RBSE Workshop in Summer 2000

Suzanne Jacoby

The Use of Astronomy in Research Based Science Education (RBSE) is a Teacher Enhancement Program funded by the National Science Foundation. It is a four-week summer workshop for middle and high school teachers interested in incorporating astronomy research within their science classes. The fourth annual workshop takes place in Tucson from July 9th through August 4th.

Sixteen teachers have been accepted into the Summer 2000 RBSE program. We are now recruiting sixteen mentors for the RBSE 2000 teachers. Mentors are astronomers or graduate students who are willing to spend a few hours a month helping RBSE teachers during the following year implement the program in their local classroom. We expect that mentors will not step far from their role as research scientists in this capacity. Typical duties might include providing help in downloading data sets, insight into additional research topics from the preselected data sets, interpretation of findings, and assistance in publishing results. If you are interested in being a mentor, please contact Suzanne Jacoby (sjacoby@noao.edu) or Travis Rector (trector@noao.edu) for more information.

Caption: Students in Georgia Using the RBSE solar telescope.

Mentors are needed for these sixteen RBSE 2000 participants: Robert Groover, Bordentown Regional High School, Bordentown, NJ Jim Hoffman, Franklin Central High School, Indianapolis, IN Margaret Holzer, Chatham High School, Chatham, NJ Walter Glogowski, Ridgewood High School, Norridge, IL Carl Katsu, Fairfield High School, Fairfield, PA Kate Meredith, Sturgeon Bay High School, Sturgeon Bay, WI Andy Miller, Cummings Middle School, Brownsville, TX Helen Peyton, St. Bernard School, Omaha, NE Edward Roberts, Pottsville High School, Pottsville, AR Theresa Roelofsen, Bassick High School, Bridgeport, CT Melynda Thomas, Morrilton Junior High School, Morrilton, AR Richard Spitzer, Round Valley High School, Springerville, AZ Linda Stefaniak, Allentown High School, Allentown, NJ Amy Stoyles, King Middle School, Bradenton, FL Kaye Sullivan, Staples High School, Westport, CT Tracy Scott, Ellington High School, Ellington, CT

The summer of 2000 marks the final workshop of the original RBSE grant. Efforts are underway to secure continuing funding for the project. We anticipate RBSE changing in some ways as well, consistent with feedback from our external evaluator. The in-residence portion of the workshop will go from four to two weeks, with additional program hours taking place in an online distance learning course and follow-up at national teacher meetings. Participants will choose between solar astronomy or nighttime astronomy, rather than having to learn about all three RBSE research areas as they do now. If all goes well, the refined RBSE program will premiere in the summer of 2001.

Caption: Science fair projects in Dallas, TX using NOAO/RBSE data.