SkyServer Voyages: Next-Generation Educational Activities using the Sloan Digital Sky Survey

The Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) “SkyServer” has long included online educational materials designed to enable students and the public to discover the fundamentals of modern astronomy using real observations from the SDSS database. Efforts are now being made to update and expand these activities to reflect new data from additional generations of the survey (e.g., SDSS-III), advances in web capabilities and changing trends in science education. The new site, “SkyServer Voyages”, aims to provide access to quality astronomy, astrophysics and engineering materials to educators with a particular focus on those seeking to implement the new Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) in the US. We provide an overview of the design and development of Skyserver Voyages and discuss ways to apply this resource at the K-12 and university levels.