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Abstracts

STScI Education

Evaluation


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IDEAS * IDEAS 1997

1997 IDEAS Grants Program

Table of Contents:

Curriculum/Product Development

Educational Programs for the Internet

Informal Science Education

Multicultural Programs/Outreach

Public Outreach/Public Understanding of Science

Student Research Opportunities

Student/Teacher Outreach

Student/Teacher Workshops

Teacher Resources and Training

Astronomy Education/Outreach for K-12 and Underrepresented Students and Teachers
Principal Investigator: T. Gregory Guzik, Louisiana State University
Category: Curriculum/Product Development
Amount Awarded: $39,998

For the last several years Louisiana State University (LSU) has been increasing its assistance in the statewide systemic science reform process and improving ties, particularly in the area of NASA funded Space Science research, with Southern University (SU) that is part of the largest HBCU (Historically Black College or University) in the nation. Two years ago the LSU entered into a unique partnership with The Recreation and Park Commission for the Parish of East Baton Rouge (BREC) and the Baton Rouge Astronomical Society (BRAS) to develop a new astronomical observatory for enhancing university level astronomy education at LSU and to provide a new form of science education / recreation for the public. BREC has constructed a 2,800 square foot observatory / science center facility in Highland Park and this Fall a new 20" optical telescope will be installed and on-site operations will begin. In the effort proposed here, LSU, BREC, SU will partner with the East Baton Rouge Parish School system in a new, two year, pilot program centered at the observatory that will 1) Develop a grade specific curriculum that makes use of the new observatory facility, 2) Provide support for teachers to participate in the project, 3) Have teachers involved in the curriculum development and evaluation, 4) Evaluate the curriculum during the BREC "Stargazers" summer camp, 5) Hold pre- and post- summer camp workshops to train teachers and to evaluate the curriculum, 6) Incorporate the first year evaluation into the second year summer camp program, 7) Encourage participation by under-represented groups, and 8) Distribute the results of the pilot project through the East Baton Rouge Parish School System. While Curriculum / Product Development might be considered the major focus of this effort, there are also major components in Multi-Cultural Programs / Outreach, Student Outreach, Teacher Resources and Training and well as Informal Science Education.

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Making a Martian Calendar
Principal Investigator: Howard Houben, Space Physics Research Institute
Category: Curriculum/Product Development
Amount Awarded: $9,694

With the success of the Mars Pathfinder Mission and the return of photographs and scientific data from the surface of the planet, the prospect of human exploration and habitation of Mars is once again imaginable. We propose to develop a curriculum unit for middle school students (6th to 9th grades) in which the astronomical and mathematical aspects of the Martian daily, seasonal, and annual cycles are studied. This will be combined with historical and cultural discussion of how terrestrial humans have solved the problems associated with timekeeping. The unit will culminate with a competition among heterogeneous groups of students to propose a Martian calendar for use by scientists, explorers, and settlers. Success of this curriculum will be measured not only by the demonstrated understanding of scientific and mathematical concepts as shown by the calendar proposals, but also by changes in classroom group climate which indicate the ability of this exciting subject to capture the attention of a wide range of students.

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The Universe in Motion: A Theme for K-5 Science Curriculum Development
Principal Investigator: Dan F. Lester, University of Texas
Category: Curriculum/Product Development
mount Awarded: $9,980

The "Universe in Motion" Curriculum/Product Development project develops astronomy and space science explorations, activities, curriculum tools and displays for grade levels K, 2, and 5. This innovative effort is centered on the theme of space as a dynamic place, where things move and change; it links thematically to the concept of "Spaceship Earth". Awareness of the motion of the Earth through space is a core element of the program. Strong partnership between a capable public elementary school and an IDEA-experienced researcher maximizes creative opportunity, and provides a test-bed path for a useful product. Since they are specifically designed around mandated requirements for skill and knowledge base development, use of the products by other schools is strongly incentivized. Several mechanisms for distribution of the products and the expertise that we develop are built into the program. The effort is well leveraged, and seeds a campus umbrella initiative that highlights exploration and curiosity about science and technology.

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An Astronomical Workshop: Developing Software and Web-based Astronomy Lessons for grades K-12
Principal Investigator: Mark A. Nook, St. Cloud State University
Category: Curriculum/Product Development
Amount Awarded: $10,000

There is a growing number of software and internet-based astronomical lessons available at this time. However, the lessons that are available do not cross the entire astronomy curriculum. We propose a two week workshop for K-12 teachers to research existing software and search the internet. During this time each participant will develop a computer-based lesson in astronomy for their students. At the end of the workshop they will present their final lesson to the participants and submit an electronic and a hard copy of their work. During the workshop participants will have experienced existing software and internet lessons, reviewed curriculum designs for lessons, web page designs, planetarium programs, and helped to develop a resource manual of computer based astronomy lessons. At the conclusion of the workshop participants will receive a hard copy of all of the lessons for their classroom use.

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Electromagnetic Radiation: Quantitative Exercises for Middle School Students
Principal Investigator: Marcia J. Rieke, Steward Observatory
Category: Curriculum/Product Development
Amount Awarded: $7,779

The high cost of laboratory equipment has prevented most schools from adopting many quantitative hands-on experiences for students. We are developing a silicon photodiode light sensor with an inexpensive digital readout to use in investigating many properties of light such as the inverse square law for light dimming with distance and Wien's law for determining the temperatures of remote objects like stars or planets. We are proposing to complete the design of an economical light sensor, construct a set of light sensor packages, and develop a set of laboratory exercises to be used in a full classroom demonstration of the effectiveness of this type of learning experience. The project will include a section showing how these same basic radiation laws and measuring techniques are used in NASA missions. The proposed work is in the area of Curriculum and Product Development.

