Tony Crider, associate professor of physics, presented Aug. 3 at a education and public outreach conference on “Connecting People to Science” in Baltimore, Md.
Sponsored by the Astronomical Society of the Pacific in partnership with the American Geophysical Union and the Space Telescope Science Institute, this conference hosted more than 200 astronomy educators from schools, universities, museums and government. The Astronomical Society of the Pacific, founded in California in 1889, is now the largest general astronomy society in the world, with members from over 70 nations. It mission is to increase “understanding and appreciation of astronomy by engaging scientists, educators, enthusiasts and the public to advance science and science literacy.”
During his workshop, “The Pluto Debate: Learning Astronomy Content and Process through Role-playing,” Crider guided participants through a science education game in which students play the roles of professional astronomers debating the definition of a planet at the American Museum of Natural History in 1999.