Join us at CAST in Dallas this November
Friday November 22
10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Mysteries of the Universe - Dark Matter & Galaxies
Hilton Anatole, Room: Stemmons C, half circle
What is the Universe made of? We now know that most of the mass of the Universe is dark and not very well explained. So what is Dark Matter and how does it influence our own Milky Way Galaxy, its formation, and its neighborhood? Join McDonald Observatory educators as we explore these big ideas with hands-on models and activities. Handouts and resources will be provided.
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
ISEA Presents: Elements of the Cosmos with McDonald Observatory
Hilton Anatole, Room: Obelisk A
The present-day universe owes its rich tapestry of elements and chemistry to the stars. What have new observations related to gravitational waves and neutron star mergers taught us about the production of certain elements? Learn about the synthesis of various elements in the cosmos, with hands-on models and activities.
Saturday, November 23
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
TESTA Presents: Solar System Models with McDonald Observatory
Hilton Anatole, Room: Stemmons A, half circle
Join McDonald Observatory as we present and model a series of scale-model astronomy lessons. Activities will be presented on the following content areas: sizes and distances in the solar system, modeling positions of solar system objects in the night sky, and lunar phases. All activities will focus on scale modeling, and some will emphasize active learning. Learn how these activities fit into content in Earth and Space Science TEKS in Grades K-5 and 6-8.
K-12 Professional Development Opportunities and Acknowledgements
Thanks to our workshop sponsors
The Albert and Ethel Herzstein Charitable Foundation, the Permian Basin Area Foundation, and the following educational endowments help to support McDonald Observatory's K-12 teacher programs: Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation, Carolyn Frost Keenan and Charlie Gaines, Hugh Gragg, Lynn Lyles Brill, Leopold Tedesco, Pam and Rom Welborn, Mesa Engineering in honor of David L. Lambert, Bill and Alice Wright, Mary Ann Rankin Endowment for UTeach Workshops, and Mary Kay Hemenway. Additional support is proivded by the National Science Foundation. Click here for more information on creating an education endowment or making a planned gift to create an endowment.