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Explore Our Star: Discovery Materials and Workshops
Principal Investigator: Phillip H. Scherrer, Stanford University
Category: Curriculum/Product Development
Amount Awarded: $10,060

Stanford University solar astronomers will collaborate with the Chabot Observatory and Science Center and the Lockheed-Martin Solar and Astrophysics Laboratory to develop and provide active learning materials to be used by educators and students in association with portable solar telescope visits to their schools, and/or the use of daily solar images on the world wide web.

The materials will feature a hands-on exploratory approach, with an emphasis on demonstrating and understanding that much of astrophysics is based on measuring the properties of light. Basic concepts to be covered include the properties of light, color, and spectra and what they can tell us about their sources. Materials will include activities involving color filters, diffraction gratings and spectrographs.

The program will target students in the Oakland, California area, the most ethnically diverse community in the nation. The vast majority of these students are from traditionally under-represented groups. After students participate in the activities as directed by their teachers, scientists from Stanford and Lockheed will visit the classrooms, accompanied by a heliostat with H-alpha filter.

The effectiveness of these educational materials will be enhanced by the direct participation of the Chabot Observatory and Science Center staff in developing and testing the activities. Two, one-day teacher training sessions will be conducted at Chabot, during which educators will test and evaluate prototype activities and be trained in their use.

The project will be leveraged by the waiving of Stanford overhead fees and additional direct cost-sharing.

The materials themselves will be additionally leveraged by their incorporation into Stanford's web-based solar science activity site and by their potential incorporation into a live solar telescope display being developed in collaboration with Stanford, Lockheed, and Chabot for their new state-of-the-art science museum scheduled for opening in 1999.

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The Stars of Our Fathers - An Indian Summer
Principal Investigator: Ali Siahpush, Lockheed Martin Idaho Technologies, Inc.
Category: Curriculum/Product Development
Amount Awarded: $10,000

This proposal will demonstrate that Secondary Teachers and INEEL Engineers and Scientists can develop a curriculum that Shoshone-Bannock students on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation will use to study the stars of their forefathers. The final product will be a written curriculum field notebook that secondary and elementary Indian students will use to identify stars, learn the Indian stories related to stars, where the stories came from and investigate the scientific facts about the stars.

This project will be successful in the fact that the curriculum will be written by students and teachers on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation under the guidance of the INEEL technical mentor. Curriculum written by students will be more apt to be used by students. The final information will have specific information that pertains to the Shoshone-Bannock Tribe.

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Connecting Kids to the Sun-Earth Connection
Principal Investigator: Nicola J. Fox, NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
Category: Educational Programs for the Internet
Amount Awarded: $22,000

For several years, the observatories of the International Solar-Terrestrial Physics (ISTP) program have chronicled the events on the Sun that lead to events on Earth. For the first time in history physicists have been able to track "space weather" from its origin to its impact. Simultaneously, ISTP scientists have been making history on the ground.

The nature of our international, multi-point survey of the Sun-Earth system has forced scientists and engineers to break new ground in the collection, organization, and dissemination of data. The result is a vast user-friendly clearinghouse of data and images distributed throughout World Wide Web sites. Anyone who can access the web can study the Sun-Earth system with us. Unfortunately, most children and even college-educated adults cannot read the X-ray flux graphs or decipher the Dopplergrams and other such technical information on our sites. . . that is, until we show them how. Through an interactive CD-ROM and an educational Web site, we propose to teach the public -- starting with local high-school teachers and students to share in our ongoing process of discovery, to look over our shoulders as we study solar-terrestrial physics. We will teach them the rudiments of using and interpreting live scientific images and data.

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The Dynamic Sun Planetarium Project
Principal Investigator: Loren Acton, Montana State University
Category: Informal Science Education
Amount Awarded: $30,000

This informal science education project, through a unique collaboration among the faculty and graduate students in the Solar Physics Research Group, the Museum of the Rockies, and the Astronomy Education Research Group at Montana State University, proposes to develop, produce, promote, present and disseminate a state of the art planetarium program emphasizing the dynamic Sun and Sun-Earth connections. Over 18 months, scientists, science educators, and planetarium specialists will work together to create an exciting and informative planetarium program supported by the latest in research quality for grade 5- 12 students, introductory undergraduate students, and the general public. The program will focus on satellite-based observations, primarily Yohkoh and SOHO, that demonstrate our Sun as a dramatically variable star, full of constant motion and turmoil at high resolution. The fully automated presentation will be premiered at the Museum of the Rockies and then be made available to other planetaria for a nominal reproduction cost. In addition, an educational materials package and program will be created to travel with the four museum STARLAB planetaria that are sent to schools throughout Montana. The investigators and key personnel involved in this project represent a talented, highly motivated, and powerful team with extensive experience and direct access to resources.

