Voyages in Education and Public Outreach

An Office of Space Science Newsletter

September 2001 Issue 3

On the Inside

Awards and Updates 2

 Education Products

 View Space 3

 Space Science Reference Guide 4

 Genesis 4

 Imagine/StarChild Websites 5

Education Programs

 Cassini/GAVRT 6

 NEAR/Solar System Ambassadors 7

 Minority Institution Initiative - CUNY 7

 Illinois MagNet Project 8

 Adler Center for Space Science Education 9

 E/PO Workshop 10

 Sun-Earth Day/Eclipse 2001 11

 On the Horizon 12

“Touch the Universe” Brings Space Science

to the Visually Impaired

DePaul University

To address the need for more space science

resources for the visually impaired, a team

consisting of an astronomer, a Braille book author,

and a science teacher, have created “Touch the

Universe – A NASA Braille Book of Astronomy”. The

book was recently showcased at a press

conference at the meeting of the American

Astronomical Society in Pasadena, California.

Funding for the project came through the Hubble

Space Telescope (HST) Guest Observer program.

The magnificent images taken by the Wide

Field Planetary Camera 2 aboard the HST, have

appeared in textbooks, newspapers, and the Web.

They have been a major tool to share new

discoveries about the universe with students and

the public. Unfortunately, approximately 10

million visually impaired citizens of the United

States, and many more worldwide have not had

the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of these

images to the same extent. The small number of

resources available to the visually impaired may

be due in part to the fact that space science is often

considered to be a visual science. After all, much

of what we know about the universe is derived

from the analysis of the visible light emitted by

the objects in it. We are in awe of the details and

colors revealed to our eyes by Hubble pictures.

However, the success of the few astronomy

resources that are available for visually impaired,

such as the “Multi-Sensory Kit” created by the

Southeast Regional Clearing House (featured in

Voyages, issue 1), or Noreen Grice’s Braille/Large

Print astronomy book “Touch the Stars”, have

clearly demonstrated that vision is not a

prerequisite for studying and enjoying space

science.

“Touch the Universe” contains 14 spectacular

Hubble images. The reader is taken on a journey

of discovery to more and more distant objects,

starting with images of the telescope itself in orbit,

and ending with the Hubble Deep Field. Each

The input from the students at the Colorado School

for the Deaf and the Blind was a crucial step in the

process of creating the tactile overlays for “Touch the

Universe”. This picture shows a student exploring a

prototype image of Jupiter.
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color image is supplemented by a transparent

tactile overlay in which the color features such as

gases of different colors and planetary rings, are

represented by tactile symbols. The explanatory

text is given in both Braille and large print. Thus,

readers of all visual abilities are able to view and

read the book together.

The interest in “Touch the Universe” generated

by the media coverage following its release in June

was much greater than anticipated. Hundreds of

emails and phone calls from around the world

have poured in requesting copies of the book.

Based on the initial $10,000 budget and the timeconsuming process for producing the tactile

overlays, the original plan was to release 400

copies in the first edition. However, it has become

clear that the demand for the book cannot be met

with this number. The project collaborators are

currently exploring ways to automate the

production process, so the book can be massproduced. They hope the first edition will be

available to the public by this fall.

The most important lesson from the release of

“Touch the Universe” is that there is enormous

interest in space science among the visually

impaired. This is a significant opportunity for the

NASA Education Program. While the team is

considering producing Braille books about other

missions and areas of space science, they also hope

that their success will inspire others to follow suit

in addressing the space science needs of the

visually impaired.

Contact Bernhard Beck-Winchatz

(bbeck@condor.depaul.edu) for more information

about “Touch the Universe”, or the web site

http://analyzer.depaul.edu/ttu.

Congratulations to the Space Science

Education Resource Directory (SSERD)

Team!

The SSERD team was honored with a NASA

Group Achievement Award in presentation

ceremonies at NASA Headquarters this June. The

award states - “To the Space Science Education

Resource Directory Development Team for a

dedicated, demanding, and innovative effort to

successfully develop an important new

educational resource for use by students and

teachers across the country” - signed Dan Goldin,

June 21, 2001. Karen Meyer, team lead accepted

the award on the behalf of the team.

In addition to the SSERD team, NASA Group

Achievement awards were also given at other

NASA ceremonies to the Cassini/Jupiter

Microwave Observing Campaign team and the

Sun-Earth Connections Education Forum team.

Articles about education and public outreach

(E/PO) activities leading to these awards appear

later in this newsletter.

