Professional Development

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Observing a Dynamic Sun

The sun


In-Person Teacher Professional Development Workshop
Intended for teachers of grades 6–12
Harvard Museum of Natural History
26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA

Friday, March 22, 2024, 10:00 am–3:30 pm and
Saturday, March 23, 2024, 9:30 am–3:30 pmTeachers looking through a telescope

The Sun is constantly changing over every conceivable timescale. Sunspots, relatively cold regions with strong magnetic fields, appear and disappear over the course of days. Meanwhile, solar flares eject incredible masses of highly energetic particles into the solar system, reaching Earth in less than a day. Over the billion-year timescales of solar system history, the nature of these flare events has changed greatly, profoundly affecting the atmosphere and suitability for life on Earth and other planets. 

Created jointly with the Harvard Museum of Natural History, this Professional Development opportunity will be led by Dr. Roger Fu, John L. Loeb Associate Professor of the Natural Sciences. It will center around using a specialized hydrogen-alpha solar telescope to directly observe the changing Sun and draw connections to how the Sun has shaped our planet through geologic time. At the end of the PD, each educator will receive a telescope, filter, and mounting to keep for use in their classroom.

This program is free but a refundable deposit of $50 is required to register. Deposits will be refunded after completion of the program.

Aligns with MA STEM standards:
7.MS-ESS2-2 (Earth’s surface changes) 
7.MS-ESS3-2 (Past and future geological events)
8.MS-ESS1-1b (Earth-Sun system model) 
HS-ESS1-1 (Life of the Sun)
HS-ESS2-4 (Energy flow)

You will receive:

  • Free workshop led by a Harvard Faculty member
  • Lessons aligned with MA STEM standards
  • Free telescope with hydrogen-alpha filter and mounting for use with your students
  • PDP certificate (HMNH is a Massachusetts PDP provider)
  • Breakfast and lunch each day
  • Free parking

This program is full. Please email Reservations to be added to the waitlist.

For questions, please contact: HMNHreserve@hmsc.harvard.edu
This program is supported by the National Science Foundation award EAR-1847042