PD Hours
1.00
Eclipses are foremost a human experience; thus the upcoming solar eclipses have potential to shine light all across the entire curriculum. However, we science teachers might feel obligated to make use of these experiences in ways that inspire and engage students in the best ways possible. The tools of Modeling instructors are matched to investigations of eclipse phenomena. Luckily, because the chance to observe solar eclipses is rare, we are relatively less burdened by cookbook pretenses for “student experiments” or equation-jeopardy style “explanations.” Starting with student-centered ways to safely observe the Sun, we will lead a conversation about differentiated challenges which the learners in your classes can take ownership of and pursue to develop meaningful understandings of various physical and mathematical situations.
This one hour virtual webinar will be led by astronomer Richard Gelderman, who helped in the early 2000’s to build Western Kentucky University’s science teacher preparation around Modeling Instruction. He has hosted multiple full-length and introduction to Modeling Physics workshops, and participated in the initial Modeling Astronomy workshop. Because the path of totality for 2017 fell over his Bowling Green, Kentucky community, Richard’s years of striving to prepare his neighbors resulted in lots of experience with all types of events related to the extraordinary magnificence of a solar eclipse.