Extended Abstract (736K)P1.38
Using Ham Radio to Teach Space Weather
Patricia Reiff, Rice University, Houston, TX; and D. Garay and A. Furitsch
For Houstonians, Space Weather rarely has local consequences. Only the storm of March, 1989 had an aurora visible from Houston in recent memory, and power outages in Texas are few. However, space weather can be integrated into middle-school curriculums using innovative techniques. The one clear space weather influence noticeable in Houston is radio propagation, and the "Ham connection" can be fun and educational. Ham radio is experiencing a minor renaissance because of its clear connection to homeland security. Kids who enjoy tinkering with ham radio are much more likely to become scientists and engineers, and with satellite contacts legal with just a minimum "technician" license, it is becoming a lot more attractive to modern students. Even without passing a Morse code test, students can talk to the International Space Station, or talk on linked reflectors across the country. They can also send "slow-scan" or even "fast-scan" TV images over the airwaves, or listen to data from balloon launches. They can participate in public service activities such as long bike rides or canoe races, and even participated in the search for Shuttle debris. The science that can be taught includes electronics, currents, antennas, etc, as well as how to talk courteously! Since space weather can influence both long-range and short-range propagation, knowing the Sun's state can mean whether they can talk to Japan or not!
Another way that space weather can be integrated into the curriculum is as an adjunct to solar and lunar eclipses. By observing solar images a month before an eclipse, a prediction of the best images can be made. Since eclipse seasons are twice a year, there are often opportunities to use eclipses to teach Earth-Moon-Sun science objectives, while sneaking in some space weather discussion. Space weather can be brought into the curriculum when discussing ice ages and global warming - both of which have a sun-connection, although those more properly are "sun climatology" instead of "space weather".
Finally, games and full-dome digital presentation can be effective teaching tools. We have developed a "Space Weather" Tic-tac-toe game, and a "Ham Radio" Tic-tac-toe, so that students can learn while challenging themselves. (Our generic Tictactoe question editor can be used to create questions for any subject area). Full-dome presentations can plunge students into the Sun or have a CME wash over them. They can experience the Earth's fields by being immersed in them, and see how the low solar activity in 1912 may have contributed to the sinking of the Titanic.
Examples of effective teaching tools will be shown.
Supplementary URL: http://earth.rice.edu
Poster Session 1, Poster Session Educational initiatives (Hall 4AB)
Sunday, 11 January 2004, 5:00 PM-7:00 PM, Hall 4AB
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