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Learn More about Formal Education

What makes Rubin Observatory EPO’s formal education program valuable for teachers?

  • Investigations only require accessing a webpage. No special software is needed.
  • Investigations will be available in English and Spanish.
  • User-friendly data exploration tools within the investigations eliminate the need to download data and export it to other programs. Instead of preparing data, teachers can spend time on what’s really important: the science process.  
  • Students work with authentic Rubin Observatory data.
  • Minimal prep time is required for students and instructors to use the investigations.
  • Instructors can use class management tools to create differentiated assignments.
  • Two versions of each investigation will be available: a ready-to-use webpage or a fully-customizable investigation.
  • Investigations are designed for use with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) in the United States, and the Currículum Nacional in Chile.
  • Each investigation comes with extensive support material for teachers, including additional questions and rubrics for assessment.
  • All education materials are developed for teachers, and have been classroom-tested by teachers.
  • Instructors can interact with other users and seek technical support from Rubin Observatory staff.
  • Online tools and data may be used as starting points for student-directed inquiry or research projects.
  • Professional development opportunities will be available for teachers in the form of workshops, interactive web seminars, and a repository of training tools. Professional development will begin in 2021.

Financial support for Rubin Observatory comes from the National Science Foundation (NSF) through Cooperative Agreement No. 1258333, the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science under Contract No. DE-AC02-76SF00515, and private funding raised by the LSST Corporation. The NSF-funded Rubin Observatory Project Office for construction was established as an operating center under management of the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA).  The DOE-funded effort to build the Rubin Observatory LSST Camera (LSSTCam) is managed by the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC).
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency created by Congress in 1950 to promote the progress of science. NSF supports basic research and people to create knowledge that transforms the future.
NSF and DOE will continue to support Rubin Observatory in its Operations phase. They will also provide support for scientific research with LSST data.   




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