. In our search for other worlds, we need to consider several factors
when determining whether those worlds can host life. Studies of violent processes occurring on
our Sun and nearby stars give constraints on the kinds of stars that can host habitable planets, and
where those planets need to be. Dr. Osten will discuss some of these effects as seen on the Sun and
observed at Earth, and what we are learning about other stars and their ability to be good planetary
parents.
Dr. Rachel Osten is an assistant astronomer at the Space Telescope Science Institute. Her research
focusses on variability in stars, and particularly how it affects both the star and its surrounding
environment. She is primarily an observer, and utilizes observations made with a wide range of telescopes, from meterwavelength radio dishes to high energy space telescopes (and most wavelength stops in between).
The Invisible Ecosystem of Galaxies
Jason Tumlinson, Associate Astronomer, Space Telescope Science Institute
The talk will describe the large and largely invisible regions of “circum-galactic” gas filling the
space around galaxies and how this material plays an important role in determining the mass and
appearance of galaxies in the modern Universe. Starting from Lyman Spitzer’s first ideas about gas
outside galaxies nearly sixty years ago, Dr. Tumlinson will survey the history of this subject up to the
very latest results from the Hubble Space Telescope.
Dr. Jason Tumlinson’s academic training is from the University of Colorado (MS 1999, PhD 2002),
with postdoctoral stints in astrophysics at the University of Chicago and Yale. He has been on the
research staff at STScI since 2008, where he is currently an Associate Astronomer. His missionrelated work is with the Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) to fly on the James Webb Space Telescope. His research
interests concern galaxy formation, the first stars, and the chemical evolution of the Universe.
18
Connecting People to Science
Science Night with STScI
The James Webb Space Telescope
Massimo Stiavelli, James Webb Space Telescope Project Scientist, Space Telescope Science Institute
The James Webb Space Telescope will replace and complement the Hubble and the Spitzer Space Telescopes. Dr. Stiavelli
will describe the science motivation for this observatory and how they relate to its design features. He will also provide a
status report of its development.
Dr. Massimo Stiavelli obtained his PhD at the Scuola Normale Superiore of Pisa in 1986. He
has been a postdoctoral researcher at Rutgers University and a fellow at the European Southern
Observatory in Garching. He has held positions at the Scuola Normale Superiore of Pisa (19921995), and at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore (since 1995) where he currently
is James Webb Space Telescope Project Scientist. He is a member of the American Astronomical
Society, of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, of the American Institute
of Aeronautics and Astronautics and of the International Astronomical Union. He has chaired
or served on several NASA committees and is a member of the Science Working Group of the
James Webb Space Telescope as an Interdisciplinary Scientist. Stiavelli has observed at the major
ground based observatories (Mauna Kea, ESO La Silla, ESO Paranal, KPNO, La Palma, Apache Point) and with every
imaging instrument on the Hubble Space Telescope. Dr. Stiavelli’s main scientific interest is the formation and evolution
of galaxies. He was the team lead for the Hubble Ultra Deep Field and has authored or coauthored 104 research papers
published in professional journals, 3 books and 161 technical reports and other publications.
The Greatest Scientific Achievements of the Hubble Space Telescope
Mario Livio, Astrophysicist, Space Telescope Science Institute
Dr. Livio will review the most important scientific achievements of the Hubble Space Telescope,
covering topics ranging from Dark Energy to Extrasolar Planets, and from the Hubble Constant to
Supermassive Black Holes. Dr. Livio will also present some results of the most recent observations,
following Servicing Mission 4.
Prof. Mario Livio is an astrophysicist at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), the institute
which conducts the scientific program of the Hubble Space Telescope. Prof. Livio has published
more than 400 scientific papers and received numerous awards for research, for excellence in
teaching, and for his books.
His interests span a broad range of topics in astrophysics, from cosmology, black holes, and neutron stars, to the emergence
of intelligent life in the universe. During the past decade Prof. Livio’s research focused on supernova explosions and their
use in cosmology to determine the rate of expansion of the universe, and the nature of the “dark energy” that causes the
cosmic expansion to accelerate. He has also worked on the survival of extrasolar planets.
Livio’s popular book “The Golden Ratio” won him the “Peano Prize” for 2003, and the “International Pythagoras Prize”
for 2004, as the best popular book on mathematics. His most recent book, “Is God A Mathematician?”, was selected by the
Washington Post as one of the best books of 2009.
Conference Program
19
Plenary Sessions
Unscientific America: What’s the Problem? What’s the Solution?
Keynote Presentation
Monday August 1
9:00 – 10:00 a.m.
Mirror Room
Chris Mooney, journalist and author
It’s a staggering paradox. The United States has the finest universities in the world and invests more money in scientific
research than any other nation. Yet we’re allowing ourselves to fall behind in science education — and behind other
countries, like China, in green energy innovation. Meanwhile, most Americans know very little about science, and often
don’t even understand what they’re missing — or why science matters to their lives. No wonder we have unending battles
over the science of global warming, the teaching of evolution, and whether or not to vaccinate our children. How could the
U.S. become so...unscientific? And what can we do about it? How can we make science popular again, or even…sexy? In
this talk, Chris Mooney explains the reasons for the gap between science and the U.S. public, and what we can do to bring
these two worlds — both of which need the other — back together again.
Journalist and author Chris Mooney is a senior correspondent for The American Prospect, a
contributing editor for Science Progress, and writes an online column named Doubt and About for the
magazine Skeptical Inquirer, where he serves as a contributing editor. His books include The Republican
War on Science, Storm World: Hurricanes, Politics, and the Battle Over Global Warming, and Unscientific
America. He has been a visiting associate at the Center for Collaborative History at Princeton University
and a Knight Science Journalism Fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Looking Homeward Toward Earth: The Power of Perspective
Monday August 1
1:30 – 2:30 p.m.
Mirror Room
Waleed Abdalati, NASA Chief Scientist
With the 1968 “Earthrise” image of planet Earth emerging from beyond the lunar horizon, society’s view of our
celestial home was changed forever. Beautiful and vulnerable, and suspended in dark stillness, this image inspired an
appreciation that we are one human race, whose fate hinges delicately on our collective actions. Since that time, spacebased observations of the Earth have continued to provide essential insights and information across the full spectrum of
human activities and natural processes, and have even become a mainstream part of our daily lives. From documenting
disappearing Arctic ice cover, to providing key insights to hurricane evolution, to tracking the amount of movement and
cycles of Earth’s biomass, these observations allow us to understand how and why our world is changing, and what these
changes mean for life on Earth. But beyond their tremendous scientific value, they can be a powerful and inspiring tool
for generating a true appreciation of the complexities and beauty of the world in which we live. From that iconic Earthrise
photograph to the viral popularity of event-based satellite imagery, the power of the space-based perspective satisfies our
need for constant and current information, and fuels our emotional connection to the planet we call home.
Waleed Abdalati was appointed NASA chief scientist on Jan. 3, 2011, serving as the principal adviser to
NASA Administrator Charles Bolden on NASA science programs, strategic planning and the evaluation
of related investments. He is currently on leave from his position as director of the University of
Colorado’s Earth Science and Observation Center, which carries out research and education activities
on the use of remote sensing observations to understand the Earth. Abdalati is also a fellow of the
Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences at the University. His research has focused
on the use of satellites and aircraft to understand how and why Earth’s ice cover is changing, and what
those changes mean for life on our planet. He has published more than 50 peer-reviewed papers, book
20
Connecting People to Science
Plenary Sessions
chapters and NASA-related technical reports, with approximately 1,500 citations in the peer-reviewed literature. He has
given featured lectures and keynote addresses to the United Nations, AIAA, SPIE, AGU and various other professional and
international organizations, as well as public lectures at The Smithsonian Institution, the American Museum of Natural
History, and the Adler Planetarium. Abdalati has received various awards and recognition, most notably the NASA
Exceptional Service Medal and The Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers from the White House.
Engaging Girls in STEM: A Discussion of Foundational and Current Research on What Works
Tuesday August 2
8:30 – 9:30 a.m.
Mirror Room
Karen Peterson, EdLab Group / National Girls Collaborative Project, moderator
Jolene Jesse, National Science Foundation, panelist
Laura Huerta Migus, Association of Science-Technology Centers, panelist
Diversity in STEM education and careers occupies center stage in national discussions on U.S. competitiveness in the
21st century. Women constitute roughly half the total workforce in the US, but they hold just 25% of mathematical and
science jobs and 11% of engineering jobs. Women earn nearly 60% of all bachelor’s and master’s degrees, except in physics,
computer science, and engineering where the percentages are 20–25%. This disparity is even more pronounced at the
doctoral level, where women earn fewer than 20% of awarded Ph.D.’s in physics or engineering. However, at the high school
level, there is far less gender disparity: both female and male students take comparable advanced physical science and math
courses. What, then, accounts for the lack of gender diversity in STEM advanced education and career paths? In fact, there
is no consensus even among experts. So, what information and strategies does the E/PO community need to know and
include as part of designing and implementing programs to encourage more girls and women to engage in STEM for the
long term?
The panelists will discuss foundational and current research on pressing questions on why these trends exist and what can
be done to change them. They will highlight research and evaluation results from programs that are successfully engaging
girls in STEM.
Karen Peterson is the Chief Executive Officer of the EdLab Group and has been active in education
for over twenty years as a classroom teacher, university instructor, pre-service and in-service teacher
educator, program administrator, and researcher. Currently, she is the Principal Investigator for the
National Girls Collaborative Project, SciGirls – A New National TV Series, the Computer Science
Collaboration Project, and Bio-ITEST: New Frontiers in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology,
all of which are funded by the National Science Foundation. These projects all address gender, racial
and socioeconomic under-representation in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields.
Ms. Peterson serves on local and national boards which develop and administer programs designed
to increase underrepresented students’ interests in STEM. Ms. Peterson has published in The Journal of Women and
Minorities in Science and Engineering and has co-authored evaluation reports and promising practices reports in informal
information technology education for girls for the National Center for Women & Information Technology and the Girl
Scouts of the USA.
Jolene Kay Jesse is a Program Director for the Research on Gender in Science and Engineering program
in the Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR) at the National Science Foundation. The
program funds and promotes research into education and workforce issues aimed at broadening the
participation of women and girls across the science and engineering fields. It also funds efforts to diffuse
research based innovations in gender equitable teaching, pedagogy, and counseling to practitioner
audiences.
Conference Program
21
Plenary Sessions
Laura Huerta Migus is the Director of Equity and Diversity at the Association of Science-Technology
Centers (ASTC). She is responsible for spearheading ASTC’s Equity & Diversity Initiative, which seeks
to ensure that science centers and museums are capable of effectively serving their diverse audiences.
Initiative activities include: ASTC Diversity & Leadership Development Fellows program; gathering and
developing resources to support ASTC member institutions in their diversity journeys; and identifying
best practices in the field for replication. She works to advance ASTC’s equity and diversity agenda
through a number of NSF-funded projects, including leadership positions in the Cosmic Serpent project
and the Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network (NISE Net). Laura is also the Co-Principal
Investigator on the Girls RISE Museum Network.
Why Counting Attendees Won’t Cut It for Evaluation in the 21st Century: Planning and
Evaluating Informal Science Programs
Tuesday August 2
1:45 – 2:45 p.m.
Mirror Room
Randi Korn, Randi Korn and Associates
Yogi Berra once said, “If you don’t know where you are going, how will you know when you get there?” One could ask the
same question to those of us who work in science education and outreach — if you haven’t articulated clear goals about
what you would like your program to achieve, how on Earth will you know whether you have achieved them? While all
of us want to do the right thing for our audiences, knowing that we have actually done so is another story. Without sound
planning (clarifying outcomes) evaluation is a moot point, and with more and more funding agencies asking their grantees
to evaluate their informal science education efforts, planning with the end in mind is becoming a necessity. With budget,
staffing, and time limitations, it’s easy to lose track of the value of planning and evaluation. And evaluation can seem a
daunting task for those who have not done it, especially when an audience is temporary or spread out over a region or the
entire nation.
To respond to the demands, many good books are now available with ideas for evaluating projects outside the formal
classroom, including several published by the National Research Academies and NSF. In this presentation, we will discuss
the importance of planning and evaluation, no matter what your budget size, we will share examples of how unusual
projects have been evaluated, and we will suggest questions you can ask yourself and your audiences that will help you
think like an evaluator. To achieve results, program leaders must first clarify what they want to achieve and then align all
actions and resources towards achieving those ends. Will your strategic and daily work change as a result? Absolutely! But
only if you want your program to make a difference in people’s lives.
Randi Korn is Founding Director of Randi Korn & Associates, Inc. (RK&A), a company that
helps museums plan their strategic and daily work around achieving impact, which often includes
conducting impact evaluation, visitor research, and all phases of museum program evaluation. During
the company’s 23-year history, RK&A has learned a great deal from the hundreds of exhibitions and
programs it has evaluated for children’s museums, museums of science, art, and history, botanical
gardens, zoos, libraries, and aquariums. As an active member in the museum community, Randi enjoys
sharing her knowledge, experience, and enthusiasm for evaluation and intentional practice. She presents
at conferences, writes for museum journals, and lectures at Johns Hopkins University, The Corcoran
College of Art, and The George Washington University, where she was an adjunct instructor in the Museum Education
division for 18 years. A recent publication, “The Case for Holistic Intentionality,” underscores her commitment to helping
museums pursue intentional practice and evaluate the ways in which they are achieving their desired results.
22
Connecting People to Science
Plenary Sessions
New Views of Diverse Worlds
Wednesday August 3
8:30 – 9:30 a.m.
Mirror Room
David Blewett, Johns Hopkins University, Applied Physics Laboratory
Spacecraft exploration is in the process of revolutionizing our knowledge of the airless rocky bodies in the inner Solar
System. Mercury has long been viewed as a planetary “endmember”, but NASA’s MESSENGER spacecraft, which flew
past the innermost planet three times in 2008-09 and entered orbit in March of 2011, is finding that Mercury is even
stranger than we thought. Mercury is weird in essentially all its characteristics: interior structure, surface composition,
geology, topography, magnetic field, exosphere, and interaction with the space environment. Closer to home, a flotilla of
international probes have targeted the Moon in the past few years. Giving lie to the “been there, done that” attitude held
by many toward the Moon, the new missions are making many new discoveries and reminding us that there is much we
don’t know about our nearest planetary neighbor and that rich opportunities for exploration are waiting nearby. Finally,
I’ll present findings from NASA’s Dawn spacecraft, which will begin its orbital mission around the asteroid Vesta in midJuly 2011. Vesta is sometimes called “the smallest terrestrial planet” because it has separated into a crust, mantle, and core,
and experienced a protracted geological evolution. Vesta is probably the source of a common class of meteorites, so we
have abundant samples that help to inform our interpretation of the data to be obtained by Dawn. Mercury, the Moon, and
Vesta are worlds who share some characteristics, but have taken radically different evolutionary paths. They provide insight
into the most fundamental geological processes that likely affect all rocky planets — around our Sun or beyond.
David T. Blewett joined the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory as a member of
the Senior Professional Staff in September 2007. Prior to that he was a Principal Scientist at NovaSol
(Innovative Technical Solutions, Inc.), a small employee-owned high-tech company in Honolulu,
Hawaii of which he was a co-founder. His planetary research emphasizes remote sensing, geological
analysis, and spectral algorithm development using data from planetary spacecraft including
Mariner 10, Clementine, Galileo, Lunar Prospector, MESSENGER and Dawn. In addition, he has
done considerable work in the analysis of Earth-based telescopic spectra of the Moon. He has been
a Principal Investigator in the NASA Planetary Geology and Geophysics Program since 2002, was
selected as a MESSENGER Participating Scientist in 2007, and as a Dawn at Vesta Participating Scientist in 2010. He is
presently the Deputy Chair of the MESSENGER Geology Discipline Group and a member of the MESSENGER Science
Steering Committee. He serves as the MESSENGER Science Outreach Liaison, in charge of answering questions from the
public that come in via the MESSENGER website. He was fortunate to spend a field season with the Antarctic Search for
Meteorites in the late 1980s.
Conference Program
23
Plenary Sessions
Tales from the Twitterverse
Wednesday August 3
1:45 – 2:45 p.m.
Mirror Room
Neil deGrasse Tyson, American Museum of Natural History
“Tales from the Twitterverse” will describe Dr. Tyson’s running experience communicating science via the medium
of Twitter. He now has about 130,000 followers on his twitter handle: @neiltyson and was recently selected for Time
Magazine’s list of the best 140 Twitter feeds. It is perhaps fair to say that, so far, social media and science EPO have not yet
been fully introduced to one another. So this plenary talk will be a kind of overview of his successes and failures in the
medium, as a way to jumpstart people’s interest in what is possible.
Neil deGrasse Tyson is the first occupant of the Frederick P. Rose Directorship of the Hayden
Planetarium. In addition to dozens of professional publications, Dr. Tyson has written, and continues
to write for the public. He is a monthly essayist for Natural History magazine under the title “Universe.”
And among Tyson’s eight books is his memoir The Sky is Not the Limit: Adventures of an Urban
Astrophysicist; and Origins: Fourteen Billion Years of Cosmic Evolution, co-written with Donald
Goldsmith. Origins is the companion book to the PBS-NOVA 4-part mini-series Origins, in which
Tyson serves as on-camera host. Beginning in the fall of 2006, Tyson has hosted the PBS-NOVA’s spinoff
program NOVA ScienceNow, which is an accessible look at the frontier of all the science that shapes the
understanding of our place in the universe.
Tribute to Eugene E. Epstein
Eugene E. Epstein
ASP Treasurer, 1989–2011
Congratulations and best wishes to Dr. Eugene E. Epstein on his retirement as Treasurer
of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP) after 22 years of service to the Society in
this vital post.
A Los Angeles native and resident, Eugene (with a B.S. from Caltech and a Ph.D.
from Harvard) did millimeter-wave radio astronomy for many years at The Aerospace
Corporation. He has been an ASP member since 1956 and has been actively involved
in ASP organizational matters since 1974, becoming treasurer in 1989. He also serves
on the Advisory Council to the Chair of the Division of Physics, Mathematics, and
Astronomy at Caltech. Presently retired, Eugene devotes a large amount of his time to
a long-term passion: preserving the compositions and legacy of the light artist, Thomas
Wilfred (Wilfred-Lumia.org).
Eugene states that his involvement with the Society has been motivated by the services it
provides to both professional astronomers and to astronomy educators and enthusiasts.
Believing that “the world is no better than the scientific awareness of its people,” he is a strong adherent of the Society’s
mission to advance science literacy through astronomy.
The ASP Board of Directors, staff and membership sincerely thank Eugene for more than two decades of work in keeping
abreast of the Society’s financial affairs, budget and endowment, and for his role on the Executive Committee. We will miss
him, and wish him all the best in his continuing adventures.
24
Connecting People to Science
PROGRAM
Conference Program
25
Monday, August 1, 2011 • 3:15 – 4:15 p.m.
Concurrent Session 1: 1-Hour/2-Hour Workshops
Time: Monday 3:15 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.
Session Type: 1-Hour Workshop
Location: Ionic Room
1A Hanny and the Mystery of the Voorwerp — Citizen
Science in the Classroom
Kathy Costello, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville,
kacoste@siue.edu
Ellen Reilly, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville,
ejreilly@charter.net
Georgia Bracey, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville,
georgiabracey@gmail.com
Pamela Gay, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville,
starstryder@gmail.com
The highly engaging graphic comic Hanny and the Mystery of the
Voorwerp, written in conjunction with the Zooniverse projects, is the
focus of an eight-day educational unit geared to middle level students. The
unit is based on those elements of National Science Education Standards
that focus on inquiry. This session will demonstrate how involvement
with citizen science websites such as Zooniverse can provide data for real
scientific inquiry in the classroom. Activities in the unit lead participants
to tutorials at the citizen science Zooniverse website and then to analysis of
real data online. NASA resources are also included in the unit. This session
will include hands-on experiments taken from the unit, including a “black
box” inference activity and the NASA spectral analysis activity, “What’s the
Frequency, Roy G Biv?” In addition, presenters will demonstrate the galaxy
classification tools found in the “Galaxy Zoo” project at the Zooniverse
citizen science website.
Outcomes: Participants will focus on the terminology and concepts —
galaxy formation, types and characteristics of galaxies, use of spectral
analysis — needed to classify galaxies. Participants will learn how to use
the hands-on activities and websites that support the lessons in the unit.
Participants will gain skill in using various Galaxy Zoo tools to classify
galaxies, mergers, etc. Participants will experience the value of using
citizen science projects as tools to teach inquiry in the classroom.
Session Type: 1-Hour Workshop
Location: Tuscan Room
1B So What? Make Your Message Matter with
Interpretation
Anna Hurst Schmitt, Astronomical Society of the Pacific,
ahurst@astrosociety.org
Anita Davis, Landsat (NASA), Sigma Space Corporation,
anita.l.davis@nasa.gov
Suzy Gurton, Astronomical Society of the Pacific,
sgurton@astrosociety.org
Ruth Paglierani, Space Sciences Lab, UC Berkeley,
ruthp@ssl.berkeley.edu
You may have what you believe is a fascinating message, but if it’s not
relevant to their lives, your audience may just respond with a big “So
26
what?” Provide an answer before the question is even asked by creating
relevant intellectual and emotional connections through interpretation,
the powerful communication technique used by rangers, naturalists,
and educators in parks, museums, and other similar venues. In this
workshop, you will participate in model interpretive presentations, and
learn the basics of interpretation and how to apply its techniques to your
own EPO programs and products, as well as best practices for working
with professional interpreters as an EPO audience. Presenters include a
professional interpreter from the Baltimore area, as well as the staff from
two successful EPO programs designed specifically for interpreters: the
ASP’s Sky Rangers and NASA’s Earth to Sky.
Outcomes: Participants will understand the basic elements of
interpretation, develop an outline of interpretive themes for their own
EPO programs, and learn best practices for working with professional
interpreters as an EPO audience.
Session Type: 1-Hour Workshop (SPECIAL SESSION)
Location: Composite Room
1C Identifying Sources of Climate Change
Misconceptions and Crafting Non-Ambiguous Climate
Change Messages in Materials Developed for E/PO
Audiences
Carole Mandryk, George Mason Univeristy, mandryk@gmu.edu
Russanne Low, IGES, rusty_low@strategies.org
Using information from the panel discussion and additional resources
provided, explore approaches that assist the learner in replacement of
the prior knowledge misconception with accurate understanding about
contemporary climate change. Our goal at the end of the session will be
to rework three climate change messages found in educational materials,
to maximize accurate understanding of message content and minimize the
development of misconceptions.
Outcomes: Participants will apply critical thinking as they examine a
generic climate change lesson plan, and apply what they have learned
about climate change communication from the panel discussion to this
educational context. The end result will be an effective and engaging
climate change lesson that can be used in E/PO settings.
Session Type: 2-Hour Workshop (SPECIAL SESSION)
Location: Veterans Room
1D Using Project 2061 Tools to Promote Education and
Public Outreach in Astronomy (Part 1 of 2)
Ted Willard, AAAS Project 2061, twillard@aaas.org
Project 2061 is a long term effort of the American Association for the
Advancement of Science to improve science education and promote
science literacy. Since its founding, Project 2061 has produced a number
of documents for educators to use to improve teaching and learning,
including: Science for All Americans, which describes what a scientifically
literate adult should know; Benchmarks for Science Literacy, which
describes what students should know and be able to do at different grade
levels; and Atlas of Science Literacy, which contains strand maps that
illustrate how all of the learning goals in a particular topic can build upon
each other over a K–12 education and how learning goals in different
topics relate to one another. These documents, or tools, are frequently
used by states in developing their science standards and by the National
Connecting People to Science
Monday, August 1, 2011 • 3:15 – 4:15 p.m.
Research Council in developing a framework for the next generation of
science standards. They are also frequently used by educators in planning
curriculum and instruction. Project 2061 also engages in research and
development efforts to promote the vision of science literacy described in
Science for All Americans, such as: criteria for judging the effectiveness of
curriculum materials and assessment tasks; and examples of instructional
resources and assessment items aligned designed that are well aligned to
specific learning goals. In the session, participants will review development
of the Project 2061 tools and resources. They will then learn how to access
them free of charge either at the Project 2061 website or at the National
Science Digital Library (NSDL) website, in the case of the strand maps.
Finally, they will use the tools to carry out various tasks using the maps
on NSDL, such as interpreting standards, selecting resources, reviewing
student misconceptions, and sequencing instruction.
Outcomes: Participants will understand how standards can be used as
a starting point in instructional planning in both formal and informal
educational settings. Participants will know how to use the Project
2061 tools to improve the overall quality of their educational and public
outreach work.
Concurrent Session 1: 10-Minute Orals
Session Chair: Marni Berendsen, Astronomical Society of
the Pacific
Time: Monday 3:15 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.
Session Type: 10-Minute Oral Presentation
Location: Mirror Room
1E.1 Astropix
Gordon Squires, Spitzer/Herschel/IPAC/Caltech,
squires@ipac.caltech.edu
Robert Hurt, Spitzer/Herschel/IPAC/Caltech, hurt@ipac.caltech.edu
Jacob Llamas, Spitzer/Herschel/IPAC/Caltech,
jllamas@ipac.caltech.edu
Casey Rosenthal, Spitzer/Herschel/IPAC/Caltech, clr@ipac.caltech.edu
Carolyn Brinkworth, Spitzer/Herschel/IPAC/Caltech,
csb@ipac.caltech.edu
The new, central repository of astronomical images is available at http://
astropix.ipac.caltech.edu. Enabled by the Astronomy Visualization
Metadata (AVM) standard, this archive contains images from NASA’s
Spitzer Space Telescope, Chandra, Hubble, WISE, GALEX, and the
Herschel Space Observatory. For the first time, an automated registry
is possible by populating contextual and informational fields in the
metadata of the images themselves. This presentation will highlight the
features of the archive, how to include your images in the registry and
applications enabled including dynamic websites, kiosks, and mobile
device applications. Real-world benefits include display of general
metadata when such images are imported into image editing software
(e.g. Photoshop) or image catalog software (e.g. iPhoto). More advanced
support in Microsoft’s WorldWide Telescope can open a tagged image after
it has been downloaded and display it in its correct sky position, allowing
comparison with observations from other observatories. Astropix is a tool
for educators, astronomers and the general public alike.
Outcome: This presentation will provide information about a valuable
resource for educations, public outreach professionals, and amateur and
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professional astronomers. There is no comparable service in existence
today, and the capability that astropix provides has been a top priority for
educators and the general public.
Session Type: 10-Minute Oral Presentation
Location: Mirror Room
1E.2 Chandra EPO: Making the Invisible Universe
Visible and Accessible
Margaret Holzer, Chandra EPO, mholzer@monmouth.com
Chandra X-Ray Observatory has made the invisible X-ray universe visible
since first light August 19, 1999. With its background information, field,
guide, photo album, podcasts, multi-media resources, and educational
resources, the Chandra website is a gateway for the general public as well
as educators to understanding the dynamic processes taking place in
our x-ray universe. The Chandra EPO has effectively provided resources
and professional development for both the informal and formal science
education sector since that time of the Chandra launch. These high quality
resources and acclaimed professional development opportunities have not
only instilled a sense of wonder and awe, but have taken perceptively difficult
concepts and made them understandable and tangible. In regards to the
classroom ready materials, the content is broken down into the smallest
pieces of knowledge necessary for understanding the bigger concepts in
order to build overall conceptual understanding of our x-ray universe.
For instance, students need a basic understanding of the electromagnetic
spectrum and very small and very large numbers to grasp the scales
involved in x-ray satellite data. Students also need to understand how we
detect invisible energy and how decisions are made in creating the images
presented to the public. The guided inquiry lessons and activities around
the concept of stellar evolution assist even young students in grasping the
evolutionary nature of our universe. These are just a few of the activities
that develop astronomical thinking skills in students which are ultimately
assessed through the dynamic problem-based scenarios available. This
session will present the foundational thinking and progressive knowledge
building aspects of the resources in the educational materials of Chandra.
Outreach successes and challenges will also be addressed.
Outcome: Attendees of this presentation will take away knowledge of
how to build a successful education and public outreach program around
perceptively difficult concepts. They will hear methods of how to overcome
inherent challenges in sharing astronomical information. Models for an
EPO plan will be presented.
Session Type: 10-Minute Oral Presentation
Location: Mirror Room
1E.3 NASA’s Tour of the Electromagnetic Spectrum
Ginger Butcher, NASA Headquarters, ginger.butcher-1@nasa.gov
To explore beyond what our eyes can see, scientists and engineers
design instruments to collect data at specific wavelengths across the
electromagnetic spectrum. Almost all NASA science investigations utilize
measurements within specific portions of the Electromagnetic Spectrum.
Active instruments emit energy and monitor returns from the target;
passive instruments simply monitor energy received from the target in
a specific portion of the spectrum. These data allow NASA scientists to
monitor the change in Earth’s climate, study the impact of solar storms
on our infrastructure, discover the composition of other planets, and
even peer into the cosmic past to better understand the origins of our
27
Monday, August 1, 2011 • 4:30 – 5:30 p.m.
universe. This session will highlight strategies for supplementing 7th grade
curriculum with a series of videos about the electromagnetic spectrum.
The videos take a tour of the spectrum from common devices such as
radios and TV remote controls to complex NASA science missions such
as the Aura Satellite observing our Earth and the Cassini mission beaming
discoveries back from Saturn. The series starts with an introduction to the
Electromagnetic spectrum’s waves and how they are different from sound
waves. Finally, an explanation of how and what we ‘see’ in these different
regions of the EM spectrum and the instruments that help scientists study
the world across the spectrum. The videos are designed into short 2–4
minute segments to complement existing curriculum. The materials are
enriched with a companion book and website containing links to handson activities about the electromagnetic spectrum.
Outcome: Participants will gain insight into a whole new way to present
concepts surrounding the electromagnetic spectrum by using NASA’s
unique science imagery as a hook. They will gain strategies on how
to introduce the spectrum to middle school students and connect the
spectrum to their daily lives. A variety of engaging hands-on activities will
be demonstrated to enhance students’ understanding about how scientists
can explore our world beyond the visible. DVD and book provided.
Session Type: 10-Minute Oral Presentation
Location: Mirror Room
1E.4 Investigating Astronomy: A Unique High School
Curriculum for All Students
Jodi Asbell-Clarke, TERC, Jodi_asbell-clarke@terc.edu
Jeff Lockwood, TERC, jeff_lockwood@terc.edu
Teon Edwards, TERC, teon_edwards@terc.edu
Erin Bardar, TERC, erin_bardar@terc.edu
Investigating Astronomy (IA) is a set of instructional materials developed
for high school students taking a yearlong or semester astronomy course,
or studying astronomy in an Earth science or general science course.
Teacher guides, a teacher professional development Web site, and
family/community materials in both English and Spanish accompany
the six student modules. Using a carefully designed sequence of handson activities, long-term authentic astronomy investigations, and the
latest scientific images and visualizations, Investigating Astronomy
offers students a venue for exploring the same fundamental ideas and
concepts that engage scientists and researchers. Students experience
authentic scientific inquiry by doing it themselves, not by reading about
it in a textbook. Each IA module is driven by a Challenge, an overarching
investigation that provides real-life application for the astronomical
and physical science content contained in the activities. The Challenges
incorporates the elements of research science, real astronomical images and
data to analyze, intriguing questions for students to ponder, and visually
engaging inquiry-based materials to allow students to experience today’s
science unfolding before them. IA community program elements, such as
a newsletter offered in both English and Spanish for each course module,
will link science concepts to relevant social and cultural activities. TERC’s
partners for the development of IA are the National Optical Astronomy
Observatory (NOAO) and the Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP).
NOAO is instrumental in providing current astronomical data, usable
analysis tools, and scientific expertise for IA materials, as well as expertise
in Spanish language astronomy materials. ASP is developing material
kits and ensuring widespread dissemination by building upon their large
network of teachers and amateur astronomers across the country.
Outcome: Participants will gain an understanding of a unique new
28
curriculum available to them for teaching high school astronomy.
Community college and introductory undergraduate instructors may also
find use for these comprehensive and innovative materials.
