Data Labs

are interactive instructional modules that engage high school students in authentic investigations using real data and online data visualization tools from the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian.

Colored glass filters
Spectrum Lab

An interactive data visualization tool that helps students explore the electromagnetic spectrum. Students develop deeper reasoning around light and color phenomena through a series of investigations using:

  • Hands-on materials
  • Models
  • Simulations
  • Authentic spectral data from many disciplines
Implemented over 3 - 8 class periods.

Exoplanet transiting a star
DIY Planet Search

An interactive data interface where students engage with the messiness of real data, using the same analytical methods that professional scientists use to separate signal from noise in their investigations. Through 6 core activities students:

  • Explore models of exoplanets
  • Collect real telescope data
  • Analyze their own images of other star systems
Implemented over 4 to 6 instructional hours.