A three-week summer workshop will be offered at the Southeastern University in the District of Columbia for science teachers whose school is in the District of Columbia for grades 6 through 12. The teachers will learn not only astronomy, but the physics, mathematics, and technology necessary to understand and teach. The interdependence of astronomy on other sciences, such as chemistry and even biology, will be stressed. The visual, historical, religious (astrology), multicultural, and artistic roots of astronomy will be explored, as well as the modern scientific approach. Hand-held, inexpensive celestial spheres, holographic high resolution diffraction grating spectrometers, astrolabes, and other devices will be used during the workshop and become the property of the teacher. Several days of the workshop will be conducted at the Rock Creek Nature Center planetarium under the simulated stars. During the workshop at Southeastern we will use a computer laboratory where all of the machines are connected to the Internet. We will learn to write astronomy web pages.  A visit to the Goddard Space Flight Center, lead by Dr. Carol Jo Crannell, co PI, on HESSI, (High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager) a spacecraft mission to observe the sun in hard x-rays and gamma rays will be made during the workshop.   Another visit to the Department of Terrestrial Magnetism of the Carniege Institution of Washington (the oldest non-profit research organization in the country), lead by Dr. Vera Rubin, astronomer and discoverer of dark matter in galactic rotation curves, and Dr. Steve Shirey, geochemist who will explain age dating of rocks and isotopic analysis of earth rock and space meteorites, will be made during the workshop.  At the conclusion of the workshop the teachers will return to their classrooms with astronomical knowledge, reference materials, simple laboratory equipment, computer programs, and astronomical modules written by them and other teachers in previous workshops designed to meet the needs of their students.

The workshop will be offered from August 3 though August 21 from 9AM to 3:30 PM Monday through Friday. There will also be four one day Saturday workshops during the school year for the teachers to share what worked and what didn't work with their students, probably October 10, 1998; December 19, 1998; February 27, 1999; and April 24, 1999. Teachers will be paid $75 per day, $1,425 for attending all workshop meetings.  The workshop is supported under Title II of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Professional Development Program awarded by the office of Post-Secondary Education Department of Human Services District of Columbia contract number ?

If you are interested in applying for this program and your browser is form capable please click here.  Netscape and Microsoft's Internet Explorer are form capable.  Extra preferred consideration is given to teachers who apply via the web.

If you are interested in applying for this program and your browser is not form capable, answer the enclosed questionnaire and FAX it to 202-488-8093 Attension H. Williams right now!

Mail to:  Dr. Harold A. Williams                  VOICE MAIL (202) 488-8162 x 204
           Southeastern University                 EMAIL H.Williams@faculty.seu.edu
           501 I Street, S.W.
           Washington, D.C. 20024-2788
 
Web page last modified by Dr. Harold Williams July 30, 1998.
PLEASE contact us ASAP so that we may get an application to you.
Time is of essence for you and your students. Thank you
Real person at home after about 8pm (301)-565-3709
Administrative Aide Barbara Morgan (301) 422-4360 (Evenings)