NASA Education Express Message -- March 14, 2013
Virginia Space Grant Consortium
NASA
Exploration Design Challenge
Students from Kindergarten
through 12th grade will have the opportunity to play a unique role in the
future of human spaceflight through participation in NASA's Exploration Design
Challenge, or EDC. NASA EDC invites students around the world to think and act
like scientists in order to overcome one of the major hurdles of deep space
long-duration exploration -- the dangers associated with space radiation.
Students taking part in the challenge will discover how to plan and design
improved radiation shielding aboard the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle,
currently being developed by NASA, Lockheed Martin and other partners to carry
astronauts to space, venturing farther than humans have ever gone before.
Through a series of science,
technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, engagement activities,
students in grades K-8 will analyze different materials that simulate space
radiation shielding and recommend materials that best block radiation and
protect astronauts. Students in grades 9-12 will think and act like engineers
as they apply what they learn to design shielding to protect a sensor on the
Orion crew module from space radiation. After a review of the design solutions
submitted by teams in the grades 9-12 challenge, five finalist teams will be selected
and matched with a mentor from NASA to test their designs in a virtual
simulator. The winning team will build a prototype radiation shield that will
be analyzed and submitted to Lockheed Martin for flight certification on the
inaugural flight of the Orion Exploration Flight Test, or EFT-1.
The five U.S. finalist teams
from the grades 9-12 challenge will be invited to attend the EFT-1 launch,
currently scheduled for November 2014. The names of all students, grades K-12,
participating in the NASA EDC will fly aboard the spacecraft as honorary
virtual crewmembers for Orion’s first flight. The deadline to register students
for the virtual crew is March
14, 2014.
For more information and to
register online, visit http://www.nasa.gov/education/edc.
For more information about
Orion, visit http://www.nasa.gov/orion.
Email any questions about this
opportunity to nas...@nianet.org.
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Meteorology: How Clouds
Form Web Seminar
As part of a series of
electronic professional development experiences, the NASA Explorer Schools
project and the National Science Teachers Association are hosting a free
90-minute Web seminar on March
14, 2013, at 7:30 p.m. EDT. Learn about the relationships
between air pressure, temperature, volume and cloud formation. Get an overview
of the necessary conditions for cloud formation and then see how to make a
cloud in a bottle. Information will be provided about an extension activity,
the S'COOL Project, which involves student participation in authentic science.
This is the last time this
seminar will be offered during the current school year.
For more information and to
register online, visit URL http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/NES3/webseminar10.aspx.
To learn more about the NASA
Explorer Schools project, visit http://explorerschools.nasa.gov.
Email any questions about this
opportunity to the NASA Explorer Schools help desk at NASA-Explo...@mail.nasa.gov.
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OSSI -- Summer 2013
Opportunities
The NASA One Stop Shopping
Initiative, or OSSI, strives to provide students at all institutions of higher
education access to a portfolio of internship, fellowship and scholarship
opportunities offered by NASA mission directorates and centers.
Visit the Office of Education
Infrastructure Division LaunchPad to find information on internship, fellowship
and scholarship opportunities. The site features the OSSI online application
for recruiting NASA Interns, Fellows and Scholars, or NIFS. This innovative
system allows students to search and apply for all types of higher-education
NASA internship, fellowship and scholarship opportunities in one location. A
single application places the student in the applicant pool for consideration
by all NASA mentors.
Applications for summer 2013
opportunities are due March
15, 2013.
To find available opportunities
and to fill out an OSSI online application for recruiting NIFS, visit https://intern.nasa.gov/index.html.
Inquiries about the OSSI should
be submitted via https://intern.nasa.gov/oic/.
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Pre-Service Teacher
Institute at NASA's Kennedy Space Center
NASA's Kennedy Space
Center has partnered with Oklahoma State University to offer a 10-day
Pre-Service Teacher Institute taking place May 28-June 7, 2013, in Florida. The
Pre-Service Teacher Institute is for college students who are preparing to
teach elementary or secondary science.
The institute will focus on
inquiry-based learning and the incorporation of technology into curriculum.
Education specialists from the Kennedy Space Center Educator Resource Center
will provide participants with training to inspire student learning of science
content through the use of education resources based on NASA missions of
research and discovery. Participants will work in small groups to develop
lesson plans using NASA educational resources and present these activities to
local elementary level students.
