The CLASS team includes instructional resource specialists and Maryland high-school physics teachers to develop cosmology and CMB-specific educational resources compatible with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), which now lead the K-12 science education in Maryland and many other states. NGSS emphasizes the need for students to learn through the hands-on practice\/inquiry of science and engineering, more akin to research than the traditional classroom approach. Moreover, the standards focus on recurring core ideas and cross-cutting concepts, such as The Universe and its Stars, Waves and Electromagnetic Radiation, Energy and Forces, and Optimizing the Design Solution, which naturally draw on cosmology and experimental CMB research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Classroom Activities<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n We have developed and classroom-tested instructional activities intended for the high-school level. Input from teachers has also been incorporated through the annual summertime JHU Quarknet workshops. The activities come with directions for the instructor and a workbook for students. To accommodate different circumstances and approaches, the activities provide instructor guidelines for multiple levels of independence by which the class can engage the material.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n