[AANC Contacts] A Weekend of Astronomy Workshops for Educators, Sept. 12 & 13 Near San Francisco

[Andrew Fraknoi]

Announcing a Very Special Weekend:

Hands-on Workshops on Teaching Astronomy and Related Sciences
(in schools, colleges, and museums):

          * Sat, Sep. 12 and Sun, Sep. 13, 2009.
          * Westin SFO Hotel, Millbrae, California (near the San 
Francisco Airport).
          * Part of the 120th Anniversary Meeting of the Astronomical 
Society of the Pacific.

          * One unit of Academic Credit available through San 
Francisco State U. for K-12 Teachers.

Join us for two days of information, classroom activities, and 
teaching resources, as we explore new ideas and techniques for 
teaching astronomy, space science, and earth science during the 2009 
International Year of Astronomy and the Year of Science.

Participants have their choice of exciting workshops (which feature 
classroom-ready hands-on science activities). Topics include: the 
Moon and upcoming lunar science missions, the Sun and its 
relationship with our own planet, astrobiology and the search for 
life, understanding the universe through Hubble and other NASA 
missions, and following in the footsteps of Galileo through classroom 
activities and mastering use of a small telescope (free to 
participants).  A workshop for college astronomy instructors will 
provide techniques for engaging students effectively, and workshops 
focusing on informal science education provide experience with 
interactive activities and storytelling as a means of communicating 
science.  The Astronomical Association of Northern California will be 
holding a meeting for amateur astronomers during this same weekend.

Sunday afternoon, all workshop participants will join to hear a 
series of non-technical talks on the search for extra-terrestrial 
life, with the father of SETI, Dr. Frank Drake, award-winning science 
popularizer Seth Shostak, planetary protection scientist Margaret 
Race, and Douglas Caldwell, instrument scientist for the Kepler 
Mission, which is looking for Earths around other stars.

Cost:
          Only $39.95 per day ($78.90 for the weekend).
          1 semester unit of academic credit: $100 (optional) for 
those who attend both days and
          write a short paper.

For more information (including specific workshop descriptions and 
instructors) and to register, go to our web 
site: 
<http://www.astrosociety.org/events/2009mtg/workshops.html>http://www.astrosociety.org/events/2009mtg/workshops.html 
(If you're just planning to attend the weekend workshops and not the 
entire meeting, use the "Weekend Workshops Only" registration form.)

For additional information, contact us at 
<mailto:2009meeting at astrosociety.org>2009meeting at astrosociety.org.

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