United States

Alaska-JPL-The Aurora Borealis And Other Artic Phenomena During The Solar Maximum: Course #40
http://www.engr.pitt.edu/chautauqua/cal.html

Alaska is ideally situated in the auroral belt, which should afford excellent viewing conditions of the spectacular displays in the night sky especially during this solar maximum period. The course will be composed of lectures at the university and visits to laboratories and field research sites. Lectures will cover current knowledge about the aurora and other electromagnetic phenomena associated with it. Visits will be made to the Trans Alaska Pipeline with discussions on the effect of currents on the pipeline. A visit will be made to the Poker Flat Rocket Range, which supports high altitude research on the aurora. Permafrost is characteristic of this Arctic landscape. Visits will be made to local sites to illustrate the effect of ground ice on structures followed by a visit to the U.S. Army/CRREL-University of Alaska permafrost tunnel, which will afford a first hand view of frozen ground and ice wedges from the "inside" including the bones of animals incorporated in the ice tens of thousands of years ago.

Prerequisites: For college teachers of: undergraduate science, math and technology courses and graduate students in the sciences interested in an eventual teaching career. Secondary Teachers will be allowed to take the course on a space available basis.

Alabama
Marshall Space Flight Center
Teachers will be trained during a series of workshops prior to Sun-Earth Day. The following activities will aid teachers as they share the science of the Sun with students on ÊSun-Earth Day: How to Build a Spectroscope- January 29 from 9-12 and February 12 from 9-12 p.m.
UV Beads: To Tan or Not to Tan- February 5 from 9-12 and February 26 from 9-12 p.m.

In celebration of the Equinox and National Sun-Earth Connection Awareness Day, the Marshall Space Flight Center ERC in collaboration with NSSTC and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority (Birmingham Alumnae Chapter) sponsored a Sun-Earth Day Event on Saturday, March 16, 2002. Delta Sigma Theta Sorority brought 20 Birmingham City Schools' girls in grades 6, 7, and 8 to the MSFC Educator Resource Center. NASA Astrophysicist Mitzi Adams conducted a workshop with the girls and their advisors. Following a discussion about the sun-earth connection, the girls made sun dials which they took outside and in between clouds, were able to tell time. The girls were also instructed to build a spectroscope. Using spectroscopes, colors of light from fluorescent sources were observed.

California- Chabot Science Center

We will be celebrating the Equinox this year by taking part in the 2nd annual Sun-Earth Day, a national event supported by NASA's Sun-Earth Connection Education Forum. Sun-Earth Day was created to raise public and student awareness of our Sun and the important role it has in supporting life on Earth. Celebrated on the Vernal Equinox, this year's theme is the Native American Connection. Activities and events will take place from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm.

Activities planned at Chabot:
* Solar viewing with telescopes and a staff astronomer.
* Activities and outreach hand-outs table, with additional solar viewers.
* Special showing of the IMAX film Solarmax.
* Web-based solar investigation activities in computer lab.
* Viewing of NASA Sun-Earth Day webcast.
* Sun-crafts for young children.
* Roving solar scientist.
* Native American storyteller.

California - Pasadena JPL

The Ulysses Project will host 60 students from Eliot Middle School. Students from Ms. Hoskins 8th grade sceince class will be operating the Telescope on Mount Wilson from JPL with the assistance of Gil Clark and Steve Golden of the Telescopes in Education (TIE) http://tie.jpl.nasa.gov Project. The students will view the webcast at JPL also.

District of Columbia

Howard University Astronomical Observatory, part of the Telescopes In Education telescope network, will host 10 students and two teachers from Thomas Jefferson High School during Sun Earth Day. The students will operate the observatory's solar telescope and watch the webcast in real time. Two of these students will be using the TIE robotic telescopes to fullfil requirements for the school's senior astronomy research program.

Florida, Ft. Myers
Florida Gulf Coast University
On February 22nd we will go to Gateway Elementary School in Ft. Myers, for an entire day (9:00am-3:00pm) for solar viewing and some hands on demos dealing with the Sun-Earth connection. Our telescopes are equipped with white light and hydrogen-alpha filters.

During the official Sun-Earth Day:

We plan to set up our telescopes (again equipped with white light and H-alpha filters) and posters, in one of the busy Plaza's here on campus. This way we will capture the interest of many students, and get them involved in discussions about the Sun-Earth connection. Both my physics and astronomy classes meet this day, and we will focus during class on this event.

