The Swift Education and Public Outreach Program Philip Plait Sonoma State University July 21, 2003

Program Overview Swift E/PO Web site Printed materials –Teacher’s activity booklets, posters, model Educator training –Conferences, workshops –Materials distributed –Educator Ambassadors Informal Education –What’s in the News? (PSU) –Swift High School Program Evaluation Future Plans –Prelaunch  launch –Postlaunch –T-shirts –Program Evaluation

The SSU NASA E/PO GROUP Tim Graves Phil Plait Sarah Silva Aurore Simonnet Lynn Cominsky

Major E/PO Projects

Swift E/PO Website E/PO Program News updates About Swift EA news Materials New addition: Cards from students at Arthur Slade school after PI Neil Gehrels’ visit

Completed: GEMS Guide

Completed: Newton’s Laws

In Progress: Gamma-Ray Burst Educator’s Guide Aligned with mathematics/science standards First and second activities already classroom tested

GRB Guide (2) Activities 3 & 4 being developed GRB distribution on sky: students will compare real BATSE distribution with simulated distributions Beaming of energy We encourage suggestions

In Progress: Swift Paper Model Designed by Monica Sperandio English version adapted by Aurore Simonnet et al. Booklet with parts printed directly on paper Designed for informal education, but conforms to standards Available ~September OSS Voyages article submitted

The Swift/GLAST Booth

Reaching teachers (Past) Swift/GLAST booth at: –AAS (Seattle) (1/03) –AAPT (Austin) (1/03) –HEAD (Quebec) (3/03) –NCN/AAPT (SSU) (4/03) –AAS (Nashville) (5/03) GEMS presented at AAPT by Tim Graves and Sarah Silva PSU teacher workshops: –7/21-25 “Galaxies and Cosmology” –7/28 – 8/01 “Space-based Astronomy” w/tour of Swift operations

Reaching teachers (Future) 2003 October: CSTA, Long Beach, CA GEMS guide, GRB activity #1, booth December: NSTA Regional (West), Reno, NV GRB activities 2004 March: ITEA, Albuquerque NM, GTN April: NSTA, Atlanta, GA GRB activities, GEMS July: AAPT, Sacramento, CA GRB activities (?), booth

Materials Distributed (since 11/02) –575 Newton's Laws Posters –580 Slinkies –166 Waves Light Up the Universe booklets+ “Spin A Spectrum” –166 kits with “Spin A Spectrum” –164 “Powers of 10” booklets –317 “Powers of 10” card decks –304 GEMS Guides –1000 Swift mousepads (1000 more ordered!)

Educator Ambassadors (1) Rob Sparks February 6, 2003 Milwaukee Area Physics Sharing (MAPS), Milwaukee, WI March 9, 2003 "Seeing the universe in a Different Light" Wisconsin Society of Science Teachers (WSST) 2003 convention. April 5, 2003 "Bringing Modern Astronomy Into the Classroom" AAPT-Spring Meeting, Florida May 3, 2003 "Swift and SEU Missions in Education" North Central Region of the Astronomical League Annual Convention, WI September 12, 2003 "Swift : Catching Gamma Ray Bursts on the Fly" Skokie Valley Astronomy Club, WI

Educator Ambassadors (2) Rae McEntyre April 5, 2003 "NASA's Swift Mission and Gamma Ray Astronomy" National Congress on Aviation and Space Education, Cincinnati, OH April 29, 2003 "Space Mysteries Demonstration" Northern Kentucky University, Highland Heights, KY Estimated ~ 50 Earth/Space science teachers June 11-13, Astrophysics Workshop Morehead State University, Morehead, KY July 27, 2003 Space and Astronomy Workshop Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, Kentucky November 12, 2003 “Using the EM Spectrum to Teach About Space" NSTA Regional Convention, Kansas City, MO

Educator Ambassadors (3) Dave Beiers April 15, 2003 “Invisible Universe" Rockhurst University, Kansas City, MO May 23, 2003 "Invisible Universe" Rockhurst University, Kansas City, MO October 19, 2003 NASA Science & the Electromagnetic Spectrum MOREnet, Missouri Educational Technology Conference November 13, 2003 Imagine That! Discrepant Events & Mental Floss NSTA Regional Convention, Kansas City, MO December 3, 2003 "The Invisible Universe" Rockhurst University, Kansas City, MO February 23, 2004 GEMS Brings the Electromagnetic Spectrum to Life Missouri INTERFACE Science-Math Annual Conference

Educator Ambassadors (4) More to come! New round of EA applications has started, with ~40 already submitted 10 more EAs will be chosen; 5 GLAST and the other five to be distributed among other missions

“Swift” High School Welcome to the home of S WIFT at Keystone Oaks High School. Contains Swift news, updates (old ones), etc. However, we have no official interaction with them

WITN For FY03, 3 short pieces focus on GRBs, including a “News Summary” about Swift and GRB minute piece on how stars live and die, tying in SNe with GRBs via black hole Topics for FY 04 TBD

Program Evaluation WestEd –Will assist in formative evaluation of classroom materials, especially Newton’s Laws and GRB activities –Assessed GEMS workshop at AAPT national meeting –Will evaluate planning for Swift launch outreach

Status of Near-Future Plans Field testing of classroom materials continues Increased scientific review and error correction of existing materials Increased involvement of Swift team scientists Improved coordination with GLAST E/PO and EA programs, including participation in the GTN (C J Rodkey gave presentation at AAVSO, paid by Swift/GSFC) More help still needed!

In Progress: Swift and the GLAST Telescope Network GTN: A network of robotic telescopes to monitor AGN Can be interrupted for timely observations, so…. Why not do GRBs? GRBs have been added to target list – timing issues under study Leuschner IR observatory for GRBs in progress XMM-Newton may also participate to observe polars

Swift Launch Wanna go? Let us know NOW Launch set for January 14, 2004

Preliminary Launch Plans GRB Educator’s Guide available New Swift poster with GRB activity on back Public outreach program that focuses on launch (something with Keystone Oaks?) Swift model booklet available Swift launch filmed for PBS Nova show by Tom Lucas (in conjunction with GLAST) More workshops, presentations at meetings T-shirts! Of course, website updates

Swift T-Shirts Commemorate launch Made at cost T-shirts ($15 – 20) Polo shirts (~$30, can be embroidered) Your input welcome!

Post Launch Plans GRB Lottery Revamp old activities as per Knappenberger report Black hole introduction and FAQ Articles about Swift for magazines More? Got any ideas? HELLLLPPP!