January 2011
Ms. Thomas presented the results of her 2010 team's work at the
Seattle AAS in January 2011. Here is the team's science poster and education poster. Please see
the AAS 2011 page for a
summary of this team's activities.
Ms. Thomas enjoyed her most recent NITARP experience. She writes:
I cannot say enough positives about the NITARP experience for
the participating students. They have had the opportunity to
learn and grow and see science applied in authentic research
projects while working with some of the coolest scientists around!
It has allowed me to grow as a teacher and researcher and be able
to share my insight and newfound knowledge with students and peers.
Next, Ms. Thomas is off to another big adventure! She tells us:
I will be traveling to Ukraine this April for two weeks as a fellow
with the U.S. State Department via IREX. I will be doing a
presentation there for students and teachers about my experiences with
Spitzer. I will include general information about NASA, Spitzer and
the projects and impacts of the projects I have been involved with. I
will keep you updated, but it should be a fantastic opportunity to
share this with another culture. The teacher I am staying with
specifically asked me about the Spitzer projects and experiences.
August 2010
Ms. Thomas visited IPAC in August 2010 with her students.
Please see the Summer 2010 visits page.
Ms. Thomas also got some media
coverage from their trip to Caltech.
January 2010
Ms. Thomas has joined a new NITARP team as a mentor teacher. This team has just
started up, and she is excited about getting new students involved in this program.
She writes that the AAS was "phenomenal and I am anxious to get going on our proposal!"
October 2008 - January 2009
During our data reduction visit at the end of September, we brainstormed various classroom extensions of our Spitzer visit. The activities were proposed to aid students' understanding the meaning of the actual data and reduction process. Whitney, Megan and Beth developed an extension of the paper model activity from the WZ Sge project from Spitzer observations from 2008. The extension activity added a hot spot to the CV system model and provided additional questions to assess student understandings. In addition, a calendar scavenger hunt was developed and piloted with the intent being to familiarize students with an understanding of the evolution of calendars. In addition, knowledge about both the Gregorian and Julian calendars will be gained and students experience converting dates to Julian time while observing astronomical objects. A poster was created by Megan and Whitney, which displays the classroom activities, a summary of our SSC data reduction visit, and photos. The poster was presented by the Z Cha group at a poster session at the AAS.
At the AAS conference in Long Beach, Beth obtained a vast array of planning resources and ideas for hosting an event in the International Year of Astronomy. She will be assisting with a large community star party in April. The premiere of the "400 Years of the Telescope" was a highlight at the conference, as well as hearing Dr. Neil DeGrasse Tyson (narrator) and Kris Koenig (producer and director) discuss the process of designing and actually producing the documentary. The documentary was innovative, contained, remarkable music, and contained excellent interviews and information.
Being a part of the Spitzer Teacher Program has given me the opportunity to experience, with students, authentic scientific research while collaborating with talented scientists and other teachers. It has reinforced my knowledge of the skills necessary to be an effective scientist and collaborator, while giving me the research experience to take back to the classroom and share with students and colleagues. I extend my appreciation and gratitude to all of those people and organizations who coordinated, funded, and have in any way supported this valuable program. THANK YOU!
July-September 2008
Ms. Thomas and her students researched infrared, the Spitzer Space Telescope, and cataclysmic variables. She and two students researched properties of cataclysmic variables and the previous project WZ Sge. They visited the SSC at the end of September and reduced the data. Her team obtained multi-wavelength data from both the Spitzer Space Telescope and optical B-band light curves from CTIO (0.9 m) in Chile. Data was collected for Z Cha at 4.5 and 8.0 microns on May 14, 2008 by Spitzer and March 28 2008 from CTIO. They used IRAF and DS9to reduce the infrared data. The data was phased, light curves and SED's were created to help us better understand the components of the system. The two light curves from infrared and optical were compared to each other as well as their previous CV, WZ Sge. In the next two months teachers and students from the group will be creating more educational activities to use in the classroom to help teach more about CV's, stellar evolution and the research process. We will be presenting a poster at the AAS meeting in January. Ms. Thomas' two students, Whitney and Megan, are proposing to do a science fair project pertaining to their research experience.
