Activity Book Funded by: 2 Table of Contents Introduction – Youth Astronomy Apprenticeship 5 How to Use This Activity Book 6 Activities, listed by category 8 Activities, listed by cluster 9 Resources 10 Acknowledgements & Contact Information 11 Hands-on Activities 13 Astronomy in the Marketplace 15 Youth Generate Rules to Govern their Space 21 Modeling the Universe 23 Cosmic Cast of Characters 31 From Starlight to Image 37 Cosmic Survey 43 Comets and Asteroids 53 Modeling the Earth-Moon System 57 Moon Phases Activity 61 Toilet Paper Solar System 69 Group Portrait of the Solar System: Taking Images 83 Group Portrait of the Solar System: Making Sense of Images 89 Telescopes & Light: Hands-On Telescope Activity 95 Astropoetry 103 Tour of the Universe 107 A Journey through the Universe 117 Group Portrait of the Universe: Taking Images 121 Group Portrait of the Universe: Making Sense of Images 127 Light, Color, and Astronomy 135 Filters Puzzler 145 3 MicroObservatory Computer Activities 153 Introduction to MicroObservatory 155 MicroObservatory Guest Observer Portal 175 How to Take and Save Images with MicroObservatory 179 Image Processing and Image Contrast 185 Images as Data 193 Investigation of Jupiter and its Moons: Part One 203 Investigation of Jupiter and its Moons: Part Two 209 Advanced Image Processing 213 Group Portrait of the Universe in Color: Taking Images 221 Creating Color Images 225 Observing Projects 233 Observing Project #1: Overview 235 Observing Project #1: Did You Notice? 239 Observing Project #1: Observation or Inference? 243 Observing Project #1: Sharing & Publishing 247 Observing Projects: Publishing the Project Report 251 Observing Project #2: Overview 253 Observing Project #2: Introduction & Planning 257 Observing Project #2: What Does Your Data Mean? 261 Observing Project #2: Giving Feedback 265 Observing Project #2: Daily Journal & Project Report 269 Observing Project #3: Overview 273 Observing Project #3: Introduction & Planning 277 Observing Project #3: Daily Journal & Project Report 281 Observing Project #3: Creating Posters 285 Observing Project #3: Presenting Posters 289 Glossary 291 4 Introduction Youth Astronomy Apprenticeship The Youth Astronomy Apprenticeship (YAA) program is an out-of-school time initiative that uses an apprenticeship model to promote science learning among urban teenage youth and their communities. One of the primary goals of YAA is to broaden the awareness of science education as an effective way of promoting overall youth development and practicing the skills needed to compete for today’s science and technology professional opportunities. Following the apprenticeship model, youth in YAA first participate in an after-school astronomy-training program. After the training is completed, the successful participants become astronomy apprentices who work with educators and other professionals to create astronomy outreach initiatives directed at their own communities. Through the youth’s work and their presence among their communities as science ambassadors, YAA aims to promote involvement and support for science learning among the general public. During the YAA after-school program, youth engage in a variety of astronomy explorations using a combination of hands-on and computer- based activities that are collected in the YAA Activity Book. As they engage in these activities, youth learn to use a network of educational telescopes called MicroObservatory, which are controlled via the Internet. Additionally, youth learn to use software tools to process astronomical images, and produce project reports that they share among their peers and an online community of MicroObservatory users. In the process, youth develop important skills, including logical reasoning, inquiry, completing self-directed tasks, collaborating with others, oral and written communication, and other employable skills used in the sciences and in many other professional fields. What is MicroObservatory? MicroObservatory is a network of automated telescopes that can be controlled over the Internet. The telescopes were developed at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and were designed to enable youth worldwide to investigate the wonders of the deep sky from their classrooms or after-school centers. 