July 17, 2001

Teachers Bringing Universe
Into The Classroom

Bowling Green, Ky. - Eleven high school teachers will bring the universe into their classrooms thanks to an astronomy workshop at Western Kentucky University.

In the Hands-on Universe workshop, teachers received instruction in the program's software, telescope network and lesson plans. HOU instructor Kevin McCarron and WKU faculty members Richard Gelderman and David Barnaby conducted the workshop, hosted by Western's Department of Physics and Astronomy.

Hands-On Universe, based at the University of California at Berkeley, is designed to enable teachers and students to explore the universe within the classroom and online with research astronomers. The HOU curriculum integrates mathematics, science and technology while involving students in astronomical exploration and investigation.

Through the Hands-On Universe and WKU's STARBASE (Students Training for Achievement in Research Based on Analytical Space-science Experiments) program, students have access to images taken from telescopes at WKU's Bell Observatory, Yerkes Observatory in Wisconsin and Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona.

Teachers participating in the July 9 to July 13 workshop from were:

Mary Ames of Bardstown, Central Hardin High School; Lynn Bates of Grayson, East Carter High School; Shelby Bilbrey of Elizabethtown, North Hardin High School; John Miller of Des Plaines, Ill., Main East High School; Kay Robinson of Edmonton, Metcalfe County High School; Pennye Rogers of Greenville, Todd County Central High School; Lee Ann Smith of Glasgow, Caverna High School; and Melissa Wallace of Hawesville, Hancock County High School.

Teachers attending the July 14 workshop were: James Myers of Bowling Green, Warren Central High School; James Dodds of St. Louis, St. Louis Priory School; and Harry Kyriazes of Chicago, Niles North High School.

For more information, contact Dr. David Barnaby at (270) 745-6472. More WKU news is available on the World Wide Web at www.wku.edu. If you'd like to receive WKU news via E-mail, send a message to WKUNews@wku.edu.