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Stars, Planets, Life, and the Universe
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The
NASA/NSTA Symposium: Stars, Planets, Life, and the Universe took place at the Clarion
Hotel Anaheim Resort in Anaheim, CA, on Thursday, April 6, 2006. Seventy-six educators
were in attendance, including over fifty NASA Explorer School teachers. Five speakers
gave presentations to the group: Dr. Matt Bobrowsky, Space Telescope Science Institute,
Edna DeVore, SETI Institute, Pamela Harman, SETI Institute, Dr. Dana Backman, USRA
and SETI Institute, and Dr. Natalie Batalha, NASA Ames Research Center. The presentations
focused on scientific models, the electromagnetic spectrum, and the search for habitable
planets around other stars. NSTA would like to thank all the participants and presenters
for a job well done.
After an introductory administrative session during which Flavio Mendez, Symposia
and Web Seminars Program Manager at NSTA, familiarized participants with the contents
of their folders (including the agenda, college credit forms, talent release form,
and pre-assessment), Pamela Harman started with a KWL exercise to assess the participants'
knowledge level and their expectations. Edna DeVore followed Ms. Harman with a demonstration
about scientific models. Two volunteer participants attempted to guess the distance
between the Earth and the Moon using a model where the Earth was about the size
of a basketball and the Moon the size of a softball. The result was surprising to
many, as the Moon and the Earth, at this scale, would have to be located over 20
feet apart! This demonstration gave way to an activity where participants created
models of the solar system, the galaxy, and the universe using simple materials.
Dr. Matt Bobrowsky followed Ms. DeVore's activity with a presentation about the
scientific models. Dr. Bobrowsky talked about physical, mathematical, and conceptual
models. All models can be used to solve different problems. Models also help the
user make predictions or explain phenomena. For example, computer simulations, used
frequently in astronomy, are mathematical models that can be used to imagine what
an object in space like a nebula, looks like from different angles.
After a delicious lunch, Flavio Mendez, who is also a NASA Solar System Educator,
demonstrated the Solar System Trading Cards game. This card game can be used as
an alternative assessment activity to evaluate students' knowledge at the end of
a unit. All participants received a Solar System Trading Cards set. Ms. DeVore followed
with an engagement activity about the electromagnetic spectrum. She used gas tubes,
hydrogen and helium, and a power supply, along with diffraction gratings to show
the participants the fingerprints of light. Edna also demonstrated the use of different
color filters. In addition she used a solar cell, a speaker and cables, and different
light sources to explore light beyond the visible spectrum. Participants played
with the same materials at their tables and listened to the sound that infrared
TV remote controls make.
Dr. Dana Backman continued the theme of the electromagnetic spectrum and shared
with the participants how astronomers use it as a tool to learn more about stars,
planets, and the universe. Dr. Backman talked about the great space observatories,
like the Gamma Ray Observatory, the Space Infrared Telescope Facility (Spitzer),
the Chandra X-Ray Observatory, and the Hubble Space Telescope. All these telescopes
high above Earth's atmosphere are used to study the universe in different wavelengths.
He explained that looking at astronomical objects in these different "colors" give
astronomers the complete picture.
Ms. Pamela Harman continued the symposium with an engagement and exploration activity
about the search for habitable planets around other stars. Participants played a
card game looking at potential places for life in the solar system. The activity
made participants think about the definition of life and the conditions required
to support life.
After the afternoon break, Dr. Natalie Batalha gave the audience an update on what
NASA is doing regarding the search for habitable planets. She started her presentation
talking about extremophiles, bacteria and microbes that do not require oxygen, can
tolerate very high or very low temperatures, and can survive extreme levels of radiation.
Then she talked about the ingredients of life - all life is carbon based - and the
fact that organisms need liquid water. Dr. Batalha explained that a planet that
can support life must reside in the habitable zone, the distance away from the parent
star where the temperature permits liquid water to exist on the surface. Using the
KEPLER spacecraft, located above the Earth's atmosphere, scientists expect to find
Earth-like planets orbiting other stars. The KEPLER mission is expected to begin
in 2008.
The symposium concluded with Ms. Harman re-visiting the KWL that started it
all. Participants had the opportunity to assess their progress and identify new
concepts learned and outstanding questions. All participants received educational
materials from NASA and a certificate from NSTA stating the number of hours of participation.
Want to see more photos taken during the program? Check out the photo gallery below
and feel free to browse the program's agenda.
For more information contact symposia@nsta.org
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