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Beyond Outreach: Expanding the UCI Astronomy Outreach Program to New Heights
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Metadata
Title
Beyond Outreach: Expanding the UCI Astronomy Outreach Program to New Heights
Abstract
The Astronomy Outreach Program at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) has three major components: (1) tours of the UCI Observatory and visits to local K-12 classrooms that bring hands-on activities and telescopes into the local schools, (2) an annual Teacher’s Workshop in Astronomy & Astrophysics, and (3) Visitor Nights at
the Observatory for the general public that include lectures on astrophysics topics and star gazing with our telescopes. Here we describe the results of our year long partnership with Grade 3–12 teachers to expand the tour and classroom visit portion of our program. We developed curricula and survey tools for Grades 3, 5, and high school that addresses specific California State Science Content Standards and amplify the impact of our outreach visits to their classrooms and their tours of the UCI Observatory. We describe the lessons and hands-on activities developed for the curricula, report on
the results of pre- and post-testing of the students to judge how much they learned and whether or not their attitudes about science have changed, and report on teachers’ responses to the program. Many of the lessons and activities we developed are available on our website.
Date
01/01/2010
Type of Publication
Author(s)
Smecker-Hane, Tammy A. | Mauzy-Melitz, Debra K. | Hood, Michael A.
Editor(s)
Barnes, Jonathan | Smith, Denise A. | Gibbs, Michael G. | Manning, James G.
Construct
Methodology
Research Setting
Target Group
Teachers > In-Service | Students > Middle School Students | Teachers > Pre-Service | Students > Primary/Elementary School Students | Students > Secondary School Students
Institution(s)
University of California, Irvine
Book Title
Science Education and Outreach: Forging a Path to the Future
Peer-Reviewed Status
Publisher
Astronomical Society of the Pacific Conference Series
Volume
431
Issue Number
431
Conference Proceeding Type
Nation(s) of Study
United States of America
Language
English