NOW is the time to submit your input to the

FY 2001 OSS E/PO Annual Report. This

comprehensive compilation of OSS-sponsored

E/PO projects active between October 1, 2000 and

September 30, 2001, will be posted on the OSS web

page as a searchable database and distributed in

print to a broad range of persons interested in

space science education. To have your project(s)

included, you must enter information about the

project into one of the following databases by

September 30, 2001.

Information about E/PO products is reported

by registering the product in the NASA Space

Science Education Resource Directory. Online

forms and instructions are available at http://

ossdev.stsci.edu/registry/. Questions may be

directed to the Education Forum overseeing the

space science theme addressed by the product, or

to Carole Rest (crest@stsci.edu)

Information about E/PO activities is reported

by making an entry into EDCATS, the NASA-wide

education tracking and reporting system. You

may obtain password access to EDCATS through

your OSS sponsor:

• Flight missions: contact the mission E/PO lead

• Individual research grants: contact Rosalyn

Pertzborn (rpertzbo@hq.nasa.gov)

Display Your Wares in the FY 2001 E/PO

Annual Report

Karen Meyer with NASA Administrator Dan

Goldin and Associate Deputy Administrator

Dan Mulville.
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Space Science Education Resource Directory

(SSERD) Update

The SSERD has been a huge success since

going online last October. As noted by Dr. Isabel

Hawkins, co-Director of the Sun-Earth Connection

Forum, it has been searched over 300,000 times

and has over 100 items available for downloading.

“The Directory has been so well received by the

K-12 community because it was explicitly

designed with teacher input. Our goal has always

been to meet the needs of educators.”

In addition to updates to the user interface,

online help, and a new search mechanism, the

product registry has been enhanced to allow for

easier registry of OSS educational resources into

the Directory.

The first annual OSS Product Review is also

underway. This is a peer review of 60 selected

hardcopy space science products for educational

effectiveness and science accuracy. A subset of the

most highly rated products will be printed in large

quantity for wide spread distribution. The SSERD

is found at http://teachspacescience.stsci.edu

• IDEAS: contact Heather Bradbury

(hbradbur@stsci.edu)

• Others: contact an OSS Broker/Facilitator,

Education Forum, or Phil Sakimoto

(psakimoto@hq.nasa.gov)

All OSS-sponsored researchers and educators

are invited to submit information, whether or not

they have been specifically funded for the E/PO

being reported. The goal is to display in the

broadest possible manner the contributions of the

OSS community to E/PO.

Last year’s Annual Report was the first

attempt to compile comprehensive information.

That report brought widespread recognition to the

OSS E/PO program and drew accolades from

Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA)

auditors, even though many projects were not

reported. To make this Annual Report even more

complete, your help is needed in entering

information about the E/PO projects that you have

conducted. OSS wants to ensure that all work is

recorded and acknowledged. Contact information

for Forums and Broker/Facilitators, and the online

version of the FY 2000 Annual Report, can be

found on the OSS home page at http://

spacescience.nasa.gov under the link to Education.

 Educational Products Educational Products Educational Products

View Space: A Multimedia Astronomy

Display for Museums and Planetariums

Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

Among the hundreds of small science

museums and planetariums, one often finds

modestly-scaled astronomy exhibits that are

“frozen in time” - A glass case containing

lithographs of Voyager II images, a well-worn VHS

tape of NASA’s classic “Universe” film (1976), a

Landsat 5 picture, or a Rand-McNally moon globe.

It occurred to John Stoke, informal science

education manager at STScI, that it would be a

real service to come up with a means of

supplementing these exhibits with something

replicable, updateable, unique... and inexpensive.

With the support of Scala, Inc., who donated

production software, John embarked on the

creation of a series of multimedia presentations

designed to interpret images and discoveries from

the Hubble Space Telescope, to put the “pretty

pictures” into a meaningful context. The

presentations, collectively called View Space,

orchestrate high resolution images, digital movie

clips, nocturnal space music, and minimally

intrusive text. The intent was to preserve the

visceral qualities of awe and beauty and wonder

that Hubble images (and other good celestial

vistas) naturally provoke, while gently leading the

viewer to an understanding of what they mean.

To run View Space in their facility, a host

View Space showing in the Maryland Science Center.
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Genesis Products Reach Out with New

Approaches to Learning

Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning

What is the Sun made of? Are the Earth and

planets made of the same stuff? NASA’s Genesis

mission is sending a spacecraft to collect pieces of

the Sun, called solar wind, that may contain the

answers. The Genesis spacecraft is on a journey

a million miles sunward. There it will unfold its

collectors, and “sunbathe” for nearly three years

before returning to Earth with its precious cargo.

Scientists will study the solar wind samples for

years to come.

