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Dr. Lynn CominskyDirector

NASA

Education and Public OutreachAt Sonoma State University

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•Space Mysteries- NASA LEARNERS projectSpace Mysteries are 3 inquiry-driven interactive Web explorations, which take advantage of the

student's natural curiosity to build critical thinking and analytical skills.

http://mystery.sonoma.edu/

NASA E/PO Programs at SSU

•GLAST-Gamma-ray Large Area Space TelescopeThe Gamma-Ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST) is an international and multi-agency mission planned for launch in 2006. It will study the cosmos looking at objects

that emit high energy wavelengths of light.

http://glast.sonoma.edu/

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•Universe!- NASA Structure and Evolution of the Universe Education Forum support site

http://universe.sonoma.edu/

NASA E/PO Programs at SSU

•XMM-Newton Education and Public Outreach • XMM-Newton is a joint NASA-European Space Agency (ESA) orbiting observatory, designed to take observe high energy X-rays from exotic astronomical objects such as pulsars, black holes and active galaxies. Launched on December 10, 1999, it continues to make observations today.

http://xmm.sonoma.edu/

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Alien Bandstand

– A recording executive looking for his next big hit has turned to the heavens. He has found a peculiar signal in some radio telescope data and he is convinced that it is music from an alien civilization. He is offering it for sale.

– Your mission: Determine if this signal really is an alien tune!

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Alien Bandstand - concepts

Wavelength – distance between two crests or troughs in a wave in space

Period – time it takes for 1 wave to pass by

Period is also thedistance between two crests or troughs in time

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Live! From 2-Alpha

Live! From 2-Alpha

– A space-faring reporter is stranded on the planet 2-Alpha. He starts noticing strange events in the sky and on the planet.

– Your mission: Determine what is happening and what course of action he must take to survive.

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Live! From 2-alpha concepts

F = G m1 m2

Escape velocity

r2Force due to gravity

v = 2 G mr

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Live! From 2-Alpha

Star Market

– Companies are buying stars of various types for unexpectedly high prices

– Your mission: Determine what type of stars they are buying and why.

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Star Market - Concepts

Mapping in different coordinate systems

Analyzing data to find patterns

Stellar types and spectra

Multi-wavelength data

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We will utilize the observations and scientific discoveries of the GLAST mission to improve the understanding and utilization of science and mathematics concepts for grades 9-12.

GLAST E/PO Program Goal

Central image from Active Galaxies poster

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Web site http://glast.sonoma.edu

–Included on Exploring Extreme Universe vol. 1 &2

Space Mysteries

–Two more will be developed with GLAST funding in 2004-2005

GLAST Web Based Materials

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GLAST Educator Training

California Science Teacher’s Association – Combined Swift and GLAST booth (10/01, 10/02, 10/03)

– 750 GLAST EPO flyers distributed in SEU folders (10/01)

– 1000 GLAST AGN posters distributed in SEU kits (10/02)

– AGN workshop by Plait and Silva (10/03)

National Science Teacher’s Association

– 2500 GLAST EPO flyers distributed in SEU folders (3/01)

– 1500 AGN posters distributed in SEU kits (4/02)

– 700 AGN posters in SEU kits at regional NSTA (7/02, 11/02)

– TOPS workshop by Plait & EA Taylor (4/03)

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GLAST Educator Training

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

–1000 GLAST flyers distributed in SEU folders (4/01)

–1000 GLAST AGN posters distributed in SEU kits (4/02)

–TOPS workshop by Cominsky and EA Ford (4/03)

Other venues : –American Association of Physics Teachers

•Poster at joint AAS/AAPT meeting (1/01)

•100 GLAST AGN posters in SEU kits (4/03)

• AGN and TOPS workshop (4/03)

–STANYS – 500 AGN posters in SEU kits (11/02)

– 1200 AGN posters in SEU kits distributed by Educator Ambassadors

– 900 AGN posters in SEU kits to OSS Broker/Facilitators

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GLAST Educator Training

MSFC-sponsored Workshop

– Hawaii July 2002 AAVSO Conference, =artially funded by GLAST EPO

– Spear presented “Gamma rays and Blazars: more work for variable star observers”

– AAVSO is now partner in GLAST Telescope Network

– AAVSO members are encouraged to observe selected blazar fields, and to record their results in on-line database.

