Polar (DCL 16-119): Engaging Students and the Public in Polar Research through Live Interactive Planetarium Shows

华盛顿大学(UW)极地科学中心的科学家和华盛顿州西雅图太平洋科学中心的科学教育工作者将合作，利用太平洋科学中心威拉德·史密斯天文馆的新数字投影系统制作极地科学天文馆展示。极地表演将每天在天文馆展出，在这个项目的过程中总共有700次展示。极地科学家和研究生将参加一门旨在教授科学公共传播技能的课程，然后将参加数量较少的天文馆表演的现场展示。精选的极地表演也将向全国各地的其他天文馆播放。研究人员将致力于情感领域的认知研究，特别关注在演示风格、图像选择和内容方面的选择如何导致观众的情感参与和对内容的兴趣增加。节目内容将由两部分组成：(1)关于极地地区的一般材料，适合3-5年级的小学生；(2)来自积极研究项目的材料，适合普通观众。拟议的活动旨在激发人们对科学的兴趣、欣赏和享受；鼓励学生考虑在STEM领域从事职业；让公众了解美国国家科学基金会对极地科学的贡献；让人们了解地球两极地区及其在全球气候中的作用；以及增加参与活动的科学家的舒适度和与公众观众沟通的能力。评估将确定这些天文展览对公众参与极地科学的影响。

Scientists at the University of Washington's (UW) Polar Science Center and science educators at Pacific Science Center in Seattle, WA will collaborate to create polar science planetarium shows using the new Digitalis projection system in Pacific Science Center's Willard Smith Planetarium. The polar shows will be presented daily at the planetarium, for a total of 700 showings over the course of this project. Polar scientists and graduate students will participate in a course designed to teach skills in public communication of science and then will participate in a smaller number of live presentations of the planetarium shows. Selected polar shows will also be "Domecast" to other planetariums around the country. Researchers will contribute to the study of cognition in the affective realm, looking specifically at how choices made in the presentation style, image selection and content can result in emotional engagement of the viewer and increased interest in the content.The content for the shows will consist of two parts: (1) general material about the polar regions, made suitable for elementary school children in grades 3-5, and (2) material derived from active research projects, made suitable for general audiences. The proposed activities are meant to inspire greater interest, appreciation, and enjoyment of science; stimulate students to consider careers in STEM fields; inform the public about NSF's contribution to polar science; impart an awareness of the Earth's polar-regions and their role in global climate; and increase participating scientists' comfort and ability to communicate with public audiences. Evaluations will determine the impact of these planetarium shows on the engagement of the public with the polar sciences.