Using NVO and LSST Data in the Classroom

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Using NVO and LSST Data in the Classroom

• Kirk D. Borne

George Mason University and QSS Group
Inc. kborne_at_gmu.edu or kirk.borne_at_gsfc.nasa.go
v http//rings.gsfc.nasa.gov/borne/astrodata/
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The Data Flood is Everywhere

• Huge quantities of data are being generated in
  all business, government, and research domains
• Banking, retail, marketing, telecommunications,
  other business transactions ...
• Scientific data genomics, astronomy, biology,
  etc.
• Web, text, and e-commerce

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Data-Information-Knowledge-Wisdom

• T.S. Eliot (1934)
• Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge?
• Where is the knowledge we have lost in
  information?

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Education Opportunities

• K-12 ... Understanding patterns, relationships,
  and principles
• College ... Non-Astronomy opportunities
• Computer Science and I.T.
• Database and Information Systems
• Example
• Collaboration with UMES (Univ. Maryland at
  Eastern Shore)
• Students in undergraduate Data Mining class
• Apply data mining and database techniques to
  astronomy data
• Development of new programs for student-led
  exploration of future data sets, such as KEPLER
  mission data (multiple photometric observations
  of 100,000 stars, to search for planetary
  transits)
• Collaboration with UMBC (Univ. Maryland at
  Baltimore County)
• Graduate students in Computer Science and
  Information Systems
• Develop new algorithms for distributed data
  mining
• Apply algorithms to NVO-based data
• Additional applications Homeland Security, Earth
  Observing Systems, ...

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NOAO Deep Wide-Field Survey http//www.noao.edu/n
oao/noaodeep/
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NOAO Deep Wide-Field Survey http//www.noao.edu/n
oao/noaodeep/
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NOAO Deep Wide-Field Survey http//www.noao.edu/n
oao/noaodeep/
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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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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.

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USING DATA IN THECLASSROOM

• http//serc.carleton.edu/usingdata/
• http//www.google.com/search?qUsingDataintheC
  lassroom
• NVO provides transparent access to multiple
  data sets
• LSST will provide access to data from transient
  Universe