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Meteorites and Asteroids Exhibit
Principal Investigator: Clark Chapman, Southwest Research Institute
Category: Informal Science Education
Amount Awarded: $20,006

With the report of a meteorite from Mars containing possible fossil life and the ongoing Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) mission, public interest in meteorites and asteroids has reached an unprecedented level. We propose developing a year-long museum exhibition telling the story of how asteroids were formed 4.5 billion years ago and exploring how these diverse hunks of rock and metal came from the asteroid belt to land on Earth. The multi-media exhibit will also highlight research findings of the NEAR mission and lead the public to a deeper understanding of Earth's interaction with interplanetary debris, both in the past and at present. By providing science education in an informal setting, this multi-media exhibit will address issues of scientific literacy in an engaging and entertaining manner for both the public and for students in grades 4-12. Related educational programming will expand the exhibit beyond the Museum's walls to a broader audience through a lecture series, a classroom discovery kit, teacher workshops, and a virtual exhibit for the World Wide Web. By joining the talents of the P.I., a NEAR science team member and one of the world's experts on asteroids and impact cratering, with those of a select group of museum-based science educators, this project will make cutting edge scientific research accessible to a broad public.

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Interactive Computer Tools for the Planetarium
Principal Investigator: Chris Impey, University of Arizona
Category: Informal Science Education
Amount Awarded: $9,995

We propose to develop networked interactive materials for teaching astronomy, and install them on a computer at the Flandrau Science Center & Planetarium. The main new elements will be (a) an electronic encyclopaedia of astronomy, (b) interactive demonstrations of astronomical concepts using the JAVA and VRML languages, and (c) a searchable gallery of images, animations and simulations. These materials will be developed by undergraduate astronomy majors, and distributed on an existing server at Steward Observatory. The audience for these materials is the 170,000 people a year who visit the Flandrau, and the concept is readily applicable to many other public venues for astronomy.

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Informal Study of the Solar System Through an Interactive Show for Elementary School Children
Principal Investigator: Vladimir Strelnitski, Maria Mitchell Observatory
Category: Informal Science Education
Amount Awarded: $9,982

The goal of the project is the creation, performance, and dissemination of a piloting interactive show that will informally introduce elementary school children with the basics of the Solar System. A professional astronomer and primary school teachers of science and drama will actively interact to achieve the maximum of esthetic attractiveness, scientific truth and educational effectiveness of the show. The project includes working out, testing and disseminating of a new children's model of the Solar System, which will be used in the show but will also be interesting by itself --- as an educational tool. The show will be tested on the children of the Nantucket Elementary school and several other Massachusetts schools. It will be shown to 2000 teachers at the National Science Teacher Association Conference (Boston, March 1999). Its scenario will be made available to teachers all over the country through Internet.

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The Sun in Time
Principal Investigator: Mitzi Adams, NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center
Category: Multicultural Programs
Amount Awarded: $6,200

Throughout time, the Sun has been recognized as essential for life. Our ancestors worshipped the Sun, but at the same time, attempted to predict and control it and its effects on the environment. These ancient spiritual leaders who tried to control the Sun, were the scientists of their day. Our proposal will utilize the expertise of a solar astronomer, an archaeologist, and a teacher to place astronomy in an interdisciplinary context, and will probe studies of the Sun in Maya, Inca, and modern cultures. Since modern techniques of viewing the Earth through satellite imagery have allowed the re-discovery of many ancient sites, we propose to develop a curriculum for seventh and eighth grade students in which the emphasis shall be on the use of these scientific tools. Methods used in earlier cultures to study the Sun will be employed to animate and make accessible the scientific method, such that students will be drawn into an understanding of the probable importance of astronomical observations to these ancient peoples. Further, the curriculum will contrast these ancient observations to modern studies of the Sun and examine the relevance of these studies for the average citizen. As a test of our curriculum, a planetarium program will be written and presented to selected seventh and eight grade classes from the Huntsville City and Madison County Schools. Finally, a planetarium program for the general public will also be developed and presented.

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Space Science Through Space Art
Principal Investigator: William K. Hartmann, University of Arizona
Category: Multicultural Program/Outreach
Amount Awarded: $10,000

Five prominent local artists will present a Space Art Exhibition at Flandrau Science Center and a three-day Space Science/Art Workshop for twenty teachers and adult leaders, and forty of their predominately Hispanic and Native American students from under-served areas in Tucson, South Tucson, and outlying areas. Flandrau's Science-To-Go staff will also conduct Space Science/Art Workshops, and coordinate a traveling Space Art Exhibit at the twenty schools and neighborhood centers of these teachers and adult leaders. Emphasis will be placed on creating art from a background of scientific understanding. Specifically, the program will consist of the following components:

  1. a public space art exhibition at Flandrau Science Center depicting the work of five local space artists.
  2. a three day space science/art workshop at Flandrau Science Center for twenty teachers, neighborhood center leaders, and forty of their predominately Hispanic and Native American students.
  3. a traveling exhibit of space art prints by the five local space artists to the twenty schools and neighborhood centers of adult and student participants.
  4. space science/art workshops for children in the twenty participating schools and neighborhood centers.
  5. a student-teacher space art exhibition at Flandrau Science Center.

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Astronomy Materials in English and Spanish for Elementary and Middle School Teachers
Principal Investigator: Larry Lebofsky, University of Arizona
Category: Multicultural Programs/Outreach
Amount Awarded: $10,000

Since 1990, we have been conducting K--8 teacher workshops and developing hands-on activities, emphasizing astronomy for integrating science, mathematics, language arts, fine arts, etc. Activities have been site tested through previous IDEA grants. They are presented at regional and national workshops. Teachers are using these activities extensively in classes and are sharing them with other teachers. Several of our early activities were translated into Spanish. Our English and Spanish video, Our Solar System, is available through the NASA Educator Resource Center Network (ERCN) --- a top 10 video. Even though there is a great need, most materials are not available in Spanish; some already available need revision. We propose to update many of our materials and make them available in English and Spanish. These materials will be distributed to the ERCN and the Space Grant Consortia. Materials to be translated include: Our Solar System booklets (updated), the new NASA Solar System litho set, about 10 of our existing activities, and appropriate NASA materials. The primary effort of this proposal will be the translation and distribution of these materials --- MULTICULTURAL PROGRAMS/OUTREACH. As with our previous bilingual materials, these materials are to assist non-native speakers with content as they learn English.

