A Family Guide to the Sun

This downloadable 46-page activity and resource guide is a collection of puzzles, pictures, poetry and projects designed to stimulate co-learning experiences between children aged 6 to 13 and the adults they learn with. The Guide assumes little or no prior knowledge about the Sun or astronomy in general, and addresses many popular misconceptions. It focuses on four general themes: The Sun as a Star, The Sun's Connection to Life on Earth, The Sun's apparent Motion in the Earth's Sky, and The Sun's 11-year cycle of activity. The Guide includes several activities that engage multiple learning modes, a detailed FAQ (frequently asked questions), a glossary, and tips for adults on guiding inquiry-based learning experiences, as well as dynamic imagery, and elements such as cartoon host characters, Solar Max and Solar Minnie. Educational levels: Primary elementary, Intermediate elementary, Middle school

Impact of Extraordinary Experiences on Teachers Science Identity

Experiential science learning is all about personal close encounters with the content, processes, and emotions of science. It is a philosophy that emphasizes learning from direct first-person experience and a holistic perspective that includes the self-construction of knowledge as well as emotions, attitudes and beliefs that combine to form a learner’s “science identity.” The Experiential Science Education Research Collaborative (XSci) at the University of Colorado Denver provides extraordinary experiences, internship and professional opportunities in collaboration with a large number of community, academic and government partners. Activities include local, regional and international field studies, internships, conference group presentations and science identity research. Although many organizations offer such experiential learning opportunities, there is little in the literature about the value of science learning professional development approaches as lived experiences, how they are interpreted by educators, how meaning is made and communicated, how such experiences are integrated into the identities and practice of those who choose to participate in them, and the impact on student perceptions and outcomes. If a teacher goes to Africa and climbs Mount Kilimanjaro, how does it matter to them as professional educators? Does it impact their personal and/or professional identity and practice in ways that are meaningful to their students? If so, how is that meaning made? What is the role of a cohort in making such experiences valuable? What is the essence of these experiences that makes them extraordinary for the participants? The research agenda for XSci examines educators engaged in extraordinary professional development experiences in order to understand the processes that make them extraordinary and valuable as well as how they contribute to improved classroom practice and student outcomes. This approach considers the larger picture surrounding such experiences, including: the complete design process; pre-journey, journey, and post-journey components; and the formation of durable educator cohorts that extend into the future. The session will discuss the various components of this program, both real and virtual experiences, the use of documentary filmmaking in the research and how we link the range of experiences