5A - Explore Exploding Stars with Rubin Observatory

Abstract: Vera C. Rubin Observatory has developed a suite of free interactive investigations that require only access to the internet using a modern browser. Students explore authentic data using intuitive analysis and visualization tools. These activities are effective with students from advanced middle school through introductory college classes (Astro 101), and can be used in asynchronous settings as well as face-to-face. Each investigation is designed to support the Next Generation Science Standards and comes with a variety of educator resources, including a teacher guide, a phenomenon, customizable assessments, videos, and speaker slides.

This session will be run in an interactive workshop format. We will highlight the Exploding Stars investigation, which uses supernova light curves to identify the type of supernova and calculate the distance to host galaxies. We will utilize breakout rooms for some of the session so participants can work through part of the investigation together to evaluate its design and explore the embedded data tools.

Time will be provided at the end for questions and discussion; if there are remaining questions, we will follow up with individuals after the session ends, provided we have their contact information. We will also invite participants to continue the discussion by joining our Community of Practice.

The goals of this workshop are to:
Familiarize educators about the availability of Rubin Observatory investigations
Highlight the available resources for each investigation
Help educators develop confidence in accessing and using the investigations, and
Encourage discussion and reflection on how to implement this investigation into the educator’s learning sequence and classroom setting.