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Goals and Summary of the THEMIS E/PO Project:
The THEMIS mission will determine the onset time and location of
magnetic substorms in Earth's space environment, a prerequisite
to understanding space weather. THEMIS will also determine what
mechanisms cause the explosive nature of auroral substorm onset.
The THEMIS team, recognizing our country's need for improved mathematics,
science, and technology education (TIMSS 2000 www.timss.org),
proposes a nationwide partnership with science centers, K-12 educators,
professional science organizations, and mission scientists to implement
a comprehensive education and public outreach program.
Our main goals for such a program are to:
- share THEMIS discoveries with teachers,
students, and the general public using, in part, magnetometers
that are placed in schools around the country and on the internet
via an E/PO web page,
- develop high quality lesson plans,
THEMIS magnetometer instruction manuals, and a ViewSpace museum/science center show
that meet the National Science Education Standards (NSES),
- share THEMIS science in the context
of other NASA missions such as IMAGE, FAST, STEREO, and RHESSI,
- motivate scientists involvement
in E/PO,
- use existing infrastructure in order
to leverage THEMIS E/PO activities and to avoid duplication of
effort,
- partner with Tribal Colleges and
the Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans
in Science (SACNAS) in order to reach minority and underserved
groups, and
- provide teachers around the country
professional development opportunities.
We plan to meet these goals using five main
projects:
- the Geomagnetic Event Observation Network
by Students (GEONS) in which 10 magnetometers are placed in 10
schools across the country
to receive data from the mission and to teach about Earth's
magnetic field and its changes that are related to auroral substorm
activity,
- launching of a new Lawrence Hall of Science
(LHS) Great Explorations in Math and Science (GEMS) site in Nevada,
- creation and update of a Space Science Institute ViewSpace show, using THEMIS discoveries,
- development and maintenance of a THEMIS E/PO web, and
- provide professional development to teachers
with a focus on the Tribal and SACNAS communities.
In order to ensure that our goals are being met by our activities,
all activities will be assessed and evaluated by Cornerstone Evaluation
Associates. And our products will be disseminated through a wide
range of national networks.
The THEMIS E/PO plan benefits from SEGway's successful E/PO
models on RHESSI, STEREO/IMPACT, and CHIPS. This plan embodies proven
E/PO practices of diversification and efficient strategies in reaching
underserved populations, in direct confluence with the guidelines
of NASA OSS "Partners in Education and Implementation Strategy." The
project devotes 1.5-2% of its budget (excluding launch) to E/PO and
E/PO-related activities over five years. This support allows a mature
E/PO team to reach its goals through its planned activities as outlined
above. |
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