Genesis mission E/PO products present a

unique opportunity for educators and the public

to learn about the mission, the science that drives

it, and to meet some of the people who are working

to make the mission a success through online

interviews and video footage. All materials have

been developed through a partnership between

the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Lockheed-Martin

Astronautics, Los Alamos National Laboratory, the

NASA Johnson Space Center, the California

Institute of Technology, and Mid-continent

Research for Education and Learning (McREL).

institution must provide a Windows PC , a display

device (large monitor, LCD projector, plasma

screen, etc.), a small sound system, and an Internet

hookup. View Space comes on a CD with updates

via CD. Plans are to transition to an Internet

distribution model next year that will allow

“push” of new content onto remote playback

machines without any intervention on the part of

the users. There are also plans to extend the View

Space concept and STScI will be soliciting content

from other NASA Space Science missions.

So far the response from the “marketplace” has

been encouraging. Over 70 institutions have

requested the program and several have sent very

positive feedback. A more formal evaluation

survey is being planned. Meanwhile, if you would

care to have a look at View Space, just contact John

at stoke@stsci.edu to get a copy.

Space Science Reference Guide

Lunar and Planetary Institute

The Space Science Reference Guide (SSRG) is

a resource for publishers of children’s science

textbooks and others. Included in the SSRG are

high-resolution images of objects in the solar

system, illustrations of planetary science concepts,

articles about current research, summaries of

ongoing missions, and classroom activities.

Materials are organized into a user-friendly format

in a two-CD set. CD #1 is configured in a

searchable web browser format to allow the user

to easily locate items of interest. CD #2 is a

collection of high-resolution images that are

indexed to correspond to the low-resolution, fastloading versions, with captions, found on CD #1.

All of the materials included in the SSRG are free

of copyright, provided proper credit is given to

the initial contributor. Intended for wide

dissemination, it is hoped the SSRG will be a

valuable resource for publishers, graphic artists,

writers, educators, students, and the public.

Production of a second volume is planned.

The SSRG was conceived as a result of

interacting with teachers and students in the

classroom and becoming aware of something that

many parents and education professionals already

know - science information (particularly space

science) in K-12 textbooks is often very out of date,

and sometimes contains inaccuracies. In many

cases, even fairly recent textbooks contain only

drawings of planets such as Saturn, which is

completely unnecessary when breathtaking, highresolution images are readily available. In an effort

to change this situation, contributions were

solicited from the Space Science community and

compiled into the SSRG.

Science articles include the following topics:

Astronomy, Planetary Science, Hot Topics in Space

Science, Life on Mars Debate, and Scientific

Instruments. Space Science Missions represented

are: Cassini Mission to Saturn, Galileo Mission to

Jupiter, Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope

(GLAST), Hubble Space Telescope, Lunar

Prospector, Mars Global Surveyor, Mars

Pathfinder, Near Earth Asteroid Rendevous

(NEAR), Solar and Heliospheric Observatory

(SOHO), STARDUST Mission to Comet Wild-2,

and Student Nitric Oxide Explorer (SNOE). We

thank all of the collaborators who contributed to

this project.

Contact Kathleen Johnson at the Lunar and

Planetary Institute for information on receiving

the SSRG. (Johnson@lpi.usra.edu)
5

Genesis offers nine Web-based education

modules (http://genesismission.jpl.nasa.gov),

that are print-optimized and feature teacher

guides, student texts, and student activities that

are aligned to the National Science Education

Standards. The modules are -

Cosmic Chemistry: Cosmogony

Cosmic Chemistry: An Elemental Questions

Cosmic Chemistry: Planetary Diversity

Cosmic Chemistry: The Sun and Solar Wind

Cosmic Chemistry: Understanding Elements

Heat: An Agent of Change

Exploring Origins

Dynamic Design: A Collection Process

Dynamic Design: The Cleanroom

These education modules are also available on

a CD entitled “Genesis in Education”. Interactive

learning exercises include a Periodic Table

modeling simulation, available as a full software

download, and an electronic field trip featuring

four interactive simulations based on working in

the cleanroom at the NASA Johnson Space Center.

Also on the website are modules for the

general public which explain the mission science,

Genesis Kids featuring online children’s learning

activities with an interactive stickerbook and Ask

Blast, where children can submit questions about

the mission science and receive an answer from a

mission scientist. Additionally, the Web site offers

public materials for community youth

organizations, including the Boy Scouts and Girl

Scouts of America.

Evaluation is an integral part of the Genesis

E/PO product development and guides further

modification and improvement of educational

materials. Genesis has in place a nationwide

formal development and evaluation network.

