Science

Presented by Prof. Edward Murphy, Department of Astronomy, UVA

On April 8, 2024, the shadow of the Moon will sweep across the Earth. This will be the last total solar eclipse seen across most of the United States until 2045. The partial phases of the eclipse will be visible throughout Virginia and are well worth watching.

To prepare teachers for the eclipse, the Department of Astronomy and Center for Liberal Arts at the University of Virginia will offer a half day workshop for teachers to learn about the eclipse, to learn how to view it safely, and to learn about the phases of the Moon.

The workshop is open to all K-12 teachers in Virginia. It will be about 4.5 hours long and will include the following topics:

• A description of the 2024 total solar eclipse,
• A summary of what to see during the eclipse,
• A hands-on, outside session on safely viewing the Sun and solar eclipses, and
• A hands-on session on the phases of the Moon (why eclipses occur) to tie into the Standards of Learning.

For participating in the workshop, each teacher will receive a few pairs of safe solar viewing glasses.

Agenda:

11:00 - 11:15 Introductions, review schedule for the day

11:15 - 12:15 The 2024 Total Solar Eclipse

12:15 - 12:45 Lunch

12:45 – 1:15 What will you see during the eclipse?

1:15 – 2:00 Safely viewing the Sun and solar eclipses (outside, hands-on)

2:00 – 2:15 Coffee break

2:15 – 3:30 A hands-on session on the phases of the Moon (why eclipses occur)

Prof. Murphy will also be giving a hour long talk about preparing for the eclipse at the UVA Library on February 27 as part of their STEM 4 Everyone series. This is open to anyone at UVA.

This program is sponsored by the UVA Department of Astronomy and the Arthur Vinning Davis Foundations

This event was hosted on March 2, 2024, 11:00 am at McCormick Observatory, 600 McCormick Rd, Charlottesville, VA 22904

"The Solar System" will take place at the John C. Wells Planetarium at James Madison University. This program will include a tour of the solar system and finding the planets in the night sky, inside the planetarium. It will also cover the scale models of the solar system, the geology of the moon, small bodies of the solar system (meteorites, asteroids, comets) and the current and future exploration of the solar system. Professors Ed Murphy (UVA) and Geary Albright (JMU) will specifically address the following standards of learning to help teachers incorporate the content into preparing students for the SOLs.

6.8 - The student will investigate and understand the organization of the solar system and the interactions among the various bodies that comprise it. Key concepts include the following:

• The sun, moon, Earth, other planets and their moons, dwarf planets, meteors, asteroids, and comets;
• Relative size of and distance between planets;
• The role of gravity;
• The unique properties of Earth as a planet;
• The history and technology of space exploration.

ES.3 The student will investigate and understand the characteristics of Earth and the solar system. Key concepts include the following:

• Position of Earth in the solar system;
• Characteristics of the sun, planets and their moons, comets, meteors, and asteroids; and
• The history and contributions of space exploration.

Agenda:

• 8:30 – 9:00 Breakfast & Registration
• 9:00 – 10:30 Geary Albright, JMU - Tour of the Solar System
• 10:30 - 12:00 Ed Murphy, UVA - The geology of the Moon and the 50th anniversary of the Apollo Missions
• 12:00 - 1:00 Lunch
• 1:00 - 2:00 Geary Albright - Small bodies of the Solar system
• 2:00 - 3:00 Ed Murphy - Current and future exploration of the Solar system
• 3:00 - 4:00 Albright and Murphy - SOL Applicable topics

This program is sponsored by the UVA Department of Astronomy and the Arthur Vinning Davis Foundations.

This event was hosted on November 2, 2019, 4:30 pm at James Madison University, John C. Wells Planetarium, 91 E Grace St. Harrisonburg, VA 22807

Professor Edward Murphy of the University of Virginia and Geary Albright of James Madison University will work with teachers on nature-of-science based lessons for understanding the seasons and phases of the moon.The program will address most or all of the following SOLs:

6.8 The student will investigate and understand the organization of the solar system and the interactions among the various bodies that comprise it.

• the sun and moon,
• revolution and rotation; c) the mechanics of day and night and the phases of the moon;
• the relationship of Earth’s tilt and the seasons;
• the cause of tides; and

ES.3 The student will investigate and understand the characteristics of Earth and the solar system.

• sun-Earth-moon relationships;(seasons, tides, and eclipses)

Teachers should plan, if possible, to bring a laptop with them to the session. We will be using a (free) planetarium program called Stellarium to demonstrate the seasons and phases of the Moon. We encourage participants to install Sterllarium before they arrive.

Free continental breakfast and lunch will be provided.

Sponsored by the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations

This event was hosted on November 3, 2018 - 5:00am at UVA Zehmer Hall

On August 21, 2017, the shadow of the Moon will sweep across the Earth, producing the first total solar eclipse visible from the continental United States since 1979. The partial phases of the eclipse will be visible throughout Virginia and are well worth watching.

To prepare teachers for the eclipse, the Department of Astronomy at the University of Virginia, with support from the Virginia Space Grant Consortium, will offer a half day workshop for teachers to learn about the eclipse, to learn how to view it safely, and to learn about the phases of the Moon.

The workshop is open to all K-12 teachers in Virginia. It will be about 4.5 hours long and will include the following topics:

• A description of the 2017 total solar eclipse,
• A summary of what to see during the eclipse,
• A hands-on, outside session on safely viewing the Sun and solar eclipses, and
• A hands-on session on the phases of the Moon (why eclipses occur) to tie into the Standards of Learning.

For participating in the workshop, each teacher will receive a classroom set of 10 safe solar viewing glasses. In addition, we will provide each teacher with a $50 honorarium to offset the cost of their travel to the workshop and to help them purchase additional eclipse viewing materials.

Grounds of the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. and will run from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

The program will admit the first 40 teachers who register, with a waiting list to include replacements for any who cancel.

This program is sponsored by the Virginia Space Grant Consortium

This event was hosted on July 29, 2017, 8:00 am at the McCormick Observatory, 600 McCormick Rd, Charlottesville.

Agenda:

8:30 – 9:00 Registration

9:00 – 9:15 Welcome by Barry Condron

9:15 – 10:30 “Crash course in modern neurobiology” by Professor Barry Condron

10:30 – 10:45 Break

10:45 – 12:00 “Why teaching neurobiology covers almost everything” by Professor Barry Condron

12:00 – 1:00 Lunch

1:00 – 1:30 Bring the brain ideas to the classroom by Professor Frackson Mumba

1:30 – 3:30 Roundtable Discussions – Facilitated by Condron & Mumba 

This event was hosted on March 22, 2014, 8:30 am at the Jefferson School - African American Heritage Center, 233 4th St NW, Charlottesville, VA 22903.