Applicants must be U.S. citizens
and at least 18 years old. Lodging and a stipend, as well as transportation for
participants who live outside of Florida, will be provided.
Applications are due March 15, 2013.
For more information and to
apply online, visit https://opportunities.nasa.okstate.edu/index.cfm?liftoff=PSTI.Home.
Please email any questions about
this opportunity to ksc-erc-educator...@mail.nasa.gov.
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2013 NASA Glenn Research
Center High School Internship Project
The NASA Glenn
Research Center High School Internship Project provides paid summer internship
opportunities, eight weeks in duration, to students interested in careers in
science, technology, engineering, mathematics and professional administration
at the NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio. This project offers
opportunities for students in grades 10 and 11 who will be juniors and seniors
in the upcoming school year, and is sponsored by the Educational Programs
Office.
To be eligible for this project:
-- The applicant must be a U.S.
citizen and 16 years old on or before the project start date (June 17, 2013).
-- The applicant must be a
permanent resident of Ohio and currently enrolled in a high school located
within a 50-mile radius of Glenn Research Center.
-- The applicant must be a
current sophomore or junior at the time of application.
-- The applicant must have a
minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
-- The applicant must be
available on a full-time basis (Monday through Friday, 40 hours per week) from
June 17, 2013, through Aug. 9, 2013.
Applications are due March 15, 2013. For
more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/centers/glenn/education/GlennHighSchoolIntership.html.
Please email any questions about
this opportunity to GRC-i...@mail.nasa.gov.
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Pennsylvania Space Grant
Workshops
Keep pace with the latest
science research, engage in standards-based classroom activities and explore
ways to make science fun while working with Penn State faculty during these
summer workshops for inservice science, technology, engineering and
mathematics, or STEM, educators. Network with peers and earn graduate credits.
Workshops are aligned with the national science education standards and
Pennsylvania standards for science and technology.
All workshops take place on Penn
State campus facilities in Pennsylvania. Grants are awarded to all participants
to cover lodging, parking, some meals and partial tuition.
Applications for all workshops
are due March 17, 2013.
Black Holes: Gravity's
Fatal Attraction
(Grades 6-12) -- July
15-19, 2013
Delve into the predicted properties of black holes, the astronomical
evidence for their existence and their importance in the cosmos. Modern ideas
about gravity, space and time will also be explored.
http://teachscience.psu.edu/workshops/black_holes.html
Astrobiology for
Educators: Is There Life Beyond Our Planet? And How Would We Know? (Grades
4-12) -- July 22-26, 2013
Participants will be
introduced to science content related to the cutting-edge field of
astrobiology. Participants will explore the latest discoveries in the search
for conditions needed to support life on other planets.
http://www.abington.psu.edu/continuing-education/astrobiology-educators
Hands-On Particle
Astrophysics (Grades 9-12) -- July 22-26, 2013
Participants will get
a brief overview of modern particle physics and explore various astrophysics
topics. Instructors will help participants build and use devices made from
household materials to detect air showers generated by cosmic-ray protons.
http://teachscience.psu.edu/workshops/particle_astrophysics.html
Telescopes: Tools for
Astronomical Discovery and the Search for Life on Other Planets (Grades 6-12)
-- July 29 - Aug. 2, 2013
Participants will build a simple
telescope and learn how to use the Falcon Telescope Network. Modern telescopes
that may help scientists discover other habitable planets will also be
discussed.
http://teachscience.psu.edu/workshops/telescopes.html
Questions about the Pennsylvania
Space Grant workshops should be directed to Heather Nelson at teachs...@psu.edu.
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Celebrate Solar Week --
Spring 2013
Solar Week provides a weeklong
series of Web-based educational classroom activities and games with a focus on
the sun-Earth connection geared for grades 5-8. Students learn about solar
eclipses, sunspots, solar flares and solar storms through a series of
activities, games and lessons. In addition, there’s a message board where
classrooms can submit a question to leading solar scientists.
Solar Week is ideal for students
studying the solar system, the stars or astronomy in general, and now Solar
Week features a day focused on solar energy. Solar Week is also for kids
pondering possible career choices and wondering what it's like to be a
scientist. Participation makes for a fun computer lab activity as well. After
doing the activities, students can interact on the bulletin board with leading
scientists at the forefront of sun-Earth research. It’s a great place for any student
interested in our nearest star, the sun.
Solar Week takes place March 18-22, 2013.