Teachers in California, Texas, Kansas, Virginia,

New Jersey and Florida field test materials in their

classrooms. The end result is impact on classroom

teaching and learning based on teacher feedback

and input.

Award Winning Websites

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

The Imagine the Universe! and StarChild

web sites were created five years ago by scientists

at NASA Goddard’s Lab for High Energy

Astrophysics (LHEA) who wanted to bring the

excitement of their field to high school students

and their teachers, and bring general astronomy

to a younger audience.

The Imagine site is geared to those 14 years

and older while StarChild is for the younger set.

Frequent updates bring the latest space science

discoveries to the site.

http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov

http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov

LHEA scientists have also teamed up with

educators to provide lesson plans and activities

for the sites. Through the years, scientists have

continued to manage and contribute to these sites,

as well as work with teachers to develop

workshops and a series of poster/information

booklet sets. Scientists in LHEA also volunteer to

answer questions as part of Imagine’s “Ask a

High-Energy Astronomer” service.

StarChild has received many honors through

the years, including the Webby Award for

Education in 1998. Imagine the Universe! has also

received a number of honors, most recently that

of being included in the sciLINKS program, an

innovative initiative by the National Science

Teachers Association that links science textbooks

to the Internet. Information on sciLINKS is at

http://www.scilinks.org/
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Teachers and Students Do Real Science with

Cassini Team

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

When the Cassini spacecraft flew past Jupiter

this year, not only were scientists able to collect

high-resolution data on Jupiter’s radiation belts,

but students and their teachers across the country

also had an opportunity to do some real science.

Using the Goldstone-Apple Valley Radio

Telescope (GAVRT) the research team collaborated

with teachers and students from across the county

to perform a series of ground-based observations

of Jupiter coordinated with spacecraft

observations during the Cassini encounter from

November 2000 through March 2001.

The GAVRT antenna, formerly known as DSS12, was decommissioned from the Deep Space

Network (DSN) in 1996. With the effort of a team

of visionary scientists, educators, engineers, and

community volunteers, the antenna found new life

as an educational tool that offers teachers and

students across the country a unique opportunity

to experience the scientific process, as well as

contribute directly to important current research.

The GAVRT science education partnership is

jointly managed by the Lewis Center for

Educational Research (http://www.avstc.org/) in

Apple Valley, California, and the DSN Science

Office at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in

Pasadena.

During the Cassini-Jupiter Microwave

Observing Campaign (JMOC), ground

measurements of Jupiter’s microwave emissions

were used to calibrate and support interpretation

of simultaneous measurements taken by Cassini’s

radar instrument receiver. GAVRT students and

teachers had the task of delivering to the Cassini

program a prescribed set of radio astronomy

measurements that would enable Cassini to

perform previously unplanned observations,

enhancing science return at Jupiter. The project

gave the students a chance to become part of an

interdependent science team.

An ongoing curriculum of the GAVRT

partnership is called Jupiter Quest, a hypothetical

mission to Jupiter or one of its moons. Students

measure the radio emission from the Jovian

 Educational Programs Educational Programs Educational Programs

atmosphere and its radiation belts using the radio

telescope (controlled via the Internet through the

GAVRT Operations Control Center in Apple

Valley) and use the information in their mission

plan. To participate in the program, qualified

teachers receive a week of training at either the

Lewis Center or at Auburn University, Auburn,

Alabama. Forty Jupiter Quest teachers and 2300

students at 26 schools in 13 states participated in

the Cassini-JMOC.

The GAVRT program allows students and

teachers to reach beyond science education as the

mere learning of facts and concepts. It gives them

the real experience of solving unexpected

problems, of collecting data on heretofore

unknown or poorly understood phenomena, and

of interpreting that data. Many teachers

participating in Cassini-JMOC report their

students were greatly excited by the experience,

gaining confidence in themselves and comfort

with the scientific process.

The experiences of the GAVRT teachers and

students during the Cassini-JMOC have been

recorded in a film called “Space Patrol,” produced

by 30 Second Films. At many of the participating

schools around the country, the film crew has

attempted to capture the essence of each student’s

life and interests, and how this exciting scientific

experience has enriched their lives. The

documentary is planned for national airing this

fall.

Teacher, Joe Monaco (far right), with students at

Redlands East Valley High School (Redlands,

California) on line with the GAVRT Operations

Control Center in Apple Valley, California.
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From an open house at New York’s Natural

History Museum to a meeting of the Richland

Astronomical Society at a Denny’s restaurant in

Ohio, JPL Solar System Ambassadors (SSA) across

the nation rallied in February to celebrate the

successful end to the 5 year-long NEAR (Near

Earth Asteroid Rendezvous) mission.