Concurrent Session 2: 1-Hour/2-Hour Workshops,
Special Interest Group Discussion
Time: Monday 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Session Type: 1-Hour Workshop (SPECIAL SESSION)
Location: Ionic Room
2A Publishing Your Research and Ideas in Astronomy
Education Review: A Hands-on Workshop for New and
Veteran Authors
Andrew Fraknoi, Foothill College, fraknoiandrew@fhda.edu
Mary Kay Hemenway, University of Texas,
marykay@astro.as.utexas.edu
Julia Plummer, Arcadia University, PlummerJ@arcadia.edu
Astronomy Education Review (the journal/magazine of astronomy
education and outreach, now published by the American Astronomical
Society: http://aer.aas.org) is in its tenth volume of regular publication.
The journal continues to publish research papers, short guides to
innovation, resource guides, thesis abstracts, op-ed pieces, reviews, and
announcements from around the world. In this session you can hear from
some of the people involved in putting out the journal about its editorial
expectations, about the process by which submissions are judged, and
what reviewers generally look for. There will be time for questions and
discussion. We’ll hand out a “top ten” list of mistakes that you can avoid if
you want to publish successfully and we’ll discuss ways the journal hopes
to expand its reach in the years to come.
Outcomes: Participants will learn about the workings of the journal, and
will come away with a better idea of how to submit successful papers
(whether to our journal or others). They will learn specific ways to anticipate
what reviewers expect and to make their papers better. A resource guide to
doing research in astronomy education and outreach will also be provided.
Session Type: 1-Hour Workshop
Location: Tuscan Room
2B STEM Pathways: Is Early Intervention Enough?
Mary Dussault, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics,
mdussault@cfa.harvard.edu
Irene Porro, MIT Kavli Institute, iporro@mit.edu
Tobias McElheny, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics,
tmcelheny@cfa.harvard.edu
As informal and formal science educators we have heard about it: the crisis
is looming. In the upcoming years the United States is projected to suffer
a serious decline in global leadership in science and engineering because
a potential short fall in the number of native science innovators and in the
STEM workforce in general. Our students score poorly on international
math and science tests and many of them are not choosing to follow
STEM career pathways. Science educators, researchers and policy makers
across the country are looking for effective interventions to prevent the
irreparable. Probably the most supported and widespread understanding
Connecting People to Science
Monday, August 1, 2011 • 4:30 – 5:30 p.m.
in this respect is that it is important — even necessary — to get children
exposed and engaged in STEM activities at an early age to increase their
probability to pursue a STEM profession. While many of us are working
hard to develop new initiatives to get elementary and middle-school
aged children from diverse backgrounds inspired by science, there other
questions that we should also be asking: What do we do once we have
all these children inspired? How do we keep them motivated and help
them develop the skills and knowledge needed for STEM professions?
Motivation to learn fluctuates over time, varies across situations, and
differs between people. Motivation to learn can be disrupted. In this
session we will ask: what does it take to effectively motivate older youth to
engage in STEM learning over an extended period of time, and what does
this mean for programming and policy decisions? Join us for a thought
provoking session, based on a short video that documents one youth’s
pathway through the Youth Astronomy Apprenticeship program.
Outcomes: Participants will consider research results that bear upon
students’ pursuit of STEM pathways, examine the impact that particular
learning experiences may or may not have on individuals, and contribute to
an ongoing discussion of the unique STEM-learning needs of older youth.
Participants will have the opportunity to learn about and join the Older
Youth Working Group. The working group aims to inform both practice
and policy to promote out-of-school time programming in STEM for older
youth as an integral component of the continuum of efforts to promote
both STEM engagement and careers choices among young people.
Session Type: 1-Hour Special Interest Group Discussion
Location: Composite Room
2C Afterschool Programs: Your Next Partners in STEM
Learning?
Anita Krishnamurthi, Afterschool Alliance,
akrishnamurthi@afterschoolalliance.org
Kathleen Magrane, Massachusetts Afterschool Partnership,
kmagrane@massafterschool.org
Jeff Buehler, Missouri AfterSchool Network, buehlerj@umsystem.edu
Afterschool programs — consistent, regular programs before school, after
school, and during the summer rather than one-shot experiences — are
offered by a varied group of providers that includes schools, non-profits,
and community-based organizations such as museums. Some 8.4 million
children are in afterschool programs in the U.S., drawn from a diverse
population that truly reflects the makeup of the nation. The afterschool
community has been offering these students a variety of STEM programs
for many years and is eager to do even more to be integral partners in
STEM education. Afterschool providers all over the country are looking
for high-quality STEM curricula and programs as well as partnerships
with STEM content experts. We will discuss the policy agenda for STEM
in afterschool and highlight the infrastructure in place to enable your
involvement in this community. We will feature two examples of strong
state networks that are building systems to promote STEM learning
in afterschool. The Massachusetts Afterschool Partnership joined with
MIT to undertake NASA’s Summer of Innovation in 2010 and continues
to be actively engaged in this arena. Project LIFTOFF in Missouri is an
initiative funded by the Noyce Foundation to develop a regional network
of support for STEM learning in afterschool in nine Midwestern states.
Project LIFTOFF also has staff trained in NASA’s Afterschool Universe,
an astronomy afterschool program for middle school youth. Afterschool
programs are excellent settings for STEM learning, as they provide a more
flexible environment than a classroom; in afterschool programs children
Conference Program
can engage in science without fear of academic failure. Consequently, they
serve as an ideal venue to engage young people and help them appreciate
the relevance of STEM fields to their daily lives through hands-on projects.
Come and have all your questions answered about how to get involved in
this dynamic learning space!
Outcomes: Participants will gain an understanding of the afterschool
space as well as the “state of STEM” in afterschool. They will become
knowledgeable about the infrastructure in the afterschool space, initiatives
currently underway to promote STEM learning in this space and about
STEM programming needs and challenges of afterschool programs. They
will learn how to identify partners and engage meaningfully in this space
as EPO partners.
Session Type: 2-Hour Workshop (SPECIAL SESSION)
Location: Veterans Room
2D Using Project 2061 Tools to Promote Education and
Public Outreach in Astronomy (Part 2 of 2)
Ted Willard, AAAS Project 2061, twillard@aaas.org
Continued from the 3:15 session.
Concurrent Session 2: 10-Minute Orals
Session Chair: Suzy Gurton, Astronomical Society of the
Pacific
Time: Monday 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Session Type: 10-Minute Oral Presentation
Location: Mirror Room
2E.1 Sun Earth Day 2012, The Venus Transit
Louis Mayo, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center,
Louis.A.Mayo@nasa.gov
Elaine Lewis, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center,
elaine.m.lewis@nasa.gov
Troy Cline, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center,
troy.d.cline@nasa.gov
Carolyn Ng, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center,
carolyn.y.ng@nasa.gov
Bryan Stephenson, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center,
sunearthday@gmail.com
Jim Thieman, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center,
james.r.thieman@nasa.gov
Sun Earth Day is now in its 11th year and is celebrated by 10’s of millions
around the world. For 2012, we will celebrate the final apparition of the
Venus Transit until 2117. This rare celestial event will be captured from the
summit of Mauna Kea, Hawaii and broadcast to the world through NASA
Edge. Join NASA and the Sun Earth Day Team in this last in a life time
experience as we explore the historical significance and scientific discoveries
made possible by the Venus Transit. http://sunearthday.nasa.gov
Outcome: Participants will receive NASA educational materials focusing
on the sun, space weather, and the solar system and will learn how to
access and utilize Sun Earth Day resources in the classroom and for the
general public to explore the Venus Transit.
29
Monday, August 1, 2011 • 4:30 – 5:30 p.m.
Session Type: 10-Minute Oral Presentation
Location: Mirror Room
2E.2 The 2012 Transit of Venus
Paul Deans, Astronomical Society of the Pacific,
pdeans.skyguy@gmail.com
On June 5–6, 2012, much of the world will experience an event that
will not occur again for another 105 years — a transit of Venus across
the face of the Sun. During the 18th century, astronomers made long,
arduous trips to remote corners of Earth in order to made Venus transit
observations, which were then used in an attempt to determine the EarthSun distance. Today, a transit of Venus is simply a rare spectacle, though
it’s also a graphic demonstration of what the Kepler spacecraft is seeking
as it searches for extrasolar planets. While lacking the drama of a total
eclipse of the Sun, the upcoming transit of Venus has its own charm and
observational challenges. The event is made particularly interesting by the
knowledge that only your grandchildren or great-grandchildren will see
the next transit of Venus more than a century from now.
Outcome: Participants will learn where and when the transit will be
visible, and how to safely observe it — useful information if planning a
public observing session centered on this rare astronomical event.
Session Type: 10-Minute Oral Presentation
Location: Mirror Room
2E.3 Amateur Astronomers as Educators: An
Ethnographic Study of Club Culture
Eric Jones, Institute for Learning Innovation, ecojones@uncg.edu
Martin Storksdieck, National Academy of Sciences,
mstorksdieck@nas.edu
Erin Johnson, Institute for Learning Innovation, johnson@ilinet.org
Jill Stein, Institute for Learning Innovation, stein@ilinet.org
Claudia Figueiredo, Institute for Learning Innovation,
figueiredo@ilinet.org
Marni Berendsen, Astronomical Society of the Pacific,
mberendsen@astrosociety.org
Amateur astronomy clubs engaged in public outreach offer unique,
inspirational opportunities for the public to engage in science education.
Pursuing their passion within the socio-cultural context of a club or
association, they face the challenge of balancing the potentially opposing
incentives and motivations of individuals within their collective group.
Findings from interviews of 84 individuals of nine amateur astronomy
clubs that are highly engaged in public outreach suggest that various
social/personal aspects of club life can either promote or hinder education
and public outreach. These social/personal aspects have been categorized
into three domains; hobbyism, association, and volunteerism. Hobbyism
requires an interest in astronomy and free time. Association specifically
requires participation in activities related to a common purpose through
a structure designed to achieve agreed upon goals. Volunteerism requires
offering one’s time, talents, knowledge, and/or resources. Success in public
outreach is influenced by the ways that club members navigate the tensions
between these three sets of rules or expectations. There are many different
ways in which these three domains overlap, intersect, empower, and
compete with one another, even in the most successful clubs. For example,
club mission presents a critical area where tension between domains can
30
impact public outreach. We found that conflicts in the association could
arise when members held different perceptions of what the hobby should
focus on: practicing astronomy inside the club or sharing it outside the club.
A clear vision for a club, whereby both perceptions are welcome, lowers
tensions by creating a culture that is accepting of both. This presentation
focuses on synergies and tensions between domains in six critical areas; a)
club mission/function, b) relationships, c) club structure and leadership,
d) accessibility of membership, e) outreach identity, and f) partnerships.
Outcome: Participants will take away new philosophies and theories
about astronomy club culture. Specifically, they will learn how the social/
personal aspects of a hobby science club can impact a club’s effectiveness
in educating the public. Participants will take home practical ideas
for supporting outreach, such as, refining club mission and thinking
strategically about club structure and membership.
Session Type: 10-Minute Oral Presentation
Location: Mirror Room
2E.4 Engaging the Public with Astronomy in
Collaboration with Outdoors/Nature Education
Programs
Douglas Arion, Carthage College, darion@carthage.edu
Sara DeLucia, Appalachian Mountain Club, sdelucia@outdoors.org
A joint program between Carthage College and the Appalachian Mountain
Club is being launched to integrate outdoors education programs with
astronomy for the nearly half-million visitors the AMC receives at its
centers. The program combines mentoring from professional astronomers,
with student interns and AMC staff, to deliver high-quality, well-vetted
programming that will have impact on visitors. The program will include
observation, both at the main centers and the high mountain huts, as
well as well-crafted, hands-on activities for bad-weather circumstances.
Assistive technologies will be developed and implemented to make
programs accessible to all audiences. The discussion at this meeting will be
directed at developing a suitable set of observing and hands-on activities
for the intended audience, and to motivate other astronomy professionals
to take on similar programs with other outdoors organizations.
Outcome: Participants will help develop a suite of appropriate
observational and hands-on activities for public engagement at outdoorsoriented centers. In addition, it is hoped that more professionals can be
recruited to engage in this kind of outreach.
Session Type: 10-Minute Oral Presentation
Location: Mirror Room
2E.5 Making the Most of Your Annual Outreach Event
or Campaign: Lessons Learned from Earth Science Week
Geoff Camphire, American Geological Institute, gac@agiweb.org
How has Earth Science Week (www.earthsciweek.org) emerged over the
past dozen years to become the earth science community’s leading public
outreach campaign, reaching a documented 46 million people last year? By
leveraging key partnerships, developing innovative resources and activities
of value to participants, and securing coverage by news media and other
groups. Earth Science Week is organized by the American Geological
Institute, an association of 49 member societies across the geosciences,
in close collaboration with a consortium of member societies, federal
agencies, and partners in the private and nonprofit sectors. Program
Connecting People to Science
Tuesday, August 2, 2011 • 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
activities and materials include No Child Left Inside Day, National Fossil
Day, Women in the Geosciences Day, Earth Science Week Contests, the
Earth Science Week Toolkit, the Earth Science Activity Calendar, and the
Earth Science Week Update Newsletter and Web Site. News about the event
is spread by outlets ranging from educational and professional associations
to media outlets such as The Washington Post, NBC, and NPR. Each year,
the program’s success is confirmed by independent evaluation. In a survey
on the 2010 celebration, 86 percent of respondents said program resources
and activities were important to educating school students and others
about earth science, and 88 percent said they anticipated either increasing
or maintaining level participation next year. At a time when natural
disasters, climate change, and the energy crisis rank among the public’s top
concerns, Earth Science Week makes the most of opportunities to advance
scientific literacy. Learn how the program reaches more people each year
through strategies that focus on providing science teachers and professional
scientists with tools to enhance appreciation and understanding of earth
science among young people and the general public.
Outcome: Participants in this session will gain knowledge and skills
in building science event-based outreach programs by: identifying
strategic partners in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors and
effectively leveraging their support; processing participants’ concerns and
feedback to craft high-impact materials, online resources, activities, and
other program components; and developing public relations tools and
techniques that facilitate targeted communications to key audiences and
viral dissemination of information to the broader public.
Concurrent Session 3: 1-Hour/2-Hour Workshops,
Special Interest Group Discussion
Time: Tuesday 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Session Type: 1-Hour Workshop
Location: Ionic Room
3A How, and Why, to Facilitate Group Viewing of the
2012 Transit of Venus
Richard Fienberg, American Astronomical Society,
rick.fienberg@aas.org
Chuck Bueter, Nightwise.org, bueter@nightwise.org
Louis A. Mayo, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center,
louis.a.mayo@nasa.gov
The discovery and characterization of extrasolar planets is one of the hottest
fields in modern astrophysics. It’s also one that the public is following with
great interest and excitement as astronomers get ever closer to finding
another “Earth” orbiting another “Sun.” Most exoplanet discoveries are
currently being made by NASA’s Kepler spacecraft, which is monitoring
100,000 stars, looking for the periodic dips in brightness that occur when
a planet transits, or crosses in front of, a star’s face. On Tuesday afternoon,
June 5, 2012, virtually everyone in North America favored with clear skies
will have a chance to watch an Earth-size planet cross the face of a Sun-like
star for themselves: Venus, Earth’s near-twin in size and mass, transits the
Sun itself. This will be the last chance for anyone alive today to witness this
phenomenon, as the next transit of Venus doesn’t occur until December
2117. It presents a unique opportunity for everyone involved in astronomy
education and public outreach to give students and the public a taste of the
thrill of cutting-edge cosmic exploration. To experience the 2012 transit
of Venus, though, you have to look at the Sun — something your mother
Conference Program
told you never to do. Don’t let the requisite warnings deter you or your
audience from experiencing this last-in-your-lifetime event! There are
many ways to view the transit safely, and this workshop will demonstrate
most of them. In addition, participants will build a rear-screen projection
device that fits in a telescope focuser in lieu of a regular eyepiece, enabling
a group of people to see a clear image of the Sun simultaneously. While
useful for the 2012 transit of Venus, this “make and take” device will also
enhance your daytime astronomy experiences as the current sunspot cycle
ramps up.
Outcomes: Participants will learn at least six ways to view the 2012 transit
of Venus safely in a group setting and will go home with an inexpensive
rear-screen projection device that they can in turn teach their colleagues
to build. They’ll also learn what to watch for during the transit and how
to link the event to the modern search for exoplanets, especially NASA’s
Kepler mission.
Session Type: 1-Hour Special Interest Group Discussion
Location: Tuscan Room
3B Mobile Apps for Education: A Roundtable
Discussion
Daniel Oostra, NASA Langley Research Center,
daniel.h.oostra@nasa.gov
Preston Lewis, NASA Langley, preston.lewis@nasa.gov
Sarah Crecelius, NASA Langley, sarah.a.crecelius@nasa.gov
Lin Chambers, NASA Langley, lin.h.chambers@nasa.gov
Mobile applications today are becoming so prevalent that industry sources
project that over 100 million apps will be created this year. Last year,
smartphone sales outpaced laptops for the first time in history. Consider
mobile applications as a new language that can be used to communicate
with educators, students and general public on a portable multimedia
level. Join content providers, web developers, mobile app developers, and
software experts as we examine new products and methods for creating
mobile apps and integrating them into classrooms and educational
organizations. We’ll include topics such as mobile optimized web
applications, cloud based tools, multi-platform software release, native
applications, rapid development, classroom integration, HTML5, CSS3,
and cloud based visual development tools. This discussion will encompass
all initiatives that are working with mobile application development.
Outcomes: Our goal is to open a channel amongst organizations and
developers, unifying the vision for mobile application development
throughout the science and educational communities. We want to
brainstorm together and develop new relationships by connecting
individuals working on similar projects. As a result, all participants will
leave with some ideas for next steps for their own purposes.
Session Type: 2-Hour Workshop (SPECIAL SESSION)
Location: Composite Room
3C Engaging Girls in STEM: How to Plan or Revamp
Your E/PO Resources or Activities to be More Effective
for Girls (Part 1 of 2)
Mangala Sharma, Space Telescope Science Institute,
MSharma@stsci.edu
Karen Peterson, EdLab Group/National Girls Collaborative
Project, KPeterson@edlabgroup.org
31
Tuesday, August 2, 2011 • 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
Lora Bleacher, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center,
Lora.V.Bleacher@nasa.gov
Denise Smith, Space Telescope Science Institute, DSmith@stsci.edu
Scientists, teachers, parents, policy makers all echo the need to get more
students involved in science. There is a national impetus to broaden the
science participation of girls, in particular. Have you ever thought about
creating an E/PO resource or program for girls, but weren’t quite sure
what works or what doesn’t? Or do you have E/PO materials and programs
that, with some fine-tuning, could be made so much more effective for
girls? This 2-hour workshop offers you research-based insights, resources
and tips to help you plan or revamp programs and resources aimed at
encouraging girls in science. Led by Karen Peterson, PI for the National
Girls Collaborative Project (http://www.ngcproject.org), the workshop
includes: • a brief discussion about effective strategies recommended for
encouraging girls in STEM; • hands-on experience, where participants —
availing of the expert’s guidance— will apply the recommended strategies
and alter or tailor their existing or planned programs/resources to be
more girl-friendly; and • a sharing out, where the participants reflect on
the results of the hands-on exercise and develop action items to continue
carrying out the girl-friendly best practices in STEM E/PO. To make the
hands-on workshop and interaction with the expert more effective, we
are hoping to keep the number of participants at no more than 40 (on
a first-come first-served basis).Though not required, we recommend that
participants interested in this workshop attend the preceding 1-hour
panel session (“Engaging Girls in STEM: A Discussion of Foundational
and Current Research on What Works”) to learn about the research and
evaluation results from existing programs that engage girls in STEM.
Outcomes: The outcomes from the workshop will be that the participants
will: • Share reliable, up-to-date information on the best practices that lie
at the heart of engaging girls in STEM; • Identify ways to incorporate these
best practices into their E/PO efforts; and • Offer and receive feedback on
their approach toward making their E/PO efforts more girl-focused.
Session Type: 1-Hour Workshop
Location: Veterans Room
3D Marketing for Scientists
Marc Kuchner, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center,
marckuchner@gmail.com
Stella Kafka, Carnegie Institute of Washington, stellakafka@gmail.com
Most scientists these days know all too well of the need to market
themselves, but few have taken a serious look at the tools of marketing used
in the business world and how to apply them to science communication.
This workshop will introduce scientists to the fundamental principles of
marketing, and explain how they can be used to connect people to science.
It uses examples like Steve Jobs, George Lucas, and Barack Obama to
show that in the right hands, marketing can be a positive, healing force
for science and for the world. The many forces that compete with science
for space in the public mind are already using these tools; it’s time for us to
master them as well. This workshop is an outgrowth of a Facebook group
I started called “Marketing for Scientists”. The wisdom I learned from the
Facebook group and from interviews with dozens of scientific leaders also
led to a blog, at www.marketingforscientists.com, and a book with the
same title, to be released by Island Press, in the fall of 2011.
Outcomes: Participants in this workshop will learn to overcome their
fear of applying business ideas to science communication. They will learn
the definition of marketing, and some the basic marketing principles:
32
branding, sales, positioning, and archetypes. Then, crucially, they will learn
the importance of building relationships with their customers/audience,
as understood in the era of Web 2.0 and citizen science. Participants will
sketch a marketing funnel to help guide their own marketing approach.
Finally, participants will consider the product life cycle and how it applies
to their work and the marketing of science.
Concurrent Session 3: 10-Minute Orals
Session Chair: Greg Schultz, Astronomical Society of the
Pacific
Time: Tuesday 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Session Type: 10-Minute Oral Presentation
Location: Mirror Room
3E.1 What Would Galileo Do? Developing the Galileo
Teacher Training Program, a Science Process Professional
Development Workshop for Teachers
Brian Kruse, Astronomical Society of the Pacific,
bkruse@astrosociety.org
James G. Manning, Astronomical Society of the Pacific,
jmanniing@astrosociety.org
Greg Schultz, Astronomical Society of the Pacific,
gschultz@astrosociety.org
Andrew Fraknoi, Foothill College, afraknoi@astrosociety.org
A heritage program of the International Year of Astronomy (IYA)
and Beyond, the Galileo Teacher Training Program (GTTP) provides
professional development for teachers in grades 3–12. At the core of every
GTTP workshop are activities inspired by Galileo’s iconic observations;
IYA and NASA resources and activities; activities related to fundamental
concepts to assist teachers in meeting their curriculum goals; and the
inclusion of resources adaptable for use in the classroom. GTTP actively
utilizes a hands-on, inquiry based collaborative activity model of learning,
modeling effective techniques for engaging student interest and promoting
scientific literacy for both content and process. The presenters will share
lessons learned from the pilot and following workshops and plans to take
the concept forward in flexible and adaptive ways.
Outcome: Educators attending this will: (a) become aware of the Galileo
Teacher Training Program as an educational program of the Astronomical
Society of the Pacific; and (b) have an understanding of the process
involved in partnering with the ASP in providing professional development
opportunities for educators.
Session Type: 10-Minute Oral Presentation
Location: Mirror Room
3E.2 Hawaii’s Annual Journey through the Universe
Program
Janice Harvey, Aura-Gemini Observatory, jharvey@gemini.edu
Doris Daou, NASA Lunar Science Institute, Doris.Daou-1@nasa.gov
Brian Day, NASA Lunar Science Institute, brian.h.day@nasa.gov
Timothy Slater, University of Wyoming, Timslaterwyo@gmail.com
Stephanie Slater, University of Wyoming, sslaterwyo@gmail.com
Connecting People to Science
Tuesday, August 2, 2011 • 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
Hawaii’s annual Journey through the Universe program is a flagship
Gemini public education/outreach event that engages the public, teachers,
astronomers, engineers, thousands of local students and staff from all of
the Mauna Kea Observatories. The program inspires, educates and engages
teachers, students and their families as well as the community. From
February 10–18, 2011 fifty-one astronomy educators from observatories
on Mauna Kea and across the world visited over 6,500 students in 310
classrooms at 18 schools. Two family science events were held for over
2,500 at the Imiloa Astronomy Education Center and the University of
Hawaii at Hilo. The local Chamber of Commerce(s) held an appreciation
celebration for the astronomers attended by over 170 members from the
local government and business community. Now going into its eighth year
in Hawaii, the 2012 program will continue working with the observatories
on Mauna Kea and with the NASA Lunar Science Institute. As a new
partner in our Journey program, NLSI will join the Journey team (Janice
Harvey, Gemini Observatory, Journey Team Leader) and give an overview
of the successes and future developments of this remarkable program
and its growth. The future of America rests in our ability to train the
next generation of scientists and engineers. Science education is key and
Journey through the Universe opens the doors of scientific discovery for
our students. www.gemini.edu/journey
Outcome: Using our Journey through the Universe program as a model
we hope that other institutions will see the benefit of a similar approach in
their own communities.
or “a fun way to learn science,” and said they would recommend WWT
to their best friend. Quotes: *”Awesome, amazing, cool, incredible (repeat
30 times)” *”It gave me a better mental map of the universe.”*”Learning
about our universe by actually seeing and exploring it makes it easier to
contemplate and more fun.” We outline WWTA’s plans for expansion to
five carefully selected, socioeconomically diverse US sites, and we describe
the development of an online community that serves as a resource for
Ambassadors, teachers, and students beyond those locations. Learn more
about WWTA at: wwtambassadors.org.
Outcome: Participants will: • See a live overview of WWT’s features.
*Consider how WWT can be used effectively in their own educational
settings. • Learn how to participate in the WWT Ambassadors program
and contribute Tours to the WWTA collection. • Be encouraged to share
educational materials that can be downloaded from the WWTA website,
so others can improve their science teaching.
Session Type: 10-Minute Oral Presentation
Location: Mirror Room
The Galileo Teacher Training Programme successfully named
representatives in nearly 100 nations in 2009, the International Year of
Astronomy (IYA2009). The challenge had just began, the steps ahead are
how to reach educators that might benefit from our program and how to
help build a more fair and science literate society, a society in which good
tools and resources for science education are not the privilege of a few.
From 2010 on our efforts are in strengthening the newly formed network,
learn how to equally help educators and students around the globe. New
partnerships with other strong programmes and institutions are being
formed, sponsorship schemes being outlined, new tools and resources
being publicized, on site and video conference training happening all over
the world. Efforts to officially accredit a GTTP curricula in on march and a
stronger certification process being outlined. New science topics are being
integrated in our effort and we now seek to discuss the path ahead with
experts in this field and the community of users opening the network to all
corners of our beautiful blue dot.
Outcome: The main aim of this presentation is to open the discussion
regarding the urgent issue of how to reawaken student interest in science,
how to solve the gender inequality in science careers and how to reach the
underprivileged students opening to them the same possibilities
3E.3 WWT Ambassadors: Interactive Learning with
WorldWide Telescope
Patricia Udomprasert, WorldWide Telescope Ambassadors
Program, pudompra@cfa.harvard.edu
Alyssa Goodman, Harvard College Observatory,
agoodman@cfa.harvard.edu
Annie Valva, WGBH, annie_valva@wgbh.org
Curtis Wong, Microsoft Research, curtis.wong@microsoft.com
Stephen Strom, NOAO, strom@noao.edu
Ned Ladd, Bucknell University, ladd@bucknell.edu
WorldWide Telescope (WWT) offers an unparalleled view of the world’s
store of online astronomical data. This free software weaves astronomical
images from all wavelengths into an interface that resembles their natural
context—the Sky—while offering deep opportunities to teach and learn
the science behind the images. The WorldWide Telescope Ambassadors
Program (WWTA) is an outreach initiative run by researchers at Harvard
University, WGBH, and Microsoft Research. WWT Ambassadors are
experts on Astronomy and Physics who use WWT to educate the public
about astronomy and science. In this talk, we demonstrate some key
features of WWT and describe the results of a WWTA Pilot Study where
volunteer Ambassadors helped sixth-graders use WWT during a six-week
Astronomy unit. The results of the study compare learning outcomes for 80
students who participated in WWTA and 70 students at the same school
and grade who only used traditional learning materials. After the sixweek unit, twice as many “WWT” as “non-WWT” students understand
complex three dimensional orbital relationships; and tremendous gains
are seen in student interest in science overall, astronomy in particular,
and even in using “real” telescopes. In anonymous written surveys from
our Pilot, 90% of the 6th-graders described WWT as “awesome,” “cool,”
Conference Program
Session Type: 10-Minute Oral Presentation
Location: Mirror Room
3E.4 The Galileo Teacher Training Programme Global
Efforts
Rosa Doran, NUCLIO - Núcleo Interactivo de Astronomia,
rosa.doran@nuclio.pt
Session Type: 10-Minute Oral Presentation
Location: Mirror Room
3E.5 The IAU Strategic Plan: Astronomy for the
Developing World
Pedro Russo, Leiden University / International Astronomical
Union, russo@strw.leidenuniv.nl
George Miley, Leiden University / International Astronomical Union
Kevin Govender, Office of Astronomy for Development, kg@saao.ac.za
During the next decade the IAU intends to mobilize talented astronomers,
engineers and teachers around the world, in the service of developing
countries. I shall review the content of the IAU Strategic Plan 2010–2020
33
Tuesday, August 2, 2011 • 11:15 a.m.– 12:15 p.m.
“Astronomy for the Developing World” and give you an update on its
implementation. Astronomy is a unique tool for stimulating capacity
building because it combines cutting-edge technology with fundamental
science and has deep cultural roots. The plan envisages a substantial
increase in IAU education and development activities during the next
decade. These activities will be bottom-up, with a strong regional
influence. An integrated approach tailored to the conditions and needs of
each country will involve a mix of education at primary, secondary and
tertiary levels and public outreach. As a crucial component of the strategy,
the IAU together with the South African National Research Foundation
has set up a small office to coordinate and plan the various global activities
at the SAAO in Cape Town.
Concurrent Session 4: 1-Hour/2-Hour Workshops,
Special Interest Group Discussion
Time: Tuesday 11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
Session Type: 1-Hour Workshop (SPECIAL SESSION)
Location: Ionic Room
4A Sources, Techniques, and the Future of EPO
Funding: A Panel and Discussion
Andrew Fraknoi, Astronomical Society of the Pacific,
afraknoi@astrosociety.org
Scott Fisher, National Science Foundation
Dennis Schatz, National Science Foundation
Stephanie Stockman, NASA Science Mission Directorate
Ted Imes, Northrop Grumman
We invite you to join representatives of the Science and Education Divisions
of the National Science Foundation, the Science Mission Directorate at
NASA, and Northrop Grumman’s Director of Corporate Citizenship, who
will discuss the future of EPO funding and how to develop and present
your idea for a grant proposal effectively.
Outcomes: Participants new to the process of writing grant proposals will
come away with practical suggestions and materials. Veteran proposal
writers will find out more about the current funding situation in these
turbulent political times.
Session Type: 1-Hour Special Interest Group Discussion
Location: Tuscan Room
4B Best Practices for School and Community Star Parties
Robert Sparks, National Optical Astronomy Observatory,
rsparks@noao.edu
Stephen M. Pompea, National Optical Astronomy Observatory,
spompea@noao.edu
Donald A. Lubowich, Hofstra University,
Donald.A.Lubowich@hofstra.edu
Jason S. Kendall, Inwood Astronomy Project,
jasonskendall@gmail.com
Katie Moore, National Air and Space Musueum, ksm3442@gmail.com
Constance E. Walker, National Optical Astronomy Observatory,
cwalker@noao.edu
34
Star parties are a highly effective method to do astronomy outreach.
They can attract hundreds of students, teachers and parents for an
evening under the stars learning about astronomy. The National Optical
Astronomy Observatory, in collaboration with Science Foundation
Arizona, has developed one model for city-wide wide star parties using
Galileoscopes. This SIG will explore this and other models that can be
used in a variety of school and community-based settings. In the NOAO
model, staff from the observatory train and provide extensive telescope
teaching kits (developed by NOAO) to all 5th grade teachers. All 5th grade
students then build Galileoscopes and are trained on how to use them.
An astronomer also visits each classroom before the star party. The NASA
Funded Music and Astronomy Under the Stars, which brings astronomy
to large music festivals and concert venues with telescopes and astronomy
displays, will be featured as well. This SIG will bring together educators
with experience in putting on large star parties for school groups and the
general public. We will discuss the logistical challenges, how to prepare
teachers, museum educators, students, and the public for the event, how
to provide a meaningful educational experience at a star party serving all
age groups (K to adult learners), and how to conduct follow up activities
to cement learning gains. Participants will receive a CD Rom containing
the educational materials we have developed for the Galileoscope and be
encouraged to share their own materials. Our materials include a detailed
Galileoscope assembly guide, a Galileoscope Optics Guide, a Galileoscope
Observing Guide, and a How To Present a Galilleoscope Workshop
manual. We will use our experience organizing large (500 person) star
parties in Flagstaff and Yuma, Arizona and the Music and Astronomy
Under the Stars program as starting points for the discussion.
