From Pinholes to Space Telescopes - October 17 and 24, 2024

Includes Multiple Live Events. The next is on 10/17/2024 at 4:30 PM (PDT)

Join us for this online educator workshop about optics and the evolution of the telescope, taking place Thursdays, October 17 & 24, 4:30 - 6:00 PM Pacific / 7:30 - 9:00 PM Eastern. Explore what pinhole viewers and giant telescopes have in common by using lenses to construct a basic model of a telescope. Registration includes shipment of a toolkit for the workshop, as well as 6 Galileoscopes, simple telescopes that you can build with your students.

While most people have a basic idea about how lenses work, they frequently don't know how telescopes use lenses and mirrors together to organize light to form images of distant objects. In this 2-session workshop, we'll examine the behavior of light with a pinhole viewer and lenses of different focal lengths. Scaffolded explorations of the properties of both light and lenses will help develop a more complete understanding, culminating in the construction of a simple telescope. Prior to the workshop, participants will receive a pinholes toolkit for use during the workshop, as well as a case of 6 Galileoscopes. Educators who fully participate will receive a certificate of completion for 8 clock hours of professional development. This workshop takes place in two 1.5-hour sessions over two successive weeks, with 2-3 hours of work to be completed between the sessions.

Participants will gain the following through participation in the workshop:
  • A set of six Galileoscopes (retail value $479.99) (additional shipping charges may apply outside of the continental US*)
  • An education toolkit with the materials needed for implementing workshop investigations (additional shipping charges may apply outside of the continental US*)
  • A digital toolkit with the resources needed for conducting workshop investigations
  • Hands-on experience with investigations of light and optics
  • Strategies we have found successful at engaging learners of all ages
  • Access to astronomy experts who will facilitate the workshop
  • A free one-year subscription to Mercury, ASP's online magazine about the instersections of astronomy and society
  • A certificate of completion for participating in 8 clock hours of professional development
Workshop participants must:
  • Work or volunteer as a classroom teacher or informal educator
  • Attend two live 90-minute workshop sessions via Zoom
  • Complete activities in between sessions: plan to spend 2 - 3 hours on tasks related to the workshop
  • Have access to a reliable high-speed internet connection.
Registration: 

$175 all inclusive of materials and shipping to locations within the continental U.S. Participants from Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, Mexico, and US Territories may be required to cover additional shipping charges.

Attendance/Refund Policy:

Live attendance is strongly encouraged and expected in order to get the most out of the interactive session. A full refund is available for cancellations up to 14 days prior to the start of the workshop. If you need to cancel, please email learn@astrosociety.org.




Brian Kruse

Director, Teacher Learning Center and Formal Education Programs

Astronomical Society of the Pacific

Brian Kruse manages the ASP's Project ASTRO National Network and Bay Area Project ASTRO, programs which have partnered astronomers with classroom teachers. A veteran classroom teacher, Brian has taught middle school earth science and physical science, and high school physics, earth science, physical science, and integrated science. He has also served as a NASA Explorer Schools Coordinator, where he worked with teams of teachers to foster NASA-inspired whole-school impacts. When not working, Brian is frequently found hiking and birding with camera in hand.

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Join Live Workshop # 1 - October 17
10/17/2024 at 4:30 PM (PDT)  |  90 minutes
10/17/2024 at 4:30 PM (PDT)  |  90 minutes Workshop #1 of 2 takes place on Thursday, October 17th, 4:30-6pm Pacific / 7:30-9pm Eastern. The button to join the live program will appear to the right of this text 15 minutes prior to the event start time. If the button doesn't work, refresh the page in your browser and try again. Clicking the join button will bring you to the live program in Zoom. For the best experience we recommend using the free, downloaded version of Zoom for PC or Mac instead of the browser version. Mobile devices and tablets also work, but you may not have access to all interactive features used in the workshop, so we recommend using a computer.
You must register to access.
Join Live Workshop #2 - October 24
10/24/2024 at 4:30 PM (PDT)  |  90 minutes
10/24/2024 at 4:30 PM (PDT)  |  90 minutes Workshop #2 of 2 takes place on Thursday, October 24th, 4:30-6pm Pacific / 7:30-9pm Eastern. If you did not attend Workshop #1 on Oct. 17, please watch the recording prior to attending this session. The button to join the live program will appear to the right of this text 15 minutes prior to the event start time. If the button doesn't work, refresh the page in your browser and try again. Clicking the join button will bring you to the live program in Zoom. For the best experience we recommend using the free, downloaded version of Zoom for PC or Mac instead of the browser version. Mobile devices and tablets also work, but you may not have access to all interactive features used in the workshop, so we recommend using a computer.
You must register to access.