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FUSE Exhibit at the Maryland Science Center
Principal Investigator: Luciana Bianchi, Johns Hopkins University
Category: Public Outreach/Public Understanding of Science
Amount Awarded: $24,250

We propose to develop hands-on interpretative exhibitry of the major science goals addressed by FUSE, the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer, at the Maryland Science Center (Baltimore, MD). The proposed exhibits will inform the nearly 600,000 family members and students visiting MSC annually how FUSE will investigate astronomical objects beyond the visible light, to help astronomers unlock the mystery of how the Universe originated and how it evolved.

The FUSE Exhibit will complement the HST exhibit and the general plan of the MSC to update the public about discoveries from NASA missions through their newly designed ``Space Science Resource Center'', which brings continually updatable information on space science and space missions along with a variety of self-directed investigation or hands-on learning activities for parents and children to explore together.

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Massive Leveraging of NASA/OSS E&PO Assets Across Underserved Communities Nationally: Interfacing the Ecosystem with Challenger Center's Window on the Universe Community Network
Principal Investigator: Jeff Goldstein, Challenger Center for Space Science Education
Category: Public Outreach/Public Understanding of Science Amount
Awarded: $39,655

Challenger Center for Space Science Education proposes to explore massive leveraging of NASA/OSS E&PO assets across underserved communities nationally by interfacing the OSS Ecosystem with Challenger Center's existing Window on the Universe (WotU) Pilot Community Network. Successful implementation would open up a pathway for a full interface between the Ecosystem and all Challenger Center Networks, including:

  • a national network of 30 Learning Centers in 19 states, the District of Columbia and Canada (17 at museums and science centers, 8 operated by school districts, and 5 at colleges and universities)
  • a national network of master science educators - the International Faculty - including many of NASA's Teacher in Space finalists
  • a WotU Network of potentially 36 communities to be established over the next 3 years.

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Science by Doing: The Role of Digital Technology in Inspiring Curiosity and Discovery
Principal Investigator: Gregory D. Bothun, University of Oregon
Category: Student Research Opprotunities
Amount Awarded: $39,908

We propose to significantly reshape the traditional manner which astronomy is taught in the K12 classroom by incorporating the use of modern digital detectors and data analysis directly into the curriculum. This project is a collaborative effort between the University of Oregon (UO) and the local K12 community and builds on an already highly successful and popular classroom visitation program conducted by the Friends of Pine Mountain Observatory (FOPMO).

The main goal of this project is to allow students to do real observations, either by remote observation with the Pine Mountain Observatory (PMO) 1-m telescope, or by accessing the HST digital archive. To assist students with data reduction we will provide them with JAVA reduction tools already under development. We will also train teachers on how to use this digital machinery in an effective manner so as to activate the innate curiosity of students and to instill in them an appreciation for the process of science. Our project will emphasize active student experimentation and collaboration (through coordinated observations). All results and observations will be maintained and archived on the Web server in residence at PMO. When successful, this project will serve as a working model of reform in science education that can be adopted nationwide.

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Creating a Student Research Program in Astronomy
Principal Investigators: Barry M. Lasker, Space Telescope Science Institute, Michael Shara, Space Telescope Science Institute
Category: Student Research Opportunities
Amount Awarded: $9,750

A student research program in astronomy will be developed at the Park School in collaboration with the Space Telescope Science Institute. High school students will benefit from research learning experiences, working on original projects involving their own data and observations on the school's 10-inch Ultima CCD-camera enhanced telescope and other data, while being mentored and advised by the principal investigators. Principal investigators will also collaborate with Park teachers on their research projects and provide advice on the development of the research program. A major outcome of the project will be a Handbook for Student Research which will serve as a template fort future research projects and serve as a resource guide for teachers and students at other schools. A world wide web site will serve to connect the various components of the research program, serve as a scientific and educational resource for students and teachers, and facilitate publication of student research reports.

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Astronomy and Space Science Outreach Program for D.C. Public School Students and Teachers
Principal Investigator: George R. Carruthers, Naval Research Laboratory
Category: Teacher/Student Outreach
Amount Awarded: $23,508

We propose a program of new astronomy and space science education and outreach activities for DC Public Schools teachers and students. These fall into three major components: (1) facilitation of direct, hands-on pre-college student participation in an upcoming new space mission, the Air Force ARGOS satellite to be launched in early 1998 with several ultraviolet and x-ray instruments provided by the Naval Research Laboratory; (2) facilitation of the utilization of Internet/World Wide Web connections with school-based computer terminals for accessing astronomy and space science images and other educational materials; and (3) production of a new, stand-alone video Mars Mission 2016; a science fiction adventure format story of a mission to Mars but based on and utilizing only factual science and technology (and which also will be formatted as a planetarium show).