Outcomes: Special Interest Group participants will: Get perspectives on
different efficient star party models and possible organizational structures.
Learn how to use partnering to reduce the workload for the educational
organization. Receive a collection of materials that can be used for
Galileoscope or telescope-based education programs. Be actively engaged
in discussion of how to plan professional development for teachers and
prepare students for a large star party. Receive a Galileoscope Star Party
planning guide. Discuss best practices for preparing students for a star
party and appropriate follow up activities
Session Type: 2-Hour Workshop (SPECIAL SESSION)
Location: Composite Room
4C Engaging Girls in STEM: How to Plan or Revamp
Your E/PO Resources or Activities to be More Effective
for Girls (Part 2 of 2)
Mangala Sharma, Space Telescope Science Institute,
MSharma@stsci.edu
Karen Peterson, EdLab Group/National Girls Collaborative
Project, KPeterson@edlabgroup.org
Lora Bleacher, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center,
Lora.V.Bleacher@nasa.gov
Denise Smith, Space Telescope Science Institute, DSmith@stsci.edu
Continued from the 10:00 session.
Connecting People to Science
Tuesday, August 2, 2011 • 11:15 a.m.– 12:15 p.m.
Session Type: 1-Hour Workshop
Location: Veterans Room
4D Using the Big Ideas in Cosmology to Teach College
Students
Lynn Cominsky, Sonoma State University, lynnc@universe.sonoma.edu
Kim Coble, Chicago State University, kcoble@csu.edu
Kevin McLin, Sonoma State University, mclin@universe.sonoma.edu
Janelle Bailey, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Janelle.bailey@unlv.edu
Anne Metevier, Sonoma State University, ajmetevier@gmail.com
Recently, powerful new observations and advances in computation
and visualization have led to a revolution in our understanding of the
structure, composition, and evolution of the universe. These gains have
been vast, but their impact on education has been limited. We are bringing
these tools and advances to the teaching of cosmology through research
on undergraduate learning in cosmology as well as the development of
a series of web-based cosmology learning modules for general education
undergraduate students. Informed by our research on student learning
in cosmology, we are utilizing best pedagogical practices to implement
the content in an accessible online student-centered framework. In
this workshop, we will engage participants with examples of interactive
exercises, illustrations and text from the initial module of the three-module
curriculum. We invite interested educators to help us test the materials
with their students as the curriculum develops. This three-year project is
being funded by the Education and Public Outreach program for NASA’s
Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, grant NNX10AC89G from NASA’s
EPOESS program, and the Illinois Space Grant Consortium.
Outcomes: Participants will learn about the results of our research into
common alternative conceptions held by college students regarding the
structure, age, evolution and composition of the universe, including dark
matter and dark energy. They will have the opportunity to use interactive
exercises designed to help students master scientific concepts as well as
the reasoning processes that lead to our current understanding of the
universe. Participants will also provide feedback to the ongoing curriculum
development process.
Concurrent Session 4: 10-Minute Orals
Session Chair: Anna Hurst Schmitt, Astronomical Society
of the Pacific
Time: Tuesday 11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
Session Type: 10-Minute Oral Presentation
Location: Mirror Room
4E.1 SDO Citizen Scientists: The Camilla Space Weather
Project
Martha Wawro, ADNET/NASA-GSFC, martha.wawro@nasa.gov
Aleya Van Doren, ADNET, aleya.j.vandoren@nasa.gov
Romeo Durscher, Stanford University, romeo@sun.stanford.edu
After the launch of the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) in February
of 2010 and the subsequent release of huge amounts of data to public
venues there arose a need to educate the public not just about the existence
of this data, but also how to utilize this data in a meaningful way. With
Conference Program
a large formal citizen science project in the works but at least a year in
prior to completion, the SDO education and public outreach (E/PO) team
developed an interactive interface for the public and classrooms to use
and analyze SDO data to make space weather predictions and to submit
this data analysis. The Camilla Space Weather Project and the SDO Space
Weather Month bring together a menagerie of disparate Space Weather
E/PO projects around the launch of Camilla in a high altitude weather
balloon. This project asks members of the public and classrooms to
interact with SDO and other solar mission data in manner similar to solar
scientist to make their own space weather predictions, with the goal of
not only making the public more aware of SDO and SDO data, but to also
make them more aware of how the data is used to monitor space weather
events and the impact that space weather events can have on life on earth.
The interaction of the general public with real data also creates a feeling of
inclusion on the SDO team and ownership in the project, which will help
any future citizen science project by creating a ready pool of participants.
Outcome: Participants will leave with an understanding about how the
Solar Dynamics Observatory is working toward and including the general
public in the analysis of SDO data. This is a good interactive tool for others
who wish to get the public involved in their projects or for people who
would like a forum for discussing the data behind Space Weather prediction.
Session Type: 10-Minute Oral Presentation
Location: Mirror Room
4E.2 Citizen Science as Cognitive Justice: Integrating
Citizen Science into an ELAA 2 Curriculum for the Adult
Hispanic Immigrant
Melody Basham, Arizona State University, melody.basham@asu.edu
In this presentation, I will be discussing my action research study that I
will be commencing in Phoenix starting in August. As an adult educator
my research will explore how citizen science might be used to promote
higher order or critical thinking skills in the ESL classroom for adult
Hispanic immigrants in the state of Arizona. Hispanic immigrants come
to the U.S. with little to no formal education that usually does not reach
beyond an 8th grade education. One of the most common reasons stated
by these adult learners for wanting to learn English is related to the need to
be able to help their children with their homework. According to a report
by the Morrison Institute, “Many of Arizona’s Latino citizens remain ill
prepared to prosper in an intellectually demanding knowledge economy”
(Arizona Policy Choices, 2001). My research (The ELAA 2 Citizen Science
Project) will be taking a critical perspective as to how the state of Arizona
and one adult learning center is coping with the challenges of serving our
immigrant adult learners. Secondly, I will discuss the implementation of a
citizen science project on climate change with the goal of moving the ESL
learner to higher order thinking. Critical thinking and concepts of science
are not usually implemented in the typical English classroom as the focus
continues to be largely centered on everyday life skills. I will be asking,
how might we be perpetuating inequality by not exposing and making
accessible to these learners a pathway to achieve higher order thinking and
higher education? Currently in the Arizona State Adult standards, science
is only offered in English speaking ABE or GED student curriculums.
Lastly, how will engagement in citizen science promote empowerment
with the Hispanic adult learner and to what extent will their perceptions of
science and their ability to do science change?
Outcome: It is my hope that my attendees who are educators will gain a
greater understanding of the possible impact citizen science might have in
serving the learning needs of marginalized populations. In addition I hope
35
Tuesday, August 2, 2011 • 3:15 – 4:15 p.m.
they will be able to think more creatively about their current use of citizen
science and to see the potential impact that this may have in the promoting
of cognitive justice and in creating new perceptions of science in populations
who in the past have not had a level playing field in learning achievement.
Outcome: I hope to increase awareness about my astronomy riddles and
share some with other educators for use in “edutainment”. I would love to
have these slides played at other venues as well and aspire to publish my
riddles as a series of books someday.
Session Type: 10-Minute Oral Presentation
Location: Mirror Room
Session Type: 10-Minute Oral Presentation
Location: Mirror Room
4E.3 StarryTelling: Discover the Galileo in You
4E.5 Video Productions for Organizations and
Companies in a Changing World
Elizabeth Wallace, Giraffe ’n’ Ant Productions aka StarryTelling,
elizfwallace@gmail.com
We each have an astronomical story about a time when our ‘inner Galileo’
was shaken awake, perhaps by the sight of a snow-covered yard reflecting
a full moon or the Milky Way during a 1960‘s family road trip to the rim
of the Grand Canyon. Explore the possibility of honoring your audience’s
knowledge, passion and experience through planetarium shows featuring
their personal stories. They may forget how many miles it is to the moon,
or how many minutes it takes light to reach Earth from the Sun, but they’ll
always remember hearing their voices coming from the stars. Discover
how Giraffe ’n’ Ant Productions created a half hour planetarium show with
the recorded stories of over 30 middle school students enhanced by music
and sound design. Hear the reactions of parents, teachers and students and
learn how it developed into an annual STEM field day at a DC school and
a small town’s winter holiday family event. Perhaps a StarryTelling show
by your community could be a heartwarming, crowd-pleaser as well as a
successful fundraiser for your planetarium or science center.
Outcome: The takeaway from a StarryTelling workshop is an experience
of how a community’s personal star stories can be the stuff of which
engaging planetarium shows, podcasts and/or fundraising events can be
created. Learn storytelling coaching techniques to empower middle school
students and elders alike to reveal their stories. Participants will also learn
how simple stories can be enhanced by sound design and music to become
epic. Such personally rewarding events not only create bonds with the
community but are also the launch pads of future careers in astronomy,
space exploration, and their ancillary industries as well as the arts.
Session Type: 10-Minute Oral Presentation
Location: Mirror Room
4E.4 Amidst the Beauty of the Night Sky, Which of the
Constellations Am I?
Kimberly Herrmann, Lowell Observatory, herrmann@lowell.edu
A well known constellation am I — I never set in the northern sky. Native
Americans and Greeks, you see, Wrote legends when they recognized me.
Two close stars still test for keen eyesight. Two point to the North Star —
what a light! Look for my galaxies, you know where. I am —— ——-, the
——- ——! (If you’ve an answer you’d care to try, Or check out more riddles,
please stop by! Note: All my astronomy riddles are copyrighted.) I have
loved rhyming poetry ever since I can remember — from Dr. Seuss’ Green
Eggs and Ham and Maurice Sendak’s Chicken Soup with Rice, to the works
of Shel Silverstein and Jack Prelutsky. It was not until high school, though,
that I realized that I could combine two of my loves — those for poetry and
Astronomy. Since then, I have written 92 astronomical riddles and have used
them to teach or review aspects of Astronomy, including constellations. I
have found them to be effective in several venues. More recently I have used
them to create informative and entertaining seating slides that have been
playing at Lowell Observatory and the Youngstown Planetarium.
36
Joseph Miller, NASA DEVELOP National Program,
joseph.e.miller@gmail.com
As the internet moves towards Web 2.0, and as the world becomes more
fast-paced, videos and movies are playing a more integral part in social
education and outreach efforts. Unfortunately, large-scale video productions
are usually reserved for Hollywood companies with large budgets. In the
world of non-profits, schools, government agencies and public resources,
due to the recession and tighter budgets, the outreach budgets are usually
the first to get cut. But do you really have to have a full-scale movie studio
to produce professional-quality movies? With changing technology and
the advent of Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) cameras, there are many
cheap alternatives for companies and organizations that can’t afford to
produce their own full-scale productions. Computers have much to offer
as well, and new products such as green-screens, powerful editing software,
and sound-mixing capabilities allow for beginning filmmakers to create the
same level masterpiece that one might expect from Hollywood. Also, as the
range in products is becoming much larger, it can sometimes be a daunting
task to choose the right camera. With so many choices, there are several
criteria that are important to keep in mind that can help sort out the lowend cameras from the amazing cameras. This talk will cover a broad range
of topics, including supporting technologies, filming techniques, camera
and equipment selection, and video creation and promotion.
Outcome: A working knowledge of the technology available for the
creation of feature-length movies, commercials and promo videos.
Participants can also expect to receive tips and pointers on how to go
about starting their filming process and what they will need. Part of the
talk will also be devoted to the different technologies available, and how to
choose the right camera and accessories for your organization or company.
Attendees will also be taken through the process of storyboarding a video,
and will take away all the knowledge they need to start their videos.
Concurrent Session 5: 1-Hour/2-Hour Workshops,
Special Interest Group Discussion
Time: Tuesday 3:15 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.
Session Type: 2-Hour Workshop (SPECIAL SESSION)
Location: Ionic Room
5A Hands-on Workshop on Evaluation of informal
Science Education and Outreach Projects (Part 1 of 2)
Randi Korn, Randi Korn and Associates, korn@randikorn.com
Kate Haley Goldman, SSI
Pamela Gay, Southern Illinois University
Ilona Holland, Harvard Graduate School of Education
Andrew Fraknoi (convener), Astronomical Society of the Pacific
Connecting People to Science
Tuesday, August 2, 2011 • 3:15 – 4:15 p.m.
In the first half of this two-part workshop we will take a look at some
specific case studies that demonstrate how effective evaluation can be
done outside the formal classroom. The panelists, who have many years of
evaluation experience among them, will highlight and explain evaluation
cases of particular interest to the EPO community. We will discuss how
to recruit participants in an evaluation study even if they are not as easily
accessible as students who sit in a classroom every day. We will look at the
evaluation of museum exhibits, social media projects, and public programs
and show how planning ahead can lead to meaningful evaluation results.
In the second hour of this two-part workshop, we will discuss other
possible evaluation techniques for projects outside the formal classroom,
answer questions and give advice about challenges that face those planning
effective evaluation in different informal situations, and then break up
into smaller groups for more detailed discussion of specific evaluation
scenarios. You are encouraged to bring questions and challenges you have
about how to evaluate your program and discuss them with one of the
experienced workshop leaders. If you have wanted to include a greater
evaluation component in your programs or grant proposals, but have not
been able to figure out how to do it, this workshop will give you many ideas
for techniques to help you assure that your project meets the goals you have
set. Randi Korn is one of the featured plenary speakers for the meeting (see
her bio in the plenary presenters section). Kate Haley Goldman is Director
of Learning and Evaluation at the Space Science Institute. Pamela Gay is an
astronomer (at Southern Illinois University), writer, and podcaster focused
on using new and social media to engage people in science and technology.
Ilona Holland is an independent research consultant and a lecturer in the
Technology, Innovation, and Education Program at the Harvard Graduate
School of Education.
Outcomes: Participants will learn more about informal-science education
& outreach evaluation methods, find out how projects have done evaluation
in situations like their own, and will, we hope, be inspired to consider
adding more evaluation in their program planning and proposals in the
future. You will also have a chance to talk informally with the presenters
and with others who are planning projects similar to yours. You are
encouraged to attend both hours of the workshop for maximum benefit.
Session Type: 1-Hour Special Interest Group Discussion
Location: Tuscan Room
5B Data in the Classroom: Promoting STEM Learning
in Formal Education Using Real Space Science Data
Bryan Mendez, University of California Space Sciences Laboratory,
bmendez@ssl.berkeley.edu
Stephen Pompea, NOAO, spompea@noao.edu
Barbara Mattson, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center,
barbara.j.mattson@nasa.gov
Luisa Rebull, Spitzer Science Center/Caltech, rebull@ipac.caltech.edu
Laura Peticolas, UC Berkeley/SSL, laura@ssl.berkeley.edu
Alan Gould, UC Berkeley/LHS, agould@berkeley.edu
Patricia Udomprasert, Harvard/CfA, pudompra@cfa.harvard.edu
Terry Matilsky, Rutgers/Chandra, matilsky@physics.rutgers.edu
Susan Sunbury, Harvard/CfA, ssunbury@cfa.harvard.edu
Patrick Miller, Hardin-Simmons University, pmiller@hsutx.edu
The general goal of most education and public outreach (E/PO) programs is
to promote learning in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
(STEM) through some manner of engagement with the science program
Conference Program
funding the endeavor. A powerful objective some use to meet this goal is
to have our audiences engage with actual data from the science program
itself. For an informal education or public outreach audience this might
take the form of a citizen science style of engagement. Engaging the formal
education audience offers both challenges and opportunities the other
audiences do not. All activities in the current formal classroom must be
tied to local education standards. However, a standards-based lesson plan
using actual space science data allows students to engage with a particular
science program in a very deep way. Many in our professional E/PO
community have run programs engaging students and teachers in science
data. In this session, we will give an overview of several such programs and
their lessons learned. We will then engage participants in discussions of
emerging best practices in using data in the formal education classroom.
Outcomes: Participants in the session will be informed on the variety
of programs using data in the classroom as well as lessons learned and
best practices from these programs. We intend to keep this conversation
going with our community throughout the year through electronic
communications and at each ASP meeting. We hope to improve the
overall practice of our community bringing data into the classroom. We
also intend to create a cross-fertilization of ideas between programs and
a sharing of audiences, so that those classrooms participating in one
program can be made aware of others that they might take part in.
Session Type: 1-Hour Workshop
Location: Composite Room
5C Exploring Transiting Extrasolar Planets in Your
Astronomy Lab, Classroom or Public Presentation
Peter Newbury, University of British Columbia, newbury@phas.ubc.ca
Our search for life in the Universe and the flood of results from the Kepler
Mission have made the discovery of extrasolar planets an exciting and
relevant topic for introductory “Astro 101” courses and presentations to
the general public. Instructors, students, presenters and audiences latch
onto “the transit method” of detection because it is so intuitive: when an
extrasolar planet passes between us and its star, the planet temporarily
blocks some star light and we detect a dip in the brightness of the star. The
period and shape of the dips in the record of the star’s brightness encodes
the characteristics of the planet. We developed a 50-minute hands-on
activity that gives students the ability to quantitatively decode these patterns
and then determine the period, diameter and semi-major axis of transiting
extrasolar planet HD 209458b to within a few percent of published results.
In this workshop, participants will experience the activity from both the
students’ and facilitator’s points-of-view, gain insight into how the activity
was designed to promote learning, and share ideas about how the activity
can be adapted to an interactive demonstration that could be used in a
classroom, lecture hall, or public setting. We’ll also see how the equipment
and materials can easily be extended to model the light curves of eclipsing
binary stars, giving Astro 101 instructors a way to demonstrate and verify
the concepts in, for example, the Binary Stars Lecture-Tutorial and the
NAAP Eclipsing Binary Stars lab. This work is supported by the Carl
Wieman Science Education Initiative at the University of British Columbia.
Outcomes: Worksheets for 50-minute, hands-on activity about transiting
extrasolar planets. Instructor’s guide for activity, including learning
goals, justification for instructional strategies, facilitation instructions,
assessment. Materials for modifying the activity into an interactive
demonstration for use in the classroom or public setting. Suggestions for
adapting the equipment to model eclipsing binary stars (to accompany,
for example, the Binary Stars Lecture-Tutorial or NAAP Eclipsing Binary
Stars lab).
37
Tuesday, August 2, 2011 • 3:15 – 4:15 p.m.
Session Type: 1-Hour Workshop
Location: Veterans Room
5D STOP for Science! — A School-Wide Science
Enrichment Program
Patrick Slane, CfA/CXC, slane@cfa.harvard.edu
Robert Slane, Section Elementary School, Mukwonago, WI,
slanero@mukwonago.k12.wi.us
Kimberly Kowal Arcand, CfA/CXC, kkowal@cfa.harvard.edu
Kathy Lestition, CfA/CXC, kathy@head.cfa.harvard.edu
Young students are natural scientists. They love to poke and prod, and
they live to compare and contrast. What is the fastest animal? Where is the
tallest mountain on Earth (or in the Solar System)? Where do the colors in
a rainbow come from? And why do baseball players choke up on their bats?
We work hard to harness this energy and enthusiasm in the classroom but,
particularly at an early age, science enrichment — exposure outside the
formal classroom — is crucial to help expand science awareness and hone
science skills. By capturing the attention of students, and focusing their
thoughts on diverse science topics, we can further develop critical thinking
skills that foster a broad appreciation and understanding of science.
Imagine a lunchroom debate, not about which new video game is the most
awesome, but about whether or not the sun will ever explode. (“Will too.”
“Will NOT! There’s not enough mass!”) That’s an argument worth having.
Developed under a grant from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Center, “STOP for
Science!” is a simple but effective (and extensible) building-wide science
enrichment program aimed at raising questions about science topics
chosen to capture student interest. Created through the combined efforts
of an astrophysicist and an elementary school principal, and strongly
recommended by NASA’s Earth & Space Science product review, “STOP
for Science” combines eye-catching displays of science topics accompanied
by level-selected questions and extensive teacher resources to provide
broad exposure to familiar, yet intriguing, science themes.
Outcomes: The workshop participant will: Learn how to establish a schoolwide focus on the science behind high-interest topics ranging from the
swinging of a bat to the explosion of stars; Learn about materials, resources,
and implementation plans to incorporate a new simple-to-administer
school-wide science enrichment program; Increase their knowledge about
broad physical science topics including the collapse of massive stars, the
relative nature of measurement, refraction, light speed, and rotational
inertia; Become familiar with free resources provided to extend selected
physical science topics into the classrooms including: background science
principles, classroom demonstrations and activities, and fun facts.
Concurrent Session 5: 10-Minute Orals
Session Chair: Russanne Low, IGES
Time: Tuesday 3:15 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.
Session Type: 10-Minute Oral Presentation
Location: Mirror Room
5E.1 Space Math @ NASA: Putting the ‘M’ Back in STEM
Sten Odenwald, NASA / ADNET, sten.f.odenwald@nasa.gov
Sharon Bowers, National Institute for Aerospace,
sharon.bowers@nianet.org
38
Elaine Lewis, NASA / Honeywell, elaine.m.lewis@nasa.gov
We all understand that mathematics skills are the basis for a deep
understanding of science content that can often not be obtained through
qualitative learning alone. We expect our students to learn how to
think quantitatively, and apply the hard-won math skills that they have
learned, but do not model very well exactly how it is that one ‘sees’ math
in the world. This talk will introduce participants to the art of reverseengineering NASA press releases and other qualitative science content, to
reveal the often simple mathematics that underlies the discovery process.
Outcome: Using a few examples as a guide, participants will get the hang
of reading between the lines and creating math applications problems
from many sources of raw science content found in many locations such
as NASA press releases. Examples will span earth, planetary, astrophysics
and exploration themes.
Session Type: 10-Minute Oral Presentation
Location: Mirror Room
5E.2 Improving the Pipeline of Women in STEM Fields:
Addressing Challenges in Instruction, Engagement, and
Evaluation of an Aerospace Workshop Series for Girl
Scouts
Carolyn Sealfon, West Chester University, csealfon@wcupa.edu
Julia D. Plummer, Arcadia University, PlummerJ@arcadia.edu
The Women in Aerospace and Technology Diversity Project (WATD) is
a collaborative effort between the Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania,
the American Helicopter Museum, Boeing Rotorcraft, Sikorsky Global
Helicopters, Drexel University, West Chester University, and Arcadia
University. The program aims to increase the representation of women in
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) fields; the evaluation
team identified a secondary goal to assess growth in participants’
understanding of scientific inquiry. Girls, grades 4–12, were invited to
join Girl Scout troops formed at the American Helicopter Museum to
participate in a series of eight workshops on the physics and engineering
of flight. Five college women, majoring in physics and engineering, were
recruited as mentors for the girls. Lessons were written by local aerospace
industry partners (including Boeing and Sikorsky); the mentors then
taught the lessons and activities during the workshops. To evaluate the
impact of this project, we collected data to answer two research questions:
1) In what ways does the program impact participants’ attitudes towards
science and interest in pursuing science as a career? 2) In what ways does
the program impact participants’ understanding of the nature of scientific
inquiry? Data collection included: a) pre/post attitudes about science
survey; b) pre/post Views of Scientific Inquiry instrument; c) end-ofworkshop informal questionnaires; d) field notes from workshops and
fieldtrips; and, e) curricula provided by industry partners. Across the
seven months of data collection, two challenges became apparent. One,
the participants expressed an interest for more hands-on experiences and
less ‘school-like’ activities than the first few workshops provided. Secondly,
our assessment goals, focusing on scientific interest and inquiry, seemed
misaligned with the workshop curricula, which emphasized engineering
and design. This limited our ability to accurately assess participants’
changes in attitude and understanding.
Outcome: The intended outcomes for this presentation are: a) Share
findings based on pre/post attitudinal and inquiry-knowledge surveys as
well as end-of-workshop assessments and observational data; b) Discuss
the evolution of the project as stakeholders re-evaluated the workshop
Connecting People to Science
Tuesday, August 2, 2011 • 4:30 – 5:30 p.m.
experience and elicited feedback from participants; c) Suggest directions
for further research and evaluation on this and similar programs that bring
together scientists, museums, and university collaborators.
Session Type: 10-Minute Oral Presentation
Location: Mirror Room
5E.3 The Unknown Moon — Eliminating Misconception
and Strengthening Lunar Science Literacy in the
Classroom
Alexandra Matiella Novak, Johns Hopkins University Applied
Physics Laboratory, alexandra.matiella.novak@jhuapl.edu
Kerri Beisser, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory,
kerri.beisser@jhuapl.edu
Our Moon is an ideal tool for teaching about space science and Earth’s place
in our Solar System. The Moon remains the second-most studied object
in our Solar System and the only other body, besides Earth, from which
humans have collected field samples. Despite our long history of studying
the Moon, there are still many questions that remain unanswered. Most
students believe that we know everything there is to know about the Moon,
but in actuality it still remains very much “unknown”. For example, recent
radar observations of the lunar poles suggest the presence of water ice, but
the quantity remains unknown. Additionally, remote-sensing analysis of
the Moon’s regolith suggests the presence of chemicals that can be used as
resources when manned-missions return to the Moon, but how we would
access those resources remains unknown. These studies and many more
need to be shared with students in a way that regenerates excitement for
future exploration of our Moon and our Solar System. This presentation
will go over common lunar misconceptions, ideas for establishing Lunar
Literacy concepts, and new discoveries that strengthen the Moon’s
relationship to Earth. A discussion on applying Earth science principles to
help explain lunar science will also be included. Research and discoveries
attributed to the NASA Lunar Science Institute and instruments onboard
NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter will be highlighted.
Outcome: The outcomes of this presentation will include a better
understanding of popular misconceptions associated with lunar science
and techniques on how to correct those misconceptions. Additionally, a
list of Lunar Literacy concepts developed along-side lunar scientists will
be offered. Techniques for making concrete connections between Earth
science and lunar science will also be presented. These techniques will
prove useful in the classroom as we strive to engage more students with
lunar science, make lunar science as familiar as Earth science, and increase
excitement for future manned-missions to the Moon. Information from
this session will be published in the conference proceedings.
Session Type: 10-Minute Oral Presentation
Location: Mirror Room
5E.4 The River Mile: A Student Inquiry Approach to
Watershed Health of the Columbia River Watershed
real world scientific data collection and analysis and become intimately
familiar with their mile by spending time in the field inventorying the site,
and, in collaboration with National Park staff and scientists from a variety
of agencies, monitor, analyze investigate and research their site. In schools
where more than one grade participates, students build on previous
knowledge and continue their growth in their understanding of ecosystem
health over multiple grades. Established during the 2007–08 school year,
in-the-field programs were conducted during spring 2008 with seven
schools and 289 3rd–12th grade students around Lake Roosevelt National
Recreation Area. Lake Roosevelt is the last 150 miles of the Columbia River
in the United States and is administered by the National Park Service. The
program has expanded to include schools using Columbia River tributaries
located outside of the park and at present more than 1000 students, 32
teachers and 100 resource partners participate in the program. The River
Mile is more than just visiting an outdoor classroom for a program one or
two times a year. It is a network of educators, students, resource managers,
scientists and environmental educators sharing what they know and learn
about the Columbia River Watershed. Teachers and students share what
they learn about their river mile and scientists, resource managers, and
environmental educators share their knowledge, expertise and current
research through webinars, conference calls, an electronic newsletter,
the Student Science Symposium, student festivals, various workshops for
teachers and high school students.
Outcome: At the end of this session participants will know: How inquiry
is being used to train teachers and students at Lake Roosevelt National
Recreation Area. How “The River Mile” utilizes partnerships and
networking to connect teachers, students, scientists, resource specialists
and environmental educators. What the future plans are for “The River
Mile” and how anyone can assist. How students and teachers are engaged
in a variety of sciences and what it has meant to those teachers and students
(e.g., student success and their college careers).
Concurrent Session 6: 1-Hour/2-Hour Workshops,
Special Interest Group Discussion
Time: Tuesday 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Session Type: 2-Hour Workshop (SPECIAL SESSION)
Location: Ionic Room
6A Hands-on Workshop on Evaluation of informal
Science Education and Outreach Projects (Part 2 of 2)
Randi Korn, Randi Korn and Associates, korn@randikorn.com
Kate Haley Goldman, SSI
Pamela Gay, Southern Illinois University
Ilona Holland, Harvard Graduate School of Education
Andrew Fraknoi (convener), Astronomical Society of the Pacific
Continued from the 3:15 session.
Janice Elvidge, NPS Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area,
Janice_Elvidge@nps.gov
“The River Mile” is a student inquiry approach to the study and research
of the watershed health of the Columbia River. Schools adopt a one mile
section of the Columbia River or tributary and utilize it as their living
laboratory. Kindergarten through 12th grade students are engaged in
Conference Program
39
Tuesday, August 2, 2011 • 4:30 – 5:30 p.m.
Session Type: 1-Hour Special Interest Group Discussion
Location: Tuscan Room
6B Barriers, Lessons Learned, and Best Practices in
Engaging Scientists in Education and Public Outreach
Sanlyn Buxner, Planetary Science Institute, buxner@psi.edu
Mangala Sharma, Space Telescope Science Institute,
msharma@stsci.edu
Brooke Hsu, Lunar and Planetary Institute, brooke.c.hsu@nasa.gov
Laura Peticolas, University of California, Berkeley - Space Sciences
Lab, laura@sunearth.ssl.berkeley.edu
Alexandra Matiella Novak, Johns Hopkins University Applied
Physics Laboratory, Alexandra.Matiella.Novak@jhuapl.edu
Emily CoBabe-Ammann, Emily CoBabe & Associates, Inc.,
ecobabe@spaceeducation.org
In line with the conference theme of Connecting People to Science, this
special interest group session will bring together education and public
outreach (EPO) professionals and scientists who are active, or would like
to be active, in EPO to discuss barriers, common pitfalls, and best practices
in engaging scientists and experts in EPO activities. Active engagement of
scientists in EPO activities results in benefits for both the audience and the
scientists. Despite this, education research has shown that many barriers
exist that keep scientists from engaging in EPO activities. To counter these
barriers, many stakeholders in this community are working to bridge
the gap and help scientists make a meaningful contribution to these
efforts. There are many documented roles for scientists including public
talks, classroom visits, large outreach events, radio broadcasts, engaging
in curriculum development and teacher workshops. Additionally, EPO
funding is available to scientists to add-ons to their science research grants,
although many have reported a need for support in how to best craft this
effort. This conference brings together a unique audience of specialists
interested in education and public outreach across many settings and has
the potential to bring together interested members across a wide variety of
contexts including NASA centers, non-profits, museums, and universities.
Over the past year, members of the NASA Science Mission Directorate
EPO Forums have been actively working with their community members
to understand the reasons that scientists do and do not participate in EPO
activities. We would like to expand this discussion to the larger community
so that we can all benefit from a discussion of stakeholders across science,
education and outreach contexts. This session will be an open forum
for discussion of ideas around barriers and lessons learned of engaging
scientists in education and public outreach.
Outcomes: The EPO community will have a better sense of how scientists
nationwide are or could be engaged effectively in education and outreach.
Participants will gain an increased understanding of the barriers for
scientists’ engagement in EPO. Participants will come away with additional
strategies for engaging scientists in EPO. Participants will understand
where and how they may continue to discuss ideas of scientist engagement
in EPO with their colleagues.
Session Type: 1-Hour Workshop
Location: Composite Room
6C Teaching with the Digital Universe Atlas
Ryan Wyatt, California Academy of Sciences, rwyatt@calacademy.org
40
Brian Abbott, American Museum of Natural History,
abbott@amnh.org
Richard Casse, California Academy of Sciences,
rcasse@calacademy.org
Modern planetariums have led a movement in astronomy education that
makes use of a powerful collection of three-dimensional datasets known
collectively as the “Digital Universe,” a name coined by the Hayden
Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History. The Digital
Universe atlas has grown out of a convergence of two great streams of
technical achievement: celestial mapmaking, the product of centuries of
observation and scientific breakthrough, combined with hardware and
software engineering, which enables sophisticated data visualization. A
three-dimensional virtual model enables an intuitive experience of scale,
which provides a spatial framework for describing cosmic phenomena. But
teaching with the atlas requires that educators possess deep familiarity with
21st-century astronomy and cosmology, as well as facility with physically
navigating through the virtual data. How do we train the next generation
of astronomy educators to make constructive use of this powerful new
tool? The workshop will convey experience training dozens of presenters
at both the American Museum of Natural History in New York and the
California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. Participants will gain
opportunities to work with the data involved and to develop teaching
methods and narratives to address their particular audiences.