During the summer camp Ms. Thomas taught to 8-10th graders in July, the students learned about the electromagnetic spectrum, made spectroscopes, imitated Herschel's experiment to measure infrared radiation learned about the Spitzer Space Telescope.
April-June 2008
The Z Cha group is currently researching characteristics of the
system Z Cha as well as other observations of it in different
wave lengths. The Spitzer observation occurred in mid-May and
the data is ready for us to reduce and analyze. Optical data
was also obtained from CTIO for a B band light curve. We are in
the process of determining a meeting time at SSC for sometime
in September to complete the data reduction and analysis. Two of
my students have been researching Z Cha and will be working
with the team to reduce and analyze the data.
I am teaching a science camp for students in grades 7-9 at the
end of July. A major area of concentration of content for the
camp is light. Students will be learning about infrared, the
Spitzer Space Telescope and some of the projects in which I
have been involved.
October 2007 - January 2008
In October, Ms. Thomas and her student, Kimmerlee Johnson, came to SSC to reduce data for the WZ
Sge. They reduced the data from the Spitzer Space Telescope using IRAF and DS9 and
then constructed light curves using Excel. In addition, data from the 0.9 meter
telescope at Kitt Peak was obtained and synchronized with the timing of the Spitzer
observations. That data was also reduced and again light curves were constructed
and then anazlyzed. They collaborated during the visit about modeling this system, and
decided to present two posters at the AAS conference in Austin, Texas
in January. One poster would be a scientific presentation, while the other would
focus on educational applications. They developed three education activities we
would like to create and model and which we would like the poster to depict. The
three activities are:
- Assemble a physical model to represent a binary system and a simulation of a CV
binary system using downloadable materials.
- Plot, create and interpret a light curve from the Spitzer data
- Simulate a light curve using grid for each component of the system
In November, Ms. Thomas gave a presentation about her involvement in the Spitzer Space
Telescope to a Delta Kamma Gamma group of about 20 women. She developed and piloted
an activity in which students plot, create and interpret a light curve using Spitzer
data.
January provided an opportunity to attend and present the posters, both scientific
and educational, sharing information about WZ Sge. Ms. Thomas' student Kimmerlee also
attended and presented at the meeting. In addition, planning and collaboration
occured about future proposals. Another proposal, using IRAC and photometry, has
been submitted to observe other interacting binary stars using the Spitzer Space
Telescope.
April-June 2007
Ms. Thomas is involved in the proposal for WZ Sge with Steve Howell, Don Hoard, Tim Spuck and
Jeff Adkins. WZ Sge is a non-magnetic interacting binary. The Spitzer observation
is scheduled to occur July 3rd, while the RBSE observations (optical) will occur
June 25-28 at Kitt Peak in which they hope to obtain light curves. A conference call
is scheduled for July 2nd to discuss future plans.
January-March 2007
On March 14, 2007, Ms. Thomas gave a presentation to approximately 20 people at the
Central Astronomy Society's monthly meeting. Information was given on the Spitzer
Space Telescope itself, current findings, infrared radiation, and her involvement in
the Spitzer Teacher Program.
Recently, a proposal which is a continuation of a Spitzer Teacher program project
was accepted by Spitzer. Two other Spitzer teachers, Jeff Adkins and Tim Spuck as
well as Steve Howell and other Spitzer scientists are also involved. The
interacting short period binary WZ Sge, will be observed using IRAC. Previously,
four magnetic interacting binaries were observed using Spitzer. WZ Sge is a
non-magnetic white dwarf and a brown dwarf companion. It is the closest and
brightest interacting binary. The data collected will allow the team to compare the
magnetic and non-magnetic binaries. Also, optical data of WZ Sge will be collected
at Kitt Peak in the summer of 2007. Spectroscopic data and photometry will be
obtained and together will help fully characterize the eclipse and dust in the
system. The multi-wavelength data will be used in classrooms.
October-December 2006
Ms. Thomas is preparing for a teacher inservice in February and one of the modules will be light. There will be about 20 teachers in attendance. She will be sharing the infrared activities (provided in the original kits) with teachers to implement in their curriculums when they teach about light.
August 2006
Ms. Thomas taught two summer science camps in which students learned about Spitzer and
infrared. A total of 12 students were involved.
March 2006
Ms. Thomas, Lauren Chapple and Steve Rapp have been making plans for the group's visit to SSC.
They are all currently reading and summarizing articles from the from
the collection of journal articles from Round 1 to get some
insight into infrared spectroscopy and hopefully help us better
understand our data.
Ms. Thomas, along with Howard Chun and Linda Stefaniak,
is working towards making their Spitzer project into a
stand-alone teaching package/module.
February 2006
Ms. Thomas worked with 70 6th graders on February 28th and taught them about the electromagnetic
spectrum. The students did activities to learn about infrared and also watched a short powerpoint on the Spitzer Space Telescope.
After the AAS meeting, Ms. Thomas along with Howard Chun and Beth Thomas,
worked with Steve Howell and submitted a follow-on
observation proposal (submitted end of January). From their initial Brown
Dwarf study, a possible dust disk was discovered surrounding both the
brown dwarf and white dwarf pair. The group requested a spectra of one of their
objects to resolve the true nature of what they were observing. The proposal
was accepted (2/15) and the team is now waiting to be placed on the Spitzer
observing schedule. They also worked on an ApJ Letter with Steve Howell
describing the dust disk discovery during the months of January and
February. The ApJ Letter was submitted, reviewed, resubmitted, and, as
of 3/20/06, the letter is still in its second review.
January 2006
Ms. Thomas attended the AAS meeting in Washington D.C. where she helped present her
group's poster on the Brown Dwarf project.
December 2005
Ms. Thomas has been busy working on the design and layout of the Brown Dwarf
group's poster for the January AAS meeting.
October 2005
Ms. Thomas presented a session at the state educator's convention (MEA) and had
about 20 people attend. She also had a friend take a lot of photos at her
state convention that could also be used on the educational outreach poster.
September 2005
Ms. Thomas presented a six hour in-service to district teacher focusing
on the electromagnetic spectrum. Half of the in-service focused on the
Spitzer Space Telescope and infrared. She will be presenting a sectional
at the Montana State Teacher's Convention on the Spitzer Space Telescope
and the projects she is involved with.
Jeff Adkins
|
John Blackwell
|
Jacqueline Barge
|
Christopher Border
|
Kareen Borders
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Robert Bonadurer
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Merrill Butler
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Lauren Chapple
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Joseph Childers
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Howard Chun
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Wendy Curtis
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Richard DeCoster
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Stacy DeVeau
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Harlan Devore
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Cris DeWolf
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Velvet Dowdy
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Thomas Doyle
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Dean Drumheller
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Debbie Edwards
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Mike Ford
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Debbie French
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John Gibbs
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Peter Guastella
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Rosa Hemphill
|
Ardis Herrold
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Vivian Hoette
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Chelen Johnson
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Virginia Jones
|
Adam Keeton
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Susan Kelly
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Marcella Linahan
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Thomas Loughran
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Carolyn Mallory
|
Anthony Maranto
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Christoper Martin
|
Kevin McCarron
|
Matthew McCutcheon
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David McDonald
|
Shefali Mehta
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Cindy Melton
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Kate Meredith
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Lauren Novatne
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Kathryn O'Connor
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Caroline Odden
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Jeffrey Paradis
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Vincent Pereira
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Helen Petach
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Peggy Piper
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Peter Pitman
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Elizabeth Ramseyer
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Steve Rapp
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Theresa Roelofsen Moody
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Denise Rothrock
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Diane Sartore
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John Schaefers
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Sally Seebode
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Babs Sepulveda
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Timothy Spuck
|
Darryl Stanford
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Linda Stefaniak
|
Dwight Taylor
|
Jennifer Tetler
|
Beth Thomas
|
Cynthia Weehler
|
Lynne Zielinski
