The Space Science Institute (SSI) seeks to develop the "Stardust Project," designed to introduce the public to concepts related to the birth of stars, the search for planets beyond our solar system and the search for life beyond earth. The project's three components include a 2,500 square-foot travelling exhibition called "Stardust: Our Search for Origins;" a comprehensive education program for museum staff and grades 4-9 school teachers and a public Web site that incorporates and builds on the exhibit and education content. The project proposes to assemble standards-based educational materials for dissemination through workshops conducted at museums that host the exhibit. The educational programs -- particularly professional development workshops for teachers -- target, among other groups, underserved Native American and Hispanic teachers associated with a partnership between SSI and the NSF Rural Systematic Initiatives in the American West. The project is built around strong partnerships with two NASA Origins Program missions and with established informal education institutions including the New York Hall of Science, the Lawrence Hall of Science, the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, TERC and the SETI Institute. Its goals are to make it possible for teachers, students and the public to learn about: The formation of stars, planets, and the solar system; The conditions necessary for life; The effect of life on Earth's environment; The methods used to detect planets orbiting distant stars and The scientific tools used in origin research -- from space-based telescopes to microscopes.
The Lawrence Hall of Science at the University of California at Berkeley will develop the "Real Astronomy Experience (RAE)" in which science center visitors will explore the universe by controlling and viewing robotic telescopes via the Internet; by using image processing software to understand the images they capture; and by capturing images with a hands-on, functional telescope equipped with a Charge-Coupled Device (CCD) camera to learn how a modern telescope image-capture system works. Guided by project materials, visitors learn about the cosmos, tools and methods of scientific research, data analysis and the general progress of modern astrophysics.
Oregon State University will expand its successful Master Science Educators program and create a national model for the delivery of natural science education to elementary and middle school youth. Master Science Educators are volunteers who undergo a rigorous 30-hour training and commit to 50 hours of service to a community site, such as a community center, housing project or school. Volunteers work in teams of two so that each site receives 100 hours of service devoted to the research and development of a natural science project. Volunteers and on-site and off-site scientists who act as virtual volunteers, guide youth ages K-8, in the design, development and evaluation of their project. Wildlife habitat projects provide a means for participants to learn inquiry and are tailored to address local science standards. A trainer's guide, a volunteer handbook, a guide for community sites and promotional and training videos will be produced, as well as a web-based science course. It is anticipated that 240 volunteers will be trained to work with over 12,000 youth during the course of the project. Dissemination will occur through the 4-H Extension service, impacting both urban and rural populations.
MarsQuest Online is an exploration-based website designed to complement the innovative MarsQuest traveling exhibit launched by the Space Science Institute (SSI) in 1997. "MarsQuest Online" will enhance and extend the exhibit, which is currently on a six-year, 18-city tour. TERC, working in collaboration with the Space Science Institute and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), will create a virtual version of the exhibit using software such as Java, Quicktime VR and JPL's sophisticated MarsNet Viewer system. Users will be immersed in an integrated, interactive environment complete with the tools and resources to carry out investigations and enhance inquiry-based learning. "MarsQuest" will expand users' understanding of the history of Mars, scientific exploration, the climate and related earth science concepts, while enabling them to follow the exploration of various landers and orbiters, and access NASA scientists. A diverse collection of Guided Inquiry experiences will foster the ability of users to develop inquiry and analysis skills, while offering options for novice, intermediate and advanced learners. Finally, a comprehensive evaluation plan will examine how the website and exhibit compare in promoting the understanding of science, broadening public interest in space exploration, and motivating further learning. The site will be promoted for use by schools as a tool for teaching earth science and space exploration. It is estimated that 300,000 people will visit "MarsQuest Online" annually.
DATE:
-
TEAM MEMBERS:
Daniel BarstowPaul DusenberyPaul AndresChris Randall
The Buffalo Bill Historical Center will develop the "Greater Yellowstone Adventure project," encompassing 1,719 square meters of exhibits in the Center's newly constructed Draper Museum of Natural History. The exhibits and associated programming constitute a major cultural and educational resource for underserved residents of rural, northwestern Wyoming and approximately 500,000 annual visitors to the region. The goal of Greater Yellowstone Adventure is to promote understanding of the relationships binding humans and nature and the use of science in exploring those relationships. The exhibits are orgainized into three galleries: Expedition Trailhead, Braided Paths and Tangled Destinies, and Seasons of Discovery.