The idea for a nationwide celebration came

from JHU/APL’s Kerri Beisser, who in late January

proposed giving presentation kits to 20 JPL Solar

System Ambassadors if they would conduct

NEAR events in their home communities in

February. Beisser did not realize at the time that

this humble offer would make almost as much

impact as the spacecraft itself landing on the

asteroid Eros.

The response was greater than anyone could

have imagined. Within a day, 74 eager

Ambassadors from 28 states requested kits. To

help NEAR fill these orders, the Solar System

Exploration Forum provided funds for additional

materials. The Forum not only sponsored the

additional kits for Ambassadors, it also produced

78 kits that were sent out to museums and

planetariums to support local activities. The offer

was made via the listserve of the International

Planetary Society and the Association of Science

& Technology Centers.

Armed with their kits and the archived website

materials from the earlier SSA NEAR training,

Ambassadors set up public events in communities

across the country. Ambassadors conducted a

total of 90 events during February and 72

additional events took place in March and April

reaching almost 70,000 individuals.

Along with media coverage, these events

focused on the NEAR mission and the intrepid

team that boldly eased an orbiting spacecraft onto

the surface of an asteroid for the first time and

increased public awareness of space exploration.

In fact, media coverage of an Ambassador event

at a high school planetarium in Indiana gained the

director (an Ambassador) $60,000 in renovation

funds from her local school district. She had

sought these funds for several years, but it wasn’t

until her NEAR open house was covered by the

Solar System Ambassadors Help the NEAR

Mission Go Out With a “Bash”

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab

NBC affiliate that the need was acknowledged and

funds were made available.

In addition to honoring the success of the

NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft, this experience has

shown that by utilizing existing networks and

providing inspiration and materials, the message

about the wonders of space exploration can reach

a larger audience than before. In its final days

NEAR-Shoemaker not only landed on Eros, it

opened a door to a new era in public outreach.

Learn more about the JPL Solar System

Ambassadors program at:

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/ambassador/

front.html

Learn more about the NEAR mission at

http://near.jhuapl.edu

Ambassador Randy Rubis of St. Clair Shores,

Michigan during his presentation to a group at the

Macomb County Community College.

Space Science: A Growing Field at CUNY

City University of New York

As part of the NASA OSS Minority Institution

Initiative (described in Voyages, issue 2), the New

York City Space Science Research Alliance (NYCSSRA) will receive $245,000 a year for three years

to foster collaborations in space science research

and develop a space science major (BS) in the

CUNY BA/BS program.

The Alliance is anchored by the City

University of New York (CUNY), the Hayden

Planetarium of the American Museum of Natural

History, the National Space Science Data Center

at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, the
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Minority University Space Interdisciplinary

Network of NASA, and the NASA Goddard

Institute for Space Studies. In addition to Medgar

Evers College, which is the lead institution, seven

other CUNY colleges are participating. They are

the College of Staten Island, the City College of

New York, Hunter College, York College,

LaGuardia Community College, Queensborough

Community College and Hostos Community

College, “This award is a big boost to the growing

interest in Space Science at CUNY” says Dr. Leon

Johnson, Professor of Physics at Medgar Evers

College, who is the NYC-SSRA Project Director.

“CUNY has a long standing relationship with

NASA and by bringing the Hayden Planetarium

into the Alliance we are expanding and enriching

the Space Science resources available to students

in CUNY. We are especially honored that the

Planetarium’s Director, Dr. Neil de Grasse Tyson

has been part of the NYC-SSRA team since its

inception.”

By creating a multi-campus research alliance,

NYC-SSRA will engage underrepresented

students and faculty from colleges and high

schools in NASA Space Science research and

education projects. NASA OSS support is enabling

the establishment and enhancement of the space

science research capabilities of faculty in

participating colleges; creating a pipeline of

research activities from high school to graduate

school; and integrating research and researchrelated activities into undergraduate programs.

The creation of the space science BS degree in the

CUNY Baccalaureate Program is a major

accomplishment and one that could not take place

without the cooperation between institutions

brought about by NYC-SSRA. This effort will help

Students in Observational Astronomy practice using

the 16-inch telescope at the Astrophysical

Observatory at the College of Staten Island.

increase the number of under-represented

students in the science, math, engineering and

technology pipeline who undertake study and

research in space science.

Professor Irving Robbins, Co-Investigator at

the College of Staten Island states, “This Alliance

has a potential impact on our science and

engineering students by offering a major in space

science which will open new and exciting

professional opportunities for these graduates.

Also an added value of this program is outreach

to the Education Departments in CUNY by

offering courses that bring space science into their

sphere of influence.”

