voyage a celebration of what we know about our place in space … and that we can know it. national...

Voyage A celebration of what we know about our place in space … and that we can know it.

National Center for Earth and Space Science Education

Space Center Houston

National Mall, Washington, DC

The Voyage Exhibition at Space Center Houston

On the Web: http://voyagesolarsystem.org

Contact: Dr. Jeff Goldstein, Program Director, Voyage National Program, [email protected], 301-395-0770

Last Rev: 11/22/08

Opening Date: November 14, 2008

http://voyagesolarsystem.org/

mailto:[email protected]


Voyage National Program National Center for Earth and Space Science Education

Houston Partners and Funding Organizations• Space Center Houston, Official Visitors Center of NASA’s Johnson Space Center

• Houston Endowment• Albert and Ethel Herzstein Charitable Foundation• Wortham Foundation• Rockwell Fund

National Partners• Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service• Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum• Arthur C. Clarke Foundation• Carnegie Institution of Washington• Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory• NASA MESSENGER Spaceflight Mission to Mercury• NASA EPOXI Mission

• Exhibitology• Seaena• Winsor Fireform• Vincent Ciulla Design• D-Sign Studio• Decisive IT


Voyage National Program Click for web page

A space science education experience for an entire community–students, teachers, families, and the public–that uses the power of models to understand Earth’s place in the Solar System and the Sun’s place among the stars.

Elements:

• Permanent installation of a replica of the Voyage one to 10-billion scale model Solar Systemexhibition on the National Mall in Washington, DC:

• a seamless fusion of sculpture and science education: approved by the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts and the National Capitol Planning Commission.

• 13 to 15 anodized aluminum stanchions: with model worlds laser-sculpted in 3-D inside crystal, and full color high resolution storyboards in porcelain enamel.

• a humbling experience: the model worlds provide the true

nature of our existence. All of humanity—over 6 billion souls—lives on a tiny, fragile planet Earth, as part of the Sun’s solar system, and the Sun, our star, is but one of countless stars.

• revealing that beauty had nothing to do with size: in stark contrast to the tiny worlds, the full color storyboards provide an up close look at each world in compelling text and imagery.

• a tactile experience: the Sun, planets, and their names are also provided in tactile relief for the vision impaired.

Smithsonian Secretary Lawrence Small, National Air and Space Museum Director John Dailey, NASA Administrator Dan Goldin, and Challenger Center President Vance Ablott preside over Voyage opening ceremonies on the National Mall, October 2001.

http://voyagesolarsystem.org/program/program_default.html


Voyage National ProgramElements continued:

• Extensive suite of programs, a grade K-12 curriculum, and other resources, allowing the Voyage exhibition to be a focal point for sustainable and systemic community-wide science education.

• Standards-based grade K-12 lesson packages used before and after a tour of the exhibition, and robust

enough to be adopted by a school district as some or all of the space science curriculum. Each year, the Center trains over 1,000 educators on the Voyage lessons. Click for web page

• Customized Outdoor Exploration Guide, facilitating use of the exhibition as a laboratory for inquiry-based exploration of the Solar system.

• Through the Center’s Journey through the Universe program:

•Suite of professional development workshops for grade K-12 educators. Click for web page

•Family and public programs each for hundreds of attendees, based on award-winning programming conducted by the Center at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum for 17 years. Click for web page

•National Teams of scientists and engineers—serving as heroes and role models Click for web page

visiting thousands of students across entire school districts—one classroom at a time. Click for web page

•A commitment to assessment for all programming. Click for web page with protocols, analysis, and downloadable reports

These resources define a Learning Community Model Click for web page

for delivery of the Voyage National Program.

http://journeythroughtheuniverse.org/program_overview/po_co_voyage.html




Current Voyage Community Network

Existing Voyage Communities –Lead Institutions and Opening Dates

• Washington, DC: October 2001Smithsonian Institution, Challenger Center, NASA

• Kansas City: MO: October 2008Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation

• Houston, TX: November 2008Space Center Houston

• Corpus Christi, TX: June 2009City of Corpus Christi

Emerging Voyage Communities (site approval granted, fundraising in progress)–Lead Institutions

• Des Moines, IA: State of Iowa, John and Mary Pappajohn Foundation• Orlando, FL: University of Central Florida• Baltimore, MD: City of Baltimore, Maryland Science Center

Select Other Communities Currently Exploring Voyage Installation• Liberty State Park, NJ; Philadelphia, PA; Rochester, NY; Broken Arrow, OK; Pittsburgh, PA

Voyage National Program


StanchionDesign

Voyage Model Solar System

Neptune Stanchion in Washington, DC.

Smithsonian Castle and Washington Monument in background.

Explorers Stanchionwith celebratory medallion ring, commissioned by Kauffman Foundation for Kansas City, Missouri.

Available to all communities.

Mars Stanchion in Houston, Texas.


Storyboard Design



Sample Storyboard Text and Imagery

Stunning

Compelling

Poetic


From space, Earth's swirling white clouds reveal an often-turbulent atmosphere. The browns are landmasses, but mostly we see the blue of a planet covered with oceans of water. As nightfall sweeps westward across its face, the land begins to glow with lights—we can see ourselves.

