How To Teach A Science Lecture At The University Of Tennessee

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1 Educator Workshop Announcement University of Tennessee Earth and Space Sciences Workshop Summer 2013 The University of Tennessee Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, The Department of Physics and Astronomy, and The NASA Tennessee Space Grant Consortium invite you to participate in a 3 day educator Earth and Space Sciences Workshop from July 30 through August 1. Our main topics will be Mars, the moon, asteroids and meteorites. There are current and future NASA missions concerning these topics and we are pleased to be able to introduce some of UT s top notch and out of this world scientists to present and discuss these exciting subjects. Each of our speakers is involved in various NASA projects and brings firsthand information to our workshop. We will have meteorites, tektites and even a moon rock to share with you. Our afternoon sessions will include introductions to teacher guides and classroom activities involving the planetarium, hands on activities and demonstrations to help you make classroom lessons more exciting for you and your students. Teachers will also receive ample resources and documentation to take back to their schools to aid in classroom instruction. This workshop is limited to 14 teachers so register early. Teachers will receive a stipend of $ per day. Who? When? Where? Middle School thru High School math and science teachers from Knoxville, TN and surrounding areas. 10:00 A.M til 4:30 P.M. July 30, 31 and August 1 Yes that is Tuesday -Thursday and weather permitting we will have a star party on the roof of Nielsen Physics and Astronomy Building Friday night, August 2 at 9:30 PM. University of Tennessee Earth and Space Sciences Theater Room 108 Department of Physics and Astronomy 1408 Circle Drive Knoxville, TN

2 Enrollment Form for 2012 Earth and Space Sciences Workshop Name: *Date of birth: *Social Security Number: Home Address: City, State, Zip code: Home Phone: Cell Phone: Emergency Phone: Contact Person: Your School information School Name: Address: Grade Level: Subjects taught: School Phone: Years Teaching: Please complete this form and mail to: Paul Lewis University of Tennessee Astronomy 1408 Circle Drive Knoxville, TN * For payment purposes

3 Speakers Dr. Devon M. Burr Planetary Science My research in planetary science is in the field of planetary geomorphology. I specialize in how fluid flow or fluid phase change may have shaped planetary surfaces and what those surface shapes can tell us about the geologic history of that body. Most commonly, I approach a research question through analysis of spacecraft images, augmented with field work on terrestrial analogues. My dissertation focused on young flood channels on Mars, using similar bedforms found in the Channeled Scabland and Icelandic flood channels to constrain the Martian flood flow conditions. From this basis, I became interested in ground ice features, working with Canadian and Alaskan colleagues to assess the distribution of pingos on Mars. Current research includes the on-going mapping and characterization of Mars largest population of sinuous ridges, using terrestrial inverted fluvial channels and glacial eskers as analogues. I also have projects to investigate the geomorphology of Titan, the surprisingly Earth-like moon of Saturn. One of these projects involves analysis of multiple datasets from the Cassini mission to the Saturnian system to map and characterize fluvial features on Titan s surface. The other project entails the refurbishment and use of NASA s planetary aeolian laboratory to determine the atmospheric conditions and wind speeds responsible for Titan s vast aeolian dunes.

4 Dr. Joshua P. Emery Planetary Science The overarching theme that motivates my research in planetary science is discovering how our Solar System formed and evolved to its present state. My particular niche in this broad theme is determining surface compositions of planetary bodies and interpreting them in terms of surface alteration mechanisms and, ultimately, formation conditions. Of particular interest is investigating the distribution of organic material in the Solar System. As an observational planetary astronomer, the main techniques that I apply are reflection and emission spectroscopy and spectrophotometry using ground-based telescopes, space-based telescopes, and interplanetary spacecraft. Targets of my research have spanned the Solar System, from the innermost terrestrial planet (Mercury) to the farthest reaches of the Kuiper Belt (Sedna). Current projects include: Jupiter Trojan asteroids These have been a strong focus of my research because they are a key group for distinguishing several models of Solar System evolution and for understanding the distribution of organic material (UT undergraduate student Richie Ness). OSIRIS-REx This is a NASA mission to return samples from a primitive near-earth asteroid (1999 RQ36). Exploration is what drew me to planetary science, and I am absolutely thrilled to be a coinvestigator on this robotic spacecraft mission. Near-infrared spectroscopy of outer Main Belt asteroids (UT PhD student: Driss Takir). Reflectance spectrophotometry of Kuiper Belt objects (Dr. Noemi Pinilla-Alonso, UT Master s student: Daine Wright, and undergraduate student: Kathy Moore).