Outcomes: Workshop participants will: 1) develop an intuitive and
visual understanding of the Universe, 2) acquire skills in teaching the
three-dimensional nature and scale of the Universe, and 3) identify
narrative techniques that support learning. The community will benefit
from leveraging an atlas of integrated, observational, three-dimensional
data that support sophisticated instructional practice and reinforce the
conceptual frameworks required to understand 21st-century astronomy.
Session Type: 1-Hour Workshop
Location: Veterans Room
6D MY NASA DATA: An Earth Science Data
Visualization Tool for the Classroom
Preston Lewis, NASA langley Research Center / SSAI,
preston.lewis@nasa.gov
Lin Chambers, NASA Langley research Center,
lin.h.chambers@nasa.gov
Have you needed a source of up-to-date authentic data to use in the
classroom? Do your students wonder why they need to know how to use
data? This workshop will show you how to engage your science students
using authentic NASA satellite data! Explore the MY NASA DATA Live
Access Server (LAS) along with classroom-ready lessons using real
satellite data. These data can be visualized in a number of ways to suit
your established curriculum while grabbing the attention of your students.
A focus on the implementation and the use of Earth Systems data sets,
developed for student researchers in grades K–12, will allow you to better
make use of this wonderful tool. All of the data sets are derived from an
archive of remotely sensed data retrieved from the myriad of NASA’s Earth
Observing System Satellites. The data that you and your students will be
using and manipulating is the same data, formatted for educational use,
that NASA scientists rely on everyday to better understand our Earth.
Regardless of what subject you teach, you will find multiple lesson plans
that will fit right into your class. For more information on the project, go to
the MY NASA DATA web page at http://mynasadata.larc.nasa.gov/.
Connecting People to Science
Tuesday, August 2, 2011 • 4:30 – 5:30 p.m.
Outcomes: Participating teachers will explore topics in Earth and
atmospheric science and educational application of data sets; and, will
gain the knowledge to use the LAS to access authentic data. Participants
will learn how data visualization can be used to enhance their curricula
and how students can utilize real NASA data for inquiry and problembased learning activities/research. By learning background information
related to atmosphere, radiation budget, clouds, and other Earth Science
topics, you will walk away with a classroom-ready set of skills to engage
your students.
Concurrent Session 6: 10-Minute Orals
Session Chair: Beth Hufnagel, Anne Arundel Community
College
Time: Tuesday 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Session Type: 10-Minute Oral Presentation
Location: Mirror Room
6E.1 Mars Exploration Student Data Teams —
Impacting Students’ Decisions to Pursue STEM Pathways
Dawn Turney, Johns Hopkins University, Applied Physics Lab
(APL), dawn.turney@jhuapl.edu
Brian Grigsby, Arizona State University, bgrigsby@suhsd.net
The Mars Exploration Student Data Teams (MESDT) is an exciting
program which immerses teams of high school and undergraduate
students in an authentic research Science, Technology, Engineering and
Mathematics (STEM) based experience. MESDT allows students to be
direct participants in the scientific process by working with scientists of
the Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM),
an instrument onboard NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO).
Students work with teacher mentors and CRISM team members to
analyze CRISM data and submit proposals for peer and scientist review.
The use of technology in the classroom allows the MESDT program to
successfully reach a nationwide audience. The PI of the CRISM instrument
is at The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) which leads
the CRISM E/PO efforts. APL works on MESDT together with the creator
of the program, Arizona State University, as part of its overall CRISM E/
PO efforts. MESDT aims to develop foundational abilities needed by all
students such as critical thinking, problem solving, cooperative group
work, and analysis skills. The implications of having students involved in
actual data analysis from an orbiting spacecraft include increased technical,
critical thinking, problem solving, and teamwork skills. Assessments and
teacher reports show MESDT has led to scholarships and awards, and has
had a definite impact on students and their decisions to pursue STEM
related majors and careers.
Outcome: Participants will take away new knowledge of the Mars
Exploration Student Data Teams, a nationwide distance learning program
which has been shown to impact students’ decisions to pursue STEM
related majors and careers. Participants will benefit from learning how the
program is structured as well as learning about the challenges, successes,
and lessons learned.
Conference Program
Session Type: 10-Minute Oral Presentation
Location: Mirror Room
6E.2 Introducing Astrophysics and Cosmology as Part of
Multi-Disciplinary Approaches to Liberal Arts Courses
Addressing “The Big Questions” of Human Experience
Joseph Wesney, Sacred Heart University, wesneyj@sacredheart.edu
There is an opportunity to bring college students to the exploration of
grandeur and wonder of the universe through the design and crafting
of courses for the university and/or liberal arts curricula that would
develop multi-disciplinary perspectives within the frames of reference
of astrophysics and cosmology. There is broad interest within colleges
and universities to provide courses that examine “The Big Questions”
of human experience from a variety of perspectives. The study of the
discoveries and insights that we have gained through the development
of astrophysics and cosmology provides course options for students to
use to explore these questions. Such hybrid courses enable students to
approach the questions of origins, human existence, appreciation of the
natural world, appreciation of the universe at large, and the significance of
our evolving comprehension of the universe from a variety of disciplinary
perspectives, including those that border on the astrophysical and
cosmological domains. There are within such courses opportunities to
examine historical, philosophical, theological, and cultural perspectives as
they intersect with our scientific understanding of where and who we are.
The first of these courses at Sacred Heart University has been developed
and presented for the past 2 years as part of the new Core Curriculum.
That course, “The Journey in the Physical Universe”, will be discussed, and
assessment insights will be shared.
Outcome: Each participant will experience and obtain the following:
Shared experiences related to the development of such a multidisciplinary course. Examples and suggestions for the structuring and
instructional approaches for the course. Demonstration of simple, but
effective methods of engaging students in thoughtful consideration of
how we explore and examine the universe. Sample copy of the current
syllabus for “The Journey in the Physical Universe” to illustrate the
various curriculum design features of such a multi-disciplinary approach.
Shared potential resources for a course such as this. Access to a network
of those with similar curricular interests.
Session Type: 10-Minute Oral Presentation
Location: Mirror Room
6E.3 Spectra, Doppler Shifts, and Exoplanets: A Novel
Approach via Interactive Animated Spreadsheets
Scott Sinex, Prince George’s Community College, ssinex@pgcc.edu
In our astronomy course for general education, we introduce students to
spectroscopy using gas discharge tubes and diffraction glasses. To extend
and explain the line spectra, students use a series of interactive animated
spreadsheets to develop the concepts underlying spectral line generation
for hydrogen (both absorption and emission) and element identification.
To build on this, students investigate spectroscopy in motion to develop
an understanding of the Doppler shift and recessional velocity. Hubble’s
Law can easily be constructed (using the original and modern data with
simple mathematical modeling for novices pre-built into the spreadsheet)
and students shown how it can be used as a distance measuring tool. The
animated spreadsheet can camouflage the mathematics all-the-while
allowing students to explore red and blue shifts and how the size of the
41
Wednesday, August 3, 2011 • 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
shift is wavelength dependent. The mathematics can then resurface if and
when needed. As a third activity, students are introduced to the Doppler
method for exoplanet discovery. Here the concept of center of mass and
the wobble of the star must first be introduced and then the cyclic nature
of the spectral signal can be discovered by students. The spreadsheet
permits exoplanet orbital parameters to be determined while again
camouflaging the mathematics. We examine the behavior of our solar
system being discovered by an alien astronomer in an interactive fashion.
The use of interactive, animated spreadsheets provides the opportunity
for concept exploration with the mathematics hidden. Students explore
in a visual fashion using the animations (spectra and center of mass) and
animated graphs. Students need a basic understanding of mathematical
models which in itself is a great science process skill. The spreadsheets are
all computationally-based using formulae with no programming (easily
modified by instructors). All three of the spreadsheets are available for free
to download.
Outcome: Participants, as students in a mock classroom environment, will
see how: Students can discover concepts in spectroscopy; Students can
deal with data and its graphical interpretation; Easy animated spreadsheets
can be used to mathematically model and camouflage mathematics; More
science process skills are added to the classroom and/or laboratory, and;
Spreadsheets generate an interactive learning environment using an
off-the-shelf piece of software. Participants will be provided pre-built
spreadsheets and numerous resources, including getting into mathematical
modeling, and for developing interactive animated spreadsheets at http://
academic.pgcc.edu/~ssinex/excelets.
Session Type: 10-Minute Oral Presentation
Location: Mirror Room
6E.4 Astronomical Simulations Alongside Text is Easy in
HTML5
Tad Thurston, Oklahoma City Community College, thurston@occc.edu
HTML5 and Javascript afford new possibilities for dynamic and freely
accessible texts online. Where previously it was difficult or clumsy to
provide interactive simulations together with expository text on a web
page, now one may code a small simulation to appear immediately beside
the relevant explanation in a way accessible to everyone with a modern
browser. Students seem to engage and learn from simple animations more
than static images; I hypothesize that they engage and learn even more
from simulations that they can easily control than simple animations they
passively only watch. Modern computing hardware is now fast enough to
allow moderately complex simulations to run in the browser such as those
modeling stellar structure, gravitational orbits, atomic level populations,
blackbody spectrum generation, and so on. These topics are difficult to
convey to non-science majors with only text and images, but perhaps they
can build some intuitive familiarity with these models through interaction.
In addition, using only Javascript and HTML5 allows the option of
portability of these web pages as mobile apps, which should be a popular
mode of distribution in the future.
Outcome: Attendees should become familiar with the promise of online
resources that combine text and interactive simulations and see examples
of the above, as well as help in disseminating these ideas to expand the
cause of global science outreach.
42
Concurrent Session 7: 1-Hour Workshops, Special
Interest Group Discussion
Time: Wednesday 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Session Type: 1-Hour Special Interest Group Discussion
Location: Ionic Room
7A NRC Framework for K–12 Science Education
Standards: What’s In It and What It Means for Astronomy
and Space Science
Dennis Schatz, Pacific Science Center, dschatz@nsf.gov
Martin Storksdieck, National Research Council, mstorksdieck@nas.edu
Tom Keller, National Research Council, tkeller@nas.edu
John Mather, Goddard Space Flight Center
Steve Pruitt, Achieve, Inc.
Come learn more about and discuss the Conceptual Framework for
the Next Generation Science Education Standards, recently released by
the National Research Council and bound to replace science education
standards that were developed in the mid 1990s. Explore the role of
scientific practices and understand the role of the cross-cutting themes in
addition to seeing the core science concepts included in the Framework.
After a general overview, participants will work in small groups to delve
deeper into selected parts of the Framework and examine implications for
astronomy and space science learning at the K–12 level and in informal
settings. The session will conclude with an overview of the next steps in
the process to develop Next Generation Science Standards — including
how Achieve, Inc. will produce the standards, how the standards will be
different than the framework, and how you can get involved in that process.
A follow up session at the ASP conference will look more closely at the
Minimum Astronomy and Space Science Concepts in a K–12 Curriculum
that have been developed by a coalition of the US planetarium directors
and their staffs. The outcome of this second session will be used to inform
the development of the New Generation Science Education Standards to
be developed by Achieve.
Outcomes: Participants will have an understanding of the key elements in
the NRC Framework and the process to produce standards based on the
framework. Participants will also know the astronomy and space science
concepts identified in the framework and will have started thinking about
the implications for the work they do in astronomy and space science
education.
Session Type: 1-Hour Workshop (SPECIAL SESSION)
Location: Tuscan Room
7B Bring NASA’s Year of the Solar System into Your
Programs
Christine Shupla, Lunar and Planetary Institute, shupla@lpi.usra.edu
Stephanie Shipp, Lunar and Planetary Institute, shipp@lpi.usra.edu
Don Boonstra, Sustainability Schools Consulting, LLC,
DonBoonstra@comcast.net
Heather Dalton, Lunar and Planetary Institute, dalton@lpi.usra.edu
Sanlyn Buxner, Planetary Science Institute, buxner@psi.edu
Connecting People to Science
Wednesday, August 3, 2011 • 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
John Ristvey, Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning,
jristvey@mcrel.org
Rachel Zimmerman-Brachman, JPL,
rachel.zimmerman-brachman@jpl.nasa.gov
Alice Wessen, JPL, alice.s.wessen@jpl.nasa.gov
Emily CoBabe-Ammann, Emily CoBabe & Associates, Inc.,
ecobabe@spaceeducation.org
NASA’s Year of the Solar System (solarsystem.nasa.gov/yss) is a celebration
of our exploration of the solar system, which began in October 2010
and continues for one Martian year (687 Earth days) ending in late
summer 2012. The diverse planetary missions in this period create a rare
opportunity to engage students and the public, using NASA missions
to reveal new worlds and new discoveries. Each month focuses on a
particular topic, such as the scale of the solar system, its formation, water
in the solar system, volcanism, atmospheres, and more! All educators are
invited to join the celebration; indeed, the E/PO community is needed in
order for this event to be successful! Join us to survey a variety of thematic
activities, to receive resources and implementation ideas, and share your
own experiences and upcoming events! Learn how to post your own
comments, photos, and stories on the YSS website, and suggest additional
resources and activities for upcoming topics.
Outcomes: Participants will discover how to participate in the Year of the
Solar System, and how to bring YSS resources into their own events and
activities. They will be invited to suggest strong resources and activities for
inclusion in the YSS web site. Participants will also see demonstrations of
select activities and online connections to hundreds more, grouped by age
level, formal and informal, and by topic.
Session Type: 1-Hour Workshop
Location: Composite Room
7C Citizen Science: Mapping the Moon & Mercury
Georgia Bracey, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville,
gbracey@siue.edu
Pamela Gay, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville,
pgay@siue.edu
Kathy Costello, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville,
kacoste@siue.edu
Ellen Reilly, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville,
ejreilly@charter.net
The familiar face of our Moon is brought even closer to home by
experiencing Moon Zoo, an engaging online citizen science project from
the creators of Galaxy Zoo. Using high resolution images from the Lunar
Reconnaissance Orbiter, Moon Zoo lets the public explore the lunar surface
in breathtaking detail, mapping craters and discovering new features as
they go. The maps they generate will be used by scientists to understand
solar system ages and to comparatively study geology across worlds. The
less-familiar face of Mercury is also being explored and mapped through
Mercury Zoo, thanks to images from MESSENGER, the first spacecraft
to orbit Mercury. And as citizen science projects, both of these Zoos let
the public participate in authentic scientific research. This workshop offers
participants the opportunity to make new and stronger connections to
both of these solar system objects while getting a glimpse of the process and
nature of science. The format of the workshop includes discussions with
scientists and educators on ways to involve informal audiences in citizen
science, and time for the participants to explore Moon Zoo and Mercury
Conference Program
Zoo for themselves. Participants will also learn how the excitement of
International Observe the Moon Night in October 2011 and the Year of
the Solar System can further connect informal audiences to science.
Outcomes: Participants in this workshop will learn how to use Moon
Zoo and Mercury Zoo to foster a greater understanding of the process
and nature of science. Participants will learn the latest science involving
the Moon and Mercury. Participants will learn how citizen science builds
strong connections between science and the public. Participants will take
home cards with links to available online resources.
Session Type: 1-Hour Workshop
Location: Veterans Room
7D From Out-of-School to Outer Space — A Case
Study in NASA Education Product Adaptation and
Dissemination for Afterschool
Maryann Stimmer, Educational Equity Center at AED,
mstimmer@aed.org
Leslie Lowes, NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory,
Leslie.L.Lowes@jpl.nasa.gov
Shari Asplund, NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory,
Shari.E.Asplund@jpl.nasa.gov
Using a NASA-developed adaptation guide, extensive pilot and field
testing, and audience input on the product design and layout, three sets of
NASA solar system exploration-themed formal education materials have
been adapted specifically for use in afterschool and summer programs
serving grades 4–5. In this project “From Out-of-School to Outer Space”,
we also created professional development videos aimed at the unique
needs of afterschool leaders, helping to increase their comfort in guiding
inquiry and in helping the kids to see themselves doing science and
engineering. Demand is up for science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics (STEM) programs as employers seek students with 21st
century skills, and state and national initiatives respond. The tenants of
the afterschool environment make it an ideal setting for the experience
of hands-on science and engineering and developing and practicing
those habits-of-mind — observing, questioning, reasoning, and drawing
conclusions. Yet STEM programs for afterschool face the challenges of
staff well versed in youth development but unfamiliar or uncomfortable
with science and technical subjects, a lack of time to prepare, and a lack of
funding for materials or special space. It is important address this audience
with good quality materials suited to the typical afterschool environment.
In this workshop, we’ll highlight the key considerations in adapting upper
elementary and middle school science and engineering formal education
materials for afterschool. We’ll share practical tips and lessons learned in
designing for and disseminating to this audience. With sample videos,
we’ll illustrate core techniques for unique challenges of professional
development for afterschool leaders. You’ll have the opportunity to analyze
examples of activities that work and those that need improvement. Bring
your own short elementary or middle school activity for a brief analysis
and practical suggestions.
Outcomes: Participants will gain: • Knowledge of tools available for
guiding adaptation of STEM materials for afterschool settings • Knowledge
of the needs for STEM in afterschool, and of networks for dissemination
• An understanding of the characteristics of a successful quality STEM
OST adaptation and the process for making an adaptation • An application
to existing work through their own project examples • Digital copies of
afterschool curriculum and videos for grades 4–5.
43
Wednesday, August 3, 2011 • 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
Concurrent Session 7: 10-minute Orals
Session Chair: Rick Fienberg, American Astronomical
Society
Time: Wednesday 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Session Type: 10-Minute Oral Presentation
Location: Mirror Room
7E.1 CAISE: What We Know About Science Learning in
Informal Settings
Benjamin Dickow, CAISE / NSF, benjamindickow@gmail.com
John Falk, Oregon State University, Falkj@science.oregonstate.edu
Most of the science a person learns in most of their life happens outside
of school in the myriad of Informal Science Education (ISE) opportunities
available around the country. CAISE, the Center for Advancement of
Informal Science Education, is supported by funding from the National
Science Foundation and serves as a center for the ISE field. The proposed
CAISE presentation will outline the diversity of the field as well as data that
make the case for the impact of ISE. It also will describe what CAISE is
doing to strengthen the field and help bring together the science research
community and members of ISE, maximizing the connection between
science and the public. The presentation will include time for Q&A as well
as an open forum to explore how the field can better connect with science
research. We spend only around 5% of our lives in school. ISE is there to
bring science to the other 95% of our lives.
Outcome: The audience will: (a) Gain an understanding of the wide scope
and impact of the ISE field, strengthening the ISE community by laying
out its boundaries and effect; (b) Learn about how CAISE and the NSF
can support ISE, creating more valuable ISE resources; (c) Be exposed to
pathways for new professionals to enter ISE, thereby building the field;
and (d) Explore the many opportunities to connect science research to the
effective science communication provided by ISE.
Session Type: 10-Minute Oral Presentation
Location: Mirror Room
7E.2 Engaging Youth in Exhibition Development and
Evaluation
Sasha Palmquist, Institute for Learning Innovation,
palmquist@ilinet.org
Tammy Messick Cherry, Institute for Learning Innovation,
messick@ilinet.org
Paul Dusenbery, Space Science Institute/ National Center for
Interactive Learning, dusenbery@spacescience.org
Informal science learning organizations often identify youth as a target
audience for exhibits and programs. Research and evaluation studies have
investigated many approaches to attract and engage this population in
science learning. However, in practice, this audience is often challenging to
reach. Incorporating youth in exhibition development and evaluation can
support powerful learning opportunities for participants and critical insight
for informal learning professionals to develop compelling experiences for
this audience. This session will describe how an exhibition design team
from the National Center for Interactive Learning at the Space Science
Institute used this strategy to connect youth to science as a part of the
44
Asteroids! project. This project is a multi-faceted informal education
initiative that encourages public engagement and understanding of the
dynamic structure of the solar system through investigations of asteroids
and comets. The centerpiece of this project was the development of the
traveling exhibition Great Balls of Fire!. In coordination with the design
development phase of the exhibition, three teams of middle school students
were recruited for Student Asteroid Teams (SATs). Youth in Colorado, New
Mexico, and North Carolina participated in a variety of experiences related
to space science, scientific practice, the design development process, and the
evaluation of exhibit components. The SAT program provided youth with a
new perspective on science and the design process. This session will share
summative evaluation results that indicated significant increases in youth
knowledge, interest, and excitement about space science as well as increased
positive attitudes towards science. The positive impact on youth ability to
recognize and use scientific skills and habits of mind as well as significant
improvement in their ability to communicate about science will also be
presented. These findings will be discussed in terms of their implications
for the design of youth programs that encourage scientific literacy.
Outcome: Describe how science engagement outcomes were achieved
through a focus on authentic experience with the design process and
engagement with a specific content area and consider the implications for
program design. Emphasize the potential value of empowering youth to
be creative participants in exhibition or program design and development
processes. Spark a discussion about successful strategies for engaging
youth in science and encouraging the development of scientific literacy.
Session Type: 10-Minute Oral Presentation
Location: Mirror Room
7E.3 Greening the Science Center — Progress and Next
Steps
Ken Brandt, Robeson Planetarium and Science Center,
brandt@uncp.edu
I have made several changes to energy use, and renewable energy
production, and am saving our district 10KWH using these changes so
far. What’s next, and what is working at your institution? Most of this talk
will be sharing success stories, sources of funding, and ideas that work. My
goal: to be energy positive (selling power into the grid) within 5 years, and
providing a demonstration model for other medium sized ‘box buildings’
nationwide! We are trying to increase public awareness—this should
include ways to decrease our collective carbon footprint, and as Carl Sagan
said; “Speak for Earth.”
Outcome: Ideas for green energy technology; sources of funding for this
endeavor; additional opportunities for further discussion and networking
with colleagues.
Session Type: 10-Minute Oral Presentation
Location: Mirror Room
7E.4 NASA’s Deep Space Network — Bringing the
Universe to Local Communities
Shannon McConnell, NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory,
shannon.mcconnell@jpl.nasa.gov
NASA’s Deep Space Network (DSN) maintains visitor centers at our three
complexes, located in California, Spain, and Australia. While each has its
unique geography, access restrictions, and proximity to local towns, all
three provide on-site tours, lectures, and education programming. The
Connecting People to Science
Wednesday, August 3, 2011 • 11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
Visitor Center Leads are active with their local governments, schools,
and provide countless hours of community programming throughout
their local regions. Visitor Center leads provide support with all facets
of outreach including school visits, museum coordination, media
coordination, video and photography for complex events, on-site tours,
website content, and much more. These individuals work as a global team
to bring the excitement of space exploration alive for tourists and local
residents alike.
Outcome: Participants will learn how this team works to establish
and maintain engaging educational and public programming to local
communities. Through teleconferencing and once a year in-person
meetings, this team works to bring NASA’s story to their local communities.
The DSN team is a model of how NASA’s distributed teams can work
effectively to build a dynamic program for the community.
Concurrent Session 8: 1-Hour Workshops, Special
Interest Group Discussion
Time: Wednesday 11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
Session Type: 1-Hour Special Interest Group Discussion
Location: Ionic Room
8A Minimum Astronomy and Space Science Concepts
in a K–12 Curriculum: Astronomy and the “Next
Generation Science Education Standards”
Lee Ann Hennig, Middle Atlantic Planetarium Association,
lahennig@earthlink.net
Harold Geller, George Mason University
Alan Gould, Lawrence Hall of Science
Dennis Schatz, Pacific Science Center, dschatz@nsf.gov
Jeanne Bishop, Westlake Schools Planetarium,
jeanneebishop@wowway.com
Educators from all the US planetarium associations have been working for
months to not only provide input into the NRC Nest Generation Science
Education Framework construction but to produce a document useful to the
entire K–12 community and that can inform the development of the Next
Generation Science Education Standards. These “Minimum Astronomy
and Space Science Concepts in a K–12 Curriculum” list both big picture
concepts and grade specific concepts. This document has an extensive
grade by grade list of astronomical concepts, making it a simple task to
construct a school wide astronomy curriculum. After an introduction
to the curriculum document, participants will explore in depth different
parts of the document and provide feedback that can be used to refine the
document and provide input to the Next Generation Science Education
Standards. This session follows the session that provides an overview of the
Next Generation Science Education Framework developed by the National
Research Council and will allow the participants to provide more detailed
input into the development of the Next Generation Science Education
Standards to be developed by Achieve.
Outcomes: Participants will: Provide input regarding the planetarium
societies’ list of grade appropriate astronomy concepts that should be
included in the Next Generation Science Education Standards; Provide
input that will be shared with the developers of the Next Generation
Standards; Know how they can they can continue to be involved in the
standards development process.
Conference Program
Session Type: 1-Hour Special Interest Group Discussion
Location: Tuscan Room
8B Best Practices for Community Outreach to Save the
Night Sky while Saving Energy
Constance Walker, National Optical Astronomy Observatory,
cwalker@noao.edu
Wayne “Skip” Bird, Westminster Astronomical Society,
ptttbird@quixnet.net
Chuck Bueter, LetThereBeNight.org, bueter@nightwise.org
Rosa Doran, Galileo Teacher Training Program, rosa.doran@nuclio.pt
Greg Golgowski, Harmony Dark Sky Festival,
ggolgowski@birchwoodacres.com
Chad Moore, National Park Service, Moore@cira.colostate.edu
Katie Moore, National Air and Space Museum, MooreKS@si.edu
Bob Parks, International Dark-Sky Association, bparks@darksky.org
Amee Salois, NASM planetarium/GaN Facebook, aj.salois@gmail.com
With 8 out of 10 Americans no longer able to see the Milky Way from
where they live, light pollution has limited our access to stargazing.
To rescue this natural heritage that has inspired art, literature, music
and science for millennia, many organizations have created successful
outreach programs for their communities. These outreach programs
focus on dark skies awareness through holding star parties with amateur
astronomers, providing interpretive experiences in national parks and
nature centers, offering interactive exhibits at museums and science
centers, including thematic projects in Global Astronomy Month (GAM),
providing downloadable resource materials on-line, holding international
photo contests, festivals, citizen science programs and holidays, and using
activities to educate teachers through workshops and students through
classroom and evening sessions. Many of these events address how light
pollution affects our lives with respect to issues on health, wildlife and
energy conservation. While wildlife tugs on the hearts of students and
new discoveries are on the rise on the effect of light pollution on health,
energy conservation remains the forefront concern. This SIG will bring
together amateur and professional astronomers, national park and
nature center staff, museum and science center staff, formal and informal
educators, International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) members and others
with outreach experience in dark skies awareness for a panel discussion
in the first half of the session and breakout groups in the second half of
the session. We will discuss activities used, approaches taken, and lessons
learned in working with various audiences and how our resources might
be shared in sustaining both EPO staff and the community it serves.
Panel members will be drawn from the National Park Service, a nature
center, the National Air and Space Museum, IDA, the Northern Virginia
Astronomy Club, GLOBE at Night, a classroom teacher and Harmony’s
Dark Sky Festival.
Outcomes: Participants in the session will be informed on the variety
of programs as well as materials used, approaches taken, lessons learned
and best practices. The intent is for the community to be sustained by ongoing electronic communications throughout the year and to exchange
best practices yearly at ASP meetings. We would like to create a crossfertilization of ideas between programs. We hope to improve the overall
practice of our community in saving our night sky and thereby saving
energy. A CD Rom containing exemplary educational materials from the
various programs could be made available.
45
Wednesday, August 3, 2011 • 11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
Session Type: 1-Hour Special Interest Group Discussion
Location: Composite Room
8C Collaborating with Public Libraries: Successes,
Challenges, and Thoughts for the Future
Denise Smith, Space Telescope Science Institute, dsmith@stsci.edu
Susan Brandehoff, American Library Association, sbrandehoff@ala.org
Jennifer Dominiak, American Library Association, jdominiak@ala.org
Stephanie Shipp, Lunar and Planetary Institute, shipp@lpi.usra.edu
Keliann LaConte, Lunar and Planetary Institute, laconte@lpi.usra.edu
Mangala Sharma, Space Telescope Science Institute,
msharma@stsci.edu
Bonnie Eisenhamer, Space Telescope Science Institute, bonnie@stsci.edu
Public libraries serve learners of all ages and backgrounds, provide free and
convenient access to resources, and have strong ties to local schools and
community-based organizations. Libraries recognize the importance of
science literacy to our culture and strive increasingly to include science in
their programming portfolio. What are our shared goals in communicating
science to the public? What resources, events, or programs are available
through your local public library? How can we work with public libraries
to connect people to science? Join this interactive Special Interest Group
discussion facilitated by representatives from the American Library
Association’s (ALA) Public Programs Office, the Lunar and Planetary
Institute’s Explore! program, and the Space Telescope Science Institute’s
Visions of the Universe library exhibit to explore successes, lessons
learned, and future opportunities for incorporating science programming
into public library settings. The ALA Public Programs Office provides a
variety of programming resources and opportunities that support libraries
in their role as a place for patrons to discover and reflect on the wealth of
information available to them in our modern world. Library programs that
present current and accurate scientific information are needed and desired
by this vibrant community, as exemplified through the success of the
Visions of the Universe traveling exhibit and the Explore! program. Created
for the 2009 International Year of Astronomy, Visions of the Universe
remains on tour and interest remains strong. The Explore! program has
expanded from its roots in a collaboration involving the State Library of
Louisiana to a community involving hundreds of librarians in more than
20 states. Together, we will discuss the needs of libraries, goals we have as
a community for engaging library audiences in science, the successes and
challenges that we have encountered in developing or implementing our
programs, and how we might move forward as a community.
Outcomes: Participants will build awareness of the needs of public libraries
and the range of science EPO activities that can be carried out in public
library settings; develop a shared understanding of each other’s goals for
and experiences with involving public libraries in science EPO efforts; and
identify successful strategies, outstanding challenges, and opportunities for
future collaborations between the science EPO and library communities.
Session Type: 1-Hour Workshop
Location: Veterans Room
8D Astrobiology Engineering Design Challenge: The
Search for Life in the Universe
Laura Venner, NASA/JPL, lv2008@columbia.edu
Kay Ferrari, NASA/JPL, kay.a.ferrari@jpl.nasa.gov
46
Engaging students in scientific exploration and discovery is one of the
primary goals of the NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassadors and Educators
Programs. Astrobiology is the ideal discipline to help us achieve the goal of
engaging students in science as Astrobiology provides a unique foundation
on which students with varying interests can participate in cooperative
learning experiences. Astrobiology based activities also immerse students
in cross curriculum learning which results in thought provoking questions
that students can debate and explore. This workshop will introduce a twoday Astrobiology Cooperative Engineering Design Challenge focusing
on searching for life in the universe. The program engages Middle and
High School Students in hands-on activities that enable them to identify
planetary objects that may have the ingredients to support life. The
students become specialists in one of four areas related to the search for life
and water on planetary objects in order to participate in teams that collect
and analyze data related to arbitrary planetary objects that are assigned to
them. The students will determine whether water or life can exist on their
planetary objects and subsequently develop the best method for exploring
the planetary object that they deem the most probable to host life. The
challenge concludes with each team presenting and launching a lander,
rover, orbiter, or probe that they have designed and built that is equipped
with instrumentation that can collect data and explore their chosen
planetary object. The robotic instruments will be created using trash in an
effort to reinforce the idea of reduce, reuse, recycle. The program adheres
to the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards and is designed
to nourish the student’s inquisitive nature and provide an opportunity
to work as a team and function as a scientist by making observations,
performing experiments and collecting and recording data.
Outcomes: Participants will take away techniques that will enable them
to teach astrobiology along with an understanding of how astrobiology
can be incorporated into their Core Curriculum Content Standards.
The following will be provided: The Astrobiology Engineering Design
Challenge lesson plan, NASA Astrobiology handouts and several activities
that the participants can bring back to their facilities.
