Events

Wednesday, December 11, 4:30-6pm Pacific / 7:30-9pm Eastern
*Registration ($25 fee) has been reopened through December 8, 11:59pm*
Space is limited!

Join us for a 90-minute workshop for classroom and informal educators exploring how we classify the many objects within our Solar System.

For many people it is a mystery how we sort the objects in the Solar System into categories. How do we know what to call some distant object we haven’t visited in person? What are the characteristics that define the categories, and what is a dwarf planet anyway? In this workshop participants will investigate how we use observations to inform inferences and make decisions about both the processes on distant objects and what we call them. The workshop culminates in small group work to examine both historical and current imagery and data on Solar System objects to sort them into groups.

Participants will gain the following through participation in this workshop:

-Experience in examining imagery, making observations and inferences about identifiable processes
-An appreciation of how changes in technology and basic knowledge results in change in the models we use to classify Solar System objects
-A digital toolkit with the resources needed for conducting workshop investigations
-Strategies for engaging learners of all ages
-Access to astronomy experts who will facilitate the workshop
-A free one-year subscription to Mercury, ASP's online magazine about the intersections of astronomy and society
-A certificate of completion for participating in 2 clock hours of professional development

Registration fee: $25

Attendance/Refund Policy

Live attendance is strongly encouraged and expected in order to get the most out of the interactive session. Full refund is available for cancellations up to 14 days prior to the start of the workshop. If you need to cancel please email learn@astrosociety.org.

*Registration has been reopened through December 8, 11:59pm*