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Volunteer experts are a key ingredient to many successful public engagement efforts. Volunteer networks focused on astronomy and space include: 1) Solar System Ambassadors Program, 2) Night Sky Network of astronomy clubs, and 3) AAS Astronomy Ambassadors 1) The Solar...

This online presentation and discussion covered the science behind three of the 2017 Explore Science: Earth & Space toolkit activities - Rising Seas, Investigating Clouds, and Orbiting Objects. After a brief overview of each activity and associated materials, Laura Peticolas,...

"Exploring the Solar System: Craters" is an active, hands-on activity that demonstrates how craters form, and what they can teach us about the history and composition of planets and moons. By dropping objects of various sizes and shapes into a...

Ideas for incorporating current science, engineering, and technology content into holidays, seasons, annual events, and special events: from STEM-themed events like National Chemistry Week and Astronomy Day to holidays like Halloween and Valentine's Day!

It can be challenging to know what ideas and experiences learners already have when they visit an informal education venue. What facilitation approaches will help them build productive and deep conceptual learning about Earth and space science? When educators anticipate...

In "Exploring the Universe: Exoplanet Transits," participants simulate one of the methods scientists use to discover planets orbiting distant stars. Even when a planet is too far away to observe directly, scientists can infer its presence by watching for slight,...

With the August 21st total solar eclipse just around the corner, a high-quality online stream of this rare event can add content and context for your visitors. Robyn Higdon from the Exploratorium, with help from Frank Kusiak at the Lawrence...

"Exploring the Solar System: Solar Eclipse" is a hands-on activity demonstrating how the particular alignment of the Sun, Earth, and Moon can cause an eclipse. Visitors investigate the positions of these objects to create shadows and learn about the total...

Space telescopes can offer us better, clearer views of the universe (and of our own planet) than Earth-based telescopes can, but getting these large, delicate pieces of equipment into orbit is tricky. In "Exploring the Universe: Pack a Space Telescope,"...

Amateur astronomers, research scientists, and other experts, are often enthusiastic volunteers and eager to share their excitement for astronomy with the public. In this workshop, presenters shared info on how to find local experts and effectively collaborate with them to...

"Exploring Earth: Paper Mountains" lets participants explore the way the shape of the land and the pull of gravity influence how water moves over Earth. By making unique mountain models from crumpled paper and watching how water moves across them,...

Included here are digital copies of promotional materials for your Explore Science: Earth & Space toolkit. In addition to ready-to-print materials, you will find design files and images for customizing existing materials or creating your own! For customizable materials, be...

In "Exploring the Solar System: Stomp Rockets," participants learn about how some rockets carry science tools—not scientists—into space, and how a special kind of rocket called "sounding rockets" can be used for quick, low-flying scientific missions into space. Participants will...

This online workshop provided an overview of the hands-on STEM activities in the Explore Science: Earth and Space toolkit, tips for using training materials and forming local collaborations, and suggestions for marketing your events and programs. Presenters in this workshop...

"Exploring the Solar System: Big Sun, Small Moon" is a hands-on activity that explores the concept of apparent size and allows visitors to experience this phenomena using familiar objects—a tennis ball and a beach ball. Participants learn that the Sun...

"Exploring Nano & Society - Space Elevator" is a open-ended conversational experience in which visitors imagine and draw what a space elevator might look like, what support systems would surround it, and what other technologies it might enable. Conversation around...

Planning for the August 21st, 2017 Total Solar Eclipse? This recorded online presentation and discussion covers the science behind the 2017 total solar eclipse that will cross the continental United States from Oregon to South Carolina, and provides suggestions for...

This is a simple reference sheet, offering basic tips for leading the hands-on activities in your toolkit. It includes suggestions for engaging and encouraging visitors, as well as for handling difficult concepts and misconceptions. PDF and DOC formats included.

In "Exploring the Solar System: Mars Rovers," participants learn about how scientists and engineers use robotic rovers and other vehicles to explore distant worlds, and experience some of the challenges and teamwork required to navigate a rover across the surface...

"Exploring the Solar System: Pocket Solar System" is a hands-on activity in which visitors make a scale model of the distances between objects in our solar system. They learn that there is a lot of space between planets, and that...

Sun, Earth, Universe exhibition is an engaging and interactive museum exhibition about Earth and space science for family audiences. The Sun, Earth, Universe exhibition is intended for long-term display in museums across the United States, where it will engage millions...

Visitors bring different experiences and knowledge to the activity table, which sometimes helps and sometimes adds confusion to their learning. In this online workshop, participants learned how to identify common patterns of thinking (including misconceptions, preconceived notions and vernacular issues)...

These pinhole projector eclipse postcards allow you to safely observe the North American Total Solar Eclipse on August 21, 2017. The two sided postcard features a map of the contiguous US and what percentage of the eclipse you’ll see at...

This slideshow presentation (with accompanying notes) acts as a quick overview of your Explore Science: Earth & Space toolkit and the individual activities contained within.

The "Exploring the Solar System: Magnetic Fields" activity shows participants how scientists can use tools to study the invisible magnetic fields of Earth, the Sun, and other objects in the universe. Participants can see how the Sun's magnetic field extends...