# Presentation: 912967

## E/PO Activities in the HEASARC

- James Lochner
*USRA CPSS*
*HEASARC E/PO Lead*

## What We Do

- Publish Imagine the Universe! web site
- Teacher and Student Resources for grades 7-14
- Host StarChild web site (grades K-8)
- Develop curriculum support materials
- Develop and give teacher workshops
- Work with GSFC Education Office, Universe Forum, and other Universe E/PO teams

**Notes:**
Number of Workshops

## Why We Do It

- Our work fulfills a need for resources.
- Higher Ed. and Pipeline goals require qualified high school and interested middle school students.
- We further our position in the E/PO community as a respected member and resource.

## Who Does It

- Scientist Lead, web programmer, distribution assistant, with support from Division E/PO specialists, graphic artist, and volunteer scientists.
- Educator Ambassador (Sonoma State)
- Cheryl Niemala (WA) trained on our materials and gives local/regional workshops.

**Notes:**
Cheryl gave 18 workshops in FY 05

## Milestones

- 10 years of Education Presence on Web
*High Energy Astrophysics Learning Center debuted April 17, 1996.*
- Imagine! site celebrating with retrospective of     “What we know now vs. What we knew then”
- Published 9th and 10th editions of Imagine CD (with StarChild and APOD)
- Expanded to 2-disc set
- Added features suggested from 2004 Evaluation.
- AstroCappella on 9th edition; Groovie Movie on 10th

## New Publishing Environment

- In Jan 2005, NASA HQ introduced new requirements for publications:
- All NASA print materials must pass Communications Materials Review panel
- Standards for style, look, and feel
- All Education print materials must pass Education Product Review.
- Materials reviewed by educators and scientists.
- Previously this review was voluntary.
- Includes new materials and materials up for re-printing.

## Impact of New Publishing Environment

- We updated Teacher Guides and Posters previously submitted to Ed. Product Review
*Guided by Prod. Rev. recommendations*
- “Hidden Lives of Galaxies”
- With assistance from EA Cheryl Niemala.
- “What is Your Cosmic Connection with the Elements?”
- With assistance from Stan Woosley and Rob Hoffman.
- 0.15 FTE for each revision

**Notes:**
Hidden Lives - mostly revised the activities
Cosmic Elements - updated the content

## Impact of New Publishing Environment 

- “Legacy” Materials
- “Anatomy of Black Holes” poster requires revision in accordance with Ed. Prod. Rev.
- “Life Cycles of Stars” (1998) never submitted to Rev.  Chandra published their own Life Cycles poster.
- “Gamma Ray Bursts” (2000) never submitted.  Teacher Guide in need of updating (but superceded by Swift.)
- StarChild materials never submitted, and remain under domain of Laura Whitlock (LSU).
- Should Legacy Materials go out of print?

**Notes:**
All of the legacy materials are on the Imagine site (and included on CD)

Maybe phrase this as “Should Legacy Materials go out of print?””

## Materials in Development

- “Cosmic Times”
- Trace the understanding of the nature of the universe through the 20th century.
- Start in 1919 with confirmation of Einstein’s theory of gravity (and its implications for the nature of the universe).
- Continue through to discovery of Dark Energy, our current state of knowledge, and stepping stones to future.

## Teacher Focus Group

- In March 2005, we convened a group of teachers to discuss potential use of Beyond Einstein topics in classroom.
- They identified “Science as Process” as a key theme inherent in BE science topics.
- They recommended we tell the story of one of the science themes as an example of scientific methodology.

## Scientific Themes in “Cosmic Times”

- Our understanding of the Expansion of the Universe
- Nature of Supernovae
- The size and scale of the Universe
- A number of other themes will also appear.
- Role of Women in early astronomy.
- Impact of improved technology.

## Cosmic Times Posters

- “Newsletter version” for individual student use

**Notes:**
Free-lance writer, Trudy Bell, with science and history background si writing articles.
Teachers from howard co. are developing lessons.

## Collaborative Work

- GSFC Education Office
- High School Intern Program
- Space Day Hands-on Activities
- Universe Education Forum
- Development and presentation of “Modeling the Universe” Short Course.
- Presentation for Year of Physics Museum Network.