Telescopes from the Ground Up: Producing a history of science lesson in a technology-rich environment

The production process for the newest Amazing Space Online Exploration, "Telescopes from the Ground Up," required a team of professionals, including educators, scientists, graphic artists, writers, and programmers, to blend science, history, and technology into a story rich with people and their discoveries. Using the original Amazing Space lesson, "Galileo to Hubble," as a basis, the team began identifying national science and technology standards that could be addressed by the activity. Research was then conducted to span the history of telescope development from Galileo's small refractor to NASA's Great Observatories. Capitalizing on the expertise of each team member, the lesson evolved to reflect the many components of telescope development. The poster provides a detailed look at how the production team intermingled the concepts of science understanding, technological advancements, astronomical discoveries, and the people who made them into a comprehensive look at telescope history.