Glossary

Every field of study has technical terms that are used by people within that field. Newcomers to the field may not be familiar with the terminology used by others and may find themselves unsure of what certain words and terms mean. This is where a Glossary comes in handy. This Glossary is designed to help both students and teachers understand new or unfamiliar vocabulary or specialized terminology in this field of study.

Below are some ideas on how you could use the Glossary with students. Students could:

• Create new glossary entries for terms not on the list.
• Group glossary terms into categories and explain the reasons for their grouping of the terms.
• Create labeled drawings to illustrate different terms.
• Add to the definitions based on further research.
• Compare the definitions in this glossary to definitions in other web-based glossaries.
• How are they similar and different? Have them think about why this may be the case.

Image Gallery

Don't just tell me, show me! A picture is worth a thousand words, which is why NRC has opened up its vaults and brought out the best photographs for the NRC Student Science & Tech web site. The photographs in the Image Gallery are a sample of the photographs that can be seen at NRC Picture Perfect Science.

Below are some ideas on how you could use the Image Gallery with students. For example, students could:

• Find out more about the research that the photographs are based on.
• Create captions for the photographs based on their own research.
• Group photographs into categories and explain why they grouped the photographs the way they did.
• 'Read' the photographs from an artist's perspective (e.g., describe the composition, focal point, setting, etc.).
• Find more about special photographic techniques used to create some of the photographs (e.g., telescopes, fluorescent dyes, ultraviolet light, nuclear magnetic resonance imaging, etc.)

Topics In... Astronomy

With new research discoveries, there is always more to learn about a topic. Topics in... provides additional information about selected topics within a given subject area. This is a good place to start if you are looking for easy-to-understand background information about a topic. Follow the links below to access subject-specific information within the NRC Student Science & Tech section.

Below are some ideas on how you can use the information in the Topics in... section with students.

• Use the information as a starting point or supplementary source for research projects.
• Read and summarize the information to improve understanding of a topic.
• Engage in inquiries based on the information.

NRC Highlights

Every month new and exciting discoveries happen at the NRC. These fascinating stories highlight recent work in the physical sciences at the NRC. Archived articles are also available.

January 2008

Astrophysics goes to market

A radio receiver designed to capture the faintest whispers from the cosmos is finding earthly application in the hands of a Canadian company.

April 2007

NRC scientists produce world's most sensitive radio detectors to probe the Universe

The National Research Council of Canada has designed and built the most sensitive and precise radio detector ever built for millimetre-wavelength operation.

September 2006

The Sophisticated Science of Playing Peek-A-Boo With Distant Planets

Find out how researchers with the NRC Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics have meticulously analyzed the unusual wobbles of more than 150 stars and concluded that there are planets orbiting around them.

May 2006

Telescope Technology Turns Up the Volume on Innovation

Discover how NRC is contributing to a powerful new generation of telescopes.

January 2006

Picking a Telescope

Learn about choosing the best telescope for your astronomy needs.

November 2005

Canadian Astronomy Achievements Force Re-writing of Textbooks

An international team of astronomers has discovered massive galaxies during an epoch where, according to established astronomy theory, there should only be young, newly-forming galaxies.

NRC Institutes, Programs, Initiatives and Technology Centres

The National Research Council (NRC) is composed of over 20 institutes and national programs, spanning a wide variety of disciplines and offering a broad array of services. Several NRC institutes focus on physical sciences research. Contact them directly for more information by going to the NRC Web site and following these links.

http://www.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/institutes/index_e.html

The NRC herzberg Institute for Astrophysics in Victoria and Penticton, BC manages Canada's involvement in major astronomical observatories, thereby ensuring Canadian astronomers full access to world-class facilities spanning the entire sky.