Illinois MagNet Project

DePaul University

For many school teachers, doing space science

in their classes means having their students study

constellations or build models of the solar system

to hang from the ceiling. Through their

connections with NASA, teachers in the Chicago

area are beginning to expand the reach of space

science for their students. An example of this is

the formation of Illinois MagNet, a network of

teachers and students who will build

magnetometers and use them to collect data about

the Earth’s magnetic field.

The project began in June 2000 when a group

of 25 Illinois teachers visited Goddard Space Flight

Center in a program developed by the DePaul

Broker/Facilitators, the education staff at

Goddard, and the Sun-Earth Connection Forum,

and funded by the Illinois Board of Higher

Education. During their week-long visit, the

teachers heard many presentations by scientists,

including one by Dr. Sten Odenwald on building

and using magnetometers.

The story continued in the fall when several

teachers decided that they would like to share

student-collected data in a project that they could

control locally. They found the magnetometer to

be interesting on a number of levels. In addition

to dealing with the Sun and Earth and their

connections, there was considerable additional

space science that was related and could be used

and there were good uses of math, other sciences,

and social sciences. The building of the

magnetometer itself would allow them to address

state standards related to technological design.

Finally, they liked the theme of “making the
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Gravity and Black Holes

Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum

The Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum

in Chicago is continuing its tradition of education

and public outreach through the newly created

Adler Center for Space Science Education

(ACSSE). Established with support from the

NASA Office of Space Science, ACSSE serves as a

nexus between the research and education

communities in the Midwest. The goal is to bring

a broad program of astronomy and space science

education to the 500,000 annual Adler visitors, and

to reach beyond the traditional museum setting

to provide educational support for students,

teachers, and families.

The ACSSE educational programs developed

for the 2000-2001 academic year have explored the

theme of Gravity and Black Holes. The Adler

worked with 62 middle school classrooms from

across Illinois providing educational opportunities

to engage students, teachers and families in a

semester of investigation into gravity and its role

in the Universe. A series of graduate level teacher

education courses were sponsored to assist

teachers in developing the content foundation and

instructional skills necessary to implement an

integrated, inquiry-based curriculum in their

schools. Focused field experiences at the Adler

provided students with the ability to investigate

the thematic concepts through gallery programs,

exhibit interactions, and by actively participating

in the new StarRiderTM Theater presentation, Black

Holes: Into the Dark Abyss. In addition, 22 teachers

were paired with Project ASTRO volunteers to

provide classroom support and allow the students

to interact with members of the astronomy

community.

Teachers and students have found creative

ways to represent their learning. One example is

the composition of Symphony No. 2: Secrets of the

Universe by the Batavia Middle School 7th and 8th

Grade Orchestras. Under the direction of Rita

Feuerborn, the 7th and 8th grade orchestra members

created a musical interpretation of the concepts

of gravity and black holes. The students

performed the piece to a public audience at the

Adler Planetarium on March 21, 2001. Following

the performance, Mark Whitley, an eighth-grade

member of the orchestra, was very excited about

the project, saying: “I think music is a great way

invisible visible” and what it tells their students

about the nature of science.

At this point, Walter Payton College Prep, the

new Chicago public school with a math and

science emphasis, became involved. Jackie Barge

and Sam Dyson, teachers at Payton, got the okay

from their principal (and funds for a server) to

become the “Design Shop and Data Center” for

the project. An organizing team met several times,

swapping experiences and results, taking a hard

look at the issues and needs, and making subjectmatter connections. After that, the Illinois

MagNet was given an official kick-off by Dr.

Odenwald, the Chicago teachers, and the DePaul

Brokers at a meeting on February 3, 2001 at Payton.

Twenty-five teachers built magnetometers and

explored issues related to their classroom use.

Future meetings to recruit additional teachers into

the network and to develop a coordinated testing

phase took place over the next few months, with

the goal of carrying out science projects in earnest

during the 2001-2002 school year. In the minds of

the teachers, this project has several characteristics

that make it exemplary. First, it is teacher-created

and teacher-led. Second, the project content is

turning out to be much richer than first realized,

and offers learning opportunities to students in

all grades and is related to many different classes.

A final addition to this story—through Dr.

Odenwald, Sam Dyson has recently established

contact with the developer of a school

magnetometer network (PopMagNet) in the UK.

While both projects are still in their infancy, the

hope is to have students in the two countries

comparing results during the next year.

Carol Katzberger, one of DePaul’s Teacher

Consultants, prepares for the part of a MagNet

workshop where she’ll help others learn to build and

use “soda bottle magnetometers.”
10

for me to share my excitement about astronomy

with other people.”

