S.O.S. @ Nauticus

1
S.O.S. _at_ Nauticus

• Presented by
• Peter Leighton
• Education Specialist

2
Setup and Location

• Currently, the sphere is in a temporary
  location.
• We are in the process of constructing a dedicated
  theatre for the sphere

3
How We Use our Sphere

• We run public sphere programs every day at 1130,
  130 and 330.
• All presentations are run by one of our
  educators.
• We do have a auto-run play list running between
  shows
• We also show the Footprints movie between
  programs.

4
Staff Training Procedures

• We start with a detailed walk through of all
  sphere systems.
• They are given a training packet with all the
  bare bones information that they need to know.
• The staff person then watches a show by an
  experienced presenter.
• We give the educator a week to learn the basics
  from their training packet.
• They are then given a written test based on the
  packet.
• Finally, they are evaluated while doing a public
  program.

5
Our 4 Food Groups of Programs

• I have divided the sphere curriculum into 4
  separate groups biology, geology, geography,
  and weather.
• Each group has its own play list on the main
  computer.
• There are also scripts that go along with each
  group. These scripts contain facts about each
  data set found in the play list.

6
Our Unique Data Sets

• Great white shark and sea turtle migration
  routes.
• Real-time ocean temperature and weather.
• Day-night terminator.
• GOES satellite location and coverage.
• Real-time earthquake activity. (7 day loop)

7
Guest Interaction/Interfacing

• During our public programs, guests can ask to see
  anything on the sphere.
• Between public programs, there are 5 data sets
  playing on auto run. We have signs as well as a
  plasma screen that show information which
  corresponds with each data set.

8
Partnerships

• NOAA. They provide exhibits, education resources
  and without them, we would not have Science on a
  Sphere.
• Hampton University. Their grad students use our
  sphere to do programs for Portsmouth City Public
  Schools for grades 6-8.
• University of Wisconsin. Rick Kohrs is
  responsible for programming our custom data sets
  for our sphere.

9
School Programs

• Part of the Norfolk Public Schools 6th grade
  field trip.(6,000 students per year)
• Used for boy/girl scout weather badge workshops.
• Seen by almost every school group that visits
  Nauticus.(25,000 students per year)

10
Whats Next for our Sphere?

• Fall of 08, we will be building a brand new
  theatre for our sphere.
• We are also creating interactive tabletop science
  activities that go along with the data sets we
  are presenting.