SkyTellers: A Resource for Smaller Community and School Planetariums

September 1st, 2002 - August 31st, 2006 | PROJECT

The Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI) will use $286,915, or 67% of a $430,373 total project budget, over three years to develop "SkyTellers," a space science and astronomy resource for small informal (and formal) learning settings such as planetariums, museum classes, school and community libraries, youth groups and home school settings. LPI educators and science staff, in consultation with a Native American master story teller, evaluation consultants, and an advisory board, will develop 12 SkyTeller topics. Each SkyTeller topic pairs a myth or legend (primarily but not exclusively Native American) with a relevant science story (Sky Story/Science Story) that explains our current understanding of the phenomenon that the ancient tale sought to explain. Ancillary materials (illustrations produced by LPI graphics staff, images from the latest in space science missions and research) will complete the 12 story sets to be used by informal and formal science educators at a variety of venues. Extensive formative and summative evaluation (alpha and beta testing) at multiple test venues is designed to insure high quality informal science education products.

Project Website(s)

(no project website provided)

Team Members

Stephen Mackwell, Principal Investigator, Universities Space Research Association
Stephanie Shipp, Author, Universities Space Research Association
Joseph Hahn, Co-Principal Investigator, Universities Space Research Association

Funders

Funding Source: NSF
Funding Program: ISE/AISL
Award Number: 0206816
Funding Amount: 278558

Tags

Audience: Educators | Teachers | General Public | Museum | ISE Professionals
Discipline: Social science and psychology | Space science
Resource Type: Project Descriptions
Environment Type: Community Outreach Programs | Informal | Formal Connections | K-12 Programs | Library Programs | Museum and Science Center Programs | Public Programs