Exploring the Cosmos with NASA Data and Curriculum Resources

Sponsored by the Salem State Collaborative

Presenter: William H. Waller, Ph.D.

Tufts University and the Massachusetts Space Grant Consortium

Location: Reading Memorial High School, 62 Oakland Rd, Reading, MA 01867

Library Computer Lab

Audience: Grades 7-12 Science Teachers

Time: 8:15-2:15 PM (lunch included)

Date: 19 March 2009

PDP’s: 5 for the session

Fee: $35 for Member Districts $105 for non-Member Districts

Description:

There is a whole cosmos out there waiting for you and your students to explore. From the Sun and Solar System to whirling galaxies at the edge of the observable Universe, NASA scientists and educators have put together easily accessible data sets that can be mined for multiple purposes. In this workshop, you will work with several of these resources while addressing the goal of fostering scientific inquiry among your students. Following the trail blazed by Johannes Kepler and Galileo Galilei 400 years ago, you will explore the planets of our Solar System, magnetic explosions on the Sun, and various sky viewing resources – from interactive sky charts out to the Hubble Deep Field. You will assess a subset of these data and curricular resources in terms of their pedagogical value. At the end of the day, you will have drafted a content-rich, student-centered, and standards-qualified lesson plan that you can use in your classrooms. This workshop is offered as part of the many ongoing activities honoring the International Year of Astronomy (IYA) (http://www.astronomy2009.org/ and http://astronomy2009.nasa.gov/observe.htm). Bill Waller is an observational astrophysicist and science educator who has worked on NASA-related research and education programs for the past twenty years. He is co-author with Paul Hodge of the book Galaxies and the Cosmic Frontier that is available from Harvard University Press (see http://cosmos.phy.tufts.edu/cosmicfrontier).

Registration Information:

Please register at our website www.salemcollaborative.org, or email the following information to Jim Kearns at registration@salemcollaborative.org. If you have registration questions, please either email (preferred) or call Jim at 781-771-4860.

Make checks or Purchase Orders payable to CPMSIE and Bring to the Session

DEADLINE to sign up is March 13, 2009