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The Swift Education and Public Outreach Program

The Swift Education and Public Outreach Program. Philip Plait Sonoma State University. July 21, 2003. Program Overview. Swift E/PO Web site Printed materials Teacher’s activity booklets, posters, model Educator training Conferences, workshops Materials distributed

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The Swift Education and Public Outreach Program

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  1. The Swift Education and Public Outreach Program Philip Plait Sonoma State University July 21, 2003

  2. Program Overview • Swift E/PO Web site • Printed materials • Teacher’s activity booklets, posters, model • Educator training • Conferences, workshops • Materials distributed • Educator Ambassadors • Informal Education • What’s in the News? (PSU) • Swift High School • Program Evaluation • Future Plans • Prelaunch  launch • Postlaunch • T-shirts • Program Evaluation

  3. The SSU NASA E/PO GROUP Tim Graves Aurore Simonnet Phil Plait Lynn Cominsky Sarah Silva

  4. Major E/PO Projects

  5. Swift E/PO Website New addition: Cards from students at Arthur Slade school after PI Neil Gehrels’ visit • E/PO Program • News updates • About Swift • EA news • Materials http://swift.sonoma.edu

  6. Completed: GEMS Guide

  7. Completed: Newton’s Laws

  8. In Progress: Gamma-Ray Burst Educator’s Guide • Aligned with mathematics/science standards • First and second activities already • classroom tested

  9. GRB Guide (2) • Activities 3 & 4 being developed • GRB distribution on sky: students will compare real BATSE distribution with simulated distributions • Beaming of energy • We encourage suggestions

  10. In Progress: Swift Paper Model • Designed by Monica Sperandio • English version adapted by • Aurore Simonnet et al. • Booklet with parts printed • directly on paper • Designed for informal education, • but conforms to standards • Available ~September • OSS Voyages article submitted

  11. The Swift/GLAST Booth

  12. Reaching teachers (Past) • Swift/GLAST booth at: • AAS (Seattle) (1/03) • AAPT (Austin) (1/03) • HEAD (Quebec) (3/03) • NCN/AAPT (SSU) (4/03) • AAS (Nashville) (5/03) • GEMS presented at AAPT by Tim Graves and Sarah Silva • PSU teacher workshops: • 7/21-25 “Galaxies and Cosmology” • 7/28 – 8/01 “Space-based Astronomy” w/tour of Swift operations

  13. Reaching teachers (Future) 2003 October: CSTA, Long Beach, CA GEMS guide, GRB activity #1, booth December: NSTA Regional (West), Reno, NV GRB activities 2004 March: ITEA, Albuquerque NM, GTN April: NSTA, Atlanta, GA GRB activities, GEMS July: AAPT, Sacramento, CA GRB activities (?), booth

  14. Materials Distributed (since 11/02) • 575 Newton's Laws Posters • 580 Slinkies • 166 Waves Light Up the Universe booklets+ “Spin A Spectrum” • 166 kits with “Spin A Spectrum” • 164 “Powers of 10” booklets • 317 “Powers of 10” card decks • 304 GEMS Guides • 1000 Swift mousepads (1000 more ordered!)

  15. Educator Ambassadors (1) Rob Sparks • February 6, 2003Milwaukee Area Physics Sharing (MAPS), Milwaukee, WI • March 9, 2003 • "Seeing the universe in a Different Light"Wisconsin Society of Science Teachers (WSST) 2003 convention. • April 5, 2003 "Bringing Modern Astronomy Into the Classroom"AAPT-Spring Meeting, Florida • May 3, 2003 • "Swift and SEU Missions in Education" North Central Region of the Astronomical League Annual Convention, WI • September 12, 2003 • "Swift : Catching Gamma Ray Bursts on the Fly" Skokie Valley Astronomy Club, WI

  16. Educator Ambassadors (2) April 5, 2003 "NASA's Swift Mission and Gamma Ray Astronomy" National Congress on Aviation and Space Education, Cincinnati, OH April 29, 2003 "Space Mysteries Demonstration"Northern Kentucky University, Highland Heights, KY Estimated ~ 50 Earth/Space science teachers June 11-13, 20032003 Astrophysics WorkshopMorehead State University, Morehead, KY July 27, 2003 Space and Astronomy Workshop Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, Kentucky November 12, 2003 “Using the EM Spectrum to Teach About Space"NSTA Regional Convention, Kansas City, MO Rae McEntyre

  17. Educator Ambassadors (3) Dave Beiers April 15, 2003 “Invisible Universe"Rockhurst University, Kansas City, MO May 23, 2003"Invisible Universe"Rockhurst University, Kansas City, MO October 19, 2003NASA Science & the Electromagnetic SpectrumMOREnet, Missouri Educational Technology Conference November 13, 2003 Imagine That! Discrepant Events & Mental FlossNSTA Regional Convention, Kansas City, MO December 3, 2003 "The Invisible Universe"Rockhurst University, Kansas City, MO February 23, 2004 GEMS Brings the Electromagnetic Spectrum to Life Missouri INTERFACE Science-Math Annual Conference

  18. Educator Ambassadors (4) • More to come! • New round of EA applications has started, • with ~40 already submitted • 10 more EAs will be chosen; 5 GLAST and the other • five to be distributed among other missions

  19. Welcome to the home of SWIFT at Keystone Oaks High School. “Swift” High School http://www.kosd.org/~swift • Contains Swift news, updates (old ones), etc. • However, we have no official interaction with them

  20. WITN • For FY03, 3 short pieces focus on GRBs, including a “News • Summary” about Swift and • GRB 030329 • 15 minute piece on how stars live and die, tying in SNe with GRBs via black hole • Topics for FY 04 TBD

  21. Program Evaluation • WestEd • Will assist in formative evaluation of classroom materials, especially Newton’s Laws and GRB activities • Assessed GEMS workshop at AAPT national meeting • Will evaluate planning for Swift launch outreach

  22. Status of Near-Future Plans • Field testing of classroom materials continues • Increased scientific review and error correction of existing materials • Increased involvement of Swift team scientists • Improved coordination with GLAST E/PO and EA programs, including participation in the GTN (C J Rodkey gave presentation at AAVSO, paid bySwift/GSFC) More help still needed!

  23. In Progress: Swift and the GLAST Telescope Network • GTN: A network of robotic telescopes to monitor AGN • Can be interrupted for timely observations, so…. • Why not do GRBs? • GRBs have been added to target list – timing issues under study • Leuschner IR observatory for GRBs in progress • XMM-Newton may also participate to observe polars

  24. Swift Launch Launch set for January 14, 2004 Wanna go? Let us know NOW

  25. Preliminary Launch Plans • GRB Educator’s Guide available • New Swift poster with GRB activity on back • Public outreach program that focuses on launch (something with Keystone Oaks?) • Swift model booklet available • Swift launch filmed for PBS Nova show by Tom Lucas (in conjunction with GLAST) • More workshops, presentations at meetings • T-shirts! • Of course, website updates

  26. Swift T-Shirts • Commemorate launch • Made at cost • T-shirts ($15 – 20) • Polo shirts (~$30, can be embroidered) • Your input welcome!

  27. Post Launch Plans • GRB Lottery • Revamp old activities as per • Knappenberger report • Black hole introduction and FAQ • Articles about Swift for magazines • More? Got any ideas? HELLLLPPP!

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