March/April 2007
IN THIS ISSUE

Historically, showmanship and science have been a popular combination in science centers. More than 91 percent of ASTC-member museums feature “classes and demonstrations” in their programming, and some of the larger museums also support a science theater program. But do these events make a lasting impression on visitors? Which techniques are most effective? How is the classic science show changing (or needing to change) to teach today’s audiences? What can science centers do to refresh their live science programs? In this issue, we look back to roots of science performance, share some research findings, and examine how some ASTC members are reinventing the science show.

CONTENTS
• Science Demonstrations: Hot or Cool?, by Eddie Goldstein
• Performing Science: A Demo and Drama Sampler, compiled by Carolyn Sutterfield
• Agreeing on Truth: The Continuum of Science Demonstration, by Richard Toon
• Shockin’ at The Bakken, by David J. Rhees
• People Presence: Why Live Demonstration Matters, by Dante Centuori
• Valued by Visitors, by Dawnne LePretre
• The Impact of Science Shows: A Research Study, by Wendy Sadler
• Animal Archive: A BIG Collaboration, by David Price
• Presenter’s Practicum: A Science Shows Workshop, by Walter Ginckels and Harri Montonen
• Staging Science: The Case for Theater in Museums, by Catherine Hughes
• Theater at the New York Hall of Science, by Marcos Stafne

Subscribe/order back issues

January/February 2007
IN THIS ISSUE

Call it the Age Wave, the Silver Tsunami, the Longevity Revolution. It’s the demographic shift we’re seeing as the “baby boom” generation, people born between 1946 and 1964, turns 50, 60, and more. According to ASTC’s 2006 General Member Survey, 33 percent of ASTC museums already offer programs “targeting senior citizens,” but it will require increasing levels of sophistication to address the needs and aspirations of the active, aging boomers. In June 2006, representatives of 25 U.S. science centers and museums met for three days in Washington, D.C., with representatives of organizations that serve older Americans at the local, state, and national level. The conference was organized by the SPRY Foundation, ASTC, and other sponsors, as well as being funded by the National Science Foundation. In this issue, we share insights, outcomes, and resources from that event and describe how some science centers are reaching out to 50+ audiences.

CONTENTS
• The Longevity Revolution: Challenge and Opportunity, by Russell Morgan
• Museums and Older Adults: A Senior Perspective, by Lynn Simmons
• Aging Reinvented: A View from the ‘Oldest’ State, by Gillian Thomas
• A Field Guide to the U.S. Aging Community, by Richard Adler
• In Their Own Right: Adult Learning at Explora, by Kristin Leigh
• Curious Scientific Investigators: A Cross-Generational Program, by Rick Crosslin
• Aging Resources
• What’s In It for Me? Attracting Older Adults to Museums, by Douglas Wagner
• Staying Sharp: A Partnership for Brain Health, by Michael Patterson
• What Research Says about Learning and the Aging Brain
• Mutual Benefit: Partnering for Learning in Tampa, by Terrie Nolinske and Ara Rogers
• Promoting Healthy Aging: The MetLife Grants, by Carolyn Sutterfield
• Aging for All Ages: A ‘Lifelong Learning’ Exhibition, by Paul Siboroski

Subscribe/order back issues

November/December 2006
IN THIS ISSUE

The start of the International Polar Year (IPY) in March 2007 marked the start of a major new undertaking for the science center community. ASTC’s “International action for GLObal warming” initiative (IGLO), an officially endorsed component of the IPY, will bring museums worldwide into partnership not only with IPY education and outreach efforts, but also with the International Polar Foundation, the World Ocean Network, UNESCO, and more. As scientists document the effects of rapidly increasing temperatures and greenhouse gas concentrations on Earth’s key Polar Regions, museum visitors will have a chance, through IGLO, to follow the research, participate in public debate, assess the impact of human activity, and take action locally, nationally, or internationally.

CONTENTS
• Global Warming: What Can Science Centers Do?, by Jeffrey Kirsch and Erik Jacquemyn
• Our Changing Climate: A Global Reality, by Robert W. Corell
• International Polar Year: Creating an Education and Outreach Continuum, by Mark S. McCaffrey
• The IGLO Initiative: Collaborating to Address Global Warming, by Walter Staveloz
• IGLO’s International Dimension, by Carolyn Sutterfield
• Linking the Networks: The IGLO Advisory Group, by Colin Johnson
• Climate Change: What Visitors Want from Science Centers, by Shelly E. Ryan
• From the Field: ‘Not Too Scary … Yet’, by Shari Gearheard
• Science Centers Take Action: An ASTC Sampler, compiled by Carolyn Sutterfield
• U.S. Agencies in Support of IGLO, by David Herring, Frank Niepold, and Joel Halvorson
• The IGLO Toolkit: One-Stop Shopping for Climate Change Science, by Charlie Trautmann
• Global Warming Resources

Subscribe/order back issues

September/ October 2006
IN THIS ISSUE

“Astronomical concepts and images have universal appeal, inspiring wonder and resonating uniquely with human questions about our nature and our place in the universe.” So wrote a distinguished panel of U.S. scientists in Astronomy and Astrophysics in the New Millenium (National Academies Press, 2001). One chapter in the repost focuses on astronomy education, citing it’s power “not only to increase knowledge and understanding on the part of students and the public alike, but also to illuminate the nature of science.” As an example the authors chose Project ASTRO, an Astronomical Society of the Pacific program that employs the hands-on, inquiry-based methods long championed by science centers. In this issue, we look at Project ASTRO and other innovative programs, technologies, and partnerships that are helping museum audiences to better understand their “place in the universe.”

CONTENTS
• Fathoming the Unfathomable, by Dennis Schatz
• Supporting Educators: ASP and the Informal Science Community, by Michael G. Gibbs and Suzanne Gurton
• Kinesthetic Astronomy: Experiencing the Movement of the Spheres, by Cherilynn A. Morrow
• Hands-On Optics: Teaching the Technology behind Astronomy, by Stephen Pompea
• Sharing the Science: Public Outreach at Kitt Peak, by Rich Fedele
• Above the Horizon: The Changing Face of Planetariums, by Alex Barnett
• Planetarium Interactivity: A New Paradigm, by Al Najjar
• NASA’s One Place for Space, by Erika Reinfeld, Mary Dussault, and Anita Sohus
• Astronomy Resources

Subscribe/order back issues

July/August 2006
IN THIS ISSUE

More than a decade after the first museum web sites went online, a new revolution is sweeping the Internet. Driven by inexpensive and easy-to-use technologies, the phenomenon some call “Web 2.0″ is allowing users of popular sites like Blogger, Flickr, and Wikipedia to participate actively in creating their own web experiences. It’s time for science centers to get on board. In this issue, we examine how web-based tools like blogs, podcasts, wikis, discussion forums, RSS feeds, RFID tagging, and collaborative games are helping are helping ASTC members and others to deepen and extend relationships with and among visitors and provide professional development for staff.

CONTENTS
• Museums and the New Web: The Promise of Social Technologies, by Jim Spadaccini
• Building Science Buzz: Open Source Opens Doors, by Bryan Kennedy and Liza Pryor
• RedShiftNow: Ontario’s Online ‘Agent of Change’, Kevin von Appen
• Tech Tags: Extending the Visitor Experience at the Tech Museum of Innovation, by Lisa M. Granger
• Connecting Learning Communities: An Evolving Role for ASTC, by Geoff Crane
• WDIL: A Community Web Site for Interactive Web Design, by Wendy Pollock
• Social Technology Resources

Subscribe/order back issues