Session Type: 1-Hour Workshop
Location: Mirror Room
8E From Hubble Data to IMAX 3D: Techniques in
Cinematic Scientific Visualization
Frank Summers, Space Telescope Science Institute, summers@stsci.edu
Greg Bacon, Space Telescope Science Institute, bacon@stsci.edu
Lisa Frattare, Space Telescope Science Institute, frattare@stsci.edu
Zoltan Levay, Space Telescope Science Institute, levay@stsci.edu
Robert Hurt, Spitzer Science Center, hurt@ipac.caltech.edu
Tiffany Borders, Space Telescope Science Institute, borders@stsci.edu
Given conflicting demands from the twin masters of “truth” and “beauty”,
science will always follow the dictates of maximizing truth, while
Hollywood instinctively favors enhancing beauty. Cinematic scientific
visualization for documentary films, digital planetariums, and other
educational/entertainment venues attempts to combine art and science
in the service of both goals. As a crossover discipline that fuses science
research, computer graphics, and film-making, the techniques are
practiced by only a handful of groups and not regularly documented or
disseminated. For the IMAX film “Hubble 3D”, released in March 2010,
our scientific visualization group created and collaborated in producing
12 minutes of stereo 3D computer graphics driven by science data from
Hubble and other telescopes. Using that project as a case study, this
Connecting People to Science
Wednesday, August 3, 2011 • 3:15 – 4:15 p.m.
workshop will teach the tools, techniques, and tips for transforming raw
science data into giant-screen stereo 3D sequences. Preserving scientific
authenticity requires significant front-end data preparation, careful
modeling, and a balance between science and art to ensure the proper
message comes across. Overall, the presentation will illuminate important
stages of a production pipeline that creates breathtaking imagery worthy
of Hubble and IMAX, while maintaining the astronomical authenticity
demanded by NASA.
Outcomes: Participants in this workshop will learn the details of creating
high-end scientific visualization through interactive demonstrations of the
software and methods used in creating an IMAX documentary. Workshop
notes will be provided so that attendees can concentrate on learning the
techniques, absorbing insights, and asking questions. Participants will
gain general knowledge of the visualization pipeline and identify specific
procedures that can be applied to many types of astronomy presentations.
Concurrent Session 9: 1-Hour Workshops, Special
Interest Group Discussions
Time: Wednesday 3:15 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.
Session Type: 2-Hour Special Interest Group Discussion
(SPECIAL SESSION)
Location: Ionic Room
9A Examining Large Public E/PO Events: Defining,
Achieving, and Measuring Success (Part 1 of 2)
Stephanie Shipp, Lunar and Planetary Institute, shipp@lpi.usra.edu
Christine Shupla, Lunar and Planetary Institute, shupla@lpi.usra.edu
Susana Deustua, Space Telescope Science Institute, deustua@stsci.edu
Doris Daou, NLSI, Doris.Daou-1@nasa.gov
Elaine Lewis, Goddard Space Flight Center, elaine.m.lewis@nasa.gov
Large public events have garnered much attention in the education
community for their outreach potential, whether annual community events
such as the International Observe the Moon Night (InOMN) and Sun-Earth
Day, long-duration events such as the International Year of Astronomy
(IYA) and the Year of the Solar System (YSS), or local community events
such as science festivals. But are these investments successful at achieving
great impact? The wealth of experience within this community can be used
to reflect upon these events, and help define success. Why do we hold these
events? What is “successful?” What challenges do we need to overcome to
be successful? How can we measure an event’s success? What additional
data do we need to gather to assess success? These are critical issues in
our efforts to create meaningful experiences in outreach events. Join the
conversation as panelists representing InOMN, Sun-Earth Day, IYA, and
YSS share their experiences and data in brief introductions, followed by
small-group and open discussions.
Outcomes: The E/PO community will collectively consider the impact
of large public outreach events. Panelists will share objectives, challenges
to success, and evaluation data of InOMN, Sun-Earth Day, IYA, YSS,
and others. All participants will be welcome to share their own efforts
and research. Participants will walk away with tools to improve outreach
events, through a variety of potential well-defined objectives, mechanisms
to overcome challenges to success, and insight into measuring success.
The E/PO community as a whole will grow in their understanding of the
potential and limitations for large public events, and where more research
Conference Program
needs to be focused.
Session Type: 1-Hour Workshop
Location: Tuscan Room
9B Incorporating the Performing Arts and Museum
Exhibit Development in a Multidisciplinary Approach to
Science Learning for Teenage Youth
Irene Porro, MIT Kavli Institute, iporro@mit.edu
Mary Dussault, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics,
mdussault@cfa.harvard.edu
Ross Barros Smith, MIT Kavli Institute, rbarros@mit.edu
Debra Wise, Underground Railway Theater,
dwise@undergroundrailwaytheater.org
Danielle LeBlanc, Museum of Science, Bostondleblanc@mos.org
It is not unusual for science educators to experience frustration in
implementing learning initiatives for teenage youth who are not already
hooked with science. Such frustration may lead them to focus their
attention on different audiences, missing an opportunity to break the
chain of science apathy among these youth. Youth’s apparent lack of
interest in science is associated with behavior typical of adolescence and
the inadequacy of many science programs to adapt to meet the need of this
audience. Teenage youth identify effective programs as those that engage
them in challenging but fun activities and that contribute to their social
development. Youth are looking for opportunities for skills and knowledge
development that are otherwise unavailable to them in or out of school,
and for positive relationships with adults with unique expertise in science
and other fields. The Youth Astronomy Apprenticeship (YAA) has been
successful in reaching out to teenage youth through the implementation
of a model that incorporates principles of positive youth development
in a multidisciplinary approach to science education. The project-based
outcome of YAA participation is the creation and implementation of
artistic performances, planetarium shows, museum exhibits, and even
entertaining PowerPoint presentations! Participants in this workshop
become familiar with the approach used in YAA to engage teenage youth
in astronomy projects, independently of their existing interest in science.
They learn about strategies implemented to lead youth in the creation
of informal science education projects that contribute to the youth own
learning while also providing science-enriching experiences for general
audiences. Workshop participants discuss how YAA promotes youth’s
critical thinking skills and many 21st Century skills through the youth’s
contribution to professional museum exhibits and to the creation of
performing arts projects. Finally participants have the opportunity to
reflect on the adaptation of the YAA strategies to their own programs.
Outcomes: Acquire strategies to reach out to teenage youth not already
interested in science. Learn about multidisciplinary approaches to the
development of science and 21st Century skills. Understand the role of
the performing arts in supporting science learning among teenagers.
Understand the role of professional museum exhibit developers in
mediating the science learning experience of teenage youth. Adapt YAA
strategies to own program. Receive DVD with video documentation of the
techniques used in YAA. Join a network of science-theater enthusiasts.
47
Wednesday, August 3, 2011 • 3:15 – 4:15 p.m.
Session Type: 1-Hour Workshop
Location: Composite Room
9C Citizen Science for Discovery: Planet Investigators
and Ice Hunters.
Susana Deustua, Space Telescope Science Institute, deustua@stsci.edu
Pamela Gay, SIUE, pgay@siue.edu
Max Mutchler, STSCI, mutchler@stsci.edu
Alberto Conti, STSCI, aconti@stsci.edu
In addition to the planets, our Solar System contains myriad other moving
objects, among these are asteroids, comets, moons, dwarf planets and
Kuiper Belt Objects (KBO). KBOs are primordial solar system members
that give us information about the origins and early history of the solar
system. Ice Hunters is a new Zoo that lets citizens discover KBOs using
the New Horizons Mission high resolution images. Planet Investigators,
using the tens of thousands of Hubble Space Telescope images near and
around planets obtained in the 21 years of HST operations, will engage
citizen scientists in the search for unidentified moving objects, as well as
asteroid collisions, investigations of weather on the larger planets, among
other types of research. The result will be the most extensive catalog of
solar system objects ever undertaken. Both of these Zoos let the public
actively participate in authentic scientific research. This workshop offers
participants the opportunity to make new and stronger connections to
solar system science while immersed in the process and nature of science.
The workshop format starts with an overview of the science goals for Ice
Hunters and Planet Investigators, and substantial discussions between
workshop participants, scientists and educators on how to best involve
informal audiences in this kind of citizen science projects, and, time for the
participants to explore IceHunters and Planet Investigators for themselves.
Outcomes: Participants in this workshop will learn about online citizen
science opportunities in solar system research. Participants in this
workshop will learn how to use Planet Investigators and Ice Hunters
Zoos to search for, and characterize, moving objects in the solar system.
Participants will gain a greater understanding of the process and nature of
science. Participants will learn the latest science on solar system objects —
planets, asteroids, comets, Kuiper Belt Objects. Participants will learn how
citizen science builds strong connections between science and the public.
Participants will take home cards with links to available online resources.
Session Type: 1-Hour Special Interest Group Discussion
Location: Veterans Room
9D Using the Planetarium to Talk about Climate Change
Holli Riebeek, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center,
holli.a.riebeek@nasa.gov
Ned Gardiner, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,
ned.gardiner@noaa.gov
Joel Halvorson, Minnesota Planetarium Society,
halvor@mplanetarium.org
Ka Chun Yu, Denver Museum of Nature and Science
David McConville, Elumenati, id@elumenati.com
interest group session, participants will discuss the advantages and challenges
of teaching climate change in the planetarium. Discussion topics will include
where to find images, data, and information; techniques for engaging
audiences in conversations on climate change issues; and approaches
currently being tested in large and small planetaria across the country.
Representatives from NASA, NOAA, Minnesota Planetarium Society, and
the Denver Museum of Nature and Science will lead the discussion.
Outcomes: This discussion session is intended to help build a community
of practice among planetarians interested in creating programs about
climate change. Since teaching climate change in the planetarium is
relatively new, a community of practitioners is just beginning to establish
itself. The session will help define the issues and challenges associated with
teaching climate change in the planetarium and lay the groundwork for a
broad collaborative community working to solve those issues.
Session Type: 1-Hour Workshop
Location: Mirror Room
9E The Pluto Debate: Learning Astronomy Content and
Process through Role-playing
Anthony Crider, Elon University, acrider@elon.edu
The Reacting to the Past pedagogy, pioneered by Barnard College, consists
of elaborate role-playing games set in the past and informed by great texts.
Reacting to the Past is commonly used in writing-intensive, first-year
seminars where students collaborate in factions to debate a big question.
With support from the National Science Foundation, our group is
developing six chapter-length games to be used in traditional STEM courses
for both majors and non-majors. During this workshop, participants will
play “The Pluto Debate: The International Astronomical Union Defines
a Planet.” At the beginning of the session, they will be assigned roles as
real astronomers arguing over Pluto and the meaning of the word planet.
Some play “plutophiles” that support Pluto’s status as a planet, some play
“populists” arguing that Pluto is merely a member of a larger population,
and some play “indeterminates” that are undecided as to how they will
vote. After we briefly discuss the rules for Reacting to the Past games,
players will have a few minutes to review selected chapters from Govert
Shilling’s book, The Hunt for Planet X. Then the person playing the role
of Neil deGrasse Tyson will commence the game, re-staging a 1999 panel
debate over Pluto held at the American Museum of Natural History. Next,
we will discuss the second phase of the game that recreates a debate at the
2006 meeting of the International Astronomical Union in Prague. Finally,
we will discuss preliminary assessments of these games. Game materials
for The Pluto Debate and the other STEM-focused Reacting to the Past
games are available online (http://bit.ly/reactingscience).
Outcomes: The primary goal of this workshop is to familiarize participants
with the Reacting to the Past role-playing pedagogy. From our experience
running similar workshops annually at Barnard College, we have found
the best way to learn the games it to play the games. Participants should
be able to run The Pluto Debate upon completion of this workshop. The
will also have exposure to data visualization tools that can be constructed
with Google Motion Chart. Finally, they could further this experience by
attending a four-day conference in 2012 that will also include The Trial of
Galileo and The Climate Change game.
How do you present climate change in your planetarium? Planetaria have
long played a critical role in educating students and the public about space
science. With the advent of the digital planetarium, the planetarium has
the potential to be an immersive educational environment for a variety of
subjects, including Earth system science and climate change. In this special
48
Connecting People to Science
Wednesday, August 3, 2011 • 4:30 – 5:30 p.m.
Concurrent Session 10: 1-Hour Workshops,
Special Interest Group Discussion
Time: Wednesday 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Session Type: 2-Hour Special Interest Group Discussion
(SPECIAL SESSION)
Location: Ionic Room
10A Examining Large Public E/PO Events: Defining,
Achieving, and Measuring Success (Part 2 of 2)
Stephanie Shipp, Lunar and Planetary Institute, shipp@lpi.usra.edu
Christine Shupla, Lunar and Planetary Institute, shupla@lpi.usra.edu
Susana Deustua, Space Telescope Science Institute, deustua@stsci.edu
Doris Daou, NLSI, Doris.Daou-1@nasa.gov
Elaine Lewis, Goddard Space Flight Center, elaine.m.lewis@nasa.gov
Continued from the 3:15 session.
Session Type: 1-Hour Workshop
Location: Tuscan Room
10B Earth Science Mobile App Development for NonProgrammers
Sarah Crecelius, NASA Langley Research Center,
sarah.a.crecelius@nasa.com
Daniel Oostra, NASA Langley Research Center,
daniel.h.oostra@nasa.gov
Preston Lewis, NASA Langley Research Center, preston.lewis@nasa.gov
Lin Chambers, NASA Langley Research Center,
lin.h.chambers@nasa.gov
A number of cloud based visual development tools have emerged that
provide methods for developing mobile applications quickly and without
previous programming experience. The MY NASA DATA (MND) team
would like to begin a discussion on how we can best leverage current
mobile app technologies and available Earth science datasets. The MY
NASA DATA team is developing an approach based on two main ideas.
The first is to teach our constituents how to create mobile applications
that interact with NASA datasets; the second is to provide web services
or Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) that create sources of
data that educators, students and scientists can use in their own mobile
app development. This framework allows data providers to foster mobile
application development and interaction while not becoming a software
clearing house. MY NASA DATA’s research has included meetings with
local data providers, educators, libraries and individuals. A high level of
interest has been identified from initial discussions and interviews. This
overt interest combined with the marked popularity of mobile applications
in our societies has created a new channel for outreach and communications
with and between the science and educational communities.
Outcomes: MY NASA DATA will share their experiences, resources
and methods with special interest group attendees. Attendees will
interact with MND staffers and learn about low or no-cost methods for
developing mobile applications. Additionally, participants will examine
developing mobile applications from the perspective of users that have
no programming experience or knowledge. The group will have the
Conference Program
opportunity to discuss how mobile apps can be used for education, and
discuss data they would like to see available from NASA data centers in
the future. Attendees will be invited to share other approaches or methods
they have tried, and lessons learned from those approaches. As a result, all
participants will leave with some ideas for next steps.
Session Type: 1-Hour Workshop
Location: Composite Room
10C Finding Science in the Night Sky
Marni Berendsen, Astronomical Society of the Pacific,
mberendsen@astrosociety.org
Anna Hurst Schmitt, Astronomical Society of the Pacific,
ahurst@astrosociety.org
Amateur astronomers have learned techniques to do it all the time: link
science content to what is observed in the sky. They inspire the spark of
curiosity in visitors and students by making emotional and intellectual
connections to their observing experience. You too can take advantage of
the field-tested resources that use these techniques. Through the NASA
Night Sky Network and Sky Rangers programs, the ASP has developed a
number of two to ten-minute activities, analogies, and resources that: (a)
go right to the heart of the science, (b) link the science to what is observed
in the sky, (c) provide an introduction that sets the stage for deeper lessons,
and (d) spark the WOW which helps make students eager to learn more.
Examples: A Universe without Supernovae; The Birdseed Galaxy; Are all
the Stars like our Sun?
Outcomes: In this workshop, you will learn about and utilize a storehouse
of free online resources used by hundreds of formal and informal
educators to effectively connect with students and other audiences. Share
the availability of these resources with other educators and use them as
part of the training materials for your own constituents. Learn how to use
the astronomy clubs of the Night Sky Network as partners in EPO.
Session Type: 1-Hour Workshop
Location: Veterans Room
10D How to Let Planetarium Visitors Interact!
Alan Gould, UC Berkeley; Lawrence Hall of Science,
agould@berkeley.edu
Find a rich variety of ways that planetarium visitors can interact with the
planetarium, the presenter, and each other. Strategies are derived from the
Planetarium Educators Workshop Guide which is part of the Planetarium
Activities for Student Success (PASS; http://www.lawrencehallofscience.
org/pass/), now distributed as iNTERACT! (http://www.skyskan.com/
products/classical/interact), produced by Lawrence Hall of Science,
University of California, Berkeley. The strategies include inclusion of
visitors with presenter and subject matter decisions, various group
interaction modalities, ways of incorporating questions in planetarium
programs, and examples of planetarium audience activities. Also learn of
new strategies to have planetarium visitors directly control planetarium
functions, enabling use of a planetarium facility as an interactive museum
exhibit space. With the increasing prevalence of digital planetarium
systems, the possibilities for direct visitor control of planetarium functions
is now possible through creation of a custom visitor interface system using
readily available technology such as touchscreens or iPads.
Outcomes: Participants will learn theory of how planetarium visitors can
do activities in planetarium, become familiar with parts of the Planetarium
49
Wednesday, August 3, 2011 • 4:30 – 5:30 p.m.
Educators Workshop Guide (a volume of the Planetarium Activities for
Student Success). They will also have opportunity to become part of a
rising new field of “planetarium-as-exhibits,” letting planetarium visitors
directly control planetarium functions and making planetarium facilities
into interactive drop-in museum exhibit space.
Session Type: 1-Hour Workshop
Location: Mirror Room
10E Kinesthetic Activities to Teach Challenging Topics
Darlene Smalley, University of South Carolina Aiken,
darlenes@usca.edu
Students get engaged and increase understanding when they “become” an
organelle in a cell, a process in the rock cycle, or a constellation on the
ecliptic. In activity 1, The Living Cell, students form a “cell” in an open
area and become acquainted with the names and functions of the major
organelles as they role-play how those organelles act on raw material
entering the cell. The teacher functions as the raw material, so students
enjoy pantomiming how they clean her up, turn her into protein, or
package her. This activity is an effective way to introduce the challenging
names and functions of cellular organelles. In activity 2, The Living Rock
Cycle, students become part of the rock cycle, either by identifying and
displaying a rock type or by holding a process card along one of the paths
that lead around or across the rock cycle. The teacher enters the rock cycle
and “becomes” magma. She discusses what happens to her as she moves
about the rock cycle and “experiences” the processes that change her
from one rock type to another. This activity makes the rock cycle easier
to comprehend and more interesting. In activity 3, The Living Zodiac,
thirteen students become the zodiac constellations, one student represents
the Sun, one holds a small Earth globe and orbits the Sun inside the circle
of constellations, and other students stand outside the circle holding signs
with the season names. This activity shows students how the tilt of Earth’s
axis causes the seasons on Earth while demonstrating why we see different
members of the zodiac during each of the four seasons. Teachers may
choose to use these activities in their locality, or they may be inspired to
create their own kinesthetic activities to teach other challenging topics.
Outcomes: Participants will: 1. Learn how “living models” can be used to
teach a wide range of scientific concepts. 2. Engage in meaningful group
work that involves movement and critical thinking. 3. Make abstract
concepts easier to comprehend by making them more concrete. 4. Use or
adapt the activities for students in many localities. 5. Create kinesthetic
activities to teach other challenging topics.
Poster Sessions
Time: 8:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., Monday – Wednesday
Poster Location: Edinburgh Hall
Monday, 10:30 a.m. Oral Overview, Mirror Room
Poster presenters are invited to give a 60-second overview of their poster
to conference attendees between 10:30 a.m. and 11:45 a.m. in the Mirror
Room.
P1 American Geophysical Union Education and Public
Outreach Programs: Empowering Future Earth and
Space Scientists
Bethany Adamec, American Geophysical Union, bhadamec@agu.org
Pranoti Asher, American Geophysical Union, pasher@agu.org
The American Geophysical Union (AGU) is the world’s largest
organization of Earth and space scientists, with approximately 58,000
members around the globe. Since its founding, AGU is dedicated to
furthering the sciences of geophysics through the individual efforts
of members and in cooperation with other national and international
scientific organizations. These goals are met through publishing scientific
journals and other technical publications, sponsoring scientific meetings
of various sizes throughout the year and a variety of other educational
and scientific activities. AGU’s educational programs capitalize on the
intrinsic allure of the Earth and space sciences, and their fundamental
relevance to daily life. Through education- and career-focused events at
annual AGU meetings, national conferences on science education reform,
professional development workshops for teachers, special programs for
pre-college and post-secondary students, awards for science educators,
and printed and electronic resources, AGU offers an array of opportunities
that expose students, teachers, and life-long learners to the freshest, most
accurate scientific knowledge and the excitement of discovery. Among the
education workshops and other events that will be held at this year’s AGU
Fall Meeting (http://sites.agu.org/fallmeeting/) are the Bright Students
Training as Research Scientists poster session and luncheon with AGU
leadership, where middle and high school students affiliated with summer
science programs present their research; the Geophysical Information for
Teachers workshop in which current and pre-service middle and secondary
school teachers participate in activities led by leading research scientists
coupled with take-it-to-the-classroom activities; and the Heads & Chairs
workshop, where heads and chairs of Earth and space science departments
meet to discuss current issues facing higher education. In addition to
Fall Meeting programs, AGU Education provides opportunities for AGU
members to participate in outreach activities and programs and supports
national STEM education issues by collaborating with other organizations
on public policy initiatives.
P2 “From Earth to the Solar System”: Public Science
Exhibitions for NASA’s Year of the Solar System
Kimberly Arcand, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory,
kkowal@cfa.harvard.edu
Daniella Scalice, NASA Astrobiology Institute,
daniella.m.scalice@nasa.gov
Julie Fletcher, NASA Astrobiology Institute, julie.k.fletcher@nasa.gov
50
Connecting People to Science
Poster Sessions
Megan Watzke, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory,
mwatzke@cfa.harvard.edu
P4 Creative Writing and Learning in a Conceptual
Astrophysics Course
Launching in May 2011, the “From Earth to the Solar System” (FETSS)
public science program is an effort to bring astronomical images to
audiences in non-traditional (and free) science outreach locations.
FETTSS seeks to sustain and build upon the success of the awardwinning International Year of Astronomy 2009 project “From Earth to
the Universe.” FETTSS will utilize a similar grassroots-type of approach to
emphasize the point that science learning experiences can be everywhere.
Exhibiting a curated collection of striking images of the Solar System,
FETTSS aims to spark socially based engagement and enhance exploration
of astronomical content through free-choice learning in non-traditional
science outreach environments. The research component is focusing on
casual versus intentional audiences, the possibility for participants to
reshape their identity or non-identity with science through public events,
and additional audience demographics.
Rhoda Berenson, New York University, rb143@nyu.edu
P3 Developing Teenage Youth’s Science Identity through
an Astronomy Apprenticeship: Summative Evaluation
Results
Prepare now for the 2012 transit of Venus, which begins the afternoon
of Tuesday, June 5. Historically significant, the celestial spectacle inspired
international expeditions to time the duration of Venus’ passage across the
face of the sun in a collective effort to quantify the Astronomical Unit.
Unfortunately, the enigmatic “black drop” effect thwarted some ambitious
explorers. Today, a transit of Venus is a front row seat to the leading
edge of astronomical discovery, as astronomers use the transit method
to detect new planets around distant stars that are capable of harboring
life. For North American viewers, the 2012 transit of Venus will occur
during favorable hours before sunset. Venus appears as a small dot gliding
slowly across the sun, an elegant sight that has motivated unprecedented
numbers of people to observe the sun. For example, Google’s Zeitgeist
feature deemed the Venus Transit to be the #1 Most Popular Event in the
world for the entire month of June 2004, when the transit of Venus was last
seen. Clearly the transit of Venus has inherent appeal, yet most people have
never seen this rare celestial phenomenon. In describing a transit of Venus,
Edmund Halley said, “This sight is by far the noblest astronomy affords.”
Anticipate an intense surge of public interest as we witness the last transit
of Venus in our lifetimes. Framed by the content at www.transitofvenus.
org, this poster will offer a brief historical perspective, will highlight
abundant educational resources, and will suggest hands-on activities to
bolster your transit of Venus planning.
Ross Barros Smith, MIT Kavli Institute, rbarros@mit.edu
Irene Porro, MIT Kavli Institute, iporro@mit.edu
Emmalou Norland, Cedarloch Research LLC, enorland2@me.com
We report on the results from the Summative Evaluation of the Youth
Astronomy Apprenticeship (YAA) covering three years of implementation
of the program. YAA is a yearlong, out-of-school time initiative that
connects urban teenage youth with astronomy as an effective way to
promote scientific literacy and overall positive youth development. The
program employs the strategies of a traditional apprenticeship model,
common in crafts and trades guilds as well as in higher education. During
the apprenticeship, youth develop knowledge and skills to create informal
science education projects: through these projects they demonstrate
their understanding of astronomy and use their communication skills to
connect to general audiences. For some youth, participation extends across
multiple years and their responsibilities for program implementation
become multifaceted. Through exposing youth to astronomy investigations
and providing opportunities to connect with audiences outside their
program and communities, YAA expands scientific literacy to include
assuming a science identity. We subscribe to the concept of science
identity that describes personal ownership and integration of science
into an individual’s sense of self through processes of comprehension and
personal meaning making. In the YAA context science identity extends
to and includes assuming an actual science advocacy role. Our methods
for measuring the development of a science identity included assessments
of youth’s perceived and actual understanding of science (cognitive
construct), leadership in science (behavior construct), and commitment
to science (affective construct). In addition to illustrating results related
to individual participants’ outcomes, we report on results specific to the
evaluation of the program design. In this respect, evaluation identified
a set of transferable elements that together, optimize the likelihood of
successful replications of the program model. Transferable elements
include both elements that are foundational to the apprenticeship model
and the goals of the program, and elements that could be manipulated
during replication.
Conference Program
I often offer an optional assignment to the liberal arts students in my
History of the Universe course that requires them to write an imaginative
story incorporating specific scientific vocabulary. My goal has been to
lessen student anxiety by providing as an option an at-home contribution
to exams. I have recently discovered that writing these stories also has a
positive effect on a student’s performance on the in-class exam — that
the story writing is an effective way to learn the course material. This
poster will include samples of assignments, student stories and a statistical
analysis of the effect these assignments had on in-class exam grades.
P5 Countdown to the Transit of Venus
Chuck Bueter, transitofvenus.org, bueter@nightwise.org
P6 Teachers Touch the Sky: A Workshop in Astronomy
for Teachers Grades 3–9
Bonnie Buratti, Jet Propulsion Laboratory,
bonnie.j.buratti@jpl.nasa.gov
Using the natural fascination the public holds towards its work, NASA
encourages and funds its scientists to do education and public outreach
(E&PO) to both children and adults. Space science is especially interesting
to students, less threatening to teachers than some other sciences, and
interdisciplinary in nature. These features make it the ideal vehicle for
teaching basic scientific concepts to children in a concrete and captivating
manner. During the past decade, and again during the summer of 2011,
JPL staff and a master teacher will conduct a one-week workshop for
teachers in grades 3–9. The teachers are walked through hands-on
activities that are all based on current projects in astronomy and space
science at the Jet Propulsion Lab. The activities are inquiry-based and
emphasize the scientific method and fundamental math and science
skills. Each year the workshop focuses on a NASA theme: this year it will
be the Dawn Mission to the asteroid 4 Vesta, as orbit insertion occurs
51
Poster Sessions
right before the workshop. At least one activity is based on the Lawrence
Livermore Lab’s Great Exploration in Math and Science (GEMS) guides.
Teachers tour JPL’s facilities such as the Space Flight Operations Center,
the Spacecraft Assembly Facility, and the Mars Yard. The integration of the
lessons into the teachers’ own curricula is discussed, and a field trip to JPL’s
Table Mountain Observatory is included. Teachers learn of the resources
NASA makes available to them, and they have the opportunity to talk to
“real” scientists about their work. Teachers receive an honorarium for
participation plus classroom materials. An extensive evaluation is done
each year and improvements are made the next year based on the results
of the evaluation. Funded by NASA.
P7 Workshops in Science Education and Resources
(Project WISER): A Model for Building Content and
Pedagogical Skills in Space Science for Elementary and
Middle School Teachers
Sanlyn Buxner, Planetary Science Institute, buxner@psi.edu
David Crown, Planetary Science Institute, crown@psi.edu
Larry Lebofsky, Planetary Science Institute, lebofsky@psi.edu
Steven Croft, Planetary Science Institute, scroft@psi.edu
The Planetary Science Institute (PSI), in partnership with the Tucson
Regional Science Center, is offering a series of professional development
workshops targeting elementary and middle school science teachers
in Southern Arizona. Facilitated by a team of earth and space scientists
and educators, these workshops provide teachers with in-depth content
knowledge of fundamental concepts in astronomy, geology, and planetary
science. Each workshop is designed around core content big ideas
(Understanding by Design; Wiggins & McTighe, 1998), including all
materials and assessments. During workshops, teachers participate in
hands-on exercises using images, maps, and the results from their own
experiments. Currently 72 teachers from 39 schools have participated
in the program. Workshop participants represent schools with minority
student populations ranging from 46% to 95%. One measure of success of
our program is that over 50% of teachers have attended two, three, four,
or five of our workshops. Teachers consistently cite hands-on activities,
modeling of scientific process, and interaction with scientists as the three
top benefits of the workshops. Additionally, they report an increase in the
knowledge of science content, increased understanding of how science is
actually conducted and a greater confidence in their ability to teach earth
and space science after their participation in the workshops. Workshop
offerings include “Moon-Earth System”, “Exploring the Terrestrial Planets”,
“Impact Cratering”, “Asteroid-Meteorite Connection”, and ‘Volcanoes of
the Solar System”. Two more workshops, “Deserts of the Solar System”
and “Astrobiology and the Search for Extrasolar Planetary Systems” are
currently in development. In addition, we are creating a series of short
workshops to train educators to use rock and meteorite kits that are used
for many of the content workshops. After completing the training, teachers
will be able to check out the kits for use in their classrooms, science fairs,
star parties, and educational and social events.
P8 Thinking and Acting Like Scientists: Inquiry in the
Undergraduate Astronomy Classroom
Bethany Cobb, George Washington University, bcobb@gwu.edu
Engaging in inquiry in the classroom is an extraordinary way to increase
student interest in science and to improve student understanding of how
authentic scientific research is performed. However, effective and practical
inquiry activities can be challenging (and time consuming!) to develop
52
and implement. Fortunately, there are many excellent resources available
for undergraduate-level educators who are interested in bringing inquiry
into their classrooms. Some of these resources provide fully developed
inquiry activities that can be put to use immediately in your classroom,
or can be modified easily to fit your particular classroom needs. Other
resources provide instructions for developing inquiry activities that
require significant pre-class instructor preparation, such as building
models for in-class use. These resources can also provide you with just
pure inspiration, so that you can develop new inquiry activities suitable
for your particular classroom situation. In this poster, I will describe
my use of inquiry activities in my undergraduate astronomy classroom.
These activities were adapted from or inspired by many different sources.
Working in collaborative groups, students in my classroom perform
inquiry activities using real or simulated astronomical data and/or models,
which allow them to think like scientists. The students then get to act like
scientists by presenting results and conclusions to their peers in scientific
poster sessions. Students also have the opportunity to think and act like
scientists by simulating the process of developing scientific proposals and
critiquing these proposals as members of the review committee. Using
inquiry in the classroom is a great tool for improving student engagement
and learning, and these resources will make it much simpler for you to
bring inquiry into your own classroom.
P9 Earth to Sky, Partnering NASA, National Parks and
US Fish and Wildlife to Expand Climate Literacy
Anita Davis, Sigma Space Corp/ NASA Goddard Space Flight
Center, anita.l.davis@nasa.gov
Ruth Paglierani, Space Sciences Lab, UC Berkeley,
ruthp@ssl.berkeley.edu
John Morris, National Park Service, John_Morris@nps.gov
Sandy Spakoff, US Fish and Wildlife Service,
Sandy_Spakoff@fws.gov
Over 430 million people visit national parks and wildlife refuges each year.
The National Park System’s 392 sites range from Death Valley and Grand
Canyon to Cape Cod National Seashore, Historic Battlefields, and urban
parks such as Washington DC’s Rock Creek Park. Every state has at least
one National Wildlife Refuge, and a refuge is within an hour’s drive of
most major cities. Each of these protected areas provides a unique setting
for visitors to see first-hand the local consequences of our changing climate
and, through NASA science, gain an appreciation of the global processes
at work. The intent of the Earth to Sky (E2S) Partnership is to advance the
public’s understanding of global climate change and their appreciation of
NASA’s contribution to the understanding of the global system. We have
accomplished this in partnership with some of our Nation’s most talented
educators: National Park Service (NPS) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
(FWS) Interpreters and Education Specialists. E2S is an inter-agency
collaboration, consisting of diverse training contexts and modes of
delivery, a train-the-trainer and coach/mentor approach, and the potential
to reach a large target audience. Together with NPS and FWS we have
created a series of professional development (PD) events for interpreters
and education specialists including a Training Workshop, distance learning
events, and an upcoming course at the National Conservation Training
Center. In our poster session we will describe the partnership and varied
training opportunities, highlighting our recent multi-week e-course;
we will share lessons learned. We will also showcase programs/projects
resulting from our PD including exhibits, interpretive talks, podcasts and
curriculum-based programs. We will provide information on how the E/
PO community can contribute to the partnership, participate in upcoming
Connecting People to Science
Poster Sessions
training and expand E2S to include additional NASA science topics that
extend beyond our own home planet.