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Mars Girl Scouts
Principal Investigator: Cherilynn Morrow, Space Science Institute
Category: Student Outreach
Amount Awarded: $15,800

Science and technology play increasing roles in all scales of human activity, from the broadest societal issues to the careers and everyday life of individuals. Thus we must proactively address the barriers to the interest and involvement of women and girls. Statistics show that the 9-11 age-range offers an opportunity to take advantage of relatively untarnished self-esteem and curiosity about science and mathematics. The Space Science Institute thus proposes to engage the Denver area's rich community of astronomers in collaboration with the Girl Scouts - Mile-Hi Council to plan, implement, evaluate, and follow-up pilot workshops on astronomy and Mars exploration for Junior Girl Scouts (ages 9-11) and their Troop Leaders. WE plan to design a workshop for the Scouts ("Type S") that would enable them to earn their Sky Watch badge and a custom-designed Mars Patch. In addition we plan a workshop for Leaders ("Type L") and interested parents who want to implement badge-related space science activities within their troops, and increase their awareness of science careers and gender-related issues. We will develop an annotated list of local space scientists who are willing to serve as information resources and occasional presenters for Mile-Hi Girl Scout troops.

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The Pleides Project: A Graduate Student Operated Astronomy Outreach Project Targeting Young Women
Principal Investigator: Stephen Reynolds, North Carolina State University
Category: Student Outreach
Amount Awarded: $9,887

A group of female Physics graduate students at North Carolina State University will lead an astronomy outreach program targeting middle school age Girl Scouts. The project will include 1. hands-on learning activities for the scouts to help them earn science-related badges, and 2. training for Girl Scout leaders to aid them in carrying out hands-on science learning activities. The program will target "outreach troops" from economically disadvantaged neighborhoods in the Wake County area.

This project will be facilitated through the Physics Department at NC State and The Science House, a hands-on science and mathematics outreach program of the university.

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Constructing Inquiry-Based Astronomy Activities for High School Teachers
Principal Investigator: Larry W. Brown, NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
Category: Student/Teacher Workshop
Amount Awarded: $9,950

To improve high school astronomy teaching, we are proposing a summer teacher workshop for 20 high school science teachers from schools within a 50 mile radius of Howard Community College (HCC), Columbia, MD. Participants will perform inquiry-based activities in various astronomy topics including: moon phases, seasons, relative planetary motion, solar system scale, constellations, and origin and evolution of the universe. Also taught will be use of the internet to locate astronomy resources and computer lab activities. Most activities will address the Maryland Core Learning Goals, National Science Education Standards and Project 2061 Benchmarks in astronomy.

The summer workshop will consist of 8 four-hour sessions, two observing nights, and a trip to the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) including their Educational Resource Center. Participating teachers will receive instruction by the HCC faculty and GSFC astronomers. A set of educational materials for the teaching of astronomy will be provided to the teachers. Each teacher will design two astronomical activities for the students they expect to teach. These will be distributed to teachers in a booklet and included on the GSFC Education Office web site. The project will provide a $30/half-day teacher stipend and transportation to GSFC. The estimated impact is 3000 students/year.

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"Teachers Touch the Sky": A Computer-based Astronomy Workshop
Principal Investigator: Bonnie J. Buratti, Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Category: Student/Teacher Workshop
Amount Awarded: $19,700

We propose to develop a one-week teachers' workshop on hands-on, inquiry based astronomy education that effectively integrates computers as important vehicles for learning. We will develop the workshop in close collaboration with educator-partners who have graduated from our past successful (non-computer based) one-week astronomy workshop "Teachers Touch the Sky". The first year of our program will be devoted primarily to researching, with a cadre of 15 teachers of grades 4-8, the types of activities that work best on computers. We seek to develop activities that preserve the essential elements of the scientific process: critical thinking, asking questions, gathering data, and forming and testing hypotheses. In the second year of the program we will develop and test actual activities. An essential component of our program is to understand the requirements for training teachers to use computers in science education.

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Mars Explorations
Principal Investigator: John Callas, Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Category: Student/Teacher Workshop
Amount Awarded: $9,973.50

This project captures the excitement generated by the Mars Pathfinder and Global Surveyor missions to motivate students and parents to learn science and explore possible science careers through Mars Family Science events and high quality science instruction. Activities include:

Mars Explorations Workshops - A sixteen-hour workshop series will be held for K-12 teachers to learn strategies that integrate technology into sound pedagogy, within the content areas of geology, meteorology, astronomy, and physics. Concepts covered will come from the California Science Framework and the National Science Education Standards, and relate to current Mars explorations. Participants will learn to use and teach telecommunications as a learning tool to gather information, share investigation results, find resources, and correspond with scientists.

Mars Family Science - Three separate Mars Family Science Events will involve four hundred parents and students from South Central, Central and East Los Angeles in "hands-on" inquiry activities based on NASA and NSF supported curriculum materials. Secondary students and teachers will present and engage participating families in image processing and telecommunications.

Classroom Visits by NASA Scientists - Scientists from JPL will visit selected classrooms to lead hands-on science demonstrations, experiments, and Q&A sessions with students.

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SUN BEAMS: Students United with NASA Becoming Enthusiastic About Math and Science
Principal Investigator: Carol Jo Crannell, NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
Category: Student/Teacher Workshop
Amount Awarded: $10,000

The Teacher/Student Workshop we propose here is a necessary first step in an effort to replicate at Goddard, in partnership with the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS), a highly successful science and mathematics program for middle school students and teachers. The product of this effort will be the development of a model space-science program for replication in state education systems and/or school districts that we will promote nationally through the OSS network of Broker/Facilitators. Under an IDEAS Grant, the PI/CoI Team will work with two teachers, one from the DCPS with expertise in curriculum development and one with experience in developing hands-on, inquiry-based, cooperative-learning activities with Goddard scientists, to define the details of the program. Under the larger program, as presently envisioned, teachers will come to Goddard for two weeks in the summer to develop activities that they will take back to their classrooms and pilot test. They will work in small teams, each of which will include a Goddard scientist and an expert teacher from the DCPS. Teacher enrichment will be achieved with a variety of opportunities to learn about both the most recent advances in Space Science and about the underlying basic concepts. These opportunities will include formal and informal lectures as well as daily contact with scientists on their development teams. In the Fall semester, each teacher will each bring a class to Goddard for a week of total immersion in math and science. In subsequent years, we will cycle through all the middle schools in DCPS with a pedagogy that models the process and the excitement of science.

