Vera Rubin Workshop at Fish Lake
Survey the Solar System with the Rubin Observatory
Saturday Aug 27, 2022 11:30 am- 3:30 pm
EMU’s Fish Lake Environmental Education Center, Lapeer, Michigan
How are you going to teach about the Solar System this year? Rubin Observatory has developed a suite of classroom-tested online investigations that incorporate a unique combination of data-representations and analysis tasks to guide learners’ exploration of authentic astronomy data. The investigations are designed for novice learners from advanced middle school through the introductory college level and cover topics commonly taught in introductory astronomy classes or units. They are designed to be completed in less than two hours, and require no materials other than a computer with access to the internet. Each free investigation comes with a teacher guide, formative and summative assessments, and NGSS support (phenomenon, rubrics, etc.). The investigations can be done in an asynchronous setting, but are most effective when students can collaborate and discuss their work and ideas.
Participants in this workshop will use interactive tools to explore orbital characteristics of a variety of small bodies in the Solar System, which are used to enhance students’ data analysis and evidence-based reasoning abilities, and their understanding of Kepler’s Laws, Newton’s Laws, gravity, and the formation of the Solar System. There will also be time to discuss ideas with colleagues for how to successfully integrate this lesson into their classroom.
Please bring a laptop computer to the workshop.
Workshop Presenter: Ardis Herrold (Vera C. Rubin Observatory)
REGISTRATIONThe total cost of the workshop, including lunch, is $15.00. Participants must register via this link, VERA RUBIN WORKSHOP , by August 26, 2022. A total of 15 participants will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. NOTE: Eastern Michigan University policy requires vaccinations and status report to stay overnight at Fish Lake, if you choose to do so. A small group of astronomers will be observing on site Saturday evening, weather permitting. A separate registration is available for that portion of your visit.
Workshop Schedule
11:30 am - noon: Check-in, network connection, introductions
Noon - 12:30: Lunch
12:30 - 3:30: Main workshop, with wrap-up.
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory, previously referred to as the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, is an astronomical observatory currently under construction in Chile. Its main task will be carrying out a synoptic astronomical survey, the Legacy Survey of Space and Time. It will be a premier instrument for data collection in the next decade and beyond. This is an opportunity to learn about this phenominal instrument and its mission.
The Fish Lake Environmental Center, 90 miles from EMU's main campus, is nestled within 240 acres of fields, woodlands and wetlands. It's adjacent to the 5,070-acre Lapeer State Game Area and provides an extraordinary diversity of ecological communities and habitats characteristic of southern and central Michigan. The site is used for astronomy observing and is stocked with a variety of telescopes for this purpose. Get a chance to learn in one of EMU's most unique educational environments.
Enter Fish Lake Environment Education, 2816 Fish Lake Rd, Lapeer, MI 48446 into your GPS device or map app to get directions to the center.