Batavia Middle School 7th and 8th Grade

Orchestras performing their original composition

interpreting Black Holes.

Through ACSSE, students have also been

engaged in an on-line learning community that

enables them to communicate with students from

other schools throughout Illinois. Participating

teachers were provided with the training,

materials, and support necessary to effectively

integrate the use of technology in their

instructional programs. This community serves

as a forum for students to share ideas with their

peers and to present what they have learned to

the public. The final learning products are

presented in displays in the museum and on the

Adler Planetarium website.

 Visit the Adler site to find out morehttp://www.adlerplanetarium.org or access the

Gravity and Black Holes curriculum at http://

www.adlerplanetarium.org/education/ac/

gravity

Workshop for Scientists, Engineers, and

Education and Public Outreach (E/PO)

Professionals

Space Science Institute

The Space Science Institute (SSI) hosted 37

participants at its 7th annual K-12 Education

Workshop for Scientists, Engineers, and Education

and Public Outreach (E/PO) Professionals, May

14-17 in Boulder, Colorado. The workshop was

supported by NASA OSS.

The workshop offered participants the

knowledge necessary to both contribute

meaningfully to E/PO, and to design and

implement effective E/PO programs in connection

with scientific research programs. Conveners Dr.

Paul Dusenbery (SSI), Dr. Cherilynn Morrow (SSI),

and Dr. Ramon Lopez (University of Texas, El

Paso) led participants from 21 states and Puerto

Rico through an educational program that

included:

-hands-on work with inquiry/standardsbased curricular materials;

-interactive presentations and discussions,

including “A Day in the Life of a Middle School

Teacher”;

-a field trip to a local school to see science

education reform in action;

-breakout sessions on E/PO planning and

educational technology;

-an exploration of the diversity of roles for

scientists in E/PO;

-an extended opportunity for dialogue with

practicing classroom teachers; and

-a poster session that allowed participants to

exchange and showcase information about

educational projects involving the science

community.

SSI is working to continue this and other

advanced topic workshops and to facilitate an

active network of the more than 235 workshop

alumni.

For more information about SSI’s education

workshops, go to: http://www.spacescience.org,

and click on “Workshops”

Rhonda Hines of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory

interacts with children on the field trip to Crestview

Elementary School in Boulder, CO during the 2001

SSI Workshop.
11

Sun-Earth Day: Having A Solar Blast

Sun-Earth Connection Education Forum

Sun-Earth Day: Have a Solar Blast, an education

and public outreach event held on April 27 and

28, was a national celebration of the active Sun

and its effects on our planet. NASA’s Sun-Earth

Connection Education Forum (SECEF) developed

and supported Sun-Earth Day to share solar

science and Sun-Earth Connection (SEC)

discoveries in classrooms, museums, planetaria,

NASA centers, and at hundreds of National

Astronomy Day celebrations throughout the

country. Many events were linked with National

Astronomy Week or the 5th Anniversary of SOHO

(Solar and Heliospheric Observatory). SECEF also

partnered with the European Space Agency who

focused their efforts in 40 locations throughout

Europe.

Over 65 K-12 education events took place at

NASA centers. More than 3000 educators attended

workshops on Sun-Earth Connection science and

participated in numerous hands-on activities,

which they could in turn share with their students.

NASA mission scientists donated time and

expertise in these workshops and in the actual

classrooms. A Sun-Earth Day webcast hosted by

Paul Mortfield of Stanford University drew

approximately 10,000 students.

SECEF and SEC missions developed support

materials for Sun-Earth Day in a resource kit that

reached 9,000 educators. A colorful space weather

folder offered background information, activities,

a lithograph set, and CD-ROMs. SECEF also

developed a comprehensive support website.

Heavily visited in March and April, the website

allowed scientists and educators to register to

participate in events. Total website registrations

included 87 scientists who requested materials to

support their efforts, and 267 educators.

The Sun-Earth Day website is

http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/

SECEF_SunEarthDay

Students show

their UVsensitive

bracelets.

Solar Eclipse 2001- Live From Zambia

Sun-Earth Connection Education Forum

Reliable, constant,

unchanging. This is how

we typically think about

our Sun. But research

has shown that the Sun

is a variable magnetic

star whose activity

affects the Earth and

other planets in

fundamental ways. Total

solar eclipses, complete

with darkened sky, fiery

corona, reappearing

stars, and birds and

animals sleeping during the day, are fascinating

natural events that draw large public audiences

into discussions about the Sun-Earth Connection.