We sponsoring an event at a school at the Seminole Indian Reservation (March 21st). Anthropology Professors, Dr. Susan Stans and Michael Fauerbach, Ph.D.College of Arts and Sciences will work together teaching a class on South-Eastern Native Americans, and the observing of the Sun through story telling associated with the Native Americans view of the sky and actual observations.

Maryland - Baltimore
Maryland Science Center
The Maryland Science Center will offer special activities and a viewing of the web cast form 1-3 on march 20th for the general public.

Students from Francis Scott Key Middle School will participate in special activities lead by Sun- Earth Scientists and Education Specialists on March 20th prior to the web cast. The students have been working on the activity and will view their own results on the website and during the web cast.

Maryland - Goddard Space Flight Center
The Educator Resource Center at Goddard Space Flight Center will conduct teacher training sessions using the Sun Earth Day Educator Kits and the Sun Earth Day website. The sessions are open to local school districts who are invited to join in the live broadcast celebrating the Equinox for Sun Earth Day 2002 on March 20th.
GSFC ERC-Andre Cook

The Goddard Space Flight Center Visitors Center and Educators Resource Center will host an entire day of activities and guest speakers for Sun-Earth Day. Local Native American students and students from local public school systems will participate with scientists to hear about the newest Sun Earth Connection Missions, ask questions and work on some fun hands on activities. Charles Olin, President of the Analemma Society will present his "Ten Little Sticks Equinox Activity"and Carolyn Ng of the Sun-Earth Connection Education Forum will help the students create an edible model of the Sun. The students will then participate in the live web cast over NASA TV.

Maryland - Laurel
Company Seven - Public Outreach Event
http://www.company7.com/c7news.html

Mississippi-Stennis Space Center
Once again, we are delighted to support Sun-Earth Day! We at Stennis are planning to hold a total of three educator workshops. One workshop will focus on grades 2-5, we've borrowed the title Living With A Star. The other two workshops (one held via distance education) will focus on grades 5-8, we've borrowed the title Sun-Earth Connections. The educators who attend the workshop will be invited to celebrate Sun-Earth Day here at Stennis. We are planning on incorporating presentations by astronomers, learning centers, and participation in the Sun-Earth Day webcast.

January 28, 2002: "Living with a Star" Elementary (k-4) Educator Workshop
February 1, 2002: "Sun-Earth Connection" Middle School (5-8) Educator Workshop
Feb. 28-March 1, 2002: "Sun-Earth Connection" Distance Education Workshop with Hattiesburg Public Schools (grade 5-8 teachers)

March 20, 2002:

We will be celebrating Sun-Earth Day on-site here at Stennis Space Center.Teachers who attended our preparatory workshops will be eligible to bring their class (up to 25 students per educator) to participate in learning centers that will focus on the following topics:

* Aurorae
* Infrared radiation
* Native American Storytelling (A storyteller from the Mississippi
Band of Choctaw Indians) * Solar observing telescopes
* Ultraviolet Radiation (UV Beads)
* Special viewing of "The Mysteries of Chaco Canyon" for middle grades

At 12:00 pm. we'll tune in to NASA TV for the webcast in the visitor's center auditorium.

So far we have nine educators and more than 200 students who will be participating in this event.

New Hampshire-Christa McAuliffe Planetarium
The Christa McAuliffe Planetarium will conduct a workshop on February 12- Living with a Star. On March 20 the Spring Equinox Program will be offered at the museum with the New Hampshire Audubon Society. Partnerships will be established with local Astronomy Clubs and Space Grant.
Christa McAuliffe Planetarium- Malcolm Cameron

Pennsylvania
Students in grades 4 and 5 at Dormont, Aiken, and Castle Shannon Elementary Schools will be using the TIMED Mission to make their own discoveries about the Sun. Scientists and Education specialists who work on TIMED will visit the schools on sun- Earth Day and share the science with hands-on activities. The students will learn about the structure of the Sun, sunspots and flares. They will interact with NASA engineers and mission personnel over the internet.
CSLP participants- CJ Rodkey

Pennsylvania - Reading
A series of workshops will be held on Planetary and Solar Energy.
Dennis Christopher-AESP NASA Goddard
http://aesp.nasa.okstate.edu/pari/pensyl/pensyl.html
Dr. Grace Cisek-Pittsburg Public Schools

Pennsylvania, Reading
Performance Assessments for Mathematics and Science (PAMS)

Berks County Intermediate Unit in conjunction with surrounding Reading, PA schools has designed a program to immerse teams of pre-service and inservice teachers in content through the use of NASA products and interactions with research scientists during the course work an to provide support during the implementation process. PAMS has chosen SECEF as one of the topics they are integrating into local curriculum and therefore Sun-Earth Day is a natural fit. 40 educators will be trained using the SEC materials.

