For Educators

Are you a science educator or an administrator interested in science-related professional development?

LIGO believes that investing in teachers can significantly increase student achievement and opportunities for success in all areas.

• International Physics and Astronomy Teacher Program - Want to learn more about gravitational waves, and collaborate with other teachers from around the world? Apply for our annual IPA program at LIGO Hanford Observatory!
• Elementary Teacher Waves Workshop - Deepen your content knowledge and learn about hands-on ways to teach light, sound, energy, and other waves from 1st-5th grade!

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• NSF-DOE Vera Rubin Observatory Workshop - Cosmic Safaris: From the Solar System to the Stars

  Ignite your students’ curiosity with two dynamic, data-driven investigations from Rubin Observatory—completely free and ready to use! Designed for advanced middle school through college-level introductory astronomy (“Astro 101”) courses, these classroom-ready lessons align with the Next Generation Science Standards and come complete with engaging phenomena, detailed teacher guides, and a variety of assessments.

  In Surveying the Solar System, students analyze real orbital data to identify four major groups of small Solar System bodies—and then take on the challenge of classifying a mysterious new population.

  In Stellar Safari, students investigate the physical properties of stars to uncover patterns in their lifetimes and evolution. Using these relationships, they determine stellar ages and distances.

  As a bonus, this workshop will introduce Rubin Observatory’s exciting new First Look for Educators resources. Be among the first to explore ways you and your students can dive into Rubin’s first publicly released data—sparking conversations about cutting-edge discoveries and the future of astronomical research

           Register for the workshop here: https://tinyurl.com/Rubin-workshop 

• Other Teacher Professional Development Opportunities - Visit this page to learn about the teacher professional development programs offered through each of our two observatories.
   

Check out our other educational resources below.

• Classroom Activities - All sorts of activities you can bring to your classroom that concentrate on LIGO, or concepts related to LIGO (such as, waves).
• Field Trips - Want to take a school field trip to LIGO? Click on this link to book a field trip to one of our two observatories.
• Try This at Home - Here are some LIGO related activities you can try at home!
• Ask a LIGO-ite - Do you have a question that's not answered anywhere else on our site? Click here to ask a question of a real LIGO scientist!
• Bring LIGO to Your Classroom - If you can't bring your class to LIGO, then we may be able to bring a LIGO educator to you. Click here to learn more.
• Recommended Reading and Video - Some of our favorite resources related to the science behind LIGO.
• Detection Education Resources - Education materials related to the detection of gravitational waves by LIGO:
  • Detection science summaries: Short overviews of LIGO detections tailored to a casual reader
  • LIGO Educator's Guide (a 24-page introductory guide to LIGO and gravitational waves, with 2 simple activities suitable for classroom use)