5 Users of MicroObservatory are responsible for taking their own images by pointing and focusing the telescopes and selecting exposure times, filters, and other parameters. They may select a target from a list or enter its coordinates. The educational value lies not just in the image returned by the telescope, but in the satisfaction and practical understanding that comes from mastering a powerful scientific tool. Observations can be set up in advance and run automatically. How to Use This Activity Book YAA was originally designed as a project-oriented program to be covered over 14 weeks, during 2-hour long after-school sessions held twice a week. However, the same program can be adapted to other situations – after-school programs with less time, summer camps, week-long school vacation programs, etc. The YAA Activity Book is a collection of activities, grouped into three main categories (Hands-On, Computer, and Observing Projects) and further into small clusters that focus on one main theme, or are complimentary in some way. The first cluster is considered the base for all the other clusters. It contains the introductory activities needed for later activities and all programs should begin with this cluster. Then other clusters can be implemented taking into consideration time available, youth interest and the personal background knowledge of the facilitator. We encourage all programs to always include at least two observing projects in their implementation of YAA activities. Some activities provide questions that can be used to facilitate a discussion. These questions are offset from the activity as bullet points and can be read aloud to the participants. In addition, some activities provide sample responses (in italics) that can be used by the facilitator to assess if the participants are on the right track. All of the supplemental materials referred to in the activities are found in the appendix, available online: http://epo.mit.edu/curriculum/Appendix.zip Why Use Ice Breakers? Icebreakers can be a fun and effective way to start off the day’s activities. They help to get participants motivated and act as an attention getter to encourage everyone to contribute to the group. Icebreakers can be particularly useful when working with a group of participants that are unfamiliar with one another. Also since icebreakers are typically not 6 related to the subject matter of the day’s activities, they are a great way to break up a cluster of more intense activities. The following are some websites for icebreaker activities we have found useful for getting the group more comfortable with each other, encouraging communication among groups, and helping to energize the group: Tennis Ball http://www.leadersinstitute.com/teambuilding/team_building_tips/tennis_ balls.html Cup Stack http://eslcafe.com/idea/index.cgi?display:967310805-599.txt The Human Knot http://wilderdom.com/games/descriptions/HumanKnot.html Group Juggle http://wilderdom.com/games/descriptions/GroupJuggle.html Categories http://wilderdom.com/games/descriptions/Categories.html 2 Truths and a Lie http://wilderdom.com/games/descriptions/TwoTruthsAndALie.html On all sides http://www.niu.edu/orientation/firstyear_conn/Res_Icebreakers.shtml Included Icebreakers In this Activity Book, you will notice we have included some icebreakers in the flow of the activities. For instance, the following are activities that are strategically placed in the book and serve as a good opening to the following activity. Astropoetry – Tour of the Universe (may be included as part of the observing projects). What’s Different? – Observing Project #1 Observation vs. Inference – Observing Project #2 Comets and Asteroids – Can be done at any time, see activity write-up for details 7 Activities, listed by category Hands-On Activities Group Portrait of the Universe in Color: Astronomy in the Marketplace Taking Images Astropoetry How to take and Save Images with Comets and Asteroids MicroObservatory Cosmic Cast of Characters Image Processing and Image Contrast Cosmic Survey Images as Data Filters Puzzler Introduction to MicroObservatory From Starlight to Image Investigation of Jupiter and its Moons: Group Portrait of the Solar System: Part One Making Sense of Images Investigation of Jupiter and its Moons: Group Portrait of the Solar System: Parte Two Taking Images MicroObservatory Guest Observer Group Portrait of the Universe: Making Portal Sense of Images Group Portrait of the Universe: Taking Observing Projects Images Observing Project #1: A Journey through the Universe Overview Light, Color and Astronomy Did You Notice? Modeling the Earth-Moon System Observation or Inference? Modeling the Universe Sharing & Publishing Moon Phases Activity Observing Project #2: Telescopes & Light: Hands-On Overview Telescope Activity Introduction & Planning Toilet Paper Solar System What Does Your Data Mean? Tour of the Universe Giving Feedback Youth Generate Rules to Govern their Daily Journal & Project Report Space Observing Project #3: Overview Computer Activities Introduction & Planning Advanced Image Processing Daily Journal & Project Report Creating Color Images Creating Posters Presenting Posters 8 Activities, listed by cluster The Base Cluster • Modeling the Earth-Moon • Modeling the Universe