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Learning To Look: Providing Astronomy Resources in North Central Kansas
Principal Investigator: Chad Davies, Cloud County Community College
Category: Teacher Workshop
Amount Awarded: $10,000

The purpose of this project is to provide greater access to astronomy curriculum to the area K-12 school districts through a cooperative program run through the Earl Bane Public Observatory at Cloud County Community College. This will be accomplished in two ways. First, area teachers at all levels will be invited to participate in a workshop to be given by the PI which will provide information and access to NASA educational resources currently available. This will be administered by the Observatory using the local North Central Kansas Physical Science Alliance (NCKPSA). Secondly, funds requested will allow for the hiring of a part time staff member for the Observatory who will be responsible for coordinating and providing curriculum and programs in astronomy to area school districts. This will allow for dissemination of already existing curricula (such as the Project STAR and Project ASTRO) and curricula in development by the investigators. The goal is to raise the level of astronomical information and curriculum available to area educators and to provide a way to allow for enhanced contact with the methods of astronomical observation for the students.

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COTSA (Catch On To Space Science and Astronomy)
Principal Investigator: B. Alan Harmon, NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center
Category: Student/Teacher Workshop
Amount Awarded: $7,000

We propose to develop and execute a two-day workshop for interested students (10-12 grade range) and their teachers in order to promote awareness of modern research in astronomy and space science, and enhance the knowledge of participants in these vibrant and rapidly advancing fields. The program will consist of a combination of hands-on activities, multimedia presentations and a half-day field trip. We emphasize the connection between recent and future NASA missions and other initiatives and topics from the school curriculum. Highly motivated students with a broad range of interests will be selected by teachers from the Huntsville-Decatur-Athens area. A resource package for teachers and a web site will be developed in support of the workshop.

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What Do Scientists Do? A Short Workshop for Teachers
Principal Investigator: Robert R. Herrick, Lunar and Planetary Institute
Category: Student/Teacher Workshop
Amount Awarded: $9,881

Common sense dictates that science teachers should have some understanding of how practising scientists do their jobs, but it is rare that undergraduate science courses provide insight into how scientific research is conducted in the real world. Unlike their counterparts that go into industry or academia, college graduates that end up teaching pre-college science are likely to go an entire career without firsthand exposure to active research. We propose to give current and future science teachers a feel for the research enterprise by conducting short (1/2 to 1 day) workshops at schools in our geographic region. Each workshop will take the participants through a case study of an active research topic in planetary science. Teachers will also learn some exercises to take to their own classrooms and will learn where and how to obtain high-quality planetary science outreach material. In the initial year we intend to conduct about 15 workshops, 10 for practising teachers and 5 for undergraduates training for teaching careers. The workshops will provide a model for university and industry scientists to conduct similar activities or to integrate the practise of science into undergraduate science education. We hope this initial start-up effort will allow us to obtain funding from other sources to develop a more extensive, long-term program in the region.

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It's About Time
Principal Investigator: Christine Jones, Smithsonian Institution
Category: Teacher Workshops
Amount Awarded: $5,999

We propose to continue and expand a collaboration between Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) researchers and the A.C.E. and classroom teachers in all seven elementary schools in Arlington, Massachusetts, and to design and introduce an innovative earth science and astronomy curriculum for grades 2 and 3. Arlington has about 30 second and third grade classrooms with over 600 students. This curriculum is based on a series of investigations in which the students make observations, suggest hypotheses, and test these against additional observations. For each investigation, we produce a teacher handbook containing background information, reproducible student sheets, and detailed ``recipes'' for hands-on classroom activities. We present these activities through teacher workshops. We also organize evening programs for teachers, students, and their families. This year, we propose to expand on our earlier IDEA grant (``Bringing the Cosmos to the Classroom'') by the addition of more classrooms and more teachers (in Arlington, the number of second and third grade classes has increased), by offering workshops on multiple occasions (to avoid scheduling conflicts), and by adding a unit on time and time keeping (``It's About Time'').

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Solar Facts and Physics: A Teacher Workshop
Principal Investigator: herese A. Kucera, Space Applications Corporation
Category: Teacher Workshop
Amount Awarded: $9,900

In order to increase the knowledge and technology skills of teachers in the field of solar physics and astronomy so that they are better able to satisfy the recommendations of Benchmarks for Science Literacy and Science Education Standards, a four-day workshop for teachers of the Physical Sciences is proposed. Participants will study the latest solar data being retrieved by SOHO and other ISTP spacecraft and will then apply this knowledge by creating lesson plans that involve hands-on science and cooperative learning techniques for their particular discipline: chemistry, earth/space science, and physics. These lesson plans will become part of the SOHO Explore web page, thus multiplying the effect of this workshop.

