Helpful Hints for Using The Packages

Why should I consider using these materials?

The activities in these packages are hands-on ways to engage students in thoughtful science. Several of the packages allow students to experience phenomena that can only be described as "cool" (the Michelson Interferometer is way cool). Each package is designed to meet several science standards in Washington and Oregon. All of the activities have a connection to the science that occurs at LIGO (the Laser Interfereometer Gravitational-wave Observatory near Richland, WA). Those teachers who might wish to make a field trip to the LIGO Hanford facility will find that each package is related to one or more exhibits at LIGO. Our intent is that students will be able to link their work in the classroom to their field trip experience at the Observatory.

Which grade level package should I choose?

We have prepared middle school and/or high school versions of most of the packages. However teachers of upper middle or lower high school students might want to look at the 'other' version of a package when deciding which one to use. A ninth grade teacher might like the 5-8 version of the spectroscope better than the 9-12 version, for example. Hopefully teachers will find that the materials are easy to modify for their own particular needs(see the downloading tips below).

What are the contents of the packages?

When you click on an 'apple' link in the table of packages, an HTML document will appear on your screen that will display the entire contents of the package you have selected. You will see a list of links near the top of the document. A copy of the link list is shown below (for viewing only). Click on those links to jump to the corresponding locations within the package.

How can I access the materials?

You have at least two choices for acquiring the contents of the packages. Beware that these instructions may not be completely accurate if you have different versions of the browsers than ours.

1. Print the material straight from the Web. If you want to print the entire HTML document, just click 'file' and 'print' in Netscape or Internet Explorer. Warning: If you do this, the student worksheets won't print as individual pages. A worksheet might start halfway down one page and finish halfway down the next. You will need to cut and paste the worksheets to get them formatted. The solution would be to print page-size sections one at a time. You can do this by dragging your mouse over the portion you would like to print (such as a student worksheet), clicking 'file' and 'print', and clicking the 'selection' button in the print dialog box (beware again - Netscape won't let us use the 'selection' button, but Internet Explorer will). ADVANTAGES: Printing from the Web is quick. You don't need MS Word for this method. DISADVANTAGES: The 'print by selection' method may require some trial and error for you to format the printed pages to your liking. This method doesn't leave you with a saved file on your own computer.

2. Download and save a fully formatted Microsoft Word version of the package from our Website. Click on the link in the Web version that reads "A downloadable MS Word version of the package" (this is always the last link on the list that appears on the Web - see the example list above). This link will take you to a table where you will see the MS Word files listed as links. Choose the desired file (spectroscopy_9t12.doc if you want the high school version of the spectroscope). If you are using Internet Explorer, RIGHT click on the file link. Click "Save Target As", and designate a place on your hard drive or network to save the file. If you are using Netscape, RIGHT click on the file link. Click "Open in New Window". When the document opens in a new window, click "file" and "save as", then designate a place on your hard drive or network to save the file. You can keep the name that we have used for the file or you can give it a new name. Make sure you note the location where it will be saved so you can find the file later. ADVANTAGES: You can print the Word document without any changes and the page breaks should (we hope) make sense. Once you have the Word file saved, you can work with it easily. The formatting and graphics will probably print better from this method. DISADVANTAGES: You must have Microsoft Word from the Office 97 version or higher. Sometimes the file saving process can be aggravating.

How can I relate these packages to a LIGO field trip?

The table below shows the relationships between the classroom activities and the LIGO Explorer field trip activities