Project Astrodata: Using Data in the Classroom

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Project AstrodataUsing Data in the Classroom

• Dr. Kirk D. Borne 1

1 Associate Research Professor of Astrophysics
and Computational Science School of
Computational Sciences, George Mason University
Fairfax, Virginia and QSS Group Inc.,
NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center
kborne_at_gmu.edu or kirk.borne_at_gsfc.nasa.gov
http//classweb.gmu.edu/kborne/
http//rings.gsfc.nasa.gov/borne/astrodata/
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How do we learn about our Universe and the World
around us?
WE GATHER INFORMATION, FROM WHICH WE DERIVE
KNOWLEDGE, FROM WHICH WE LEARN WHAT IT ALL MEANS
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Astronomy Example
Data
(a) Imaging data (ones zeroes)
(b) Spectral data (ones zeroes)

• Information (catalogs / databases)
• Measure brightness of galaxies from image (e.g.,
  14.2 or 21.7)
• Measure redshift of galaxies from spectrum (e.g.,
  0.0167 or 0.346)

Knowledge Hubble Diagram ? Redshift-Brightness
Correlation ? Redshift Distance
Understanding the Universe is expanding!!
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The Nature of Astronomical Data

• Data volumes are growing and growing...
• a few terabytes "yesterday (10,000 CDROMs)
• tens of terabytes "today (100,000 CDROMs)
• 100s of petabytes "tomorrow (within 10-20
  years) (1,000,000,000 CDROMs)
• Imaging
• 2D map of the sky at multiple wavelengths
• Derived catalogs
• subsequent processing of images
• extracting object parameters (400 per object)
• Spectroscopic follow-up
• spectra more detailed object properties
• clues to physical state and formation history
• lead to distances 3D maps

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Prototype Project Project AstroData

• http//rings.gsfc.nasa.gov/borne/astrodata/

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Prototype Project Project AstroData

• HST-EPO funding
• Begins with HST images
• Introduce extracted data catalogs
• Individual objects in images
• Object parameters brightness, size, shape,
  location, color, ...
• Correlations in parameters lead to astrophysical
  insights (e.g., H-R diagram, Hubble diagram,
  Cepheid Period-Luminosity relation, galactic
  bulge - black hole mass correlation, fundamental
  plane for Ellipticals)
• Use these relations, patterns to explain math and
  science principles
• http//rings.gsfc.nasa.gov/borne/astrodata/

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Standards-based ApproachGeography as an Example

• For your course subject area ask yourself
• What can Hubble images do to help me teach it
  (standards)?
• How can I incorporate the images into the lesson?
• For example (from the National Geography
  Standards)
• Where is it located?
• What is significant about its location?
• How is its location related to locations of other
  things?
• Locate and gather information from a variety of
  sources
• Record observations about its physical
  characteristics
• Prepare maps
• Use maps to interpret spatial relationships
  between objects
• Use tables and graphs to interpret trends and
  relationships
• Use text and photos to interpret trends and
  relationships
• Interpret information obtained from
  satellite-produced images
• Make inferences draw conclusions from maps
• These standards could apply both to Geography and
  Astronomy.

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Example 1

• Pick a constellation (e.g., Orion) and have
  students
• Examine the spatial distribution of the brightest
  stars
• Find stars distances and have students construct
  a model
• Study the mythology and folklore (traditional
  stories)
• Investigate the astrophysical phenomena in that
  part of the sky as revealed through HST images
• Examine the spatial relationships between the
  different phenomena (e.g., lots of young stars in
  Orion plus lots of gaseous nebula suggests that
  the two are related they are!)
• Find new information about that constellation
  (e.g., the Orionid meteor shower that occurs
  October 21-22 each year, resulting from the
  debris of Halleys Comet). So, whats a comet?
• Perhaps have the students work in small groups,
  assigning one of the above activities to each
  group
• Prepare a report or Powerpoint presentation on
  their findings

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Example 2

• Pick a specific astronomical object (e.g.,
  Horsehead Nebula)
• Have the students
• Locate the object in the sky (which Constellation
  is it in?)
• Locate other objects that are near it. Make a
  map.
• Investigate the astrophysical phenomena that are
  revealed through HST images of the object
• Examine the spatial relationships between the
  different phenomena (e.g., young blue stars are
  born in dark dust clouds)
• Find new information about that object
• Make up a story about that object (e.g., how did
  the horse end up in the constellation of the
  Great Hunter Orion?)

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Example 3

• Pick a specific class of astronomical object
  (e.g., colliding galaxies)
• Have the students
• Determine which objects in this class were
  observed by HST
• Locate the objects in the sky (which
  Constellations are they in?)
• Investigate the astrophysical phenomena of this
  class of objects as revealed through HST images
• Examine the spatial relationships between the
  different phenomena (e.g., what physical shapes
  do these galaxies have?)
• Find new information and other images for these
  objects
• Make up a story about that class (e.g., how would
  people living on a planet in one of those
  galaxies experience the collision?)

