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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: Hide and Seek Moon" is an engaging way for early childhood learners to experiment with some of the tools scientists use to study objects that are very, very far away, and to learn about how cultures...

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...

"Exploring the Universe: Filtered Light" demonstrates how scientists can use telescopes and other tools to capture and filter different energies of light to study the universe. Most objects in the universe are so distant from us that we can only...

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 Universe: Imagining Life" is a hands-on activity in which visitors imagine and draw an extreme environment beyond Earth, then invent a living thing that could thrive in it. They learn that NASA scientists study extremophiles on Earth to...

Welcome to your Explore Science: Earth & Space toolkit! This section contains everything you will need to begin planning and promoting your Earth & Space event. The downloadable planning and promotion guide will walk you through your event. Also included...

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 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...

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 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,...

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...

This online presentation covered strategies for finding and connecting additional NASA and Earth and space science related resources. NISE Net Earth & Space Content Expert, Lindsay Bartolone, one of the leaders behind NASAWavelength.org, guided participants through NASA'S Science Mission Directorate's...

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...

"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,...

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: 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...

"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...

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,"...

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)...

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

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...