2008 National Center for Earth and Space Science EducationEarth. Computer-generated image created using GOES-8 imagery. ARC Science Simulations. ©2000.


Laser Sculpted 3-D Model Worlds

Laser sculpting:

• allows creation of even tiny model planets and moons of highly accurate size

• places moons in their appropriate orbits and at the correct distances from their parent planets

• accurately reproduces the flattened shape of Jupiter and Saturn, and thestructure of the planetary rings

• correctly orients each planet’s spin axis in space

• even depicts the clouds and storms on Jupiter, Saturn, and Neptune

The 8 planets, and the 2 dwarf planets Pluto and Eris, together with the largest moons, are laser-sculpted in 3-D inside solid crystal block.


Photo taken in sunlight. The variation in brightness in the image

above is due to shadows cast by surrounding foliage.

Neptune and its moon Triton in crystal. Space Center

Houston, Houston, Texas.


Space Center Houston Site Map

Voyage in Houston is Unique:

Pluto’s orbit takes it farther from the Sun until the year 2113. Pluto’s stanchion marks where it was on the day the exhibition opened.


Some initial feedback during installation at Space Center Houston

From SCH Security and Safety Manager (Pam) and a presenter in the daily space briefing theater (Bonnie)-

“Bonnie and I walked the solar exhibit up to Saturn. It’s marvelous. I love the little factoids…like 800 million suns fit in the one star [Betelgeuse]. It really gives the concept of size…something that is so difficult to wrap the mind around. I looked up at the sky and tried to picture 1 million earths….fitting into the sun…and 800 million suns…; and the vastness of space to just get to Pluto. This exhibit really helps to even grasp that.

Really well done…I’m so glad you pushed to get it here. I hope that we really encourage guests to see it.”


Entry Stanchion and Inner Solar System


SunImagine—

More than one million Earths fit in the Sun.

More than 800 million Suns fit in the star Betelgeuse.

2008 National Center for Earth and Space Science Education


Lead Science Teachers Attending Opening Day Workshop Arrive at Mercury

Earth Stanchion


Venus (Foreground) and Earth


Earth Stanchion


Jupiter Stanchion

Imagine—

More than 1,400 Earths fit in Jupiter. More than 900 Jupiters fit inside the Sun.



Teachers stop in the Asteroid Belt

Imagine–

Ida is a medium-sized asteroid about 40 miles across. Gravity is so weak on Ida that you could easily jump higher than a Saturn V moon rocket.

For visitors to Voyage in DC, you could jump as high as theWashington Monument.



Still in the Asteroid Belt–a Question by Dr. Jeff

If I wanted to gift wrap the largest asteroid Ceres, how big a piece of wrapping would I need?

Cool Answer: 4 times the size of Texas.

Cool End of Story:So…exploring the surface Of Ceres is like exploring a region 4 times the size of Texas.



Look How Far We’ve Come– Teachers Arrive at Jupiter and Look Back to the Inner Solar System and a Distant Earth


Lead Science Teachers Arrive at Neptune


Pluto (Foreground) and Neptune Stanchions


Pluto and Entry Stanchions


Opening Event Activities, November 14-15, 2008

November 14

Full Day Educator Workshop 9:00 am - 3:30 pm• Attendees: 59 lead science teachers From Houston metro-area public and private school districts

• Grade Levels: elementary and middle school

• Objectives: familiarize teachers with exhibition, the grade k-12 lessons, and putting the exhibition to work with their classes

Evening VIP Reception and Voyage Presentation, Followed by Live Coverage of Shuttle Endeavor Liftoff from Kennedy Space Center

November 15

Community Solar System Day 11:00 am - 5:00 pm• Hands-On Family Activities in Concert with the Voyage Exhibition

• Family/Public Presentation: “A Voyage that will Forever Change Your Perspective of Home”


Opening Event Educator Workshop AssessmentNote about grading—The bar is set high for Voyage workshops and programming. Pre- and post-workshop questionnaires ask respondents to rank various workshop attributes (below) on a scale of 1 to 4. These values are then translated to a “Grade” on a 0 to 100 scale. If all respondents give a particular attribute a 3 out of 4 (a reasonable ranking), the grade on the 100 scale is only a 66. NCESSE expects all grades to be 80 or higher.

Attribute

Ranking 1-4 Scale

Grade on

0-100 Scale

Rate the efficacy of the presenter(s) to: • Present science content that provides a conceptual foundation for the lessons• Model best teaching practices• Present material in an understandable and grade-appropriate manner• Present information in a dynamic and entertaining way• Facilitate inquiry-based exploration by the audience

4

3.9

3.9

3.9

3.9

99.4

95.7

95.7

95.7

95.4

Rate the quality of the educational materials with regard to:• Completeness in terms of your ability to effectively teach these lessons in your classroom• Quality of their instructional design to facilitate effective and efficient lesson management• Relevance to your curriculum• Relevance to the state standards• Ability to facilitate and support inquiry-based exploration in the classroom

