Wonders of the Universe Courses Undergo Testing; Classes to be Offered Soon

During September and continuing into the early part of this month, the Space Foundation is testing our new Wonders of the Universe courses for pre-kindergarten through 12th grade students that will be offered in the Northrop Grumman Science Center, featuring Science On a Sphere®, beginning later this year.

Approximately 350 students from 11 Colorado schools are participating in "soft opening" sessions of the standards-based courses that use our Science On a Sphere (SOS) - one of only 85 in the world - to teach a wide variety of subjects, including science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) as well as social studies, history and government and other classroom content areas. Developed by the Space Foundation and taught by accredited Space Foundation instructors, the classes include both SOS lecture/demonstrations and hands-on learning activities. The courses, which combine SOS demonstrations with lectures and hands-on activities, are being rigorously evaluated to ensure that the content meets Colorado and national education standards and that teaching methods are effective.

SOS, the centerpiece of the Northrop Grumman Science Center, was developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The world's first dynamic spherical movie screen, SOS uses special software, satellite imagery and four projectors to render images onto the global surface that provide dramatic views of the Earth, Sun, moons and planets in space.

The classes will be available to individual classroom teachers, school districts and other educational institutions, including public and private schools, colleges and universities offering education curriculum; and home school organizations. Lab fees are variable, depending upon the complexity of the program, location and number of students involved.

For information about scheduling a Wonders of the Universe class at the Northrop Grumman Science Center, email [email protected].

Pictured, above, Space Foundation Education Specialist Amy Robinson talks with one of the students involved in the "soft opening."

This article is part of Space Watch: October 2012 (Volume: 11, Issue: 10).