5 Thermal and mineralogical characterization of V-type asteroids, M-type asteroids, extinct comets, and primitive asteroids (Dr. Sean Lindsay). Thermal and near-infrared observations of near-earth asteroids (UT undergrad student Kelsey Crane). Analysis of the composition, structure, and surface temperatures of the three icy Galilean moons of Jupiter from New Horizons spacecraft data. Mineralogical characterization of evolved asteroids and their analogs (UT PhD student Mike Lucas). Dr. Harry Y. McSween Planetary Geoscience Unlike most geologists, Hap McSween is drawn to rocks falling from the heavens rather than to those already underfoot. For the past three and a half decades NASA has funded his research on meteorites. He and his students and postdocs have characterized the mineralogy, petrology, and cosmochemistry of: Chondrites, the most common type of meteorites falling to Earth focus is on constraining and computer modeling of thermal metamorphism and aqueous alteration processes on asteroids Shergottites and nakhlites, generally accepted to be rocks from Mars focus is on understanding magmatic processes and their geologic context Eucrites, diogenites, and howardites, igneous rocks from a differentiated asteroid focus is on quantifying petrologic and spectral properties and applying them to the interpretation of Dawn spacecraft data for asteroid Vesta

6 McSween is co-investigator for the Mars Odyssey spacecraft mission, which is mapping the mineralogy and geochemistry of the Martian surface from orbit, the Mars Exploration Rovers which have analyzed rocks and soils at two landing sites, and the Dawn spacecraft mission, which began orbiting asteroid Vesta in 2011 and will subsequently explore Ceres, the largest asteroid.mcsween regularly teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in igneous and metamorphic petrology, cosmochemistry, and planetary science. Dr. Lawrence (Larry) A. Taylor - Planetary Geochemist Although originally starting as an economic geologist/experimental petrologist, the return of the first Apollo samples from the Moon played a major role in my research interests and funding. It was the mineralogy, petrology, and geochemistry of these unusual rocks from another world that excited us all. While being in the "back-room" at Johnson Space Center in December, 1972, during the Apollo 17 Mission, I was one of those who directly advised the astronauts on the Moon during their EVAs. I subsequently became good friends with Jack Schmitt, the only geologist to go to the Moon and the last person to step onto the Moon. He now often visits UT. These missions to the Moon were supposed to be but the beginning of human exploration of the Moon, but alas, having continuously studied lunar rocks and soils since the early times, with grateful aid from NASA, I consider myself a true "lunatic". More recently, my efforts have expanded into meteorites. The many new lunar and

7 Martian meteorites being found in the Antarctic and equatorial hot deserts have provided renewed interest and excitement for these heavenly bodies. Instructors Paul Lewis Director of Space Science Outreach and the Earth and Space Sciences Theater There is nothing like hearing the excitement and exclamations from kids both young and old when they see the craters of the moon or the rings of Saturn for the first time through the eyepiece of a telescope. Sunspots or solar prominences; the Galilean moons of Jupiter or a cloud of hydrogen gas 7000 light years away invoke awe and promote wonder. We can now do all these things indoors without a telescope in the new planetarium at UT and we never have to worry about the weather. Though nothing can really take the place of a view through a telescope, a digital planetarium can be a tremendous teaching tool. We can present the heavens above us from anywhere on earth or in the solar system: any day, any year and any time. We can label the sky to help us learn constellations, star names, planets, moons, deep sky objects and just about anything else we can see, but especially those things we cannot see so easily. Conceptualizing the universe around us is difficult but we can begin to get a little more comfortable with the enormity of everything by starting with our own neighborhood: the solar system. The immersive environment of a planetarium brings us closer to understanding how the universe works. More importantly it promotes curiosity and an eagerness to learn more. I have been conducting space science outreach programs, astronomy and aerospace classes, workshops and star parties for 24 years. There is a new tool in the box to help us expand our children s vision of the world around us all and just maybe, get little excited about science.

8 Dr. James Sternberg I received my Ph.D. in theoretical atomic physics in 1999 from the University of Tennessee and spent many years studying cold atomic collisions. This study afforded me the opportunity to travel all over the world and even to live and work in Japan for several years. Although research was interesting and intellectually challenging, I found through participation in outreach that my true passion was in education. After all, not only do we need to educate our next generation of scientists, but the next generation of leaders, business people and ordinary citizens. Everyone should be scientifically literate so that we can make good, rational decisions. Over the past few years I have made a career switch to teaching, starting with middle school math and now teaching high school science, math and computing at Hardin Valley Academy. I hope that in this workshop that I will be able to take high-interest projects and materials involving astronomy and make them compatible with the pressures of teaching an already challenging curriculum.

9 Megan White B.S. Meagan is a second year Master's student at UTK. She is the head astronomy teaching assistant and has written the current astronomy laboratory manual. She is writing the new planetarium exercises for the astronomy labs with the help of the director. Her current research project is the Detection of Extrasolar Planets with Gravitational Microlensing in Radio. Her past research has included the study of the Helium Nova V445 Puppis at the Very Large Array, and instruments work with the UTK-ORNL Nuclear Astrophysics group. Other past work includes technology marketing at the University of Tennessee Research Foundation.