GOLDSTONE APPLE VALLEY RADIO TELESCOPE

The Lewis Center for Educational Research (LCER) provides an opportunity for K-12 teachers and students to participate in a unique science education partnership. In partnership with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), the LCER is offering the Goldstone Apple Valley Radio Telescope (GAVRT) program that enables students to operate and control one of three different deep space radio telescopes located at NASA's Deep Space Communication Complex at Goldstone, California.

Students take control of one of the massive dishes via the Internet to study a variety of radio sources in space. They collect and analyze data that goes into a database used by professional astrophysicists worldwide. Much of the student data are published in professional journals, which demonstrates to students the importance of their data and contributes to the "team building" goals of the GAVRT program.

The purpose of the GAVRT program is to provide students and educators with curriculum vehicles that will promote science literacy, support a better understanding of the scientific community, and to provide the opportunity to collect real-time data with sophisticated science equipment through distance learning.

The GAVRT program is available to students worldwide and is currently being used by K-12 students in the United States, South America, Europe and Asia. Teachers attend a 5-day training course where they learn the basics of radio astronomy, are taught how to control the telescope, and are given guidelines for use of the program curriculum. A visit to Goldstone allows a first hand view of “their” antenna. Teachers are also provided a broad-based, multidisciplinary curriculum, which may be used as is, or individually adapted to fit their own classroom environment. GAVRT curriculum is designed to meet National Science Standards. Teachers receive on-going support and answers to questions via interactive website, email, and phone communication.