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Example 4

• Pick a specific astrophysical phenomenon (e.g.,
  Supernovae)
• Have the students
• Determine which objects are related (e.g.,
  pulsars, BRIGHT star in the sky the supernova,
  supernova remnants Crab Nebula)
• Locate the objects in the sky (which
  Constellations are they in?)
• What astrophysical phenomena are revealed in the
  HST images?
• Examine the spatial relationships between the
  different phenomena (e.g., How is the image of
  SN1987A different from the Crab Nebula SN1054?
  What things in the images relate to the
  phenomenon and which things are unrelated? e.g.,
  new stars are formed in the wake of the advancing
  expanding shock wave)
• Make up a story about it (e.g., if you were the
  first human being ever to see a Supernova, how
  would you explain it to a friend?)

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Example 5

• Pick a specific astronomical term (e.g.,
  electromagnetic spectrum)
• Have the students
• Find a definition for the word. (Provide
  students with a printed glossary or book, or
  point them to an online glossary there are
  several glossaries provided at the Project
  AstroData website)
• Explain the astronomical term in their own words
• Determine if the word is represented in HST
  images. How? (e.g., creating color HST pictures
  from raw greyscale images)
• Determine if the word describes a spatial
  relationship, or is it a description of an action
  or a noun, or something else. Explain.
• Draw a picture to explain or represent the word
• Make up a story that uses the word (e.g., a story
  about a Native American tribe that uses tribal
  colors and patterns drawn from the rainbow seen
  after a storm)

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USING ASTRONOMY DATA IN THECLASSROOM

• GENERAL SUGGESTIONS
• Pick any topic
• Have the students
• Draw a map
• Find HST images
• Analyze and interpret HST images
• Find other examples
• Make inferences
• Use text, photos, tables, and graphs
• Draw a picture
• Make up a story
• Give a presentation

• NVO provides transparent access to multiple
  data sets
• http//www.us-vo.org/ and http//www.ivoa.net/
• LSST will provide access to data from transient
  Universe
• http//www.lssto.org/

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Some Sources of Astronomy Data, Teacher
Resources, Lesson Plans

• U.S. NVO (National Virtual Observatory)
  http//www.us-vo.org/
• Registry http//nvo.stsci.edu/VORegistry/index.a
  spx
• SDSS (Sloan Digital Sky Survey)
  http//www.sdss.org/
• SkyServer http//cas.sdss.org/dr4/en/proj/teach.
  asp
• HOU (Hands-On Universe)
• http//www.handsonuniverse.org/
• TLRBSE (Teacher Leaders in Research Based Science
  Education)
• http//www.noao.edu/outreach/tlrbse/
• TIE (Telescopes in Education)
• http//www.telescopesineducation.com/
• VTIE (Virtual Telescopes in Education)
• http//vtie.umbc.edu/
• SEGway (Science Education Gateway)
• http//cse.ssl.berkeley.edu/segway/
• Windows to the Universe
• http//www.windows.ucar.edu/

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More Teacher Resources, Lesson Plans

• Project AstroData (old) http//rings.gsfc.nasa.g
  ov/borne/astrodata/
• Includes links to Lesson Plans and National/State
  Standards
• http//rings.gsfc.nasa.gov/borne/astrodata/index-
  lessons.html
• NASA Student Observation Network (SON)
• http//son.nasa.gov/
• Project CLEA (Contemporary Laboratory Experiences
  In Astronomy)
• http//www.gettysburg.edu/academics/physics/clea/C
  LEAhome.html
• Project LITE (Light Inquiry Through Experiments)
• http//lite.bu.edu/
• INSPIRE (Interactive NASA Space Physics
  Ionosphere Radio Experiment)
• http//image.gsfc.nasa.gov/poetry/inspire/
• NASA SECEF (Sun-Earth Connection Education
  Forum)
• http//sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/
• NASA Education Homepage
• http//education.nasa.gov/
• NASA Space Science Education Resource Directory
• http//teachspacescience.stsci.edu/

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NASA IDEAS GrantWe Have Always Looked Up

• Teacher Training Workshop
• Native American schools in Oklahoma
• Geography teachers!
• Curriculum development, based on National and
  State Education Standards
• Virtually non-existent in Astronomy
• Therefore ... creative integration of astronomy
  data and images into curriculum creative
  matching of astronomy principles to other
  education standards
• Geography standards-based example
• Where is it located?
• What is significant about its location?
• How is its location related to locations of other
  things?
• Locate and gather information from a variety of
  sources
• Record observations about its physical
  characteristics
• Prepare maps
• Use maps to interpret spatial relationships
  between objects
• Use tables and graphs to interpret trends and
  relationships
• Use text and photos to interpret trends and
  relationships
• Interpret information obtained from
  satellite-produced images
• Make inferences draw conclusions from maps
• These standards could apply both to Geography and
  Astronomy.