Astrophysics Missions, Grants, and Forum Nuggets for May 2014 Astrophysics Missions, Grants, and Forum Nuggets for October 2014

Here. There. Everywhere. / Summary of New York 4-H HTE Program New York State Fair (1066 family/children attendees) Oneida County 4-H Science Day (21 youth, 7 teen leaders) Ithaca Sciencecenter Saturday Showtime (2 teen leaders, 30 youth, 25 adults) 5th grade field trip to Cornell Dept of Astronomy (80 students) Ithaca Homeschool group 4-week HTE program (10 students) Ulster County Fair (<24 attendees) 3 4-H Regional Workshops (34 adults, 12 teen leaders) Homeschool science educator: “I used materials and basic curriculum from NASA's Here There Everywhere program. I adapted the basic materials and subject matter for the classroom environment. The concept behind the project is very accessible for a variety of age groups. The idea that scientific knowledge is derived from what can be experienced and abstracted to create our understanding of the universe was very clear to the kids. “ 4-H Workshop organizer: "One of the most striking things we discovered at every one of the workshops is how good the posters are at generating lots of inquiry questions and observations about how science concepts operate around us. One thing that came up repeatedly was the interest in more activities to extend the project beyond the moving-audience setting it was originally designed for....we discovered a great complement between HTE and Afterschool Universe. “ Sample evaluation data: How do you rate the workshop? 95% rated the workshop as Good (34%) or Excellent (61%) How do you rate HTE? 100% rated the activities and posters as Good (27%) or Excellent (73%) Sustainability of project: Continue to be used by 7 NY counties that have trained leaders, and by Cornell Dept. of Astronomy for outreach.

Here. There. Everywhere. / Here, There, and Everywhere (HTE) at Wayne State University, Detroit MI HTE was exhibited in the atrium of the David Adamany Undergrad. library, Sept 5-26, With high volume of fall-semester traffic, it was viewed by ~55,000 patrons. Feedback was positive, with many high marks for interest & learning dimensions. Connecting materials from the Physics and Astronomy collection were also placed on display at the Purdy-Kresge library. Special events: September 17, Dr. Cackett lectured on “Neutron Stars: Humanity in a Sugar Cube” with 20 WSU faculty & students. Attendance was required PHY 1001 (Perspectives in Physics, Biomedical Physics & Astronomy), who accompanied their instructor Dr. Karchin on an HTE tour. September 20, College of Ed Prof. Miller-Zelinko conducted her class in SCE 5020 (Physical Sciences for Elementary & Middle School Teachers) using HTE exhibit/activities. 23 students discussed HTE & worked with/critiqued the activities, reporting their observations to the class. September , librarians volunteered, received training and demonstrated hands-on HTE activities in “pop- up” sessions in the UGL atrium; 8 hours of sessions were delivered, engaging 40 patrons.

Kepler Mini-planetarium Shows Debut / The Kepler mini-planetarium shows debuted as part of the Fall public programming at LHS. There were 2 new shows: 1. “Searching for Exoplanets” – Is an introduction to the Kepler Mission and the transit method of exoplanet detection; 2. “What’s In Your Zodiac Sign”— Uses several zodiac constellations as a lead-in to the K2 Mission.

Kepler Presentations 8 Sept: Alan Gould gave Kepler Education presentation—via Google Hangout—to a Global Hands-On Universe conference that was in Cascais, Portugal, Sept 8–12. There were about 50 people in attendance. 13–14 Sept: Gary Nakagiri staffed an exhibit table and presented 2 workshops on the Human Orrery & Transit Tracks at the Hawaii Science Teachers Assn. annual Fall Conference In Honolulu. Approximately 100 in attendance.

Webinar for Pennsylvania’s MSP Educators On September 18, STScI education staff presented a follow-up webinar for Pennsylvania educators. The webinar, entitled “From Hubble to Webb: More Than Meets the Eye,” reviewed some of the key ideas presented during summer workshops at Goddard along with new content about the future James Webb Space Telescope. This webinar was provided as part of a three-year partnership between STScI’s education team, the Goddard Space Flight Center, and seven Pennsylvania universities that are part of the Pennsylvania Three Region Math and Science Partnership (MSP) program. The goal of the MSP program is to increase the academic achievement of 30,000 students in mathematics and science by enhancing the content knowledge and teaching skills of classroom teachers. This presentation was provided in order to create a more comprehensive learning experience for workshop participants while taking advantage of new technologies and platforms for distance learning. Webinars such as this one are an effective way for classroom educators to receive content updates on topics relevant to their curriculum.

Discover Space Exhibit A collaboration between STScI and the Space Science Institute (SSI) of Boulder, Colo. resulted in the creation of a new traveling exhibit, called “Discover Space.” On September 8, this exhibit opened in its second venue, the Towson branch of the Baltimore County Public Library. The exhibit is a combination of STScI’s “Visions of the Universe: Four Centuries of Discovery” exhibit as well as the “Planet Families” and “Space Rocks: Asteroids and Comets” exhibits from SSI. “Discover Space” was developed to foster awareness of astronomy’s impact on society and culture and to stimulate young people’s interest in astronomy and science. The exhibit will be on public display at the Towson Library through the end of October 2014.

Visions of the Universe Displayed at MAPS Conference On September 10 – 13, the Middle Atlantic Planetarium Society (MAPS) held their annual conference at the Maryland Science Center in Baltimore, Md. STScI’s “Visions of the Universe: Four Centuries of Discovery” exhibit was displayed during the conference, by request from the conference organizers. Over 80 science educators from 18 different states attended the four-day conference, representing museums, science centers, planetariums, nature centers, universities, community colleges, and K- 12 school districts across the U.S. The “Visions of the Universe: Four Centuries of Discovery” exhibit was produced by STScI in partnership with the American Library Association and the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. The exhibit consists of six two-sided panels that include images and captions that highlight relevant, historical discoveries in astronomy.

SEMAA STEM Extravaganza On September 13, STScI participated in the Science, Engineering, Mathematics and Aerospace Academy (SEMAA) STEM Extravaganza in partnership with the Maryland Space Grant Consortium. STScI and Space Grant staff hosted a booth where families could participate in hands- on activities and demonstrations, learn about Hubble discoveries, and learn about various careers in space science. The booth also featured an infrared camera demonstration that was used to explain the operation of the future James Webb Space Telescope and how it compares to Hubble. The SEMAA STEM Extravaganza was held at Morgan State University in Baltimore, Md., and was attended by nearly 550 students and family members. SEMAA is a national program designed to increase participation and retention of historically underrepresented K-12 youth in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The objective of this event is to integrate a family involvement component into the SEMAA program that provides parents and caregivers with the information and support to encourage youth to pursue STEM careers.

Google+ Hangout for the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum In preparation for the exhibition scheduled to open on October 23, STScI’s Office of Public Outreach presented a Google+ Hangout for education staff at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in New York. Members of the Intrepid education staff learned about the Hubble Space Telescope, misconceptions in science teaching, and inquiry-based learning. They also were introduced to sample Hubble education materials that can be used to support exhibit programming. STScI’s Dr. Frank Summers concluded the Google+ Hangout with a presentation about Hubble’s top scientific achievements. This distance learning opportunity was provided as part of an ongoing partnership between STScI and the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum. commemorates the anniversary of the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope on board the space shuttle Discovery in The exhibition will be the centerpiece of a museum-wide initiative that includes a series of public and educational programs centered on the Hubble story and addresses the history and science of space exploration.