June 7–18, 2021
This online Teacher Professional Development program offers opportunities to deeply engage with modern astronomy, a science that captures the imagination and serves as a gateway to STEM learning. We intertwine content and pedagogy across a range of topics, including our solar system, stars, galaxies, dark matter, exoplanets, and the future of astronomy. The academy includes virtual field trips.
Teachers receive continuing professional education credits.
The following TEKS are addressed:
Elementary Schools
- 112.11-16; Science
Middle Schools
- 112.17-20; Science
High Schools
- 112.33; Astronomy
- 112.36; Earth and Space
- 112.39; Physics
2021 Team
Dr. Carmen Fies, University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA)
Dr. Lindsay Fuller, University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) / Southwest Research Institute (SwRI)
Dr. Anna Kornahrens, National Science Foundation (NSF)
Dr. Hwihyun Kim, Gemini Observatory / NSF NOIRLab
Dr. Stephanie La Massa, Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)
Dr. Nancy Levenson, Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)
John Maple, Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)
Cuauhtémoc Méndez Rosas, Tecnológico de Monterrey (Tec)
Dr. Chris Packham, University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA)
Alex Roush, University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA)
Dr. Eric Schlegel, University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA)
Dr. Angela Speck, University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA)
2021 Schedule
Week 1
| Date | Time | Activity |
|---|---|---|
| June 7 | 9:00 | Meet and Greet; Logistics |
| 10:00 | Philosophy of Science | |
| 11:00 | Light, Color, EMS | |
| 12:00 | Lunch | |
| 1:00 | Introduction to Micro-Observatory | |
| 2:00 | Connecting Pedagogy and Technology | |
| June 8 | 9:00 | Solar System |
| 10:00 | Solar System | |
| 11:00 | Sky Tonight Live | |
| 12:00 | Lunch | |
| 1:00 | Connecting Pedagogy and Technology | |
| 2:00 | Connecting Pedagogy and Technology | |
| June 9 | 9:00 | The Life of a Professional Observational Astronomer |
| 10:00 | Terrestrial Climate Change | |
| 11:00 | Terrestrial Climate Change | |
| 12:00 | Lunch | |
| 1:00 | Virtual Field Trip: SAMSAT, Optics and Innovation | |
| 2:00 | Connecting Pedagogy and Technology | |
| June 10 | 9:00 | Solar Eclipse |
| 10:00 | Coronagraphs (Exoplanet Discovery) | |
| 11:00 | NASA Explorations | |
| 12:00 | Lunch | |
| 1:00 | Connecting Pedagogy and Technology | |
| 2:00 | Connecting Pedagogy and Technology | |
| June 11 | 9:00 | Ground-Based Telescopes |
| 10:00 | Astronomy in Mexico (History and Current) | |
| 11:00 | Astronomy Education Resources at the American Physics Society | |
| 12:00 | Lunch | |
| 1:00 | Build Your Own Telescope | |
| 2:00 | Virtual Fieldtrip: People of the Pecos |
Week 2
| Date | Time | Activity |
|---|---|---|
| June 14 | 9:00 | Stars (Stellar Evolution; Dust) |
| 10:00 | Stars (Stellar Evolution; Dust) | |
| 11:00 | Stars and Star Clusters as Building Blocks of Galaxies | |
| 12:00 | Lunch | |
| 1:00 | Connecting Pedagogy and Technology | |
| 2:00 | Connecting Pedagogy and Technology | |
| June 15 | 9:00 | Exoplanets |
| 10:00 | Eyes on Exoplanets; Planet Search | |
| 11:00 | Virtual Fieldtrip: Dark Skies | |
| 12:00 | Lunch | |
| 1:00 | Virtual Fieldtrip: Dark Skies | |
| 2:00 | Connecting Pedagogy and Technology | |
| June 16 | 9:00 | Galaxies and the Universe |
| 10:00 | Space Telescopes | |
| 11:00 | Landing on Mars | |
| 12:00 | Lunch | |
| 1:00 | Connecting Pedagogy and Technology | |
| 2:00 | Connecting Pedagogy and Technology | |
| June 17 | 9:00 | Active Galactic Nuclei |
| 10:00 | Cosmic Mysteries / Dark Matter | |
| 11:00 | Micro-Observatory Final Image Review; UoL Star Resources | |
| 12:00 | Lunch | |
| 1:00 | Connecting Pedagogy and Technology | |
| 2:00 | Connecting Pedagogy and Technology | |
| June 18 | 9:00 | Black Holes |
| 10:00 | Black Holes | |
| 11:00 | Participant Presentations | |
| 12:00 | Lunch | |
| 1:00 | Participant Presentations | |
| 2:00 | Closure and Final Paperwork |
2021 Contacts
Dr. Carmen Fies
UTSA College of Education and Human Development
Carmen.Fies@utsa.edu
Dr. Lindsay Fuller
UTSA Department of Physics and Astronomy
Lindsay.Fuller@utsa.edu
Dr. Chris Packham
UTSA Department of Physics and Astronomy
Chris.Packham@utsa.edu