P10 Our Place in Space — Teaching Girl Scouts about
Space Science
Anna DeJong, Southwest Research Institute, adejong@swri.org
Southwest Reseach Institute (SwRI) in San Antonio is currently working
with Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas to develop a program that teaches high
school and middle school girl scouts about space science. The program will
be held on a Saturday morning in which the girl scouts will visit SwRI’s
Space Science Division building. There, the girls will be introduced to
Space Weather, observing the Sun and planetary exploration. They will be
given tours of the labs where many satellite instruments have been built
that are now exploring space. They will be introduced to why we study
Space Weather and the effects of space weather on their lives. Planetary
activities will include “walking the solar system” and talking with planetary
scientists. This program is intended to get girls interested in space science,
to explain the how importance of studying space and to demonstrate how
space science affects all of our lives.
P11 Digital Distractions and Student Grades
Doug Duncan, University of Colorado, dduncan@colorado.edu
In 2009, CU Engineering Professor Diane Sieber separately tracked the
performance of students who used a laptop computer to take lecture notes
and those who used paper to take notes in an engineering class of slightly
under 100 students. She found a full grade difference in average exam
scores, with the students that used paper receiving higher grades. Limited
observation suggested that many laptop users were multitasking, and doing
more during class than just taking notes. Since more and more students are
using computers in lecture it seemed important to test this result in other
classes. In Fall 2010, we studied student behavior in 3 large introductory
astronomy and geology classes. Anonymous, statistical tracking of student
grades was done and was supplemented with extensive student interviews
and classroom observations. Unlike the engineering class, the astronomy
and geology classes used “clickers” (wireless student response systems)
and student-to-student peer discussion. We hypothesized that the greater
engagement of peer-instruction might reduce the digital distraction of the
laptop users. The results of our Fall 2010 study did not show systematic
differences course grades between laptop users and paper note-takers.
However, the use of laptops was not higher than in Sieber’s class; instead,
it was less. Classroom observations revealed that a majority of students
accessed the internet on their cell phones, and that phone usage, primarily
for texting, was widespread. Approximately æ of all students used a cell
phone, and the average number of uses was 7 per student during a 1-hour
class session. In Spring 2011, we obtained permission to ask students in
5 introductory astronomy classes a single clicker question about their
frequency of cell phone use. Students were assured that responses would
be coded to keep their identity secret and not shared with their professor
before grades were turned in. We are now analyzing this data to determine
any correlation between cell phone use and student grades. Results will be
reported in the poster.
P12 NASA Little SDO Social Media — An Engaging and
Interactive Experience
Romeo Durscher, Stanford University, romeo@sun.stanford.edu
Martha Wawro, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center,
martha.l.wawro@nasa.gov
Conference Program
The world of social media has become an important outlet of information
and news around the world. Social networking now accounts for over 22%
of all time spent online in the US. NASA puts strong emphasis on its social
media programs, and, in fact, is the top-ranked social media user in the
public sector. We will describe our SDO Social Media project, which aims
to engage the public in learning about the SDO mission, the Sun, space
weather, and the impact the Sun has on Earth and other NASA exploration
missions. We’ll discuss the various social media outlets and the techniques
we use for reaching and engaging our audience. Effectiveness is measured
through the use of various automatically-gathered statistics and level
of public engagement. Of key importance to effective social media use
is having access to scientists who can quickly respond to questions and
express their answers in meaningful ways to the public. Our presentation
will highlight the importance of scientist involvement and suggest ways
for encouraging more scientists to support these efforts. It will also address
how our social media approach has been paving the way for other Mission
E/PO teams in using our best practices and experiences.
P13 Hubble’s Early Release Observations Student
Pilot Project: Implementing Formal and Informal
Collaborations
Bonnie Eisenhamer, Space Telescope Science Institute,
bonnie@stsci.edu
Holly Ryer, Space Telescope Science Institute
Dan McCallister, Space Telescope Science Institute
The Hubble Space Telescope’s Early Release Observations (EROs) were
revealed to the public on September 9, 2009 and K–12 students and
educators in five states across the country are able to join the celebration.
To date, students and educators in Maryland, Ohio, New York, California,
and Florida have participated in the Hubble Space Telescope’s ERO Pilot
Project. This is an interdisciplinary project created by STScI’s Office
of Public Outreach in which students use skills from subject areas such
as language arts, science, art, and technology to research the four ERO
objects and create compositions. The purpose of the project is to promote
enthusiasm for space exploration and introduce students to the latest
Hubble images following Servicing Mission 4. In recognition of their
participation, the students’ compositions are displayed at host institutions
in each state (museum, science center, school, planetarium or library)
during a special public event for participating students, their families,
and teachers. As part of its evaluation program, STScI’s Office of Public
Outreach has been conducting an evaluation of the project to determine
the viability and potential of conducting large-scale, formal/informal
collaborative projects in the future and to share lessons learned. Lessons
learned will be applied to a new interdisciplinary project, the JWST
Student Innovation Project.
P14 Comet Inquiry in Action: Developing Conceptual
Understanding of Comets through Stardust and Deep
Impact Mission E/PO Activities
Lori Feaga, University of Maryland, feaga@astro.umd.edu
Elizabeth Warner, University of Maryland, College Park,
warnerem@astro.umd.edu
John Ristvey, Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning
(McREL), jristvey@mcrel.org
Whitney Cobb, Mid-continent Research for Education and
Learning (McREL), WCobb@mcrel.org
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Poster Sessions
Best practice in education identifies the process of inquiry as core to
developing student understanding. “With an appropriate curriculum
and adequate instruction, students can develop the skills of investigation
and the understanding that scientific inquiry is guided by knowledge,
observations, ideas, and questions” (NRC, 1996, National Science
Education Standards, page 143). What better model is there to study
than the process planetary scientists and engineers engage in to design
and fly a mission? NASA Discovery Program missions to comets, Deep
Impact and Stardust and their extended missions, are the rich source that
their respective Education and Public Outreach teams mine to convey
investigative concepts to K–12 students. Specially designed curricular
activities strive to be engaging and represent science authentically. Even
more, they unpack complex science content so students’ conceptual
understanding can develop. Multimedia elements, interactives, interviews
and games enhance an educator’s toolbox of materials used to reach
diverse audiences and deepen understanding. How? By telling the mission
story. Background information and context within the solar system help
students get grounded and inspire questions: why go to small bodies in
the first place? When the fundamental questions are apparent, the next
step is clear: how do we get there? Once there: how is data gathered and
how do scientists interpret it? Finally, we return to the starting place: what
questions are answered, and what new ones arise? Reaching students of
all ages and backgrounds, in diverse settings ranging from urban to rural,
elementary to college, in classrooms, after school programs, and summer
camps, Deep Impact and Stardust education materials tell the story of
what it takes to design a mission and execute it. In doing that, it inspires a
new generation to engage in the wonders of the solar system and ponder
their involvement in future explorations and exciting discoveries.
P15 Visualizing Planetary Magnetic Fields (and Why
You Should Care)
Matthew Fillingim, Space Sciences Laboratory, University of
California, Berkeley, matt@ssl.berkeley.edu
D. A. Brain, Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California,
Berkeley, brain@ssl.berkeley.edu
L. M. Peticolas, Space Sciences Laboratory, University of
California, Berkeley, lmp@ssl.berkeley.edu
D. Yan, Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California,
Berkeley, darlene@ssl.berkeley.edu
K. Fricke, Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California,
Berkeley, kyle@ssl.berkeley.edu
The magnetic fields of the large terrestrial planets, Venus, Earth, and Mars,
are all vastly different from each other. These differences can tell us a lot
about the interior structure, interior history, and even give us clues to
the atmospheric history of these planets. Unfortunately, unless space can
be permeated with tiny iron filings, magnetic fields are invisible. As the
saying goes, “out of sight, out of mind.” So how can we best communicate
the structure of these planetary magnetic fields to the public? How can
we best communicate the importance of studying planetary magnetic
fields? We try to address these questions by developing and evaluating a
series of presentations given using visually engaging spherical displays
in conjunction with hands-on activities and scientifically accurate 3D
models of planetary magnetic fields. We will summarize the content of our
presentations, discuss our “lessons learned” from formative evaluation,
and show (pictures of) our hands-on activities and 3D models.
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P16 The Universe at Your Fingertips 2.0 DVD-ROM:
A Collection of Hands-on Activities, Resource Guides,
Informational Articles, and Videos for Teaching
Astronomy
Andrew Fraknoi, Foothill College & ASP, fraknoiandrew@fhda.edu
Brian Kruse, Astronomical Society of the Pacific,
bkruse@astrosociety.org
Suzanne Gurton, Astronomical Society of the Pacific,
sgurton@astrosociety.org
Anna Hurst Schmitt, Astronomical Society of the Pacific,
ahurst@astrosociety.org
Leslie Proudfit, Astronomical Society of the Pacific,
webmaster@astrosociety.org
In spring 2011, the Astronomical Society of the Pacific produced an
expanded and updated electronic edition of its popular resource notebook
for teaching astronomy and space science. The DVD-ROM now contains:
133 classroom-tested, hands-on activities (organized by subject); 43
articles setting out background information about topics in astronomy;
9 articles on teaching and learning space science in the 21st century; 17
guides to the best published and web resources on key topics; 12 short
instructional video instructions for some of the key activities and ideas;
some of the best modern astronomical images and a guide on how to find
many more. The activities come from Project ASTRO, Astronomy from
the Ground Up, Family ASTRO, AstroAdventures, NASA missions, and
many other astronomy education programs around the country. We will
describe how we selected and assembled the disk, and the range of users
whom it is intended to help. See: http://www.astrosociety.org/uayf
P17 Developing STEM Leaders through Space Science
Education and Public Outreach
Michael Gibbs, Capitol College, mggibbs@capitol-college.edu
Dianne Veenstra
Capitol College, located in Laurel, Maryland, established the Center for
Space Science Education and Public Outreach with the mission to assist
in educating future leaders in the science, technology, engineering and
math (STEM). This poster presentation shares emerging best practices
through innovative methods to create awareness regarding STEM
outreach programs and activities related to workforce development and
career pathways. The poster will highlight space science education and
public outreach programs focusing under-represented and the firstgeneration college-bound students who may wish to enter a STEM career.
The specific four EPO goals for the Center are: (1) Increase the number of
high school, community college, and college students, specifically within
the traditionally under-represented populations, advance to the bachelor’s
level degree within the STEM fields and then secure jobs within the field.
(2) Increase STEM participation/majors in general (both in community
colleges and four-year colleges), and especially NASA-related disciplines.
(3) Increase participant’s leadership and communication skills to prepare
them to advance in a global marketplace. (4) Provide access to college level
professors, NASA and government leaders to act as mentors to open future
opportunities within the STEM fields through career development.
Connecting People to Science
Poster Sessions
P18 Lifelines for High School Climate Change
Education
Alan Gould, UC Berkeley; Lawrence Hall of Science,
agould@berkeley.edu
Lifelines for High School Climate Change Education is a project to establish
a network of practicing high school teachers actively teaching climate change
in their courses. The key aim of the project is creation of professional learning
communities (PLCs) of teachers who meet mainly through teleconferences
or webinar meetings to share best practices, strengthen knowledge, share
resources, and promote effective teaching strategies. This is a NASA-funded
project that incorporates analysis of NASA Earth observation data by
students in classrooms. The project is exploring techniques to achieve the
most effective teleconference meetings and workshops. This promotes not
only teaching about minimizing environmental impacts of human activity,
but minimizes environmental impacts of professional development —
practicing what we preach. This poster summarizes project progress to date
in this first year of a 3-year grant project. A number of PLCs are established
and have ongoing meetings. There are openings for addition PLC Leaders
to join and form PLCs in their regions.
P19 PISCES Outreach & Education in Hawai`i
John Hamilton, University of Hawai`i - Hilo, jch@hawaii.edu
Christian Andersen, University of Hawai`i - Hilo,
canderse@hawaii.edu
Frank Schowengerdt, University of Hawai`i - Hilo,
schoweng@hawaii.edu
The Pacific International Space Center for Exploration Systems at University
of Hawai`i - Hilo has existed now for almost 4 years. During that time,
research into space systems (rovers, ISRU, geology & geochemistry) using
Analog Test sites has coupled with undergraduate education, internship
and employment. Additional outreach to the community (alone and in
concert with other Mauna Kea Observatories) and to K–12 classrooms has
served to inspire and excite students to study and excel, particularly in the
STEM areas.
P20 Hubble Images from the MAST EPO Press Release
Database
Jessica Harris, Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI),
harrisj@stsci.edu
Lisa Frattare, Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI),
frattare@stsci.edu
The Multi-mission Archive at STScI (MAST) education and public
outreach (EPO) project is aimed at providing Hubble press release
astronomical images. These press release Hubblesite.org images have
metadata embedded in their headers. This allows for users to have access
to high-quality TIFF images along with associated information about the
observations, i.e. credit, exposure date, exposure time, filters, wavelengths,
colors, position on the sky, subject category, etc. The resultant images are
compliant with end users like Google Sky and World Wide Telescope,
which in turn use the images with mapping routines to show where in the
sky the object is located. A sample of our latest results can be viewed at
http://archdev.stsci.edu/stpr/search.php
Conference Program
P21 Gemini Observatory
Janice Harvey, Gemini Observatory, jharvey@gemini.edu
Peter Michaud, Gemini Observatory, pmichaud@gemini.edu
Gemini Observatory offers a wide variety of outreach programs which
include: Journey Through the Universe, AstroDay, Family Astro, StarLab,
newspaper supplements, Live from Gemini, internships, science and
career fairs, mentoring. The poster will highlight these activities and
the community partnerships that Gemini has formed. We will focus on
how we have sustained the programs by working with the Department of
Education, the University of Hawaii at Hilo and other observatories, as
well as local businesses, organizations and individuals.
P22 Teacher Professional Development Program on
Comets
Mary Kay Hemenway, University of Texas at Austin,
marykay@astro.as.utexas.edu
Anita Cochran, McDonald Observatory, University of Texas at
Austin, anita@astro.as.utexas.edu
Judith Meyer, McDonald Observatory, University of Texas at
Austin, meyerj@astro.as.utexas.edu
Wade Green, Stony Point High School, Round Rock, TX,
wwgreen@gmail.com
Magdalena Rood, Third Coast Research and Development,
mrood@thirdcoastresearch.com
Various elements of a workshop centered on the EPOXI flyby of comet
103P/Hartley 2 were combined to meet several goals: participation
in Galileo Teacher Training Program, relation to a NASA mission,
introduction to the Year of the Solar System, and continuing relations with
teachers to pass current information to their communities. The elements
include a residential workshop for teachers at McDonald Observatory, a
short workshop at the Texas state science teachers’ meeting, evaluation,
and continuing electronic communication with participants. Evaluation
results indicate the workshop successfully prepared teachers to implement
activities and disseminate the new information with their students and
their colleagues. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration
provides support for this project under an Education and Public Outreach
supplement to Grant/Contract/Agreement NNX08AO52G issued through
the Office of Space Science. The support of Joe and Lucy Parsley for the
Texas Galileo Teacher Training Program is also gratefully acknowledged.
P23 The Lowell Observatory Navajo-Hopi Astronomy
Program
Kimberly Herrmann, Lowell Observatory, herrmann@lowell.edu
Deidre A. Hunter, Lowell Observatory, dah@lowell.edu
Amanda S. Bosh, MIT, asbosh@mit.edu
Megan Jackson, Lowell Observatory, mjackson@lowell.edu
Kevin Schindler, Lowell Observatory, kevin@lowell.edu
We will present an overview of the Lowell Observatory Navajo-Hopi
Astronomy Program, which is modeled after the ASP’s Project ASTRO.
Since 1996, our mission has been to use the inherent excitement about the
night sky to help teachers get students excited about science and education.
Lowell astronomers pair up for a school year with an elementary or middle
school (5th–8th grade) teacher and make numerous visits to their teacher’s
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Poster Sessions
classes, partnering with the educators in leading discussions linked with
hands-on activities. Lowell staff also work with educators and community
members to offer evening star parties that involve the parents and family
members of the students. Toward the end of the school year, teachers
bring their classes to Lowell Observatory. The classes spend the afternoon
exploring the Steele Visitor Center and participating in tours and programs
and then voyage to Lowell’s research facility in the evening to observe at
two of Lowell’s research telescopes. Furthermore, we offer biennial teacher
workshops in Flagstaff to provide teachers tools, curricula materials, and
personalized training so that they are able to include astronomy in their
classrooms. We also work with tribal elders to incorporate traditional
astronomical knowledge. Funding for the program comes from many
different sources.
P24 Spatial Sense and Perspective: A 3-D Model of the
Orion Constellation
Inge Heyer, University of Wyoming, inge_heyer@yahoo.com
Timothy F. Slater, University of Wyoming, timslaterwyo@gmail.com
Stephanie J. Slater, Center for Astronomy & Physics Education
Research CAPER, sslaterwyo@gmail.com
Building a scale model of the Orion constellation provides spatial
perspective for students studying astronomy. For this activity, students
read a passage from literature that refers to stars being strange when seen
from a different point of view. From a data set of the seven major stars of
Orion they construct a 3-D distance scale model. This involves the subject
areas of astronomy, mathematics, literature and art, as well as the skill
areas of perspective, relative distances, line-of-sight, and basic algebra.
This model will appear from one side exactly the way we see it from Earth.
But when looking at it from any other angle the familiar constellation will
look very alien. Students are encouraged to come up with their own names
and stories to go with these new constellations. This activity has been used
for K–12 teacher professional development classes, and would be most
suitable for grades 6–12.
P25 A New Approach to Active Learning in the
Planetarium
Tracy Hodge, Berea College, hodget@berea.edu
Jon Saderholm, Berea College, saderholmj@berea.edu
The vast majority of planetaria in the United States are small facilities,
run by colleges, public school systems, and smaller museums. In a recent
survey, Small and Plummer (AER, 9, 010112-1, 2010) found that the
goals of planetarium professionals are aligned with inquiry-based, active
learning. However, most planetarium shows are designed as passive
entertainment, with education as a secondary goal. In addition, there
are very few research-based studies on the types of activities that lead to
greater learning within the planetarium environment. We describe an
innovative model-building curriculum that will provide a new direction
for planetarium-based learning for high school and college-age students,
as well as contributing important data on the efficacy of the planetarium as
an immersive, virtual laboratory.
P26 HubbleSite and Social Media
Stratis Kakadelis, Space Telescope Science Institute, stratis@stsci.edu
Tracy Vogel, Space Telescope Science Institute, vogel@stsci.edu
This poster describes HubbleSite’s social media strategy, which
56
encompasses Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. It explains our efforts
in these areas (ie. Picture of the Day tweets, news and picture posts
on Facebook, dialogues with users) and how they relate to our goal of
engaging the astronomy-interested public in a one-on-one conversation.
The poster will lay out the differences between outreach via a personal
website and outreach via social media sites, explore our challenges in
building a significant audience, and address the methods we have used to
make inroads into this new field of online interaction. It also relays our
vision for social media and our hope to eventually involve all of the Space
Telescope Science Institute in this social media project, making every
employee a representative of the Hubble mission.
P27 Surpass the Trouble and Try Again to Go to Venus,
AKATSUKI! — How Do We Communicate the Bad
Situation to the Public?
Kaoru Kimura, Japan Science Foundation/AKATSUKI Project,
kaoru@jsf.or.jp
Akatsuki Project, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
The Venus Climate Orbiter ‘Akatsuki’ (PLANET-C) mission is one of
the planetary missions of Japan, aims at understanding the atmospheric
circulation of Venus and will make initiate the beginning of a new era
of Venusian exploration. The “AKATSUKI” was launched from the
Tanegashima Space Center on May 21, 2010 (JST.) It smoothly flew and
spurted out jets from its orbit control engine on Dec. 7, 2010. Unfortunately,
the AKATSUKI failed to inject itself into the orbit of Venus. All the project
members were bitterly disappointed, and we must tell the current status
of AKATSUKI to all the supporters so that they must feel the same way.
Fortunately, we are still able to contact with the AKATSUKI, thus the
mission has not terminated. We are, first of all, investigating the cause
of the failure, and we look for the countermeasures and see possibility to
insert the AKATSUKI again into the orbit when it comes closer to Venus
in about six years. Updated information will be posted on the AKATSUKI
project page when it is available. The significance of Venus exploration has
never been lost. Until we elucidate the mystery of Venus, we sincerely hope
that you will walk with us. We will be continuing to communicate to our
project supporters with web, SNS, lectures, and so on till our mission will
be concluded.
P28 Astronomy Behind the Headlines: Podcasts for
Informal Science Educators
Brian Kruse, Astronomical Society of the Pacific,
bkruse@astrosociety.org
Suzanne Gurton, Astronomical Society of the Pacific,
sgurton@astrosociety.org
Anna Hurst Schmitt, Astronomical Society of the Pacific,
ahurst@astrosociety.org
Andrew Fraknoi, Foothill College, fraknoiandrew@fhda.edu
Carolyn Collins Peterson, Loch Ness Productions,
carolyn@lochnessproductions.com
Mark Peterson, Loch Ness Productions,
mark@lochnessproductions.com
Leslie Proudfit, Astronomical Society of the Pacific,
webmaster@astrosociety.org
From 2009 to 2011, the Astronomical Society of the Pacific produced a
series of podcasts for informal educators. Each episode gave a look behind
Connecting People to Science
Poster Sessions
the headlines in astronomy and space science, featuring interviews with
leading astronomers involved in the research that made the news. Along
with the interviews, links to related resources and activities were provided
to help educators interpret the exciting topics for their audiences. We
will describe the process of producing the podcasts and compiling the
related resources, as well as the impact on podcast users. See: http://www.
astrosociety.org/abh/index.html.
P29 Using Wide-Field Meteor Cameras to Actively
Engage Students in Science
David Kuehn, Pittsburg State University, dkuehn@pittstate.edu
Joy N. Scales, Blacksburg (Virginia) High School, jscales@mcps.org
Astronomy has always afforded teachers an excellent topic to develop
students’ interest in science. New technology allows the opportunity to
inexpensively outfit local school districts with sensitive, wide-field video
cameras that can detect and track brighter meteors and other objects.
While the data-collection and analysis process can be mostly automated
by software, there is substantial human involvement that is necessary in
the rejection of spurious detections, in performing dynamics and orbital
calculations, and the rare recovery and analysis of fallen meteorites. The
continuous monitoring allowed by dedicated wide-field surveillance
cameras can provide students with a better understanding of the behavior
of the night sky including meteors and meteor showers, stellar motion, the
motion of the Sun, Moon, and Planets, phases of the Moon, meteorological
phenomena, etc. Additionally, some students intrigued by the possibility of
UFOs and “alien visitors” may find actual monitoring data can help them
develop methods for identifying “unknown” objects. We currently have
two ultra-low light-level surveillance cameras coupled to fish-eye lenses
that are actively obtaining data. We have developed curricula suitable for
middle- or high-school students in astronomy and earth science courses
and are in the process of testing and revising our materials.
P30 Students and Teachers Using Data In Earth Systems
(STUDIES): A NASA ROSES Project for NY Middle
School Earth Science Teachers
Cathy Lange, SUNY Buffalo State College, langecl@buffalostate.edu
Joe Zawicki, SUNY Buffalo State College, zawickjl@buffalostate.edu
The session will describe the STUDIES (Students and Teachers Using
Data from Investigations in Earth Systems) project, a collaborative
interdisciplinary (scientists, science educators, mathematicians, literacy
specialists and geographers) research project. Researchers will share Pre
and post test data from a two year pilot study, review relevant misconception
research and studies and introduce an innovational pedagogical tool,
much like an applet, but called a graphic novel. The web-based graphic
novel will assist teachers in the dispelling of the associated misconceptions
that are embedded within the Earth-Sun orbital mechanics that have
been infamously established by Private Universe. A state wide assessment
methodology will also be described vis-a-vis the New York State Regents
exams to assess effectiveness of this pedagogical tool.
P31 Bringing the Virtual Astronomical Observatory to
the Education Community
Brandon Lawton, Space Telescope Science Institute,
lawton@stsci.edu
Bonnie Eisenhamer, Space Telescope Science Institute,
bonnie@stsci.edu
Conference Program
Barbara J. Mattson, NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center and
Adnet Systems, Inc., barbara.j.mattson@nasa.gov
M. Jordan Raddick, Johns Hopkins University, raddick@pha.jhu.edu
The Virtual Observatory (VO) is an international effort to bring a large
scale electronic integration of astronomy data, tools, and services to
the global community. The Virtual Astronomical Observatory (VAO)
is the U.S. NSF and NASA funded VO effort that seeks to put efficient
astronomical tools in the hands of U.S. astronomers, students, educators,
and public outreach leaders. These tools will make use of data collected
by the multitude of ground and space-based missions over the previous
decades. The Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) program for the
VAO will be led by the Space Telescope Science Institute in collaboration
with the HEASARC E/PO program and Johns Hopkins University. It is
the intent that our VAO E/PO efforts will bring elements of technology,
real-world astronomical data, and the story of the development and
infrastructure of the VAO to the general public and education community.
We will structure our E/PO efforts to provide uniform access to VAO
information in order to enable educational and research opportunities
across multiple wavelengths and time series data sets. The VAO team
recognizes that many tools have already been built for E/PO purposes
using the VO such as Microsoft’s World Wide Telescope, SDSS Sky Server,
Aladin, Montage, and a multitude of citizen science tools available from
Zooniverse. However, it is not enough to simply select tools. Selected tools
must meet the needs of the education community and address national
education standards in order to be utilized. To determine which tools the
VAO will incorporate into the E/PO program, needs assessments will be
conducted with educators across the U.S.
P32 Stereo 3-D Visualization of Hubble Space Telescope
Imagery
Zoltan Levay, Space Telescope Science Institute, levay@stsci.edu
Greg Bacon, Space Telescope Science Institute, bacon@stsci.edu
Tiffany Borders, Space Telescope Science Institute, borders@stsci.edu
Lisa Frattare, Space Telescope Science Institute, frattare@stsci.edu
Frank Summers, Space Telescope Science Institute,
summers@stsci.edu
Keith Noll, Space Telescope Science Institute, noll@stsci.edu
3-dimensional (3-D) visualizations are a means of adding depth to
otherwise 2-dimensional images. Depth usually cannot be derived from
astronomical images, but relative depth relationships can be inferred from
an informed, qualitative analysis of morphology, and some artistic license.
The intent of these visualizations is to provide viewers a flavor of what
these landscapes might look like from a nearby vantage point, to better
illustrate their complex morphologies, and to dispel any misconceptions
that space is flat. We present 3-D visualization of a few targets imaged with
the Hubble Space Telescope and describe some of the techniques used
to develop these visualizations. Models were constructed by separating
color composite images into several planes. Stars, galaxies, and detailed
structures were extracted from the image using the morphology of their
features to infer relative depth and placed on geometries in 3-D digital
modeling software. Relief texture was added to in the model to further
enhance the perception of depth. For a static image, frames rendered from
the 3-D model at two different viewpoints may be viewed as a stereo pair
or composited into a single image in anaglyph (red-blue) stereo, viewable
with appropriate glasses. Animated 3-D sequences were produced by
moving a pair of virtual cameras through the model and rendering frames
into a movie.
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Poster Sessions
P33 Mobile Phone Application Development for the
Science Classroom
Preston Lewis, NASA Langley Research Center / SSAI,
preston.lewis@nasa.gov
Daniel Oostra, NASA Langley Research Center / SSAI,
daniel.h.oostra@nasa.gov
Sarah Crecelius, NASA Langley Research Center / SSAI,
sarah.a.crecelius@nasa.gov
Lin Chambers, NASA Langley Research Center,
lin.h.chambers@nasa.gov
With smartphone sales currently surpassing laptop sales, it is hard
not to think that these devices will have a place in the classroom. More
specifically, with little to no monetary investment, classroom-centric
mobile applications have the ability to suit the needs of teachers.
Previously, programming such an item has been a daunting task to the
classroom teacher. But now, through the use of online visual tools, anyone
has the ability to generate a mobile application to suit individual classroom
needs. The MY NASA DATA (MND) project has begun work on such an
application. Using online tools that are directed at the non-programmer,
the team has developed two usable mobile apps that fit right into the science
classroom. The two apps generated include a cloud dichotomous key for
cloud identification in the field, and an atmospheric science glossary to
help with standardized testing key vocabulary and classroom assignments.
Through the use of free online tools, teachers and students now have the
ability to customize mobile applications to meet their individual needs. As
an extension of the mobile applications the MND team is planning webbased application programming interfaces (API’s) that will be generated
from data that is currently included in the MND Live Access Server.
This will allow teachers and students to choose data sets that they want
to include in the mobile application without having to populate the API
themselves. Through the use of easy to understand online mobile app
tutorials and MND data sets, teachers will have the ability to generate unitspecific mobile applications to further engage and empower students in
the science classroom.
P34 Astronomy Beat: A New Project to Record and
Present the “Behind the Scenes” Story of Astronomical
Projects and Programs
James Manning, Astronomical Society of the Pacific,
jmanning@astrosociety.org
Andrew Fraknoi, Astronomical Society of the Pacific,
fraknoiandrew@fhda.edu
Leslie Proudfit, Astronomical Society of the Pacific,
webmaster@astrosociety.org
Michèle Pearson, Astronomical Society of the Pacific,
mpearson@astrosociety.org
We report on a web-based project at the ASP where noted astronomers,
astronomy educators, and amateur astronomers write columns that
describe the joy of doing astronomy from an insider’s perspective — what
it was really like to do the work for which they are known. For example, Bill
Hartmann described how he and a colleague came up with the giant impact
hypothesis for the origin of the Moon, and Ray Weymann recalled how
he and two colleagues found the first gravitational lens. The webmasters
of the “Astronomy Picture of the Day” explained where they find all the
great images and the Rev. Robert Evans, an amateur who held the world
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record for visual supernova discoveries, reminisced about his observing
adventures. At first, the columns (of which more than 75 now exist) are
made available only to members of the ASP as a membership benefit
(although a few are made public when they have particular educational
value). David Morrison’s debunking of the myth of the end of the world
in 2012 has been an especially popular one. However, we have plans to
make the columns more generally available in book format. Suggestions
for new columns and for how to publish a collection of the columns are
most welcome.
P35 Visions of the Universe: A Traveling Exhibit for
Libraries
Dan McCallister, Space Telescope Science Institute,
mccallis@stsci.edu
Bonnie Eisenhamer, Space Telescope Science Institute
Holly Ryer, Space Telescope Science Institute
Frank Summers, Space Telescope Science Institute
Denise Smith, Space Telescope Science Institute
In turning his telescope to the heavens in 1609, Galileo Galilei embarked
upon a journey that would revolutionize science and culture alike,
profoundly changing our view of our place in the universe. In celebration
of this achievement and the International Year of Astronomy, the Space
Telescope Science Institute produced the “Visions of the Universe: Four
Centuries of Discovery” exhibit in partnership with the American Library
Association and the Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.
The “Visions of the Universe” exhibit shows how humanity’s views and
understanding of the universe have changed over the past four hundred
years, and addresses topics such as storms on the sun, Saturn’s rings, the
nature of comets, star birth, and distant galaxies. As part of its evaluation
program, STScI’s Office of Public Outreach has been conducting an
evaluation of the exhibit to determine its effectiveness in meeting the
needs of libraries across the United States.
P36 How We Serve (or Underserve) Our Students
through ‘Dumbing Down’: Improving Skills in
Quantitative Literacy via Introductory Astronomy
Don McCarthy, University of Arizona, dmccarthy@as.arizona.edu
Katherine Follette, University of Arizona, kfollette@as.arizona.edu
Current trends in the teaching of high school and college science avoid
numerical engagement because nearly all students lack basic arithmetic
skills and experience anxiety when encountering numbers. Nevertheless,
such skills are essential to science and vital to becoming savvy consumers,
citizens capable of recognizing pseudoscience, and discerning interpreters
of statistics in ever-present polls, studies, and surveys in which our society
is awash. Can a general-education collegiate course motivate students
to value numeracy and to improve their quantitative skills in what may
well be their final opportunity in formal education? We present a tool to
assess whether skills in numeracy/quantitative literacy can be fostered
and improved in college students through the vehicle of non-major
introductory courses in Astronomy. Initial classroom applications define
the magnitude of this problem and indicate that significant improvements
are possible. Based on these initial results we offer this tool online and
hope to collaborate with other educators, both formal and informal, to
develop effective mechanisms for encouraging all students to value and
improve their skills in basic numeracy.
