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This is the website of Dave Kropp.
I am the writer of the manuscript "Secrets of the Planets". I have been a science teacher and the
solar system expert for Michigan Science Teachers Association (from 1994 to 2000).
You can
also find out about my manuscript (see the picture to the right for the cover designed by my wife, Brenda
with a little help from me). It is currently being
considered for representation by a literary agent.
This website will also have information on recent developments
(on Mars, Pluto, etc.) In the 1990s, I gave annual talks to teachers summarizing the news of the past year.
About
my book: "Secrets of the Planets"
So
you want to learn the interesting facts and stories about each planet that you can’t find easily in one place. Where would you go? The only real answer
is "Secrets of the Planets”. This book covers all the planets (except Earth but including Pluto) with
the attractive stories and facts titles being in bold lettering for easy reference.
In case you aren’t a solar system expert, there is an easy-to-read section on the important ideas in solar system
science.
And best
of all, this book is written so that anyone can read and enjoy it. The book is
written in words just like the ones you are reading now. If you can read this,
you can read “Secrets of the Planets”. This book is designed to fit in any library and in any school for use by interested readers, students, and teachers
alike.
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Click here for recent news about the planets...
Updates:
I had planned to speak at the 2009 Michigan
Science Teachers Association conference in Detroit. I was unable to be there but if anyone who attended wants
a copy of the handout, please Email me at the address below. Thank you for your understanding.
I spoke at the West Virginia Science Teachers
Association conference in 2008. Thank you to those who attended.
The day before the West Virginia conference I had the pleasure
to attend the WVU SPACE presentation at West Virginia University. They have a website. Click on the link below
to go to their site.
WVU SPACE site
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Please get in touch with me if you have
any questions about the planets, comments, or reactions to my site by emailing me at the address below.
My Background:
I was the solar system expert for the Michigan Science Teachers Association (MSTA) between
1994- 2000 and presented 17 solar system sessions for MSTA teachers between 1993 and 2000. I presented annual summaries of the new knowledge on the various planets, moons, and rings. No one has done anything similar to this (to my knowledge and the more than 50 NASA experts I talked
to). I published 4 articles, edited 3 solar system books (including a college textbook), and also
presented solar system sessions at 5 National Science Teachers Association conferences.
I also developed a solar system web page (“Solar System News Corner Stand”) that
was recognized by the top 2 astronomy magazines in the world. Sky & Telescope
listed it as a reference site for solar system news while Astronomy magazine listed the web site as excellent starting site. Other university and publishing websites were also linked to the website (which no
longer exists).
The research for the book ("Secrets of the Planets") covers reading and reviewing hundreds of books,
more than 15,000 articles covering 15 years of articles in the main astronomy and science magazines/journals, many thousands
of Emails, numerous websites, and exhausting the resources of books at Michigan State University.
I currently live with my wife, Brenda Radabaugh, in Morgantown,
West Virginia.
Thanks for visiting!
| A picture of my wife, Brenda, with me. |
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| Thank god we don't look like this anymore :) |
My wife Brenda is the author of four books.
Please click the link below to visit her website. She thinks everything that has to do with her should be
PINK and I think she is just a "Pink Geek"! She has
some kind of hold on me but, I can't figure out how that happened. Help me!
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