Pluto and the Solar System: A Google+ Hangout with NASA and PBS Learning Media

How many times has the issue of education about the solar system come up over the past eight years? The Great Planet Debate of 2008 hosted a workshop for elementary and secondary teachers on teaching the controversy rather than just stating the solar system has such and such number of planets, and that's it, case closed. Tomorrow night, Wednesday, January 28, from 7-8 PM EST, NASA and PBS Learning Media are hosting a Google+ hangout to discuss educating students about the New Horizons mission. If you do not have an account on Google+, you can create one for free. Everyone who joins the hangout will be able to ask questions through a chat box. Participation in the hangout is free as well. Do not miss this opportunity. You do not have to be a teacher or formal instructor to attend.

Here is the link: https://plus.google.com/events/cbg7smnbq2uibpajurquj98r97c

From the site:

"We are going to Pluto this year for the first time with the New Horizons mission! How do you bring your science students along for the ride, and what updates and changes await your Solar System curriculum in the year ahead? PBS LearningMedia™ and NASA are here to help with an inside look at what lies ahead for Solar System science, with a particular focus on pedagogical changes and new educational resources to help your curriculum stay up-to-date in this exciting time for space exploration.

Presenters:
Jeffrey M. Moore, New Horizons Co-Investigator, NASA Ames Research Center
Jeff is the imaging team leader for the New Horizons mission. This activity involves working with the imaging team to define the science observations, plan the observational sequences, and calibrate the camera system. He also served as Chairman of the Jupiter Encounter Sequencing Team for the New Horizons mission, which enjoyed a very successful encounter with the giant planet and its moons in 2007.

Keri Hallau, Montana State University, Department of Physics
Keri Hallau is the Formal Education lead on the Education and Communication team for the New Horizons mission to Pluto. In addition, as the Online Science Curriculum Development Specialist for the Montana State University Department of Physics, she creates curriculum materials for various other NASA missions that include the Cassini-Huygens mission to Saturn and Titan, the New Horizons mission to Pluto, and the MESSENGER mission to Mercury.

Rachel Connolly, Director of STEM Education, WGBH

NGSS standards addressed will include:

MS-ESS1-3. Analyze and interpret data to determine scale properties of objects in the solar system.

ESS1.B: Earth and the Solar System
The solar system consists of the sun and a collection of objects, including planets, their moons, and asteroids that are held in orbit around the sun by its gravitational pull on them. (MS-ESS1-2),(MS-ESS1-3)"