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GLAST Ambassadors Program

Educator Ambassadors help us develop, test and disseminate GLAST E/PO materials.

Chosen from national competition

– Five GLAST (+2 Swift + 3 SEU) Educator Ambassadors trained at SSU during July 2002.

– Five more GLAST EAs will be selected in 2004 + up to five funded by other missions (GALEX, LISA)

– Next training in Summer 2004 for all EAs

http://glast.sonoma.edu/ambassadors

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GLAST Educator Training

Texas A&M University (Kingsville)– Hispanic Speaking Institution

– Will hold a teacher training workshop in 2005

UC Santa Cruz

– GLAST Balloon flight with HS teachers

– Tesla coil show at many venues

– Summer program with HS teachers

                          

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GLAST (and Swift) Exhibit Booth

• HEAD 11/00, 4/02

• AAS 1/01, 6/01, 1/02, 6/02, 1/03, 6/03

• Gamma 2001 4/01

• CSTA 10/01, 10/02 (with Swift)

• NSTA SE 12/01 (with Swift)

• AAPT 1/03 (with Swift)

• AAPT-NCN 4/03 (with Swift)

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GLAST Printed MaterialsTOPS Learning Systems

–3 year subcontract: goal is three modules of lesson activities

– First module of lesson activities now in print!

– FAR OUT MATH - uses simple slide rules to understand powers and logarithms

– Next module: LEAPING LOGARITHMS!

–TOPS workshops given at NSTA

and NCTM in spring 2003

http://www.topscience.org/

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Active Galaxy Educator’s Guide

Now in print!– Extensively field tested

– 3 activities that use instructional design template developed with EAs

• Building Perspectives on Active Galaxies

• Zooming in on Active Galaxies

• Light Travel Time and the Size of Active Galaxies

– Active Galaxy poster printed

•10,000 distributed in SEU kits

• 5,000 more now printed with activity on back

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GLAST Printed Materials

Cosmic Journeys trading card game features GLAST as one of five missions to build

– 5000 decks printed

GLAST CDs – have entire E/PO website including video

GLAST cube

–Available in Fall 2003

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New GLAST Poster 500 printed by Spectrum Astro

Designed by Aurore Simonnet

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SLAC Virtual Visitor’s Center

Interactive Gamma-ray exhibit will be added to

http://www2.slac.stanford.edu/vvc/in 2004 (R4, R6)

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Produced by Thomas Lucas

Program outline

– Focus on GRBs and Black Holes

– 1 – 2 hour program on PBS NOVA

– 10:1 cost-sharing by NSF, PBS & others vs. GLAST

–NSF proposal submitted for cost sharing, planetarium shows with Denver Museum and educator’s guide

– Will include Swift launch footage

PBS Television Special

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GLAST Telescope Network

Program objects are AGN, Polars, and GRBs

GTN website: http://glast.sonoma.edu/gtn

– Is now self-starting

– Has finding charts for each target object

– Background information about robotic telescopes and active galaxies

SSU is designing archive for images

AAVSO will archive magnitudes from CCD observations

See GTN white paper for more information

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GLAST Public Relations

Articles for HEAD newsletters

Press release coordination

“Giveaways” at science meetings

– Silly putty egg balls

– AGN flashlights

– Magic cubes – in progress

– Cosmic Journeys trading cards and GLAST mission cards

GLAST video

New GLAST public brochure in progress

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XMM-Newton E/PO Program

Upgrading and transferring web site from UCSB to SSU, Code 508 compliance, Image Gallery

Classroom poster and activities about X-ray Spectroscopy in conjunction with GLAST

CLEA Laboratory on X-ray Spectroscopy

Development of a Starlab planetarium program about the X-ray sky

                                                 

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Universe! E/PO support

Cosmic Journeys folders/flyers (2001)

– 10,000 distributed

Seeing and Exploring the Universe kits (2002)

– 10,000 distributed

– Included SEU resource guide, selected by NASA Ed Review for “gold star”

Proposal for support of Beyond Einstein initiative for 2004 and beyond