Education & Public Outreach Proposals Selected In Cycle 5

Individual PI proposals

Girl Scouts of Central Maryland

Universities Space Research Association

Maryland Space Grant Consortium

This program will package existing middle school activities concerning stellar evolution, the electromagnetic spectrum, supernovae and black holes for distribution throughout the Girl Scout Council of Central Maryland (GSCM). A "patch day" will be held at JHU in mid-summer 2004 to which 60 girls and 20 leaders will be invited to carry out hands-on activities in the targetted science areas.

Arlington Public Schools, Arlington MA

This program will develop a series of science investigations focused on the Sun for the 400 third grade students in the Arlington Public Schools. The program will generate a teacher s handbook containing the investigations and hold workshops for the participating teaching staff.

Noreen Grice, youcandoastronomy.com

This program will produce a prototype Braille book containing images of astronomical objects at wavelengths from radio to X-ray, similar to the book "Touch the Universe", which focused on Hubble images. As an introduction to non-visible wavelengths, this book will provide the visually impaired target audience with a context for understanding many other NASA missions, including the Chandra X-ray Observatory and the Spitzer Infrared Telescope.

Rose Planetarium/American Museum of Natural History

Fiske Planetarium/University of Colorado, Boulder

This program will develop an instructional module to illustrate the science that is being learned from observations of Supernova 1987A with Chandra and other telescopes. In collaboration with educators at the Rose and Fiske Planetaria, the module will be designed with learning levels that address the needs of multiple grades, with both Spanish and English text and narration options. Various formats will enable dissemination via a public web site, a CD-ROM, and through display on public terminals at the two planetaria.

UW Space Place, Madison

Phillips Planetarium/Univ. Wisconsin, Eau Claire

This program will develop an extension to a prototype activity, which uses a product that produces H-alpha images of the sun. It will use a special solar-optical telescope to introduce students and teachers to a range of astronomical ideas, including how understanding "normal" stars like our sun helps astronomers understand more exotic phenomena. The program will include development of a solar-observing workshop for school groups; an interactive exhibit on the electromagnetic spectrum to be housed at Space Place; and two planetarium shows.

Middlebury College Observatory

This program will enrich the existing program of Public Nights at the Middlebury College Observatory that serve a primarily rural population. The program will provide wall mounted astronomical images and video displays, with appropriate explanations, of the latest science results from NASA's high energy astrophysics missions, including Chandra. Middlebury College students training in science education will be involved in designing and carrying out the project.

Boston 2:00-6:00 After-School Initiative

In collaboration with the Boston 2:00-6:00 After School Initiative, this project will design a program to promote academic achievement in science and to support the preparation for college of high school students from the Boston Public Schools. The program consists of two components: an afterschool program to reinforce learning in physics and space science through activities that develop students' computer skills; and a summer program that specifically addresses highly motivated students and provides in-depth science content in selected topics related to the Chandra mission.

Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts, Harrisburg, PA

Pennsylvania Space Grant Consortium

This program will fund the ninth annual Penn State In-service Workshops in Astronomy (PSIWA) in 2004. The intensive, content-rich workshops will educate middle and high school teachers about space science and related technologies. The 2004 curriculum uses NASA-developed and disseminated education products and will be enhanced by new content to be introduced by the Whitaker Center, including hands-on activities using the "Starry-Night" planetarium software. Partcipants will receive copies of the presentations on CD-ROM as well as curriculum materials such as textbooks and activity guides and other resource material from NASA missions. The workshops target rural/underserved as well as inner-city Pennsylvania school districts.

Minnesota Planetarium Society

Using the fable of Rumplestiltskin and his magical powers that turn straw into gold as a familiar, audience-friendly entry point, this program will create a planetarium show that will explore the processes inside a star that make new elements. The show will be targeted to general family audiences, and will use relevant results and images from Chandra and other telescopes. Primary responsibility for the show's development will be placed with Robert Bonadurer, the nationally-known creator of over 20 planetarium shows. The show will be distributed nationwide, at cost, by the Minnesota Planetarium Society.

Kathleen Lestition Education and Public Outreach