HR: 0800h
AN: ED51B-0423    [Abstracts]
TI: Caught in the Solar Wind: A Study of Space Weather and its Influence on Earth
AU: * Hill, R
EM: bobhill8@yahoo.com
AF: Lunenburg High School, 1079 Massachusetts Avenue, Lunenburg, MA 01462, United States
AU: Chuckran, A
EM: achuckran@verizon.net
AF: Dracut High School, 1540 Lakeview Ave, Dracut, MA 01826, United States
AU: Erickson, P J
EM: pje@haystack.mit.edu
AF: MIT Haystack Observatory, Off Route 40, Westford, MA 01886, United States
AB: Space weather is a phenomenon that is becoming more familiar to the general public. As people are increasingly reliant on 21st century technology, the potential for disruption to their daily lives also rises. As the sun approaches its next solar maximum in 2011 or 2012, the peak of Cycle 24 is expected to be the highest of the satellite age, perhaps surpassing that of Cycle 19 in 1957-58. In this teaching unit, we have attempted to create a series of lessons that sheds light on the concept of space weather and the sun’s influences on earth’s magnetic field and upper atmosphere. Within this unit, we have provided ample opportunities for students to access and interpret real scientific data from a variety of sources. The main location is the web site www.spaceweather.com , which has near real time data from satellites such as SOHO, STEREO, ACE and POES. This data is easily viewed and explained within the site, and with appropriate instruction, students can regularly gather data, make predictions, and draw conclusions based on the current behavior of the sun. Examples include sunspot number and development, speed and density of solar wind, orientation and strength of the interplanetary magnetic field, location of coronal holes, planetary K index and X-ray solar flares. Depending on the level of the students, some or all of this data can be compiled over a period of time to better understand the behavior of the sun as well as its influence on Earth. The goal of this unit is to provide a vehicle for students to understand how data is used by scientists. Once they have the base knowledge, students may be able to construct their own questions and follow through with research. An inquiry-based approach is incorporated whenever possible. With the onset of a potentially active solar cycle in the near future, teachers have the opportunity to make a dramatic connection between the natural world and their daily lives. Solar storms can cause disruption to telephone communication, television, GPS systems and power grids, as well as provide dazzling auroral displays. If Cycle 24 lives up to the predictions, space weather will be a newsworthy story and a teachable moment. Many of the activities in this unit have been tested already and all will have been used with high school students by the time of the AGU meeting. Our discussion will include samples of student work and an evaluation of the success of the unit’s ability to incorporate current scientific data into the classroom.
DE: 0805 Elementary and secondary education
DE: 0825 Teaching methods
DE: 0850 Geoscience education research
DE: 7938 Impacts on humans
SC: Education and Human Resources [ED]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting