9B - NASA PUNCH Outreach: Novel Activities to Enhance the Personal and Cultural Relevance of Heliophysics

The multi-institutional, multicultural, and multigenerational public engagement team embedded
in the NASA PUNCH mission to study the Sun collaborates with scientists, Native American and
Spanish-speaking youth and families, blind and low-vision learners, and Girl Scouts to develop
a well-vetted, arts-integrated suite of enduring activities aligned with our Ancient and Modern
Sun-Watching theme.  

Our theme is succeeding in making NASA Heliophysics more personally and culturally relevant
to a broader diversity of learners, and in carrying innovative outreach products and event
models into ongoing use beyond the excitement of the 2023 and 2024 eclipses.

This interactive workshop offers a summary of our outreach products and activities available to
you for use in classroom and informal learning environments, and an update on current and
envisioned endeavors. We are also seeking community input.

During this workshop, participants engage in three well-vetted activities designed to increase
learners’ understanding and enjoyment of the world around them. Following an experiential
introduction to these activities, we will invite participants to consider the following questions: 

Pinhole projection:  What is the value of continuing to use solar protection glasses and 3-Hole
pinhole projectors even after the eclipses?  Are you engaged in this? Why or why not?

Polarization:  Our work on a Girl Scout patch has helped us to discover the fun of a Polarized
Light Scavenger Hunt.  How can we efficiently include the experience of detecting polarized light
when teaching about light in astronomy education?

Birthdays on Horizon:  Why do so many people, from leading edge solar physicists to middle
school students experience confusion about this activity and what can we do about it?