|
How Science REALLY Gets Done |
This Web Seminar was developed in collaboration with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory
(JPL) and Arizona State University’s (ASU) Mars Education Program. The event took
place on January 10, 2008, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Eastern Time. The presenter
was
Dr. Phil Christensen,
Principal Investigator for the 2001 Mars Odyssey Thermal Emission Imaging System
(THEMIS) instrument, and the Thermal Emission System (TES) instrument on Mars Global
Surveyor. Dr. Christensen talked about how scientists approach complex problems,
and how the scientific method is used within this context.
Dr. Christensen used his own experiences to convey to the audience the difficulty
of solving science problems. He also shared instances where in an attempt to solve
a problem, he discovered completely new geologic processes that had not been previously
identified, such as geysers of carbon dioxide gas erupting from holes in Mars’ north
polar cap. He also discussed how he was able to design instruments that are being
used today to understand surface properties of Mars. This live web seminar was previously
presented on October 16, 2007.
Twenty-six (26) participants were present at the live Web Seminar in addition to
the presenter, the moderator, and the NSTA staff. Participating educators represented
the states of California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan,
New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, and Wisconsin.
One participant attended the program from Australia. All participants received a
1-year subscription to one of NSTA’s SciGuides for attending and completing the
evaluation at the end of the program.
Here are some comments provided by the participants at the end of the Web Seminar:
- "This whole concept of 'scientific method' and how scientists REALLY do
science was very insightful. I may be able to use this knowledge as I
work with teachers around the state.”
- “EVERY science teacher struggles with getting kids away from stereotypic
and not terribly accurate images of science. Kids MUST learn what science
is and what it is not.”
- “EXCELLENT! Definitely one of the best web seminars I have attended.”
- “I really enjoyed the photos in the seminar. I would like to share the photos
with my students and go through the questioning like we did in the seminar.”
Thanks to the participants and the presenter for the learning opportunity, the interactions,
and a job well done!
Websites
For more information contact webseminars@nsta.org
Back to Top
|
|
Underwritten by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory
|