To learn more and to register to
participate, visit http://www.solarweek.org.
Questions about Solar Week may
be emailed to sola...@solarweek.org.
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Engineering Design
Challenge: Spacecraft Structures Web Seminar
As part of a series of
electronic professional development experiences for educators, the NASA
Explorer Schools project and the National Science Teachers Association are
hosting a 90-minute live professional development Web seminar for educators on March 20, 2013, at 7:30 p.m. EDT.
Learn how to incorporate the excitement of rocketry into your classroom during
this Web seminar and receive an overview of the student engineering design
challenge, Spacecraft Structures, where students design and construct a strong,
but lightweight, structure that can withstand the launch of a water bottle
“rocket.”
This is the final offering of
this Web seminar during the current school year.
For more information and to
register online, visit http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/NES3/webseminar14.aspx.
To learn more about the NASA
Explorer Schools project, visit http://explorerschools.nasa.gov.
Email any questions about this
opportunity to NASA-Explo...@mail.nasa.gov.
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Sun-Earth Days 'SolarMAX
Anime' Contest
NASA's Sun-Earth Days
program wants to see your best anime artwork. SolarMAX is the official
superhero mascot for Sun-Earth Days. But keeping an eye on space weather is a
big job for just one superhero. The Sun-Earth Days team is looking for students
ages 13 and older to create and submit a new and original anime-style character
to help SolarMAX. The character must have a visible space weather related super
power.
The Sun-Earth Days team will
select five characters to be added to the Sun-Earth Days superhero team! The
first two winning characters will be selected and announced on the live
Sun-Earth Days webcast on March 22, 2013. Winner characters also will appear as
part of a new Sun-Earth Days desktop wallpaper!
Entries must be submitted online
by March 20, 2013.
For more information, including
instructions for submitting a character design, visit http://sunearthday.nasa.gov/2013/solarmax/contest.php.
Questions about this opportunity
should be directed to sunea...@gmail.com.
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Heat Transfer: MESSENGER
-- My Angle on Cooling Web Seminar
As part of a series of
electronic professional development experiences, the NASA Explorer Schools and
the National Science Teachers Association are hosting a 90-minute Web seminar
on March 21, 2013, at
6:30 p.m. EDT. Learn how the MESSENGER mission to Mercury takes
advantage of passive cooling methods to keep the spacecraft functioning in a
high-temperature environment. You will also see how to use the mission’s
Staying Cool activities to lead students through an examination of different
solutions to the problem of how to deal with too much sunlight and energy.
This is the final time this
seminar will be repeated during the current school year.
For more information and to register
online, visit http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/NES3/webseminar11.aspx.
To learn more about the NASA
Explorer Schools project, visit http://explorerschools.nasa.gov.
Email any questions about this
opportunity to NASA-Explo...@mail.nasa.gov.
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Free Lecture -- GPS for
Humanity -- The Stealth Utility
The Global Positioning System,
or GPS, has become a ubiquitous, but often invisible, part of modern life. On March 21, 2013, Dr.
Bradford Parkinson, chief architect and original program director for GPS in
the 1970s, will present the history, applications and future of GPS and the
Global Navigation Satellite System.
The lecture begins at 8 p.m. at
the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. For those unable to
attend in person, the lecture will be webcast live.
For more information, visit http://airandspace.si.edu/events/eventDetail.cfm?eventID=5245.
Questions about this lecture
should be directed to nasmpubli...@si.edu.
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Sun-Earth Days 2013:
Solar Max -- Storm Warning: Effects on the Solar System
Join NASA in
celebrating Sun-Earth Days with a series of programs and events that occur
throughout the year, culminating with a celebration on March 22, 2013. This
year's theme, “Solar Max -- Storm Warning: Effects on the Solar System,”
invites participants to explore the violent nature of our sun at the peak of
solar activity and the discoveries coming from the heliophysics and planetary
missions during this exciting period. During solar maximum, there are many
sunspots, solar flares and coronal mass ejections, all of which can affect
communications and technology on Earth.
Learn about solar maximum and
how it, along with space weather in general, affects our daily lives. Find out
why scientists and engineers find it important to track space weather, much
like meteorologists track storms on Earth. And learn about NASA's Wallops
Flight Facility on Virginia's Eastern Shore and its role in launching rockets
to explore weather on Earth and in space.
