Lynne has been selected by the National Space Club as the 2013 recipient of the National Space Educator Award!

Since 1982, the award has been given annually to secondary school teachers who mentor students in the field of space, science, and technology. Recipients are also given a $1,500 grant and a plaque for their respective school.

"Lynne Zielinski is the first two-time winner in the thirty year history of the National Space Club National Space Educator Award. After being selected in 1988 for exemplary work motivating students to do research by planning and flying experiments on the Space Shuttle, she did not rest on her laurels," said National Space Club Award Chairman Kerry Joels.

"She spent the next quarter century expanding her students' opportunities to participate in space science research, encouraged dozens to pursue science and engineering degrees, and expanded community awareness of space science. Her career is an impressive and exceptional model for a space educator," he added.

Click here to read the full article posted by the National Space Society.

Lynne has devoted many hours to coordinate our monthly public star parties, work on our family astronomy nights,
and has been workshop leader for several Stars at Yerkes teacher workshops. Lynne continues to mentor fellow S@Y teachers
and give presentations at conferences like SEEC and so much more.

Congratulations Lynne - We are proud of you!

Teacher Training from the Galaxy Zoo - December 1, 2012

Dawn of the North: Space Weather, The Sun, and Aurora - Yerkes Teacher Workshop - Saturday February 23, 2013

Ever wonder about how the Aurora are created and when you can see them? Did you know that there is weather in space? And, what wonders lay beneath the surface of the sun? Join us on Saturday, February 23, 2013 for the next Stars at Yerkes teacher workshop - Dawn of the North:  Space Weather, The Sun, and Aurora.

This workshop will help you to better understand the strong connection between the Sun, Earth, and the Aurora (with a little stellar evolution thrown in too). We will look at the aurora and explain how they are formed due to the processes that occur on the sun and through space weather. Hear about the new IRIS (Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph) spacecraft and get your middle or high school students involved in the NASA ‘Tracking a Solar Storm’ project.

We will explore the sun, its activity at various layers safely, with al of our modern ground based and NASA space based technologies.  Participants will also learn about the space weather predictors used by scientists and what websites and Apps they can go to for aurora prediction. An aurora demonstration will also be provided

 As an extra bonus, we will share NEWLY DEVELOPED star cards, H-R diagram, and stellar evolution classroom activity that will make you a star in your classroom. BRING your laptop, mobile device, and/or tablet!

Registration includes CPDUs and lunch. Register for this workshop now!  Click here for registration form.

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RESOURCES

Dawn of the North Website        This is a tutorial about how the aurora are created from energy from the Sun.  (grades 9-12)

http://sprg.ssl.berkeley.edu/aurora_rocket/aurora/

 Educational Materials and Activities for Middle and High Students

http://sprg.ssl.berkeley.edu/aurora_rocket/education/

Geophysical Institute Aurora Forecast

http://www.gi.alaska.edu/AuroraForecast

Graphing Sunspots Activity - This activity has been archived and the orginal website gone. But you can still access it from the Wayback Machine.  On this link there are several sun spot activities for all grade levels.  The one you want fhat we did at Yerkes is called "Graphing Sunspots" (Grades 9-12)

http://web.archive.org/petabox/20000616123029/http://www.thursdaysclassroom.com/09mar00/hi_school/coolspots_menu.html

IRIS Challenge Home

http://irischallenge.arc.nasa.gov/

IIRIS Solar Storm Teacher Guide                              

 http://irischallenge.arc.nasa.gov/iris_guide.pdf

ISS AURORA VIDEOS - This is the entire video collection of aurora videos taken from the ISS and Shuttle by astronaut crews

http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/Videos/CrewEarthObservationsVideos/Videos_Aurora.htm

NASA Space Weather Action Center                

NASA Space Weather Media Viewer

NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center

SOHO Space Weather

http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/spaceweather

Space Weather Center - Current Space Weather Conditions - One stop shopping for links to many space weather predictor website.

http://sprg.ssl.berkeley.edu/forecast/welcome.html

Space Weather

 http://www.spaceweather.com

http://sprg.ssl.berkeley.edu/aurora_rocket/education/crt/index.htm

Water on Sun - Stanford news release

http://solar-center.stanford.edu/news/sunwater.html

Within Two Worlds (video) - Excellent mixed still and video images, including aurora

http://vimeo.com/45858333

Planetary Aurora Resources

Earth Aurora (Video) Astronomy Picture of the Day

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap101124.html

Earth Aurora with Constellations Labeled (Astronomy Picture of the Day)

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap120725.html

Bad Astronomy - Pink Aurora as described in link above.... nice explanation

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2012/06/18/aurora-in-the-pink/#.USUUQ1esv5y

Jupiter Aurora - Hubble Video clips

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFsoXjFoKf4

Mars Aurora (no video)

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=martian-aurora-is-one-of

Saturn Aurora Related to Earth - Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AmyfuJDMlY

Saturn Aurora Explaination with new video clip

http://phys.org/news204540485.html

Uranus Aurora (no video) - Hubble image

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/04/hubble-uranus-auroras/

Uranus Aurora (no video) - Newer Hubble image

http://www.universetoday.com/94565/hubble-reveals-curious-auroras-on-uranus/

Venus Aurora (no video) - Space.com

http://www.space.com/15171-venus-auroras-magnetic-field.html

Mobile device with any of the following free apps:

Ideum: NASA Space Weather Media Viewer (Sun Viewer)

NASA: NASA Space Weather (NASA SWx)

iTunes only:

Concentric Sky: Astronomy Picture of the Day  (APOD)

Utah State University USTAR: Space Weather

Train Like an Astronaut and Ham Radio

 

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to fly in space and train like an astronaut?  Join us for an active Stars at Yerkes session where we explore the challenges and benefits of human spaceflight in weightlessness.  This workshop is designed for all grade levels, and will examine life support systems, human physiology, and analogs your students can compare as they "train like an astronaut."  Information also will  be shared about how you and your students can connect with the International Space Station with Ham Radio with the ARISS program.



Cost for the workshop is $25.00 and registration is suggested.  Registration includes CPDUs and lunch.

Click here for event agenda and registration.