HR: 0830h
AN: SH11A-03    [Abstracts]
TI: Solar Fireworks - Integrating an Exhibit on Solar Physics and Space Science into the Science and Astronomy Curriculum of High-School and College Students
AU: * Denker, C
EM: cdenker@adm.njit.edu
AF: New Jersey Institute of Technology, Center for Solar-Terrestrial Research, 323 Martin Luther King Blvd, Newark, NJ 07102-1982 United States
AU: Wang, H
EM: haimin@flare.njit.edu
AF: New Jersey Institute of Technology, Center for Solar-Terrestrial Research, 323 Martin Luther King Blvd, Newark, NJ 07102-1982 United States
AU: Conod, K D
EM: kconod@newarkmuseum.org
AF: The Newark Museum, 49 Washington Street, Newark, NJ 07102-3176 United States
AU: Wintemberg, T
EM: twitemberg@newarkmuseum.org
AF: The Newark Museum, 49 Washington Street, Newark, NJ 07102-3176 United States
AU: Calderon, I
EM: icalderon@newarkmuseum.org
AF: The Newark Museum, 49 Washington Street, Newark, NJ 07102-3176 United States
AB: Astronomers at The Newark Museum's Alice and Leonard Dreyfuss Planetarium teamed up with the New Jersey Institute of Technology's (NJIT) Center for Solar-Terrestrial Research (CSTR) and the Big Bear Solar Observatory in presenting Solar Fireworks. The exhibit opened on May 15, 2004 and features two exhibition kiosks with interactive touch screen displays, where students and other visitors can take "virtual tours" in the fields of solar physics, solar activity, Sun-Earth connection, and geo-sciences. Planetarium and museum visits are an integral part of the introductory physics and astronomy classes at NJIT and the exhibition has been integrated in the astronomy curriculum. For example, NJIT students of the Astronomy Club and regular astronomy courses were closely involved in the design and development of the exhibit. The exhibit is the latest addition to the long-running natural science exhibit "Dynamic Earth: Revealing Nature's Secrets" at the museum. More than 30,000 people per year attend various programs offered by the planetarium including public shows, more than a dozen programs for school groups, after school activities, portable planetarium outreach, outdoor sky watches, solar observing and other family events. More than 1,000 high school students visited the planetarium in 2004. The exhibit is accompanied by a yearly teacher workshop (the first one was held on October 18-20, 2004) to enhance the learning experience of classes visiting the Newark Museum. The planetarium and museum staff has been working with teachers of Newark high schools and has presented many workshops for educators on a wide range of topics from astronomy to zoology. At the conclusion of the exhibit in December 2005, the exhibit will go "on the road" and will be made available to schools or other museums. Finally, the exhibit will find its permanent home at the new office complex of CSTR at NJIT. Acknowledgements: Solar Fireworks was organized by The Newark Museum and the New Jersey Institute of Technology's Center for Solar-Terrestrial Research and supported by a two-year grant from NASA's Office of Space Science Education/Public Outreach Program (NASA NAG5-12733 EPO-02-219).
UR: http://www.newarkmuseum.org and http://www.bbso.njit.edu
DE: 0805 Elementary and secondary education
DE: 0810 Post-secondary education
DE: 0830 Teacher training
DE: 7500 SOLAR PHYSICS, ASTROPHYSICS, AND ASTRONOMY
SC: SPA-Solar and Heliospheric Physics [SH]
MN: 2005 Joint Assembly