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Space Projects And Research by Kids (SPARK): A Middle School Science Enrichment Program - Journal and Symposium
Principal Investigator: Sanjay S. Limaye, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Category: Student/Teacher Workshops
Amount Awarded: $10,025

This program will focus on the development of a publication of middle school stu-dent research projects that revolve around the primary themes of space exploration and astronomy. Initially, the investigators and Educational Outreach Staff at the Space Sci-ence and Engineering Center (SSEC) of the University of Wisconsin-Madison will col-laborate with four teachers from the Madison Metropolitan School District to develop a curriculum framework to introduce important concepts, technologies and issues in space exploration and astronomy. Students will then work with teachers and SSEC scientists and engineers to develop a research project which will be conducted during a school se-mester. A required element of these projects is to publish the work in a new print and on-line journal, SPARK (Space Projects And Research by Kids). The results will also be pre-sented at a Middle School Space Science Symposium to be held in Madison on the UW-Madison Campus.

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Bringing exciting Mars Space Science and Geology Information into Middle School Classrooms through Teacher/Student Workshops
Principal Investigators: Ran Sivron, Grand Valley State University, John Weber, Grand Valley State University
Category: Student/Teacher Workshops
Amount Awarded: $6,000

The Mars Pathfinder, which landed in July, 1997, created an enthusiasm for space sciences unparalleled since the late 1960's. Exciting new discoveries from Mars mission are finding their way into the news almost every day, and many new Martian scientific discoveries are being regularly published. Our project will help middle school teachers access this exciting new body of information, and bring it into their classrooms as the news breaks.

We will generate teacher and student interest in exciting issues like: How do space ships get from earth to Mars? What is Mars made of? What does Mars tell us about Earth? Is/was there life on Mars? Were there oceans on Mars? Did rivers once flow on the Martian surface? Where is the Martian water now? When will humans land on Mars? Can humans settle Mars? Answers to these questions will come from data collected on current and future NASA missions. Gaining quick access to these data and expert interpretations is essential for generating enthusiastic classroom learning.

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Project SEARCH
Principal Investigator: David H. Atkinson, Universtiy of Idaho
Category: Teacher Resources and Training
Amount Awarded: $37,184

The University of Idaho, in cooperation with the Idaho Space Grant Consortium, Capital High School in Boise, and a consortia of Idaho school districts, requests funding for Project SEARCH (Space Exploration Activities for Raising Children's Horizons). The proposal is in response to the announcement of opportunities through the IDEAS program and is designated as a "Teacher Resources and Training" proposal.

Project SEARCH brings research directly from current NASA science missions to 40 elementary and middle school teachers through a week long graduate credit course held in Boise, Idaho. The target population are Idaho teachers in rural school districts with high numbers of Native American, Hispanic, and bilingual students. An estimated 800 students will be the direct benefactors. Hands-on, national standards based activities, information, resources, and training focused on Astronomy and Space Exploration are the foundation of Project SEARCH. Project SEARCH supports teachers throughout the school year through E-mail, monthly World Wide Web chats, teleconferences, and through the SEARCH homepage. Space science missions and events included in SEARCH are: Mars Pathfinder Landing Site Workshop (September 1995); Mars Global Surveyor Launch Educator's Workshop (November 1996); Mars Pathfinder Launch Educator's Workshop (December 1996); PlanetFest (July 1997); Cassini Education Workshop (September 1997); Cassini (launch in October 1997), Lunar Prospector (January 1998); and future Mars exploration workshops.

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Look Up!: Integrated Astronomy Workshop For Elementary/Middle School Teachers in New York City
Principal Investigator: M. Chantale Damas, Long Island University
Category: Teacher Resources and Training
Amount Awarded: $8,000

In order to improve the ability of in-service teachers to understand and to teach astronomy, we are proposing a summer workshop in 1998 for 15 elementary/middle school teachers who teach in minority districts throughout New York City. Teachers will perform hands-on activities to learn topics of astronomy: moon phases, sun and seasons, star finding and constellations, and the solar system, led by Dr. Damas. Each activity will then be integrated to include other curricula subjects such as the arts, mathematics, social sciences, history, and others, led by Dr. Trubeck. Teachers will also explore related curricular materials available on the World Wide Web. The activities will be adopted from NASA's Educational Products and Project ASTRO/Astronomical Society of the Pacific.

There will be many observing nights, a trip to the Planetarium and the City College of NY NASA Center. Teachers throughout workshop will work in teams and each will present completed project after each topic. At the end of workshop, participants will have a complete set of integrated activities. As a follow-up in Fall 1997, both investigators will visit each participant's classroom to assist in the implementation of teaching methods and materials. During Spring 1998, LIU will host an Astronomy Day Fair.

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Astronomers, Space Scientists and Educators: Partners for Education
Principal Investigator: Douglas K. Duncan, American Astronomical Society
Category: Teacher Resources and Training
Amount Awarded: $10,600

We propose a strategy to encourage cooperation between astronomers/space scientists and K-12 educators, one which treats scientists and educators as partners. It is designed to draw many more astronomers into educational work, because the partnerships don't require extensive experience. Two workshops held at AAS meetings in January and June, 1998 and one held at the AAS-Division of Planetary Sciences Meeting in October 1998 will 1) give astronomers an introduction to the most effective instructional techniques (taught by PI Duncan and Co-I Southon) and 2) pair them with science teachers in a workshop setting. A main emphasis of the workshops will be the creation of hands-on activities related to the astronomers' research that will be useful in class. The teachers will insure the practicality of the activities, the astronomers the science content, and both together the compatibility with science standards. We intend to select astronomers and teachers from the same locale to increase the potential for further collaboration.