DATE:
-
TEAM MEMBERS:
Charles PrestonMaryanne AdrusEugene ReberRobert PickeringMarcia Britton
The Lawrence Hall of Science (LHS) proposes to develop a permanent, one-acre, outdoor exhibition overlooking the San Francisco Bay called called "The Forces That Shape the San Francisco Bay." The exhibition will focus on the geologic and hydrologic forces and the human impacts that have shaped the San Francisco Bay and its environs. The exhibition's interactive components and related programs will involve visitors in learning about erosion, river sediment and deposition, mountain building, folding of strata and thrusting, faulting and seismicity.
The Independence Seaport Museum will create "Boat Building: Art and Science," a 3,000-square foot permanent exhibit that is designed to educate visitors about the science of boat building and design. Concepts such as buoyancy, water displacement, turbulence and drag will be explored through interactives, maritime artifacts, models and oral histories of tradesmen. By using the principles identified by the Family Science Learning Research Project of the Philadelphia/Camden Informal Science Education Collaborative (PISEC), the exhibit will be user-friendly for families with young children. Visitor workstation topics may include boat building, floating, buoyancy, sails, wind and boat shape. Visitors will use science processes while learning through open-ended play and exploration. Creative programs for families and school groups, as well as curriculum materials will support the exhibit. A website and technical training manual will also be produced. Four phases of evaluation are planned, and include front-end analysis which will incorporate focus groups with children ages 7-12, and formative evaluation using prototypes of interactives. Remedial evaluation will be carried out once the exhibit opens, and summative evaluation will use tracking and exit interviews to assess learning and understanding. The estimated annual audience of over 130,000 visitors will be expanded by replicating and traveling various components to other maritime museums in partnership with the Association of Science and Technology Centers. Evaluation of traveling components will also be undertaken to determine if they present an appropriate model for maritime-based exhibits.
The Great Lakes Story is a 3,000 sq. ft. interactive traveling exhibit based on the highly successful and unique permanent exhibition at the Great Lakes Science Center. Its focus is devoted to highlighting the natural history of the Great Lakes ecosystem. The traveling exhibit will allow even more visitors around the country to understand the beauty, majesty and restoration efforts of this important national resource. Through a planned six-year tour, it is estimated "The Great Lakes Story" will be experienced by as many as three million people. There will be several components, including hands-on exhibits, organized with a centerpiece of a walk-around model of the Great Lakes region, and other interactive components. The four major areas of the exhibit are physical characteristics of the Lakes, the natural cycles and processes which shaped them over time, changes and threats to the Lakes (especially human-induced), and finally, restoration efforts to bring the Lakes back to being the rich and productive ecosystem they should be. Along with these exhibit areas, other project components are educational and marketing materials to ensure that host science centers are able to provide a complete learning experience to their youth, family, and adult audiences around the country.
The California Science Center Foundation will develop the California Science Center's Air and Space Gallery, a 12,000-square foot exhibit space. The California Science Center will reopen Aerospace Hall (closed in 1998) with new and re-designed exhibits and offer a full complement of learning experiences. Funding from NSF will support design, fabrication and core program development of the Air and Space Gallery. The Gallery will feature four themed areas that explore the depth and breadth of aeronautics and space exploration: Air and Aircraft; Humans and Their Spacecraft; Mission to the Planets; and Stars and Telescopes. Also featured will be a Discovery Room for young learners and their parents, a changing exhibit gallery and educational programs for the public and for schools.
COSI Columbus will develop "Speed," a traveling exhibition. "Speed" is a 6,000-square-foot, interactive traveling exhibition introducing visitors to the science of speed. Visitors experience extreme and slow speeds through a variety of interactives. The exhibition emphasizes the role of speed -- that is, the physical phenomenon of changing motion over time -- in governing biological, geological and electronic processes as well as the central role of mathematics as the language of physical science.
The Yellowstone Park Foundation created exhibits and integrated educational programs for a state-of-the-art visitor education center at Old Faithful Geyser, Yellowstone National Park. The exhibits and programs focus ong eysers and hot springs on Earth and the unique microbial life forms that live in these thermal waters; current and emerging research critical to understanding issues and solving environmental problems facing society today.
DATE:
-
TEAM MEMBERS:
Linda YoungMolly PickallLisa DiekmannLinda YoungDiane Chalfant
Sesame Workshop created a new planetarium show and outreach activities for children ages 5 and 6 and their families, teachers and other caregivers. The Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum, the Beijing Planetarium and the Liberty Science Center also collaborated on the "sharing the sky" themed show to help Chinese and American children identify differences and similarities in their respective associations to astronomy.