@proceedings {1439461,
	title = {Combining Real World Experience and WorldWide Telescope Visualization to Build a Better Parallax Lab},
	journal = {Astronomical Society of the Pacific},
	volume = {500},
	year = {2014},
	pages = {191-194},
	publisher = {Celebrating Science: Putting Education Best Practices to Work ASP Conference Series},
	address = {Burlingame, CA},
	abstract = {We present a lab activity designed to help students understand the concept of parallax in both astronomical and non-astronomical contexts. In an outdoor setting, students learn the methodology of distance determination via parallax. They identify a distant landmark to establish a reference of direction, and then measure the change in apparent direction for more nearby objects as they change position in a 2 meter radius {\textquotedblleft}orbit{\textquotedblright} around the {\textquotedblleft}Sun.{\textquotedblright} This hands-on activity involves large, visually-discernable angles so that students can internalize the concept of parallax from everyday experi- ence. However, students often have difficulty transferring this experience to the astro- nomical realm, so we pair this hands-on activity with a more explicitly astronomically- based activity using the WorldWide Telescope visualization environment. Students ap- ply the same methodology in this environment and learn how the apparent motion of stars is related to their distance from Earth. The combination of hands-on activity and computer-aided visualization is designed to produce a deeper understanding of paral- lax in the astronomical environment, and an improved understanding of the inherently three-dimensional distribution of objects in our universe. More formal assessment is underway.},
	author = {Ladd, E. and Udomprasert, P. and Gingrich, E. and Nottis, K. and Goodman, A. A}
}