On March 22, 2013, join
the Sun-Earth Days team for a live Sun-Earth Days webcast. For this webcast,
the team will combine forces with the award-winning NASA EDGE team known for
their offbeat, funny and informative look behind the NASA curtain.
For more information,
educational resources and social media connections, visit the Sun-Earth Days
website at http://sunearthday.nasa.gov.
Questions about Sun-Earth Days
events should be emailed to sunea...@gmail.com.
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Sun-Earth Days Observing
Certificate Challenge
Attention amateur
astronomers! NASA's Sun-Earth Days program wants to feature your astronomy
photographs and videos (up to 90 seconds each) of our active sun. Images will
be featured on the Sun-Earth Days Solar Maximum Flickr page. And each week, a
different image will be selected to highlight on the NASA Sun-Earth Days home
page.
Once your image or video is
uploaded with the proper supporting information, you will be able to download a
certificate of appreciation from the NASA Sun-Earth Days team.
Participants are also invited to
upload images of Sun-Earth Days Solar MAX events, celebrations, activities and
star parties. These images often provide others with inspiration and new ideas!
Make sure to include your name, club or organization's name and a description
of the event.
Images and videos must be
submitted online by March
22, 2013.
For more information, including
instructions for submitting images and videos, visit http://sunearthday.nasa.gov/2013/getinvolved/aa.php.
Questions about this opportunity
should be directed to sunea...@gmail.com.
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Heritage Family Day
Events at Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum
The 2013 Heritage Family Day
event series celebrates the diverse ethnic and cultural communities that have
contributed to aviation and space exploration. Events will commemorate historic
and current contributions through presentations and activities for the entire
family. The events will take place at the Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum
Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va., and at the Smithsonian's
National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC. The events are free and open
to the public.
Women in Aviation and
Space
March 23, 2013, from 10
a.m. to 3 p.m. EDT
Celebrate the
incredible contributions of women in aviation, science and aerospace. Enjoy
hands-on activities, guest speakers, a theatrical presentation, book signings
and Flights of Fancy story time for our youngest visitors.
http://airandspace.si.edu/events/eventDetail.cfm?eventID=4833
Explore the Universe
Day: Everyone Looks Up!
June 1, 2013, from 10
a.m. to 3 p.m. EDT
Everyone looks up!
People around the world have always looked to the sky, but they don’t always
see the same things. Experience how different people study the sky and hear
their stories.
http://airandspace.si.edu/events/eventDetail.cfm?eventID=4835
A Century of Women in
Aerospace
Sept. 14, 2013, from 10
a.m. to 3 p.m. EDT
For over 100 years,
women have contributed to technological advances in aviation and space. Hear
about the historic women who have inspired today’s role models.
http://airandspace.si.edu/events/eventDetail.cfm?eventID=4836
Hispanic Heritage Month:
Innovators in Air and Space
Sept. 24, 2013, from 10
a.m. to 3 p.m. EDT
Oct. 5, 2013, from 10
a.m. to 3 p.m. EDT
Celebrate Latin
America’s historical contributions to aviation and space exploration. Meet
current Hispanic scientists and engineers through the Smithsonian Latinos in
STEM initiative. Listen to bilingual stories and participate in hands-on
activities. The events are free and open to the public.
http://airandspace.si.edu/events/eventDetail.cfm?eventID=4837
Questions about this series of
events should be directed to the Visitor Service line at 202-633-1000.
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MAVEN Educator
Ambassador Workshop
The Mars Atmosphere and Volatile
EvolutioN, or MAVEN, mission will explore the planet’s upper atmosphere,
ionosphere and interactions with the solar wind. Set to launch in November
2013, the mission will provide invaluable insights into the history of Mars’
atmosphere and climate, liquid water and planetary habitability.
The MAVEN Educator Ambassador,
or MEA, workshop will bring together educators from around the country for
in-depth learning experiences around MAVEN science. The goal of the MEA program
is for participants to develop the knowledge and skills needed to train other
teachers on NASA’s educational resources. Participants will attend a weeklong
professional development workshop and receive training on a variety of
standards-based classroom activities, as well as receive follow-up support for
several years. The expectation is that participants will implement some of the
lesson plans and resources in their classrooms, as well as conduct teacher
trainings in their local areas on the MAVEN mission and related educational
activities.
A $700 travel stipend is
offered, along with a $700 honorarium after a local workshop is conducted.
