Kids Capture Their Universe

University of Rhode IslandCooperative Extension

Children, Youth and Family Program

Pond, K., Bocage, P., & Haining, K. (April 2011). Kids capture their universe. Workshop presented at 2011 Dod/ASDA Family Resilience Conference, Chicago, IL.

What is it?

• A space-based computer program to enhance computer, public speaking, and teamwork skills.

• Students work in teams to learn about astronomy, while simultaneously developing computer skills, learning terms and developing skills to speak in public and work together.

Technology• Students learn how to

navigate the program and learn technology terms as well as vocabulary about space.

• There are many challenges in the KCU program that scaffold student’s learning as well as test them at the next level .

Technology

• Students learn to manipulate pictures by utilizing tools such as sharpen, color tables, reduce noise, crop, zoom, and add text.

• Students also learn to retrieve and save images.

Before

After

First Challenge

• Tower challenge • Familiarize students with the program • Introduce students to the concepts of pixel values• Pixels make up an image

Light (High) PixelDark (Low) Pixel

Let’s try the Moon Challenge!

• Open images on local disk

• Imaging Processing Challenges

• Moon Challenges

• Open both MoonChallenge.FITS and Moon2.GIF and position accordingly

• Open “adjust image” window located in the “process” tab. Locate “Sharpen” in that same tab and “zoom” – the magnifying glass on the image

Goal of the challenge:

• Create a sharp detailed view of craters at the bottom of the moon.

• MoonChallenge.FITS is the manipulative.

• Sharpen the image by using the “sharpen” tool.

• The picture must be highlighted to be manipulated.

• Zoom in on the image.

• Adjust the contrast by moving the triangles/changing the “Min” and “Max” values in the “Adjust Image” window.

• Select dotted square in image box.• Select area to be cropped.• Select “Process” “Crop”. • Drag image to selected location.

End Tags

• How many of these do you know?– .dox– .jpeg– .doc– .xml– .html– .mpeg– .wmv

• Save the cropped file as a GIF file

• Select image• File Save As GIF• Select desired folder• Name file “xyz.GIF”

Astropoetry

• Show a beautiful image of an astronomical object

• Ask youth what words they would use to describe it. What does it remind them of?

• Write the words on index cards or Post-Its

• Shuffle them around to create a poem

• Kickball• Spinning gas• Colossal• Glowing CD• Paintball in the center• Rolling• Round• Frisbee dust

“Top Planet”

A round rolling kickball….

Spinning as, frisbee dust.

Colossal, glowing CD…

With a paintball in the center!

Socratic Poems

• Gorgeous• Alluring• Long• All of space• eXtreme• Year- lasting

• Made of rock• Outstanding• Out of this world• Natural

Nebula Challenge

• Open the image NebulaChallenge.FITS

• Open the “Image Info” window and the “adjust image” window.

Locate buttons at the bottom of the “Adjust Image” window (Linear, Log, and Auto). These shortcuts can be used to bring out interesting parts of the image

• Click the “Auto” button in the “ads Image” window and describe the image

• Play with the the “Min” and “Max” arrows. What happens?

• Notice the new features of the image

• Crop and save image as a GIF file

Selected Forms

Pre and Post Survey

Pre and Post Survey (cont)

So… Where can I get this?

• This program is available for free at the following website:

• http://mo-www.harvard.edu/MicroObservatoryImage/

• The program manual can be found at the following website:

• http://epo.mit.edu/resources/KCU_Curriculum.pdf

• Request your own NASA images from this website:

• http://www.MicroObservatory.org

Questions?

Contact Information

• Phyllis BocageCooperative Extension Specialist

Children, Youth and Family

University of Rhode Island

19 Upper College Road

Kingston, RI. 02881

pbocage@uri.edu

• Kim PondExtension Educator

UMass 4-H

237 Chandler Street

Worcester, MA. 01609

Kima@umext.umass.edu