Sunday, 11 January 2004
Three-lesson introduction of space weather to meteorology students
Hall 4AB
During the past three years a short lesson sequence in space weather has been introduced to University of Massachusetts (UMASS), Lowell meteorology students. The three- lesson sequence, geared toward a 45 min lecture period, introduces junior meteorology majors to 1) The drivers of space weather; 2) Impacts of space weather and 3) Observing and Predicting Space Weather. The assumed audience possesses a general science background, but little knowledge of college level electromagnetism. The objectives of this space weather unit, equivalent to one chapter in a meteorology course text, is to introduce students to the basic terminology used in space weather and to provide conceptual material about how space weather can impact everyday life and technology systems. The University of Michigan Space Physics Research Laboratory is developing a set of Sun-to-Earth graphics and visualizations to support this effort. We will present the curriculum and supporting graphics and describe the challenges in integrating this material into a survey meteorology course.
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