On June 21, the first total solar eclipse of the

new millennium occurred providing an

opportunity to highlight themes of solar

maximum, habitability of space, and Living With

a Star. The eclipse totality was streamed to the

rest of the world via satellite and Internet. Eclipse

2001- the View from Zambia, a live webcast event,

was made possible through a partnership between

the San Francisco Exploratorium and NASA’s SunEarth Connection Education Forum (SECEF). The

webcast included a conversation about solar

radiation in space with astronauts Jim Voss and

Susan Helms, speaking from the International

Space Station.

Museums and planetaria took advantage of

the broadcast to host public events for thousands

of participants. There were 50 institutions from

the United States, 23 others from around the globe

and 69 Girl Scout Troops involved.

The National Society of Black Physicists

(NSBP) was an official participant in the event. As

explained by Dr. Charles McGruder, president of

the NSBP, “Our members provided information

on the eclipse event and generated excitement,

wonder, and appreciation for science in underrepresented minorities.”

If you missed this event, the archived eclipse

webcast can be viewed at:

http://www.exploratorium.edu/eclipse
12

On the Horizon On the Horizon On the Horizon

Sun-Earth Day March 21, 2002

This past April’s Sun-Earth Day was such a

success that we are ready to announce the 2nd

annual Sun-Earth Day, complete with new

opportunities to share the science of the Sun with

educators, students and the general public. There

are many ways you can participate: organize an

event with a local club, institution, or museum;

present or talk at your local school or university;

set up solar observing telescopes or pinhole

cameras and share the view—or just read, explore,

and learn about Sun-Earth connections through

the web. We are planning another webcast and

more web chats. Announcements, updates,

participation opportunities, and ideas can be

found on the website, and the 2002 theme will be

announced soon. Keep watching:

http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/

SECEF_SunEarthDay

If you’d like to receive an electronic copy of

future newsletters, contribute an article or have

questions about getting involved with the NASA

OSS Education and Public Outreach Program,

contact Larry Cooper, Editor.

larrycooper@oai.org

IDEAS 2001 – Call for Proposals

The Initiative to Develop Education through

Astronomy and Space Science (IDEAS) is a grant

program which funds innovative start-up

educational outreach projects that team educators

with scientists. Developed in 1991 by NASA OSS,

the IDEAS program provides opportunities for

scientists to share their knowledge and excitement

about astronomy and space sciences with students,

educators, and the general public. Proposals for

the next funding cycle will be accepted until

Friday, October 26, 2001 at 5:00 P.M. EDT.

In 2000 there were 15 programs accepted for

funding from 11 states. The ratio of accepted

proposals was approximately 45%. For more

information about IDEAS, please visit the Web site

at http://ideas.stsci.edu.

PBS Series to Feature Mars

PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE invites

teachers and students to return to the Red Planet

with the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission!

October 30 - Live From Mars 2001 originates

live from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in

Pasadena, California. Just days after the Odyssey

reaches Mars orbit (October 24), mission scientists

and engineers will take students behind the scenes

for a live update on the spacecraft as it begins to

lower itself down towards Mars to begin its

science mission. Amazing images from the

ongoing Mars Global Surveyor mission show new

evidence for the existence of water on the planet,

raising the continuing and tantalizing possibility

of past life.

Web-based e-mail will allow students to send

questions to the NASA researchers, and receive

back answers in real time. Pre-taped segments

will show how to follow this and other NASA

missions throughout the school year will give

students the opportunity to actually target some

of Odyssey’s science instruments and analyze data

and results, working alongside Mars scientists!

March 19, 2002 - Live From Mars 2002 will

update viewers on new results “just in” from Mars

Odyssey. Students will see how Odyssey’s

instruments use parts of the electromagnetic

spectrum beyond visible light to discover

otherwise hidden aspects of Mars’ mysterious

surface. At Arizona State’s new Imaging Facility,

built specially to accommodate student guest

observers, viewers will see how 5th to 12th graders

can become directly involved in Mars science. Live

From Mars 2002 will explain how “virtual

observations” are open to any teams of students,

anywhere, via the Internet.

Both programs will relate exciting, cuttingedge space research to fundamental science

concepts being studied in every course of

instruction: light and optics, force and motion,

weather on Earth and the planets of our solar

system, water and life, and many more topics

central to the curriculum. Interdisciplinary

opportunities including math, language arts, social

studies and more will also be offered. Online

resources will relate the content of the programs

directly to national and state science standards.

Hands-on activities created by NASA, JPL, ASU

and others are already available online in PDF and

html formats, via the Mars Exploration Program

and Mars Odyssey websites: http://

mars.jpl.nasa.gov/classroom/teachers.html