[EMP2012] EMP telecon

[Randy Russell]

Hi Laura,

I added some thoughts and some specifics about our goal 1 to the 
document on Wiggio. They are, of course, merely suggestions.

Here's what I inserted (just in case; Wiggio was behaving strangely, and 
I'm not certain whether my edits were saved or not):

Our goal is to take advantage of "teachable moments" to educate the public about the science related to 

eclipses and the Sun. "Teachable moments" are times when the public is already aware of, interested in, 

and curious about natural phenomena which are in the news... events such as hurricanes, the aurora, 

tsunamis, and the one that's relevant to this project... eclipses.
We will anticipate the sorts of questions that naturally arise as people view an eclipse, and be prepared to 

help them understand the science behind the answers to their questions. Our preparation should include 

development of materials and educational activities prior to eclipses to share with the public, teachers, 

and students before, during, and after eclipse events.
We will also identify scientific topics which are broadly considered important in science education and 

which are also relevant to eclipses. We will help people learn about these topics during eclipse "teachable 

moments". Some of these topics are not necessarily ones that the public, teachers, or students will think 

to ask about or to connect to eclipses. However, by helping people learn about these topics and their 

relevance to eclipses, we will enhance their experience of eclipses by enabling them to view the events 

with a more "discerning eye'.
Important science education topics that are relevant to eclipses include [I've inserted relevant 

Disciplinary Core Ideas from the Next Generation Science Standards in brackets after some of these 

topics]:
?structure and size of the solar system and orbital motions, especially the Sun, Earth and Moon; 

possibly also eclipses as viewed from other planets, occultations, etc. [NGSS HS-ESS1 Earth's 

Place in the Universe]
?features of the Sun and phenomena that occur there, especially ones that are prominent during an 

eclipse (prominences, the corona); also the solar cycle (influences appearance of corona during 

eclipse) and other basic "how the Sun works" topics (e.g. fusion, radiative vs. convective heat 

transport, etc.) [NGSS HS-PS3 Energy]
?electromagnetic spectrum - multispectral nature of solar EM emissions, polarization, sources of 

EM radiation from Sun (corona vs. photosphere) and how the radiation is produced [NGSS 

HS-PS4 Waves]
?magnetism - Sun's magnetic field, prominences and CMEs, sunspot cycle, Earth's magnetosphere
?radiation and atomic structure - particle radiation, fusion, etc.
?phases of the Moon
?history of solar and eclipse observations - includes aspects of science as a human endeavor and 

the methods and technologies employed in the process of science
?cultural impacts - religious and mythical interpretations of eclipses, calendars and eclipse 

prediction efforts, etc.
?eclipse impacts on terrestrial ecosystems - reactions of birds and other animals, temperature 

change, reactions of plants, etc. - and more broadly, the role of sunlight in the Earth system

Talk to you soon,
Randy

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