Connecting People to Science
Poster Sessions
P37 EarthScope Content for IRIS Active Earth Display:
Free Earth Science Content for Your Audiences
Patrick McQuillan, Incorporated Research Institutions for
Seismology (IRIS), mcquillan@iris.edu
John Taber, IRIS, taber@iris.edu
Poster will describe the newly available content set describing the
EarthScope project. EarthScope is the largest geophysics research project
ever deployed. EarthScope will explore the North American Continent
to learn more about the underlying structure. EarthScope’s main
observatories include: Plate Boundary Observatory, SAFOD (San Andreas
Fault at Depth) and USArray. USArray will be deploying a highly dense
array of seismometers across the continental United States over a multiyear period. Seismometers in the USArray network will be not more than
50 miles apart. The IRIS Active Earth Display provides a low cost method
of displaying earth science content provided by IRIS as well as a method
for users to create their own content.
P38 Social Networking and the Growing Uses of Web 2.0
for Outreach and Education
Joseph Miller, NASA DEVELOP National Program,
joseph.e.miller@gmail.com
Lauren Childs, NASA DEVELOP National Program,
lauren.m.childs@nasa.gov
As Web 2.0 moves forward, social networking takes an integral part in
the efforts of outreach and education. Facebook and Twitter have taken
the forefront in these efforts, but there are many other networks that
can be used, especially in reaching new, unreached audiences. Available
for public use, there are several applications that create a nexus between
many, if not all of the social networks. There are many advantages to these
programs, including mobile posting, location tracking, shared posting
between separate networks, tracking of mentions, and taking advantage
of Application Programming Interface, or API. Within social networking,
there several techniques that should be taken in putting together content
and status updates. Also of note is the use of third-party applications
within the social networks which allow for further interaction with the
general public at a more personal level. While some people think it is a
simple field, there are several key factors to keep in mind, including the
frequency of posting, sharing of links, connecting with other organizations
and companies, creating videos, and most importantly, encouraging
feedback from followers and fans. This poster focuses on techniques for
posting, as well as how to combine multiple networks for easy use.
P39 Engaging in Online Group Discussions Using
Facebook to Enhance Social Presence
Scott Miller, Sam Houston State University, stm009@shsu.edu
While students within a traditional course are provided with multiple
opportunities to interact with their peers, students within online courses
find it more difficult to do so. Many course management tools provide
discussion boards for faculty and students to communicate with one
another, but students do not take full advantage of these resources.
Discussion boards, in particular, are not highly effective at recreating
the natural interaction between students in a classroom environment.
In order for a student to participate in an online discussion, the student
must log into the course, navigate to the discussion activity and choose to
participate. Once a student leaves a discussion, he has no way of knowing
Conference Program
if further discussion has taken place without returning to the course and
to the discussion activity. I used Facebook within two online astronomy
courses as a tool for fostering a social presence among the students. A
majority of students already use Facebook to interact with their friends
and feel comfortable within its environment, facilitating their use of
Facebook for course discussions. One advantage that Facebook has over
course management discussion tools is the fact that when one student
posts a topic to Facebook and another student responds, Facebook emails
everyone who contributed to the discussion, notifying each student of the
update. Another advantage of Facebook is that, in order to participate in
a discussion topic, students don’t need to log in to the course and navigate
to the discussion activity. Instead, they simply read the postings on their
Facebook status page, and when they see a post from the course, they can
comment on it right then and there. This helps facilitate participation in
the discussion activities and foster a sense of community within the course.
P40 “Lunar Phases Project” as a Foundation for the
Development of Innovative Inquiry Based ASTRO 101
Activities Utilizing Existing Concept Inventories as
Assessment Tools
Manuel Mon, Florida Gulf Coast University, mmon@earthlink.net
Angela Osterman Meyer, Florida Gulf Coast University,
ameyer@fgcu.edu
The cause and process of the lunar phases are difficult concepts for
undergraduates and non-science majors to grasp. At Florida Gulf Coast
University we have combined an inquiry-based instructional method
(Mental Model Building) which can be more effective increasing
students’ conceptual understanding of the Lunar Phase Cycle, together
with the students own observations. Undergraduate and non-science
major students completed a hands-on project designed to integrate real
observations, application of the scientific method and Mental Model
Building to connect the students’ own observations to the Earth-SunMoon orientations responsible for their findings. Students’ learning was
assessed by administering the Lunar Phases Concept Inventory (developed
by Rebecca S. Lindell and James P. Olsen, Southern Illinois University)
before and after students completed the project, with positive results.
We describe the methodology and activities utilized in our Lunar Phases
Project, and propose their expansion to a variety of astronomical topics
for undergraduate non-science majors and pre-service teachers. We
emphasize developing and implementing new instructional strategies
through the expansion of the Mental Model Building and similar
pedagogical methodologies to develop innovative inquiry-based projects
and activities in a variety of astronomical topics for undergraduate nonscience majors and pre-service teachers. In order to meaningfully assess
the new curriculum tools, we recommend utilizing already existing
research-validated concept inventories specific to the astronomy content in
the curriculum tools. These inventories can be analyzed to determine the
conceptual learning gains achieved by the participating students and with
further analysis can be used to refine portions of the activity under study.
P41 Engaging the Public in Astronomy at the
Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum’s Public
Observatory
Katie Moore, Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum,
mooreks@si.edu
David DeVorkin, Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum,
devorkind@si.edu
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Poster Sessions
Shelley Witte, Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum,
wittes@si.edu
Erin Braswell, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, erin.
braswell@gmail.com
The Public Observatory at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space
Museum is a new facility for public astronomy education and exploration.
In the spirit of the International Year of Astronomy, we sought to bring
the experience of doing astronomy to the National Mall’s many visitors
and planned the Observatory with accessibility in mind. Washington, DC
isn’t typically associated with observational astronomy. Its strength as an
astronomy education site lies in our access to its large quantity of local,
national, and international visitors. Our programming is aimed at people
with little astronomical experience and knowledge. We surprise visitors
with an opportunity to look through telescopes, engage with Observatory
staff, and share their experiences with the people they are with. Visitors
with prior astronomy interest also have a unique opportunity to do
astronomy in a new and exciting way. Physical accessibility is key to
welcoming and involving visitors who might not be intrinsically motivated
to do astronomy. The Observatory is located outside the main Museum
building at ground-level and is open during times that allow for maximum
visitorship and access to celestial objects. We also utilize a variety of
equipment to make our telescopes accessible to all of our on-site visitors.
Offsite visitors can access our programming online through streaming video
of a live view through one of our telescopes or through images produced
at the Observatory. Observational astronomy is typically associated with
nighttime so our daytime program often catches visitors’ attention. We
mainly observe Venus, the Sun, and the Moon. Our visitors discover new
things about these familiar objects through observation and engaging
conversations. Staff layer an appropriate combination of discovery, guided
inquiry, and direction, for an experience that is intellectually and socially
accessible to all. One goal for the future is connecting interested people
with astronomers via webcam.
P42 NASA Heliophysics Education and Public Outreach
Forum Product Analysis Effort
Michelle Nichols, Adler Planetarium,
mnichols@adlerplanetarium.org
Nancy Ali, University of California, Berkeley - Space Sciences Lab,
nancy.ali@ssl.berkeley.edu
Ruth Paglierani, University of California, Berkeley - Space Sciences
Lab, ruthp@ssl.berkeley.edu
Heather Withnell, Adler Planetarium,
hwithnell@adlerplanetarium.org
Lindsay Bartolone, Adler Planetarium,
lbartolone@adlerplanetarium.org
Laura Peticolas, University of California, Berkeley - Space Sciences
Lab, laura@ssl.berkeley.edu
Bryan Mendez, University of California, Berkeley - Space Sciences
Lab, bmendez@ssl.berkeley.edu
The Heliophysics Science Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) Forum
has undertaken the task of product analysis for the entire heliophysics
portfolio of K–12, informal, and outreach E/PO products and programs
to determine the alignment of the portfolio to the AAAS Benchmarks.
Along with the work of the other forums, the goal of this project is to
conduct a “gap analysis” to determine how many products and programs
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align to the Benchmarks and to discover where the “gaps” are located,
those benchmarks that are not covered sufficiently (or at all) by the
portfolio. Because the AAAS Benchmarks do not contain large numbers
of heliophysics-related topics, the Heliophysics Forum Product Analysis
team is also aligning products to the concept maps contained in the GEMS
Space Science Sequence curriculum materials. This poster will highlight
the work to date on Heliophysics K–12 product analysis, including a
compilation of the aligned benchmarks and GEMS SSS concept maps for
the K–12 Heliophysics materials approved by NASA Education Review as
of June 2010, an overview as to the instructional strategies and assessment
strategies utilized by Heliophysics K–12 products, and other information
that will be of interest to Heliophysics E/PO product and program
developers.
P43 Women in Planetary Science: A New Resource
Susan Niebur, Niebur Consulting,
susanniebur@nieburconsulting.com
Kelsi Singer, Washington University in St. Louis,
ksinger@levee.wustl.edu
Kathryn Gardner-Vandy, University of Arizona,
kgardner@lpl.arizona.edu
Fifty-one interviews with women in planetary science are now available
as a teaching resource on WomeninPlanetaryScience.com. Women in
Planetary Science was founded in 2008 to connect communities of current
and prospective scientists, to amplify discussions of career progress of
women, and to stimulate discussion in the planetary science community at
large with frequent provocative essays by a dozen collaborators. Interviews
covering career path, achievements, and advice for prospective scientists
fill an often-overlooked gap in the movement to encourage young
women in science. Although women now earn substantial numbers of
bachelor’s degrees in Earth Science (30%), Astronomy (30%), and Physics
(17%), the number of women in research and teaching positions rapidly
diminishes to less than 7% of full professors in the physical sciences. As
a result, many students have never even met a female science professor.
The latest AAS survey showed 17% of top Astronomy departments had
no female professors at all; no department had more than three. To
increase student exposure to successful female role models at all levels of
academe, government, research institutions, and industry, new interviews
were published weekly and archived on a web site regularly promoted
through social media including an active Twitter account, Facebook page,
Pinterest pins, and RSS feed. Interaction in all those venues is encouraged;
there is ample opportunity for readers to comment or contribute their
own essays, ideas, and questions in a Web 3.0 model. Both readers and
collaborators span a range of ages and employment scenarios. The 51
Women in Planetary Science interviews are a standing resource, with
additional e-mentoring available through the blog, Twitter, Facebook, and
Pinterest, where we have just begun crowdsourcing images and links for
all women in planetary science. Work was partially supported by NASA
Outreach Supplement to Contract NNH08CC65C. Find us at http://
womeninplanetaryscience.com
P44 Innovative Low Cost Science Education Technology
Tools: Increasing Access to Science for All
Jake Noel-Storr, Rochester Institute of Technology, jake@cis.rit.edu
Brandon Cole, Rochester Institute of Technology, bnc8088@rit.edu
Christopher Carey, Rochester Institute of Technology,
cpc2273@rit.edu
Connecting People to Science
Poster Sessions
Zach Kruchoski, Rochester Institute of Technology,
zsk3014@rit.edu
We present three low cost educational technology tools that have been
developed by the Rochester Institute of Technology Insight Lab. Our
technology tools are designed with cost and “user-tinkerability” in mind,
to increase the potential for technology-rich access to scientific data to
be in the hands of a much larger slice of the population. The three tools
presented are the “Planeterrainium” — A digital interactive floor projection
system allowing users to explore the planets in 3D; the “Digital Solar
Explorer” — a 5 foot inflatable sphere designed to allow for the exploration
of solar imagery; and the “SCUBE” — a digital immersive tentware system.
We describe projects that involve both undergraduate and high school
students in the development of content for these systems, encouraging the
growth of both scientific and technological literacy in the process. Funding
for this work was provided in part by education supplements to NASA
contracts NNX08AO03G and NNX07AM68G.
P45 Transformative Processes in Science Education
with Informal Science Center Practitioners and Native
American Communities: Lessons Learned from Cosmic
Serpent
Laura Peticolas, Center for Science Education at University of
California, Berkeley, laura@ssl.berkeley.edu
Nancy Maryboy, Indigenous Education Institute,
wohali7@gmail.com
David Begay, Indigenous Education Institute, dbegay@gmail.com
Jill Stein, Institute for Learning Innovations, stein@ilinet.org
Shelly Valdez, Native Pathways, shilaguna@aol.com
Ruth Paglierani, Center for Science Education at University of
California, Berkeley, ruthp@ssl.berkeley.edu
A cultural disconnect exists between western scientists and educators and
the native community in terms of scientific worldviews and Indigenous
ways of knowing. This cultural disconnect manifests itself in the lack
of participation of Native Americans in Western science and a lack of
appreciation by Western scientists of Native Science. Our NSF-Funded
project “Cosmic Serpent: Bridging Native and Western Learning in
Museum Settings” set out to provide a way for informal science education
practitioners and tribal museum practitioners to learn about these two
world views in such a way as to inform their educational practice around
these concepts. We began with a pilot-tested workshop in year one of
this four-year project. We then provided two week-long professional
development workshops in three regions within the Western U.S.,
and culminated with in a final conference for all participants. For this
presentation, we focus on the personal transformations around culture,
knowledge, science and world views that occurred as a part of this
project. We evaluated the collaborative aspects of this grant between the
Indigenous Education Institute, the Center for Science Education at the
University of California, Berkeley; the Institute for Learning Innovations;
Native Pathways; Association for Science and Technology Centers; and the
National Museum of the American Indian. Using evaluation results, as well
as our personal reflections, we share our transformational journeys that
came from being a part of this project. Through our evaluation, we also
have testimonials from many of the participants of the projects describing
how this project transformed the way in which they think about science,
education, Earth and Sky, and our modern day world. We share our
thoughts on what made these personal- and professional-transformative
moments possible and provide some lessons, which we hope others can
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contemplate applying in their own science education work.
P46 Preservice Teachers’ First Experiences Teaching
Astronomy: Challenges in Designing and Implementing
Inquiry-Based Astronomy Instruction for Elementary
Students in After School Programs
Julia Plummer, Arcadia University, plummerj@arcadia.edu
Learning about astronomy involves more than just understanding the
content; students also need to understand the application of scientific
inquiry to the domain (NRC, 2000, 2007). However, to provide children
with opportunities to participate productively in scientific inquiry
requires teachers who are knowledgeable about: the content, practices
of inquiry, and specific methods of doing inquiry in the target domain.
Developing and enacting inquiry in astronomy presents several challenges
for elementary teachers because of their limited content knowledge (e.g.
Brunsell & Marcks, 2005; Schoon, 1995) and their limited understanding
of scientific inquiry (e.g. Lederman et al., 2002). This study begins to
answer the questions: What range of design strategies do pre-service
elementary teachers implement in an extended inquiry experience with
children? What challenges do they face and what causes those challenges?
Preservice teachers from three sections of elementary science methods
(N=30) spent the first five weeks of their course learning elementary
astronomy concepts through inquiry-based experiences, reading an
elementary astronomy curriculum (FOSS, 2007), and discussing inquirybased pedagogy (e.g. NRC, 2000). Following this, pairs of students taught
small groups of children ranging from Kindergarten to 6th grade in after
school programs; their assignment was to teach a single extended inquiry
investigation around sun, moon, or stars concepts across five lessons.
To investigate their integration of astronomy and inquiry, I collected
the following data: pre/post astronomy content tests, pre/post Views
of Scientific Inquiry survey, five lesson plans from each pair, reflections
from each week of teaching, and fieldwork observations. Findings suggest
that while some preservice teachers were able to implement high-quality
inquiry investigations, where students discussed how their data could
be used to answer scientific questions, many of the preservice teachers
struggled to understand the use of evidence in inquiry, use age-appropriate
strategies, and to use assessment effectively.
P47 Authentic Astronomy Research Experiences for
Teachers: The NASA/IPAC Teacher Archive Research
Program (NITARP)
Luisa Rebull, IPAC/Caltech, rebull@ipac.caltech.edu
NITARP Team, IPAC
How many times have you gotten a question from the general public, or
read a news story, and concluded that “they just don’t understand how
real science works”? One really good way to get the word out about how
science works is to have more people experience the process of scientific
research. The way we have chosen to do this, since 2004, is to provide
authentic research experiences for teachers using real data. (The program
used to be called the Spitzer Teacher Program for Teachers and Students,
and in 2009 was rechristened NITARP, the NASA/IPAC Teacher Archive
Research Program.) We partner small groups of teachers with a mentor
astronomer, they do research as a team, write up a poster, and present
it at an American Astronomical Society (AAS) meeting. The teachers
incorporate this experience into their classroom, and their experiences
color their teaching for years to come, influencing 100s of students per
teacher. This program differs from other similar programs in that: (a)
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Poster Sessions
Each team works on an original, unique project. There are no canned labs
here! (b) Each team presents their results in posters at the AAS, in science
sessions (not outreach sessions). The posters are distributed throughout
the meeting, in amongst other researchers’ work; the participants are
not “given a free pass” because they are teachers. (c) The ‘product’ of this
project is the scientific result, not any sort of curriculum packet. The
teachers adapt their project to their classroom environment, and hopefully
we change the way they think about science and scientists.
P48 Integrating the Middle School Science Classroom
with the Planetarium to Teach Earth Science
Holli Riebeek, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center,
holli.a.riebeek@nasa.gov
Scientists study the Earth system from space-based satellites capable of
making global measurements. This project uses the satellite images in a
digital planetarium to teach students to see the Earth as a system the way
scientists do. Such a perspective is helpful in teaching global processes like
the water cycle or the carbon cycle or large-scale environmental issues like
climate change. In this NASA-funded project, a series of five planetarium
programs are being developed around aspects of the Earth system
including atmospheric composition, climate variability and change, carbon
cycle and ecosystems, and seasons and climate. The program is being
developed for middle school students, and each program is accompanied
by standards-based lessons that integrate the planetarium experience with
the science classroom. The poster presents the first planetarium program
and accompanying lesson series on air quality (atmospheric composition).
Mankato, Minnesota, teachers David Burgess and Lynell Sendon
developed and tested the first planetarium program and lesson series with
their eighth-grade students during the 2010–2011 school year. The lessons
and planetarium program will be available for distribution from NASA’s
Terra mission.
P49 Engaging Teachers and Students in the Rio Grande
Valley in Earth and Space Science: Chapter II
Judit Ries, The University of Texas at Austin,
moon@astro.as.utexas.edu
Margaret Baguio, The University of Texas at Austin,
baguio@csr.utexas.edu
Susana Ramirez, Rio Grande Valley Science Association,
justsciencemaniacs@live.com
In the summer of 2010, we received a NASA STEM education CAN to
prepare teachers in the Rio Grande Valley to become certified to teach
the new fourth year capstone courses in Astronomy and Earth and
Space Science. This two-year project began in 2010 with two summer
workshops, which concentrated on Earth and Space Sciences and
training in related classroom activities. At the 2010 ASP conference, we
reported on these workshops, describing the resources and guidance in
curriculum development provided to the educators. During the school
year, we followed up with two weekend training sessions and on-line
training. An important requirement of the new fourth-year courses is a
field investigation conducted by students. Teachers were asked to propose
for ‘mini-grants’ to support these field investigations. A Family Science
Night 2011 was also held at a local middle school as part of our program.
High Science Club members, teachers, and University of Texas Pan
American students gave presentations, created solar viewers, and worked
on experiments with area students, their parents and family members. Our
poster will highlight the outcomes of these follow-up programs and the
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two week-long Astronomy workshops in June 2012 in Edinburg, Texas.
P50 Paideia: Bringing Astronomy and Science to
Brazilian Radio
Gustavo Rojas, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, grojas@ufscar.br
Adilson J. A. Oliveira, Universidade Federal de São Carlos,
adilson@df.ufscar.br
Mariana R. Pezzo, Universidade Federal de São Carlos,
mariana@ufscar.br
Tarcio M. Fabricio, Universidade Federal de São Carlos,
tarciofabricio@gmail.com
Paideia is a one-hour radio show broadcasted weekly by Radio UFSCar,
focusing on science and culture. Every semester one topic is selected to
be explored more deeply in the shows. In homage of IYA2009, Astronomy
was chosen as the subject for the second semester of 2009. The response
from the public was such that Astronomy continued as a mainstream topic
since then. The show can be listened in the conventional radio receiver,
by internet streaming, or downloaded as a podcast. Paideia is divided in
different segments. “Science News” informs the listeners about the main
scientific discoveries and events. Suggestions of movies, books, websites
and softwares are the focus of “Science Tips”. In “The Weekly Sky”, an
astronomer tells what can be observed during the week, preferably
without optical aid. Listeners are encouraged to ask questions in “Ask an
Astronomer” segment, either by email, instant messaging, or by phone. In
“One Music One Theme”, songs inspired by the sky serve as a starting point
for a deeper discussion, including interviews with experts. Two special
Radio Drama features were produced. “The Universe Between Us” was
inspired in Galileo’s “Dialogues Concerning Two New Sciences”, where the
main characters discuss current astronomical issues. “Invented Truths”
tells the story of a teenager student that meets famous scientists in dreams.
Another spinoff of the show are the videocasts based on “The Weekly Sky”
broadcasted in an national educational TV channel and YouTube. The
radio show tries to establish a dialogue with its listeners, in a clear choice
of a collaborative construction of knowledge perspective.
P51 Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope
Network: Keeping Citizen Scientists in the Dark
Rachel Ross, LCOGT, rross@lcogt.net
Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network (LCOGT) is creating
a network of telescopes at top sites around the world providing 24/7 all
sky coverage. The telescope network, ranging in size from 0.4m to 2.0m,
will be available for both scientific and education users.The telescopes for
the network are quickly being built and soon will be deployed. Currently
in operation are the two 2.0m Faulkes Telescopes on Haleakala, Maui
(FTN) and at Siding Spring Observatory, Australia (FTS). There is also
a 0.8m telescope in the Santa Ynez Valley, California (BOS) that is being
commissioned as well as being used for many local outreach. The first 1.0m
telescopes will be heading to Chile and South Africa later this year and will
each be accompanied by a 0.4m telescope. Other sites, including Tenerife,
McDonald Observatory, Siding Spring, and Haleakala will follow with
the possibility of up to two other sites. LCOGT education is transforming
into a Citizen Science program. There will be several projects several that
will encompass taking observations through the network, analyzing the
data, and sharing with other citizen scientists from around the world. The
first of these projects, Agent Exoplanet, will be launching in mid-2011
and will involve analyzing brand-new data to create a light curve of an
exoplanet. As the network is not built yet, this beta project will not include
Connecting People to Science
Poster Sessions
actual observing as future ones will. More information about LCOGT
and its Citizen Science program can be found online (www.lcogt.net).
In addition to material to get started in the Citizen Science program, the
website also includes resources and content for more activities including
hands-on and using archived data, general astronomy pages, network
information, complete access to the public data archive, current news, and
recent publications. And don’t forget to register for the LCOGT monthly
newsletter.
P52 Are We Teaching Students to Think Like Scientists?
Louis Rubbo, Coastal Carolina University, lrubbo@coastal.edu
Christopher Moore, Coastal Carolina University,
moorejc@coastal.edu
University courses in conceptual physics and astronomy typically serve
as the terminal science experience for non-science majors. Significant
work has gone into developing research verified pedagogical methods
for the algebra and calculus based physics courses typically populated by
natural and physical science majors. However, there is significantly less
volume in the literature concerning the non-science population. This is
quickly changing, and large, repeatable gains on concept tests are being
reported. However, we may be losing sight of what is arguably the most
important goal of such a course: development of scientific reasoning.
Are we teaching this population of students to think like scientists? Over
the past several years, we have developed parallel conceptual astronomy
and physics courses that focus on core scientific reasoning patterns while
introducing basic scientific content. These courses are taught in a SCALEUP classroom environment and incorporate a number of developed
physics education techniques such as think-pair-share, collaborative
learning groups, and guided lecture tutorials. Through the use of these
techniques we see relatively large gains in conceptual knowledge as
measured by several concept inventories; however, we observe very little
gain in scientific reasoning as measured by Lawson’s Classroom Test of
Scientific Reasoning. Preliminarily, we see significantly larger gains on
LCTSR questions after explicit intervention using materials that we are
currently developing. It is our opinion that the primary focus of this type
of course should be the development of reasoning patterns, which seems to
require explicit intervention in an active-engagement environment.
P53 Computer-based Games, Simulations, and Virtual
Labs for Earth Science and Astronomy Education
P54 The Universe Awareness
Pedro Russo, Leiden University / Int. Astronomical Union,
russo@strw.leidenuniv.nl
George Miley, Leiden University / Int. Astronomical Union
On behalf of the Universe Awareness network
Universe Awareness (UNAWE) is, an International Astronomical Union
endorsed programme that uses the beauty and grandeur of the Universe
to encourage young children, particularly those from an underprivileged
background, to have an interest in science and technology and foster
their sense of global citizenship from the earliest age. Although UNAWE
was only founded five years ago, it is already active in 40 countries and
comprises a global network of almost 500 astronomers, teachers and other
educators. Recently the European Union (EU) has granted 1.9 million euros
to support the 6-country educational programme on Universe Awareness
(UNAWE).During this presentation we will present the outcomes of the
project, lessons learned and plans for the future.
P55 Tactile Astronomy: Making the Universe Touchable
Holly Ryer, Space Telescope Science Institute, hgreat@stsci.edu
Kathy Cordes, Space Telescope Science Institute
Max Mutchler, Space Telescope Science Institute
Bonnie Eisenhamer, Space Telescope Science Institute
Tactile Astronomy supports the Hubble Education Program’s efforts in
bringing the wonders of the universe to everyone, regardless of their visual
ability. This new section of the Amazing Space Website features “Images of
the Month” — a collection of the latest Hubble images that can be printed
in a tactile format. The images are specifically designed to be downloaded
and printed on a thermal paper expansion machine, thus allowing the
visually impaired to feel what they cannot see. In addition, there is a
“special projects” section that currently features the limited-edition Tactile
Carina Nebula booklet and accompanying materials, such as background
text about the Carina Nebula and an audio tour. New tactile images are
added monthly.
P56 Anatomy of an App: Exploring User Experience on
Mobile Devices
Randy Russell, University Corp. for Atmospheric Research,
rrussell@ucar.edu
Jessica Santascoy, Astronomical Society of the Pacific,
jsantascoy@astrosociety.org
Joe Cieplinski, Designer, joec@mac.com
Computer-based simulations and virtual labs are valuable resources for
science educators in various settings, allowing learners to experiment and
explore “what if ” scenarios. Educational computer games can motivate
learners in both formal and informal settings, encouraging them to spend
much more time exploring a topic than they might otherwise be inclined
to do. This poster is effectively a “literature review” of numerous sources
of simulations, games, and virtual labs. Although we have encountered
several nice collections of such resources, those collections seem to be
restricted in scope. They either represent materials developed by a specific
group or agency (e.g. NOAA’s games web site) or are restricted to a specific
discipline (e.g. geology simulations and virtual labs). This poster directs
viewers to games, simulations, and virtual labs from many different sources
and spanning a broad range of Earth science and astronomy disciplines.
The poster is also a “sampler” of a broader, more in-depth collection of
such resources available online at a web site dedicated to disseminating
such items.
Ever wondered what makes a good app? With hundreds of thousands of
mobile apps on the market, the deluge can be overwhelming. How do you
understand which apps are good, and how do you approach developing
an app for your organization? We’ll show you how to evaluate an app by
giving you clear criteria for which to look. If you are going to develop
an app for your organization, knowing the basics of what makes a good
user experience is helpful. The NASA Night Sky Network developed Go
StarGaze, an app that helps people find stargazing events and astronomy
clubs. Go StarGaze uses the same data feed from the website, but the mobile
experience is very different from the website experience and provides a
good example of how user interface needs to be approached differently
on a mobile device. We’ll help you understand what the differences are,
so you can better choose which apps you want to use, or to help you in
your own app development process. Knowing how to work with designers
and content providers can make the app development process go more
smoothly. And, if you’re new to apps, this is a great place to start, because
Conference Program
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you’ll understand more than the average app user about why you like or
dislike an app.
P57 Introducing SDO Solar Data into the Community
College Classroom
Deborah Scherrer, Stanford University, dscherrer@solar.stanford.edu
It is well-known that students who have opportunities to work with real
scientific data are much more successful in future science courses and
more likely to enter STEM careers than their colleagues. The Stanford Solar
Center, in conjunction with Chabot Community College in Hayward,
CA, is undertaking an experiment to develop and test a set of laboratory
activities based on data from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory. Though
the goal is to develop data use activities which will engage community
college students, the collected information could be significantly useful to
solar researchers as well. The initial planned activity is a collection and
study of the rotation of sunspots prior to a solar event. Though scientists
have been aware of sunspot rotation since 1910, accurate measurements of
the rate and amount of rotation with high spatial resolution and temporal
continuity has only become possible with SDO. Even though solar
researchers may study the sunspot rotation phenomena and publish results
while the students are still collecting data, the project would continue to
provide a valuable hands-on experience for them since this a current, real,
approachable investigation. My poster will describe the planned activities
and the process we intend to use to develop them. Should this experiment
prove successful, the activities will be expanded for high school use. Those
viewing the poster will be introduced to an idea on how real scientific
data can be made accessible and used in a community college classroom,
hopefully to the gain not only of the students but solar researchers as well.
P58 NASA Science Mission Directorate: Analysis of E/
PO Products
Theresa Schwerin, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies
(IGES), theresa_schwerin@strategies.org
Lindsay Bartolone, Adler Planetarium,
lbartolone@adlerplanetarium.org
Bonnie Eisenhamer, Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI),
bonnie@stsci.edu
John Ristvey, Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning
(McREL), jristvey@mcrel.org
John Kendall, McREL, jkendall@mcrel.org
Michelle Nichols, Adler Planetarium,
mnichols@adlerplanetarium.org
The NASA Science E/PO Forums — one each for Astrophysics, Earth
Science, Heliophysics and Planetary Science — have been charged with
conducting a detailed analysis of NASA Science Mission Directorate
(SMD) E/PO products for their science area. The initial analysis is
examining K–12 education products, which represent the majority of the
SMD portfolio of E/PO products. The analysis is not being used to evaluate
individual products — the products that are included are those that have
already passed the NASA SMD education product review by educators and
scientists. Rather the analysis will help characterize the individual products
and collection as a whole. This information will be used to construct a gap
analysis, help end users find resources and identify pathways through the
portfolio, and inform program management (e.g. what are areas where
future development of SMD products is needed?). The four Forums worked
together to identify the questions to be answered by the analysis, and the
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information needed to help answer those questions. This information
includes aligning individual lessons to AAAS Benchmarks, identifying
whether national education standards (science, math and technology)
are included in the lesson, and identifying the type of assessments and
instructional strategies employed. The Forums developed a standard
format and process for identifying and collecting this information, based
on established metadata guidelines and best practices. These included:
collection guidelines for the National Science Digital Library (NSDL),
NSDL pathway collections (How to Smile and the Digital Library for Earth
System Education), and the Space Science Education Resource Directory.
This approach was chosen to enable future interoperability of the NASA
collection with other digital libraries and increase broader access to the
collection. This poster will provide an overview of the analysis process,
how we’ve approached this task, and what we have learned along the way.
P59 Interactive Spherical Projection Presentations Teach
Students about the Moon and Mercury
Sarah Sherman, University of Hawaii, bean@higp.hawaii.edu
Jeffrey Gillis-Davis, University of Hawaii
Eric J. Pilger, University of Hawaii
Collin Au, Leeward Community College
Korie Lum, Moanalua High School
Using data from the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment,
GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) mission to Mercury and
data from Clementine, Lunar Orbiter, Lunar Prospector, as well as the
Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) mission we are creating multimedia
applications for the Magic Planet (MP) and Science on a Sphere (SOS),
spherical displays for digital media, for Mercury and the Moon, respectively.
