Information for Educators

1. Imagine the Universe! CD-ROM (12th Edition) - The 12th edition of our CD-ROM is now available. As with previous editions, it contains a capture of the Imagine the Universe! and StarChild sites (from Jan 1, 2008). It also includes Astronomy Picture of the Day for all of 2007, with a revised index and selected pages from previous years APODs. We've also included selections from Blueshift, the podcast from GSFC's Astrophysics Science Division. You can hear an interview with Nobel laureate Dr. John Mather. This is a 2-disc set.
   To order your copy, go to our order form.

2. Space Forensics: Death of a Star - We've developed a new workshop on how scientists collect and analyze the evidence from a cosmic crime scene and solve the mysteries of a supernova. This presentation includes background, activities, and a narrative exploration of scientific problem solving. This presentation is available in our Teachers' Corner.

3. Updated version of "What is Your Cosmic Connection to the Elements?" Poster and Information Booklet - We have updated our poster and information/activity booklet on the cosmic origins of the chemical elements. We've included new information on the role of small stars in the production of heavy elements. Astronomy topics still include the big bang, life cycles of stars, supernovae, cosmic rays, and the chemical compoisition of the universe. Physics topics include fusion and physical principles important in stellar evolution. Chemistry teachers will find information connecting the elements with their cosmic origins. The booklet is complete with 8 classroom activities which use a variety of techniques to re-inforce the material.
   Check out the Cosmic Elements page for online versions of the poster and booklet, the power point presentation of our workshop, and a link to our order form.

4. Updated version of "The Hidden Lives of Galaxies" Booklet - We have updated our information/activity booklet on galaxies and dark matter. We have updated some of the text, especially the discussion of the possible candidates for dark matter, revised some of the classroom activities, added some classroom activities, and provided student worksheets for the activities. The new version is available on-line on our Hidden Lives of Galaxies page, and in hardcopy via our order form.

5. New Lesson Plan: How Far ... How Powerful - We're proud to introduce a new lesson plan on gamma ray bursts, in which students use data from the Keck-II telescope. Students are led through a series of experiments in which they learn about the 1/r² fall-off of light, Hubble's Law, the Doppler shift, and spectral lines. Students determine the distance to the optical counterpart of a gamma ray burst, and compute the total power of the burst. They then compare this power with energetic events closer to home.

   Check out How Far ... How Powerful in our collection of lesson plans.

Where You Can See Us in the Near Future

• Teaching and Learning Celebration, March 7-8, 2008 at the Hilton New York in Manhatten. We'll be in the exhibit hall distributing the new 12th Edition of the Imagine CD, along with our other education materials. We'll also be giving a Cosmic Times workshop and a talk on NASA's Beyond Einstein program.

• National Science Teachers Association National Convention, March 27 - 30, 2008, Boston, MA. On Sunday March 30 at 9:30 in Room 252A of the Convention Center we'll be presenting our new workshop, "Space Forensics: Death of a Star". Immediately afterwards, at 11 AM in room 54 we'll be doing "Exploring the Skies with NASA's X-ray Eyes".