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Getting Your Hands Dirty: Classroom Activities and Teacher Training Using Planetary Soil Simulants
Principal Investigator: Marilyn M. Lindstrom, NASA/Johnson Space Center
Category: Teacher Resources and Training
Amount Awarded: $10,000

We propose to use planetary soil simulants as a resource for teachers to help make planets real by allowing students to touch and experiment with real geologic samples that spark curiosity and creativity in learning. We will develop a set of classroom activities centered around examination and measurement of existing lunar and martian soil simulants. We will then present the activities in local teacher workshops, test them in classrooms, and evaluate their effectiveness. During the second year we will revise and publish the activities, present them at regional and national teacher conferences, and disseminate activities and simulants through NASA and other education outlets.

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Exploring the Solar System for Teachers
Principal Investigator: Horton Newsom, University of New Mexico
Category: Teacher Resources and Training
Amount Awarded: $9,958

The major focus of this proposal is in the category of Teacher Resources and Training. We will present and develop a course entitled "Exploring the Solar System for Teachers". The course will be a partnership between a planetary scientist with educational outreach experience, Dr. Horton E. Newsom, and a professional educator, Dr. Kathryn Powell. The audience for the course is pre-service and in-service science teachers. The course will be presented in the summer, which will allow in-service teachers to easily attend. The goals of the project are to provide both content regarding planetary science, and curriculum materials in the form of active learning activities which emphasize investigation and inquiry. We will evaluate the success of this project by using pre- and post-tests of science knowledge and knowledge of activities appropriate for a K-12 audience. The results of the project will be disseminated through the Institute of Meteoritics education web page.

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Observational Astronomy for the 5 - 12 Curriculum
Principal Investigator: Mark A. Nook, St. Cloud State University
Category: Teacher Resources and Training
Amount Awarded: $9,950

Three phenomena led to the development of this proposal; First, few experiences create greater excitement and enthusiasm for astronomy and science than direct observing of astronomical objects with a telescope; second, a large number of public schools own small telescopes that go unused; and third, a large percentage of people have not noticed basic phenomena associated with the daily motions of the sky. This project will use a nine day workshop to train teachers to properly use and care for small telescopes and provide them with valuable observational projects, both telescopic and naked eye, that they can include in their science curricula. A large number of phenomena that can be observed without telescopes will be presented as large group demonstrations to be used to actively engage their students in science. Finally, methods for incorporating these demonstrations and skills into the K-12 science curriculum will be discussed. The proposed two-week workshop will include 50% classroom instruction and 50% night observing and demonstration instruction. Seven days of the workshop will be held at a dark site for extended naked eye and telescopic observing instruction and curriculum project development.

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Teacher Training to Enhance Space Science Curriculum
Principal Investigator: Judith L. Pipher, University of Rochester
Category: Teacher Training
Amount Awarded: $5,592

The goal of our program is to improve astronomy education at the elementary school level in the Rochester (New York) City School District. Informal surveys of third and sixth grade teachers show that less than 5% have had formal training in astronomy while one third of the science curriculum at these levels is space science. We will provide Teacher Resources and Training by conducting two teacher training seminars to increase third and sixth grade teachers' knowledge of space science through hands-on exploration of basic astronomical concepts. A teacher's guide documenting these seminars will be given to each teacher. We will also initiate the integration of a hands-on comet modeling component into the sixth grade space science curriculum.

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Eratosthenes Made Easy
Principal Investigator: Paul N. Romani, NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
Category: Teacher Resources and Training
Amount Awarded: $7,284

In this project we will reproduce Eratosthenes's measurement of the circumference of the Earth by linking together elementary school students in Maryland and Massachusetts. Reproducing his experiment requires measuring the Sun's elevation at solar noon at two different latitudes on the same day; thus collaboration between groups is necessary. We did a pilot study in 1996 as part of interdisciplinary studies of astronomy (Massachusetts) and Egypt (Maryland) involving math, science, language arts, social studies and art and results were presented (Romani et al., B.A.A.S. 28, 1157, 1996). In the first part of our proposal, we will conduct and document the project in a free, educational video for teachers, teachers in training, homeschooling families, and the general public. We will then give a workshop, in which the video would be used, for Amherst Public School elementary teachers and teachers in training at the University of Massachusetts - Amherst School of Education on incorporating Eratosthenes's experiment across the curriculum (involving math, science, language arts, social studies and art). Thus, involvement in collaborative, hands-on, astronomy-based research at the elementary school level would be promoted.

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"It's All in Motion!": A Workshop for Teachers (4-8)
Principal Investigator: Mary Lou West, Montclair State University
Category: Teacher Resources and Training
Amount Awarded: $7,635

We propose to recruit 20 teachers mostly from urban, largely minority districts in New Jersey for a short intensive summer program (3 days) plus a follow-up workshop during the school year. In our experience with the NSF "Great Ideas in Science" summer program, the teachers of grades 4-8 are eager for more content knowledge in astronomy as well as more hands-on inquiry-based activities they can do with their students. Three pre-service teachers will also participate.

Astronomical motions will be emphasized through simple equipment and activities, as well as computer and Internet exercises. The participants will investigate the motions of the Earth, moon, sun, and planets by constructing sundials, a star clock, a gravity well, models of the solar system, and observing sunspots and sunsets. Understanding of motions on the surfaces of planets will be enhanced by examining HST images of volcanoes and clouds. There will also be a field trip to a local planetarium.

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