BEAUTIFUL EARTH: INSPIRING AND ENGAGING STUDENTS AND FAMILIES THROUGH MUSIC, ART, AND SCIENCE
- Paper number
IAC-12,E1,9,5,x16200
- Author
Ms. Valerie Anne Casasanto, NASA Goddard/University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), United States
- Coauthor
Mr. Kenji Williams, BELLA GAIA, United States
- Coauthor
Mr. Ronan Hallowell, EarthCAST Education (Collaborative Art-Science Transmissions), United States
- Coauthor
Dr. Ana Prados, UMBC/JCET/NASA GSFC, United States
- Coauthor
Dr. Thorsten Markus, NASA, United States
- Coauthor
Mr. Jim Rock, Indigenous Educational Design, United States
- Coauthor
Mr. Dustin Angell, MOST (Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science and Technology), United States
- Year
2012
- Abstract
Experiences and results will be presented from the Beautiful Earth program: a live multi-media performance at science centers linked with hands-on workshops featuring Earth scientists and Native American experts. It aims to inspire, engage and educate diverse audiences in Earth science through an experience of viewing the Earth from space as one interconnected whole, as seen through the eyes of astronauts. The informal education program is an outgrowth of Kenji Williams’ BELLA GAIA Living Atlas Experience (www.bellagaia.com) performed across the globe since 2008 and following the successful Earth Day education events in 2009, 2010, and 2012 with NASA’s DLN (Digital Learning Network) http://tinyurl.com/2ckg2rh. Beautiful Earth takes a new approach to teaching, by combining live music and space data visualizations, Earth Science with indigenous perspectives of the Earth, and hands-on interactive workshops. The program utilizes the emotionally inspiring multi-media show as a springboard to stimulate the full-brain and to inspire participants to learn more about Earth systems and science. Featured modules include: Native Earth Ways (NEW) which includes Native American experts to explain how they study and conserve the Earth in their own unique ways; Spaceship Earth Scientist (SES) Module, featuring an Earth Scientist expert discussing the science seen in the presentation; Spaceship Earth Data (SED) Module for professional development of teachers and museum educators, features instruction on obtaining NASA Earth Science data and mapping it onto Google Earth. Hands-on workshops to further engage students on various Earth Science themes such as sea salinity and ice melting simulations, are also discussed.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
(absent)