Presenting the data on this innovative and stimulating medium captures
the interest, stimulates curiosity, and inspires scientific learning in
children, as well as general audiences. The focus of the presentations are
either geared toward addressing misconceptions, or general education, for
example, an interactive game where the audience uses “clickers” to vote
on the location of their own lunar base determined by available resources
and local topography. An undergraduate from Leeward Community
College, and a high school student from Moanalua High School, are
actively involved in the design and execution of these applications. Their
input helps us to anticipate areas of interest, field test ease of use, and
determine areas of potential confusion. In addition, their involvement in
this project is intended to increase and foster their interest in planetary
science, and/or another STEM related fields, while at the same time gain
practical experience. The applications are designed to run on either a SOS
or a MP and will be available to anyone who has access to either device
via the internet. The goals of this project are to: 1. Increase the general
public’s understanding of planetary science and awareness of NASA
missions by engaging audiences with displays using the latest NASA data
sets for Mercury and the Moon onto the SOS or MP, 2. Promote interest in
science, engineering, and/or technology careers through exposure to the
current MESSENGER and LRO missions and their scientific findings, and
3. Address common misconceptions.
P60 Collaboration across the Spectrum: Working
Together through NASA’s Astrophysics Forum
Denise Smith, Space Telescope Science Institute, dsmith@stsci.edu
Mangala Sharma, Space Telescope Science Institute,
msharma@stsci.edu
Connecting People to Science
Poster Sessions.
Lindsay Bartolone, Adler Planetarium,
lbartolone@adlerplanetarium.org
Greg Schultz, Astronomical Society of the Pacific,
gschultz@astrosociety.org
Jim Manning, Astronomical Society of the Pacific,
jmanning@astrosociety.org
Bonnie Eisenhamer, Space Telescope Science Institute,
bonnie@stsci.edu
Bill Blair, Johns Hopkins University, wpb@pha.jhu.edu
The NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Science Education and
Public Outreach Forums are teams of scientists and educators that work
closely with NASA SMD to support and coordinate its education and
public outreach (E/PO) community in sharing the story, the science, and
the adventure of NASA’s scientific explorations of our home planet, our
sun, our solar system, and the universe beyond. One Forum exists for
each of SMD’s four science divisions: Astrophysics, Planetary Science,
Heliophysics, and Earth Science. Through the Forums, NASA SMD and
the members of its E/PO community work together to interconnect and
strengthen the wide spectrum of SMD-funded E/PO activities, resources,
and expertise that provides a direct return on the public’s investment
in NASA’s scientific research. The Forums also support members of the
broader science and education communities by identifying opportunities
and strategies whereby they can participate in and make use of SMD E/
PO activities and resources based on their needs. This poster will highlight
examples of this work within NASA Astrophysics E/PO, where the Forum
and community members are extending the impact of existing E/PO
resources through collaborative online professional development for
classroom educators, activities to engage girls in STEM in library settings,
materials that support the A101 instructional community, and practical
tips for scientists interested in E/PO.
P61 ViewSpace: Using a Multimedia Exhibit to Tell
Science Stories
Vanessa Thomas, Space Telescope Science Institute,
vthomas@stsci.edu
Marc Lussier, Space Telescope Science Institute, lussier@stsci.edu
For nearly a decade, ViewSpace has been telling stories about astronomy
and space-based earth science through a multimedia exhibit designed
to captivate the viewer with beautiful imagery from space and to convey
ideas through simple, enlightening text. We use the internet to deliver
ViewSpace programs to an ever-growing network that currently includes
more than 200 science museums, planetariums, libraries, nature centers,
NASA and observatory visitor centers, schools, and universities in the
U.S. and around the globe. Our poster presents some of the principles we
follow in order to create ViewSpace programs that engage, entertain, and
teach the public about current and timeless topics in the earth and space
sciences.
P62 Teaching the Moon: A Study of Teaching Methods
across Age Groups
Faith Tucker, Whitman College, fcmtucker@gmail.com
In this experiment I attempted to determine the most effective teaching
method for teaching students of a variety of ages about lunar phases
and eclipses. Participating students were divided by age/grade into
the following groups: Elementary (grades 1st through 5th), Middle
Conference Program
School (grades 6th through 8th), and Undergraduate. Each group was
further divided into two sub-groups that were then taught the same ageappropriate content in two different teaching methods. For each age group,
one sub-group was introduced to the material in a standard lecture format
while the other sub-group participated in interactive activities. After their
respective lessons, both sub-groups were given the same post-instruction
test in order to assess their comprehension of the content. Results from
this experiment allowed us to evaluate how students of different ages learn
about lunar phases and eclipses most effectively and led to considerations
of how these strategies could be incorporated into formal and informal
education settings.
P63 Carnegie Mellon University Physics Concepts
Program
Diane Turnshek, Carnegie Mellon University,
dianet@andrew.cmu.edu
Leonard Kisslinger, Carnegie Mellon University,
kissling@andrew.cmu.edu
The Carnegie Mellon University Physics Concepts Program is a longstanding outreach program in which CMU students mentor innercity middle school (6, 7, 8th grade) students. It has been part of the
CMU Physics Department since the late 1990s and is run by Professors
Leonard Kisslinger and Thomas Ferguson, assisted by about twenty-five
faculty and physics students. During the first semester of the academic
year, each seventh and eighth grade student, with the help of his or her
mentor, plans a project to test an idea associated with a physics concept
(astrophysics, biological physics, etc.) that the mentee and mentor agree is
interesting. A weekly session runs for two hours every Tuesday afternoon.
A Grable Foundation grant pays for transportation for the students to and
from the CMU labs, a small hourly wage for undergraduate helpers and
refreshments. The students’ goal is to finish the project by Thanksgiving
and to practice their presentations in December and January. The students
gain hands-on experience by carrying out a scientific experiment,
analyzing their data and presenting it to scientists at the Pennsylvania
Junior Academy of Sciences (PJAS) on the first Saturday in February.
During the second semester, after the PJAS Science Fair, weekly lectures
and demonstrations are given, during which sixth graders join the group
to learn the physics concepts necessary for deciding on their own projects
the following semester.
P64 WorldWide Telescope Ambassadors Program, an
Overview
Patricia Udomprasert, WorldWide Telescope Ambassadors
Program, pudompra@cfa.harvard.edu
Alyssa Goodman, Harvard College Observatory,
agoodman@cfa.harvard.edu
Annie Valva, WGBH, annie_valva@wgbh.org
Curtis Wong, Microsoft Research, curtis.wong@microsoft.com
Stephen Strom, NOAO, strom@noao.edu
Ned Ladd, Bucknell University, ladd@bucknell.edu
WorldWide Telescope (WWT) offers an unparalleled view of the world’s
store of online astronomical data. This free software weaves astronomical
images from all wavelengths into an interface that resembles their natural
context—the Sky—while offering deep opportunities to teach and learn
the science behind the images. In this poster, we describe the WorldWide
Telescope Ambassadors Program (WWTA), a new outreach initiative run
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by researchers at Harvard University, WGBH, and Microsoft Research.
WWT Ambassadors are astrophysically-literate volunteers who are trained
to be experts in using WWT as a teaching tool. Ambassadors and learners
alike use WWT to create dynamic, interactive Tours of the Universe, which
are shared in schools, public venues, and online. Ambassador-created Tours
are being made freely available and will ultimately form a comprehensive
learning resource for Astronomy and Astrophysics. We present summary
results of a Pilot Study where volunteer Ambassadors helped sixth-graders
use WWT during their six-week Astronomy unit. The results of the study
compare learning outcomes for 80 students who participated in WWTA
and 70 students at the same school and grade who only used traditional
learning materials. After the six-week unit: twice as many “WWT” as
“non-WWT” students understand complex three dimensional orbital
relationships; and tremendous gains are seen in student interest in science
overall, astronomy in particular, and even in using “real” telescopes. Plans
for WWTA include expansion to five US sites within the coming year, and
ultimately to an International Program. Online materials will be available
through several sites (at WGBH, Harvard and Microsoft), and will be
integrated with existing online curriculum programs such as WGBH’s
Teachers’ Domain and Microsoft’s Partners in Learning. More information
is presently available at wwtambassadors.org
P65 Astronomy Outreach Activities in Chile: IYA 2009
and Beyond
Nikolaus Vogt, Departamento de Fisica y Astronomia, Univ. de
Valparaiso, Chile, nikolaus.vogt@uv.cl
Moira Evans, Universidad de Valparaiso, mevans@dfa.uv.cl
In Chile, one of the developing countries in the Latin-American continent,
there are large social differences yet between the richest and the poorest
citizens. On the other hand, this country has the advantage of a special
and unique resource, the incomparably clear and dry skies in the desert
of Atacama, in the north of the country. This advantage is being exploited
by the installation of large and powerful international observatories, like
Cerro Tololo, Cerro Pachon, Las Campanas, Paranal and ALMA. However,
the Chilean people’s perception of this resource and the corresponding
advantages for their country is still underdeveloped and rather poor.
Therefore, we have been conducting successful outreach activities at all
levels during the past few years, with special highlights during the IYA
2009, including participation of our undergraduate physics and astronomy
students, as well as the local media like newspapers, radio and TV stations:
talks and workshops in schools, popular talks for the general public,
discussion forums and observation sessions, exhibitions and other multimedia efforts. We will briefly describe these activities and outline the
difference between our situation and that existing in developed countries
like the USA.
P66 GLOBE at Night: Updates in Bringing Dark Skies
Awareness to Your Community
Constance Walker, National Optical Astronomy Observatory,
cwalker@noao.edu
Robert T. Sparks, NOAO, rsparks@noao.edu
Stephen M. Pompea, NOAO, spompea@noao.edu
GLOBE at Night (GaN) is an international campaign run each spring
for the last six years by the National Optical Astronomy Observatory
(NOAO) in Tucson. The program invites citizen scientists to measure
their night sky brightness and submit their observations to a website
from a computer or smart phone. GLOBE at Night has become the most
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successful light pollution awareness campaign to date. Over the last
seven 2-week campaigns, citizen scientists from more than 100 nations
have contributed 66,000 measurements. Updates will be presented in
the poster. They include the capability for NOAO to receive all GLOBE
at Night data submissions. (Date submissions from previous years were
handled by ESRI.) We also created a web application to allow GaN data
to be submitted in real time using smart mobile devices (or a computer).
In addition, we have created online communities through Facebook and
Twitter. We also carried out two campaigns in 2011 instead of one. As a
result, new materials were developed for translations, on-line interactive
tools, star charts, other resources for two new constellations (Leo and
Crux). GLOBE at Night offered a “Call to Action” for those who want
to take more than one measurement during the campaigns. This was
beta-tested in Tucson Arizona, Children and adults “adopted a street”
to take visual and possibly sky-brightness meter measurements during
the GLOBE at Night campaigns. We also made on-line video tutorials of
Dark Skies Rangers activities and (with an REU student) started research
comparisons between wildlife and GaN data. New partnerships were
also formed with prominent national groups. Lessons learned and future
directions will be discussed.
P67 That’s MY Astronaut! Democratic Space Tourism:
Vote for and Fund Next Gen Suborbital Space Heroes
Elizabeth Wallace, Giraffe ’n’ Ant Productions aka StarryTelling,
elizfwallace@gmail.com
Our mission is to empower citizens of any country to declare their
aspiration to travel in space; to make it possible for anyone, anywhere,
to vote for the astronaut candidate of their choice; and to raise the funds
necessary for their suborbital journey. To change the world, we must change
our perspective. Through suborbital space tourism, we have the chance to
rally enthusiasm worldwide for whole Earth stewardship and international
understanding, as well as a renewed interest in space exploration. The
first picture of Earthrise helped invigorate the green movement in the
60’s, now it is time for more of us to see it in 3D. With a new view of
Earth, we can invigorate a future with new ideas. In order to do that, we
all need: – To have a voice and feel that we are a part of the equation, to be
stakeholders – To be compelled by a unifying story that transcends culture
and national boundaries – To have a chance to go to space ourselves – To
inspire others to go to space and support each other unconditionally in
the effort My-Astronaut will create a program to support suborbital space
tourism and earth stewardship. We will – Design an online social network
for anyone to declare, “I want to be an astronaut!”– Communicate their
stories worldwide with the support of artist astronauts including writers,
poets, dancers, animators and painters. – Invigorate sustainable practices
using the insights of astronauts from industries including fishing, waste
management, energy, construction and logging. – Secure financial support
through online and grassroots fundraising. – Make it possible for anyone,
anywhere to vote for others to go to space. – Support those on the journey
when they falter and when they are strong. – All show up at Spaceport
America to see them off!
P68 NASA Family Science Night: Changing Perceptions
One Family at a Time
Martha Wawro, ADNET/NASA-GSFC, martha.wawro@nasa.gov
Emilie Drobnes, ADNET/NASA-GSFC, emilie.drobnes@nasa.gov
Jake Noel-Storr, Rochester Institute of Technology- Insight Lab,
jake@cis.rit.edu
Sara Mitchell, Syneren/NASA-GSFC, sara.mitchell@nasa.gov
Connecting People to Science
Poster Sessions
The Family Science Night program invites middle school children and
their families to explore the importance of science and technology in
our daily lives by providing a venue for families to comfortably engage
in learning activities that change their perception and understanding of
science, making it more practical and approachable for participants of all
ages. Unlike most youth science programs, this is an event where the entire
family must participate together in all activities. Through this extensive
and prolonged interaction, Family Science Night strives to change the
way that children and their families participate in science, both within the
program and beyond.
P69 Mosaic Postcards from Mercury
Heather Weir, Science Systems and Applications, Inc.,
heather.weir@ssaihq.com
Keri Hallau, Montana State University, Bozeman,
khallau@montana.edu
Clark Chapman, Southwest Research Inst.,
cchapman@boulder.swri.edu
Julie Edmonds, Carnegie Academy for Science Education,
jedmonds@ciw.edu
Jeff Goldstein, National Center for Earth and Space Science
Education, jeffgoldstein@ncesse.org
Bob Hirshon, AAAS, bhirshon@aaas.org
Sean C. Solomon, Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, Carnegie
Institution of Washington, scs@dtm.ciw.edu
Harri Vanhala, National Center for Earth and Space Science
Education, harrivanhala@ncesse.org
NASA’s MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and
Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft is the first to orbit Mercury. During
its more than 700 orbits of the planet over the coming year, MESSENGER
and its suite of seven instruments will help unravel the complex history of
the innermost planet. To help students and teachers better understand this
revealing new look at Mercury, the MESSENGER Education and Public
Outreach team will share the compelling data via an intriguing format that
mimics methods used by the MESSENGER team. The “Mosaic Postcards
from Mercury” project employs a series of images, each printed as a large
postcard and displaying a small area on Mercury. The individual cards can
then be pieced together, puzzle-style, on a poster-sized grid to reveal a
larger mosaic view of the planet. The back of each card contains engaging
text to help students understand scientific concepts related to and revealed
by MESSENGER’s journey. The first set of cards explores geologic features,
such as fault scarps, volcanic plains, and bright-rayed craters. The next
set of cards will highlight data from other MESSENGER instruments.
All materials are freely available on the accompanying website, http://
messenger-education.org/mosaic, where users can learn more with an
online interactive tool.
and the general behavior of bodies in space. Investigations of student
understanding of gravity have mainly focused on young children, and
the few studies of college students are limited to one or two questions in
Physics-specific contexts. The present study is the first comprehensive
study tailored specifically to introductory college astronomy students’
understanding of gravity. Twenty-four free-response questions and 15
student interviews were used to explore student understanding of gravity
in a variety of contexts, including the strength of gravity in and around
Earth, throughout the solar system, and in hypothetical situations. The
exploratory, open-response format allowed themes to emerge naturally,
and in addition to the typical documented misconceptions about gravity,
previously undocumented misconceptions were observed. The breadth
of questions allowed possible student mental frameworks to be defined,
including alternative models that will guide distractor choices in the future
development of a multiple-choice Gravity Concept Inventory.
P71 Concepts Learned during Clicker Sessions: Do They
Stick?
Shannon Willoughby, Montana State University,
willoughby@physics.montana.edu
Clickers are becoming quite widespread in the US, but their effectiveness
as a learning tool has not been clearly established. To that end, during the
fall, 2010 semester a study was done in both introductory astronomy and
Physics II testing whether or not students hearing the correct answer to a
clicker question altered how they answered that question when asked in
different contexts. In both classes students were given valid and reliable
pre- and post-tests, and several questions from each exam were chosen
to be studied throughout the term, then presented as in-class clicker
questions and later on as midterm and final exam questions. Students
in astronomy were given the Test of Astronomy Standards, and students
in physics were given the Brief Electricity and Magnetism Assessment.
Individual student scores on each question were followed in order to see
whether or not students were more likely to choose the correct answer to
the question after they had heard the correct reasoning in class, both from
an expert (the instructor) and from their peers. Class averages on each
measurement were followed as well. Results of the study from both classes
is presented and discussed.
P70 Introductory College Astronomy Student
Understanding of Gravity
Kathryn Williamson, Montana State University,
kwilliamson@physics.montana.edu
Shannon Willoughby, Montana State University,
willoughby@physics.montana.edu
Understanding gravity is foundational for astronomy students to
understand planetary and star formation, the motion of satellites,
Conference Program
67
Index of Authors
Abbott, Brian ..................................................................................... 40
Butcher, Ginger ................................................................................. 27
Adamec, Bethan ................................................................................ 50
Buxner, Sanlyn ......................................................................40, 42, 52
Akatsuki Project ................................................................................ 56
Camphire, Geoff ............................................................................... 30
Ali, Nancy .......................................................................................... 60
Carey, Christopher ........................................................................... 60
Andersen, Christian ......................................................................... 55
Casse, Richard ................................................................................... 40
Arcand, Kimberly Kowal ............................................................ 38, 50
Chambers, Lin .................................................................31, 40, 49, 58
Arion, Douglas .................................................................................. 30
Chapman, Clark ................................................................................ 67
Asbell-Clarke, Jodi ........................................................................... 28
Childs, Lauren ................................................................................... 59
Asher, Pranoti ................................................................................... 50
Cieplinski, Joe ................................................................................... 63
Asplund, Shari ................................................................................... 43
Cline, Troy ......................................................................................... 29
Au, Collin .......................................................................................... 64
CoBabe-Ammann, Emily .......................................................... 40, 43
Bacon, Greg ................................................................................. 46, 57
Cobb, Bethany ................................................................................... 52
Baguio, Margaret .............................................................................. 62
Cobb, Whitney .................................................................................. 53
Bailey, Janelle ..................................................................................... 35
Coble, Kim ......................................................................................... 35
Bardar, Erin ....................................................................................... 28
Cochran, Anita ................................................................................. 55
Barros Smith, Ross ..................................................................... 47, 51
Cole, Brandon ................................................................................... 60
Bartolone, Lindsay ................................................................60, 64, 65
Cominsky, Lynn ................................................................................ 35
Basham, Melody ............................................................................... 35
Conti, Alberto ................................................................................... 48
Begay, David ...................................................................................... 61
Cordes, Kathy .................................................................................... 63
Beisser, Kerri ..................................................................................... 39
Costello, Kathy ............................................................................ 26, 43
Berendsen, Marni ....................................................................... 30, 49
Crecelius, Sarah ....................................................................31, 49, 58
Berenson, Rhoda .............................................................................. 51
Crider, Anthony ................................................................................ 48
Bird, Wayne “Skip” ........................................................................... 45
Croft, Steven ...................................................................................... 52
Bishop, Jeanne ................................................................................... 45
Crown, David .................................................................................... 52
Blair, Bill ............................................................................................ 65
Dalton, Heather ................................................................................ 42
Bleacher, Lora .............................................................................. 32, 34
Daou, Doris ...........................................................................32, 47, 49
Boonstra, Don ................................................................................... 42
Davis, Anita ................................................................................. 26, 52
Borders, Tiffany .......................................................................... 46, 57
Day, Brian .......................................................................................... 32
Bosh, Amanda S. ............................................................................... 55
Deans, Paul ........................................................................................ 30
Bowers, Sharon ................................................................................. 38
DeJong, Anna .................................................................................... 53
Bracey, Georgia ........................................................................... 26, 43
DeLucia, Sara .................................................................................... 30
Brain, D. A. ........................................................................................ 54
Deustua, Susana ....................................................................47, 48, 49
Brandehoff, Susan ............................................................................. 46
DeVorkin, David ............................................................................... 59
Brandt, Ken ....................................................................................... 44
Dickow, Benjamin ............................................................................ 44
Braswell, Erin .................................................................................... 60
Dominiak, Jennifer ........................................................................... 46
Brinkworth, Carolyn ........................................................................ 27
Doran, Rosa ................................................................................. 33, 45
Buehler, Jeff ....................................................................................... 29
Drobnes, Emilie ................................................................................ 66
Bueter, Chuck ........................................................................31, 45, 51
Duncan, Doug ................................................................................... 53
Buratti, Bonnie .................................................................................. 51
Durscher, Romeo ........................................................................ 35, 53
68
Connecting People to Science
Index of Authors
Dusenbery, Paul ................................................................................ 44
Harvey, Janice .............................................................................. 32, 55
Dussault, Mary ............................................................................ 28, 47
Hemenway, Mary Kay ................................................................ 28, 55
Edmonds, Julie .................................................................................. 67
Hennig, Lee Ann .............................................................................. 45
Edwards, Teon ................................................................................... 28
Herrmann, Kimberly ................................................................. 36, 55
Eisenhamer, Bonnie .................................... 46, 53, 57, 58, 63, 64, 65
Heyer, Inge ......................................................................................... 56
Elvidge, Janice ................................................................................... 39
Hirshon, Bob ..................................................................................... 67
Evans, Moira ...................................................................................... 66
Hodge, Tracy ..................................................................................... 56
Fabricio, Tarcio M. ........................................................................... 62
Holland, Ilona ............................................................................. 36, 39
Falk, John ........................................................................................... 44
Holzer, Margaret ............................................................................... 27
Feaga, Lori ......................................................................................... 53
Hsu, Brooke ....................................................................................... 40
Ferrari, Kay ........................................................................................ 46
Hunter, Deidre A. ............................................................................. 55
Fienberg, Richard ............................................................................. 31
Hurst Schmitt, Anna ......................................................26, 49, 54, 56
Figueiredo, Claudia .......................................................................... 30
Hurt, Robert ................................................................................ 27, 46
Fillingim, Matthew ........................................................................... 54
Imes, Ted ............................................................................................ 34
Fisher, Scott ....................................................................................... 34
Jackson, Megan ................................................................................. 55
Fletcher, Julie ..................................................................................... 50
Johnson, Erin .................................................................................... 30
Follette, Katherine ............................................................................ 58
Jones, Eric .......................................................................................... 30
Fraknoi, Andrew ....................................28, 32, 34, 36, 39, 54, 56, 58
Kafka, Stella ....................................................................................... 32
Frattare, Lisa ..........................................................................46, 55, 57
Kakadelis, Stratis ............................................................................... 56
Fricke, K. ............................................................................................ 54
Keller, Tom ........................................................................................ 42
Gardiner, Ned .................................................................................... 48
Kendall, Jason S. ............................................................................... 34
Gardner-Vandy, Kathryn ................................................................. 60
Kendall, John ..................................................................................... 64
Gay, Pamela .............................................................. 26, 36, 39, 43, 48
Kimura, Kaoru .................................................................................. 56
Geller, Harold .................................................................................... 45
Kisslinger, Leonard ........................................................................... 65
Gibbs, Michael .................................................................................. 54
Korn, Randi ................................................................................. 36, 39
Gillis-Davis, Jeffrey ........................................................................... 64
Krishnamurthi, Anita ...................................................................... 29
Goldstein, Jeff .................................................................................... 67
Kruchoski, Zach ............................................................................... 61
Golgowski, Greg ............................................................................... 45
Kruse, Brian ..........................................................................32, 54, 56
Goodman, Alyssa ....................................................................... 33, 65
Kuchner, Marc ................................................................................... 32
Gould, Alan .....................................................................37, 45, 49, 55
Kuehn, David .................................................................................... 57
Govender, Kevin ............................................................................... 33
LaConte, Keliann .............................................................................. 46
Green, Wade ...................................................................................... 55
Ladd, Ned .................................................................................... 33, 65
Grigsby, Brian ................................................................................... 41
Lange, Cathy....................................................................................... 57
Gurton, Suzanne ...................................................................26, 54, 56
Lawton, Brandon .............................................................................. 57
Haley Goldman, Kate ................................................................. 36, 39
LeBlanc, Danielle .............................................................................. 47
Hallau, Keri ....................................................................................... 67
Lebofsky, Larry ................................................................................. 52
Halvorson, Joel .................................................................................. 48
Lestition, Kathy ................................................................................. 38
Hamilton, John ................................................................................. 55
Levay, Zoltan ............................................................................... 46, 57
Harris, Jessica .................................................................................... 55
Lewis, Elaine ....................................................................29, 38, 47, 49
Conference Program
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Index of Authors
Lewis, Preston .................................................................31, 40, 49, 58
Morris, John ...................................................................................... 52
Llamas, Jacob ..................................................................................... 27
Mutchler, Max ............................................................................. 48, 63
Lockwood, Jeff .................................................................................. 28
Newbury, Peter ................................................................................. 37
Low, Russanne ................................................................................... 26
Ng, Carolyn ....................................................................................... 29
Lowes, Leslie ...................................................................................... 43
Nichols, Michelle ........................................................................ 60, 64
Lubowich, Donald A. ....................................................................... 34
Niebur, Susan .................................................................................... 60
Lum, Korie ......................................................................................... 64
NITARP Team.................................................................................... 61
Lussier, Marc ..................................................................................... 65
Noel-Storr, Jake ........................................................................... 60, 66
Magrane, Kathleen ........................................................................... 29
Noll, Keith ......................................................................................... 57
Mandryk, Carole ............................................................................... 26
Norland, Emmalou ........................................................................... 51
Manning, James G. ...............................................................32, 58, 65
Odenwald, Sten ................................................................................. 38
Maryboy, Nancy ................................................................................ 61
Oliveira, Adilson J. A. ...................................................................... 62
Mather, John ...................................................................................... 42
Oostra, Daniel .......................................................................31, 49, 58
Matiella Novak, Alexandra ........................................................ 39, 40
Paglierani, Ruth ..............................................................26, 52, 60, 61
Matilsky, Terry .................................................................................. 37
Palmquist, Sasha ............................................................................... 44
Mattson, Barbara J. ..................................................................... 37, 57
Parks, Bob .......................................................................................... 45
Mayo, Louis A. ............................................................................ 29, 31
Pearson, Michèle ............................................................................... 58
McCallister, Dan ......................................................................... 53, 58
Peterson, Carolyn Collins................................................................. 56
McCarthy, Don ................................................................................. 58
Peterson, Karen ........................................................................... 31, 34
McConnell, Shannon ....................................................................... 44
Peterson, Mark .................................................................................. 56
McConville, David ........................................................................... 48
Peticolas, Laura ........................................................ 37, 40, 54, 60, 61
McElheny, Tobias .............................................................................. 28
Pezzo, Mariana R. ............................................................................. 62
McLin, Kevin ..................................................................................... 35
Pilger, Eric J. ...................................................................................... 64
McQuillan, Patrick ........................................................................... 59
Plummer, Julia D. .................................................................28, 38, 61
Mendez, Bryan ............................................................................ 37, 60
Pompea, Stephen M. ............................................................34, 37, 66
Messick Cherry, Tammy .................................................................. 44
Porro, Irene ............................................................................28, 47, 51
Metevier, Anne .................................................................................. 35
Proudfit, Leslie ......................................................................54, 56, 58
Meyer, Angela Osterman ................................................................. 59
Pruitt, Steve ....................................................................................... 42
Meyer, Judith ..................................................................................... 55
Raddick, M. Jordan .......................................................................... 57
Michaud, Peter .................................................................................. 55
Ramirez, Susana ................................................................................ 62
Miley, George .............................................................................. 33, 63
Rebull, Luisa ................................................................................ 37, 61
Miller, Joseph .............................................................................. 36, 59
Reilly, Ellen .................................................................................. 26, 43
Miller, Patrick .................................................................................... 37
Riebeek, Holli .............................................................................. 48, 62
Miller, Scott ....................................................................................... 59
Ries, Judit ........................................................................................... 62
Mitchell, Sara ..................................................................................... 66
Ristvey, John ..........................................................................43, 53, 64
Mon, Manuel ..................................................................................... 59
Rojas, Gustavo ................................................................................... 62
Moore, Chad ..................................................................................... 45
Rood, Magdalena .............................................................................. 55
Moore, Christopher .......................................................................... 63
Rosenthal, Casey ............................................................................... 27
Moore, Katie ..........................................................................34, 45, 59
Ross, Rachel ....................................................................................... 62
70
Connecting People to Science
Index of Authors
Rubbo, Louis ..................................................................................... 63
Sunbury, Susan .................................................................................. 37
Russell, Randy ................................................................................... 63
Taber, John ......................................................................................... 59
Russo, Pedro ................................................................................ 33, 63
Thieman, Jim ..................................................................................... 29
Ryer, Holly .............................................................................53, 58, 63
Thomas, Vanessa ............................................................................... 65
Saderholm, Jon .................................................................................. 56
Thurston, Tad .................................................................................... 42
Salois, Amee ...................................................................................... 45
Tucker, Faith ...................................................................................... 65
Santascoy, Jessica .............................................................................. 63
Turney, Dawn .................................................................................... 41
Scales, Joy N. ..................................................................................... 57
Turnshek, Diane ............................................................................... 65
Scalice, Daniella ................................................................................ 50
Udomprasert, Patricia ..........................................................33, 37, 65
Schatz, Dennis .......................................................................34, 42, 45
Universe Awareness network ........................................................... 63
Scherrer, Deborah ............................................................................ 64
Valdez, Shelly .................................................................................... 61
Schindler, Kevin ................................................................................ 55
Valva, Annie ................................................................................ 33, 65
Schowengerdt, Frank ....................................................................... 55
Van Doren, Aleya ............................................................................. 35
Schultz, Greg ............................................................................... 32, 65
Vanhala, Harri ................................................................................... 67
Schwerin, Theresa ............................................................................. 64
Veenstra, Dianne .............................................................................. 54
Sealfon, Carolyn ............................................................................... 38
Venner, Laura .................................................................................... 46
Sharma, Mangala ..................................................... 31, 34, 40, 46, 64
Vogel, Tracy ....................................................................................... 56
Sherman, Sarah ................................................................................. 64
Vogt, Nikolaus ................................................................................... 66
Shipp, Stephanie .............................................................42, 46, 47, 49
Walker, Constance E. ...........................................................34, 45, 66
Shupla, Christine ..................................................................42, 47, 49
Wallace, Elizabeth ....................................................................... 36, 66
Sinex, Scott ........................................................................................ 41
Warner, Elizabeth ............................................................................. 53
Singer, Kelsi ....................................................................................... 60
Watzke, Megan .................................................................................. 51
Slane, Patrick ..................................................................................... 38
Wawro, Martha .....................................................................35, 53, 66
Slane, Robert ..................................................................................... 38
Weir, Heather .................................................................................... 67
Slater, Stephanie J. ....................................................................... 32, 56
Wesney, Joseph .................................................................................. 41
Slater, Timothy F. ........................................................................ 32, 56
Wessen, Alice .................................................................................... 43
Smalley, Darlene ............................................................................... 50
Willard, Ted ................................................................................. 26, 29
Smith, Denise ........................................................... 32, 34, 46, 58, 64
Williamson, Kathryn ........................................................................ 67
Solomon, Sean C. .............................................................................. 67
Willoughby, Shannon ....................................................................... 67
Spakoff, Sandy ................................................................................... 52
Wise, Debra ....................................................................................... 47
Sparks, Robert T. ......................................................................... 34, 66
Withnell, Heather ............................................................................. 60
Squires, Gordon ................................................................................ 27
Witte, Shelley ..................................................................................... 60
Stein, Jill ....................................................................................... 30, 61
Wong, Curtis ............................................................................... 33, 65
Stephenson, Bryan ............................................................................ 29
Wyatt, Ryan ....................................................................................... 40
Stimmer, Maryann ........................................................................... 43
Yan, D. ................................................................................................ 54
Stockman, Stephanie ........................................................................ 34
Yu, Ka Chun ...................................................................................... 48
Storksdieck, Martin .................................................................... 30, 42
Zawicki, Joe ....................................................................................... 57
Strom, Stephen ............................................................................ 33, 65
Zimmerman-Brachman, Rachel...................................................... 43
Summers, Frank ....................................................................46, 57, 58
Conference Program
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Connecting People to Science
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Conference Program
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