3.8

3.8

3.9

3.8

3.8

94.2

95.0

95.7

95.0

93.2

Rate the quality of the workshop with regard to:• Logistical preparation and management• Overall general impression

3.7

3.8

89.1

93.9

NOTE: for full details on the assessment protocol employed, the data analysis, and how to interpret these data, please visit: http://journeythroughtheuniverse.org/program_overview/po_as_ew.html


Post-Assessment:Pre-Assessment:

0

25

50

75

100

Filled with PracticalKnowledge

Filled with UsefulResources

At or Above myExpectations

Good Enough toRecommend

Relevant to myCurriculum

% of Responses

5548

Voyage Workshop in Houston significantly exceeds attendee expectations, even though attendees’ prior experiences with workshops is very positive:

Pre-Assessment Question: In general, I usually find workshops: (check all that apply)

Post-Assessment Question: I found this workshop to be: (check all that apply)

Pre-Assessment:Post-Assessment:

0

25

50

75

100

Disappointing Filled with too muchInformation

Lacking in PresenterQuality

Lacking in PresentationMaterial

Lacking Relevance to myCurriculum

% of Responses

5548


Opening Event Educator Workshop Cont’d—

GENERAL COMMENTS ON WORKSHOP FROM ATTENDEES

Beautiful exhibit for the communityLOVED it!

I thoroughly enjoyed this training!!!Lots of audience participation

Awesome curriculum I will use it next week!!!Fantastic! A+

One of the best presenters I have heard in a long time Outstanding / never knew how much I could do

Well planned lessons and materials Excellent presenter with a vibrant manner to teach teachers

Fantastic informationPresenter engaged us and had vast knowledge to share

WHAT DID YOU LIKE BEST ABOUT THE WORKSHOP?

The walk through the solar systemWalking the exhibit The exhibit outside

Scale model exhibit of solar systemThe presenter and exhibit

Lesson plansIt was very dynamic and practical. I would say down to Earth

Materials and walking the solar systemIt was awesome!

I want you to know that after [the workshop] at Space Center Houston, I was totally inspired when I came to school Monday. I took one of my 5th grade classes out with thermometers, flags, notebooks and a compass.

They created their own questions and sought their own answers. It was great. The kids think I rock; they have no idea that we all inspire each other.

-Nikki SkinnerTeacher, Houston ISD, Texas

I went to the workshop given last Friday - it was great! I can't wait to bring the fifth grade to see the Voyage exhibition.

-Holly Kundrock - Science SISSpring Branch ISD, Texas


Voyage Grade K-12 Lessons–the Voyage Education Module• Includes an Education Unit at four grade levels: lower elementary (K-2); upper

elementary (3-4); middle (5-8); and high school (9-12).

• Each Unit contains lessons comprised of content overviews, pre-knowledge assessment, inquiry-based hands-on activities, assessment rubrics, resource listings, student worksheet masters, and answer keys.

• Lessons were developed from the ground up from national science education standards and benchmarks, and are comprehensive enough to be adopted by school districts as some, or in the case of grades 5-8, all of their space science curriculum.

• Lessons target core standards and benchmarks through inquiry-based, hands-on activities whose objective is deep conceptual understanding of both content and process.

• The lessons are meant to work in concert with a trip to a Voyage exhibition, serving as pre- and post-visit activities.


Outdoor Exploration Guide Customized to the Community

A visitors guide that can be made available at multiple visitor information sites across the community. Goals:

Visitor Orientation and Resources– • an overview of the Voyage exhibition and its connection to

Voyage on the National Mall

• a site map

• tips for touring

• approaches to tactile learning for the vision impaired

• information for teachers

• acknowledgment of local funders/partners

• URLs allowing the visitor to Continue the Voyage at home

Facilitate Inquiry-Based Learning–• extend the exhibition experience by allowing the visitor to be

the explorer, with challenges in the Guide for each stanchion.

• use Voyage as more than a passive exhibition–put it to work as an inquiry-based laboratory for Solar System exploration.

Added Customization by the Community–• provide community the ability to insert a site-specific photograph

and limited additional information.

The Learning Community Model

Hallmarks of the Learning Community Model:

• An integrated suite of programs suitable for all audiences and educational venues within a community.

• A framework for partnership between museums, science centers, school districts, universities, educators, local research institutions, and the public.

• A vehicle for sustainable programming, delivered systemically across school districts, and in a manner that meets strategic need in science education.

Visit http://journeythroughtheuniverse.org for a full description of the Learning Community Model

Professional Development for Pre & In-service Educators

(grades preK-20)

Lead Organization within a Community

(e.g., University, School District, Museum)

Community-Based Consortium of Organizations

Public Programs

(families, adults, children)

Programming for Students

(grades preK-20)

Distance Learning & Web-based Programs

Exhibitions and Related Programs

LEARNING COMMUNITY MODEL Formal Education

Informal Education


Inspire…then Educate

The Voyage exhibition was designed to be a focal point for community-wide science education programming–to engage students, teachers, families and the public.

Space Center Houston is working with the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education to deliver Voyage professional development programs for teachers, and family and public programs throughout the year.

voyage a celebration of what we know about our place in space … and that we can know it. national...

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