Field Courses offer hands-on learning experiences at
exciting destinations throughout the Pasadena area.
They are optional, additional-fee events that take in
the Pasadena area and require advance ticket purchase
and are open to adult, registered conference participants
on a first-come, first-served basis. Ticket prices include
round trip bus service between the Pasadena Convention
Center and the Field Course site.
Field course buses depart from the Pasadena Convention
Center. Times listed include travel time, which may
vary depending upon road and traffic conditions. Please
arrive at the bus departure site in front of the Pasadena
Convention Center 15 minutes prior to the scheduled
departure time to ensure an on-time departure. For outdoor
activities, participants are encouraged to wear walking
shoes, layered clothing, and a backpack containing sunscreen,
sunglasses, a hat, binoculars, camera, a notepad, and
a pen. Lunch will be provided only where noted. CSTA
recommends that you bring your own snacks as needed.
Last Updated:
09/23/2011
FC01:
Science in the Stratosphere: Field Trip to NASA's Stratospheric
Observatory for Infrared Astronomy
Friday, October 21, 8:30 am - 4:30 pm
NASA's SOFIA is an airborne observatory built into a 747
that carries a 100" telescope to the stratosphere to
do infrared astronomy. It's the world's largest portable telescope!
Join this NASA tour to the Dryden Aircraft Operations Facility
(DOAF) in Palmdale, CA. You'll hear science and technology
talks, tour the observatory and the hangar, participate in
a hands-on infrared workshop, and take home a kit of standards-based,
classroom materials ($80 value!). You’ll learn new tricks
for teaching about the EM spectrum as you explore infrared
astronomy. An entertaining bus ride and lunch are included.
Must be at least 18 years old, US Citizen with Government-issued
ID. Registration deadline is October 7 (Deadline has been
extended from September 21) to allow for processing DAOF security
pass. Lunch provided.
Sponsored by SOFIA.
Standards Addressed: Grade 6: Energy in the Earth System 4.b Investigation
and Experimentation 7.a. – e.
Grade 7: Physical Principals in Living Systems 6.a. – f. Inv.
& Exp. 7.c. – e.
Grade 8: Earth in the Solar System 4.b., d., e.
Grades 9 – 12: Earth’s Place in the Universe I.a., d., g.
2.ds
NEW -
Lower Ticket Price: Fee: $10
SOLD OUT
FC02: A Day at the California Science Center:
Explore, Discover, Investigate!
Friday, October 21, 7:45 am - 1:45 pm
Cancelled due to low enrollment.
FC03: Beautiful Science
Friday, October 21, 8:00 am - 11:00 am
Cancelled due to low enrollment.
FC04: Shaking Out in Southern California –
A Tour of the Caltech Seismological Laboratory
Friday, October 21, 8:30 am – 2:30 pm
Visit one of the epicenters of earthquake research in Southern
California, the Caltech
Seismological Laboratory. A member of the Southern California
Earthquake Center, a research consortium made up of over 60
institutions worldwide, Caltech is doing cutting edge research
in earthquake early warning and use of supercomputers to simulate
seismic events such as the Great
California ShakeOut. We will visit the Seismo Lab Media
Center and you will learn about how information is distributed
after an earthquake. Field course participants will receive
a special Shaking Out in Southern California resource packet
filled with information about earthquakes, a field guide, an
Earthquake Country Los Angeles DVD, and many other surprises.
Give-aways valued at over $50! Lunch provided.
EARTH/SPACE SCIENCES and TECHNOLOGY
Grades: 3–12 Fee: $50
FC05:
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory – NASA’s Robotic Pathway to
the Solar System
Friday, October 21, 8:30 am – 12:30 pm
Join us on a tour of the Jet
Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). JPL is NASA’s lead center
for the robotics exploration of the solar system. During the
tour you will learn about the process of space exploration
from conception through data analysis; the so-called “life
cycle.” Tour elements will include an introductory auditorium
presentation (video and speaker), tour visits to the JPL visitor
center museum, Spacecraft Assembly Facility, Space Flight
Operations Facility and in-door Mars Yard. Complicated missions
like the Mars Science Laboratory, known as “Curiosity,” are
the product of a time-tested process and some hard lessons
learned. This visit will introduce you to the big picture,
and context, of how missions are developed. Frequently teachers
and students hear about mission successes or failures without
any context to understand how challenging the process of robotic
space flight is or how it comes about. This tour will amplify
on the regular JPL tour experience by focusing on the project
life-cycle actively being pursued on multiple missions.
EARTH/SPACE SCIENCES and TECHNOLOGY
Grades: 5-12 Fee: $25
SOLD OUT
FC06: Old Bones, New Discoveries – A Visit
to the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles
CALIFORNIA
SCIENCE 
FC01:
Science in the Stratosphere: Field Trip to NASA's Stratospheric
Observatory for Infrared Astronomy
FC05:
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory – NASA’s Robotic Pathway to
the Solar System