Rhode Island -
Workshop for educators during the week of February 5.
Dennis Christopher
http://aesp.nasa.okstate.edu/pari/riweb/riweb.html

South Dakota
March 22-23,2002
Day 1- Learning Bundle for the Classroom- Wapahgta workshop to be held Friday 8:30-5:30
Day 2 - Lakota Community activity- Hike to the Summit of Harney Peak in the Black Hills

Texas - El Paso
Insights Science Museum in El Paso
1 March- Evening Reception for Journalists/Advance signing of Storms of the Sun, by Doctor Ramon Lopez
2 March- Two half day workshops for educators; Family Science Night
11 March- Hands-On Learning with Students Area school students will come to Insights for hands-on learning activities facilitated by teachers who attended the workshops. A camera crew will video tape what happens for inclusion during the SEd webcast on March 20th.
20 March- The web cast from NASA AMES for Sun-Earth Day will be projected through NASA TV by museum visitors and viewing within the Soccoro schools.

Virginia, Hampton - Langley Research Center
Contact Lin Chambers
http://asd-www.larc.nasa.gov/SCOOL/sun-earth_seasons.html

The S'COOL Project will be providing students an opportunity to study this question, What is the effect of latitude on the Sun's angle of elevation? in conjunction with Sun-Earth Day, March 20, 2002. The S'COOL Team is offering this activity as an opportunity for students to be involved in this global experiment during the week of March 18-22, 2002.

What is involved?
Students will make a measurement of the sun's angle at (solar) noon once during this week and submit their data on-line for students to examine the sun's angle at different latitudes. We are excited to offer this collaborative experiment as an opportunity to learn more about the relationship and interaction between the sun and the earth. Check out our other seasonal data sets over the past year too. This real student data would be great to refer to when investigating the seasons around the globe.ÊÊ

Please check out the Sun's Elevation Activity at http://asd-www.larc.nasa.gov/SCOOL/sun-earth.html

In order for this experiment to be effective we would like to make sure we have at least one reading from each 10 degree range of latitudes North to South. Please plan on making an observation from your location if possible.

We would appreciate your participation in this special project. This is a web based activity, access to the Internet will be necessary to submit your measurement.

We are excited about offering this event again this year.

Virginia, Farifax
Sandburg Center For Sky Awareness
A Fairfax County Public Schools Planetarium
Walter Sanford, Director
Carl Sandburg Middle School
http://www.wsanford.com/~wsanford/exo.html

Virginia- Wallops Flight Facility March 20: Sun - Earth Day celebration
2002 will mark the second year this nation wide celebration is held. School and educational groups are invited to attend special presentations and activities as listed below.

Sun, Earth and Seasons, K - 3rd grade
The presentation gives an introduction to the relationship between the Earth and the Sun, specifically the day-night cycle and seasons. Students participate in an activity using a solar cooker (weather permitting). Program length: approximately 1 hr.

Sun, Earth and Seasons, 4th - 6th grade
Seasons, equinoxes, solstices, and the interrelationships between the Earth and Sun are discussed. A brief introduction to sunspots, solar wind, and the aurora are included. Students make sundials to be able to tell solar time. Program length: approximately 1.5 hrs.

To schedule a program for your class, please contact the NASA Visitor Center at NASA GSFC/Wallops Flight Facility. Phone: (757) 824 - 2298.

FREE Educator Resource packets with information about the Sun are available for participating educators.

Saturday, March 23: Sun - Earth Day celebration
Events on March 23rd are open to the public. No reservations are required.

11 a.m. -- "Sun, Earth and Seasons", Kindergarten - 3rd grade.
The presentation gives an introduction to the relationship between the Earth and the Sun, specifically the day-night cycle and seasons. Children participate in an activity using a solar cooker (weather permitting). Program length: approximately 1 hr.

1 p.m. -- "Sun, Earth and Seasons", 4th - 6th grade
Seasons, equinoxes, solstices, and the interrelationships between the Earth and Sun are discussed. A brief introduction to sunspots, solar wind, and the aurora are included. Participants make sundials to tell solar time. Program length: approximately 1.5 hrs.

Visit our website at: http://www.wff.nasa.gov/vc/