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HETE Summer Institute 2004

Tracing the Structure of the Universe: What Do We Know?  How Do We Know It?  How Can We Use It In The Classroom?

A 2004 Summer Institute for Middle and Secondary School Teachers
Sponsored by NASA and the MIT Center for Space Research

The HETE Summer Institute was a one-week education program designed to increase teachers’ understanding of the structure and evolution of the universe.  The Institute was designed to present material that is aligned with the Massachusetts Department of Education science content learning standards.  The three overarching questions that framed the activities, lectures and events of the Institute were:

1. How does the development of new technologies for collecting data in all regions of the electromagnetic spectrum contribute to our understanding of the origin, structure, and evolution of the universe?
2. How does the principle of universal gravitation help to explain the architecture of the universe?
3. How does the life cycle of a star exemplify conservation of mass and energy in the universe?

Teachers completed a variety of readings, participated in discussions and hands-on activities with the goal of bringing cutting-edge science to their classrooms. (The syllabus for this program is available here.)  To this end, the course had two major components:
  •  Activities and presentations to investigate scientists' current understanding of the structure and evolution of the universe.
  •  Discussion guided by a master educator on strategies by which any teacher could use the material presented with students of all ages and backgrounds, in a number of subject areas, including physics, chemistry, astronomy, math, literacy and the arts.
The HETE Institute also offered teachers the extraordinary opportunity to interact with MIT astrophysicists and engineers on a daily basis.  These special guests spoke on the substance of their work and their research, participated in the activities of the institute, and led discussions on the scientific topics that the teachers might have a personal interest in and wanted to incorporate into their curricula.

This program was offered at no cost to teachers, and all participants were awarded PDPs for their participation.  Graduate credit was also available for a small fee.

For pictures from the 2004 HETE Summer Institute, click here.

For a resource page with websites relevant to the 2004 HETE Summer Institute, click here.

For more information on the MIT Education and Public Outreach Office professional development opportunities, contact Irene Porro, Education and Public Outreach Scientist.  You can also check out our upcoming course, Astrobiology, to be held Monday evenings at the Harvard-Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory in Cambridge in fall and winter 2004 - 2005.

Phone: (617) 258-7481
E-mail: iporro@space.mit.edu

Visit the MIT websiteVisit the Center for Space Research website