Housing and meals are provided.
Applications are due March 31, 2013.
For more information about the
workshop and to apply online, visit http://lasp.colorado.edu/home/maven/education-outreach/for-educators/mea/.
Please email any questions about
this opportunity to Stephanie Renfrow at stephani...@lasp.colorado.edu.
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The Challenge of
Discovery! Educator Workshops
You want to go where?
What does it take to make a NASA mission happen, and who are the people that
drive these tremendous projects?
In Discovery Program's third
annual multisite professional development workshop, we delve into the stories
behind some amazing NASA missions, from conception to science results. Learn
how scientists, engineers and mission operators collaborate to meet the
challenges of complex missions to assure the science goals are met. Investigate
what it takes to move a fantastic idea from dream to reality.
The Challenge of Discovery
workshop will take place on April 6, 2013, in four locations.
-- NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
-- NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas
-- University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz.
-- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Md.
All sites will offer special
speakers, hands-on activities for K-12 and out-of-school-time educators and
resource packets.
The cost of the workshop is $25.
Lunch and snacks will be provided. Registration closes on April 1, 2013.
For more information, visit http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/discovery/challenge_of_discovery.asp.
Please email any questions about
this opportunity to Mary Cullen at mcu...@mcrel.org.
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Caller Questions With
Answers from the Feb. 20, 2013 Pre-Proposal Teleconference -- NASA Research
Announcement (NRA) Competitive Program for Science Museums, Planetariums, and
NASA Visitor Centers Plus Other Opportunities (CP4SMP+) (Announcement Number:
NNH13ZHA001N, Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 43.008)
Twenty-six caller
questions with answers from the Feb. 20, 2013 Pre-Proposal Teleconference were
posted on the CP4SMP+ portal page on NSPIRES on March 11, 2013.
Visit: https://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/solicitations/summary.do?method=init&solId=%7B37764C2A-F415-01DF-1B30-F1971BE7F8BE%7D&path=open.
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Reduced Gravity
Education Flight Opportunity for Students at Minority Serving Institutions
NASA is offering undergraduate
students from minority serving institutions an opportunity to test experiments
in microgravity aboard NASA's reduced gravity aircraft.
This opportunity is a
partnership between the Minority University Research and Education Program and
NASA's Reduced Gravity Education Flight Program, which gives aspiring explorers
a chance to propose, design and fabricate a reduced-gravity experiment.
Selected teams will test and evaluate their experiments aboard NASA's
reduced-gravity airplane. The aircraft flies about 30 roller-coaster-like
climbs and dips during experiment flights to produce periods of weightlessness
and hypergravity ranging from 0 gravity, or g,
to 2 g.
Proposals are due April 17, 2013.
All applicants must be full-time
undergraduate students, U.S. citizens and at least 18 years old.
To learn more about this
opportunity, visit https://microgravityuniversity.jsc.nasa.gov/murep/.
Questions about this opportunity
should be emailed to Suzanne Foxworth at jsc-reduc...@nasa.gov.
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Global Precipitation
Measurement Mission Anime Challenge
NASA's Global
Precipitation Measurement, or GPM, mission has teamed up with the Japan
Aerospace Exploration Agency to hold a design challenge for people around the
world to develop an anime character to represent the GPM mission. GPM is an
international satellite mission that will use multiple satellites orbiting
Earth to collect rain and snow data worldwide every three hours.
Participants should learn about
the GPM mission and design their characters to represent the mission's
objectives. The winning character will star in a comic series that will teach
the public about GPM and precipitation science.
Participants must be at least 13
years old. Entries must be submitted by April
30, 2013.
For more information, including
instructions for submitting a character design, visit http://pmm.nasa.gov/education/anime.
Questions about this opportunity
should be directed to GSFC...@mail.nasa.gov.
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SOFIA Airborne Astronomy
Ambassador Program
NASA's Stratospheric Observatory
For Infrared Astronomy, or SOFIA, is a 747SP aircraft carrying a 2.5
meter-diameter telescope. The SOFIA Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors Program is
seeking educator teams of two to participate in an upcoming SOFIA flight. One
of the team members must be a middle- or high-school educator. Applicants must
be U.S. citizens or legal residents teaching in a U.S. school.
Applications are due May 3, 2013.
For more information and to
apply online, visit http://www.seti.org/epo/SOFIA.
Questions about this opportunity
should be directed to Pamela Harman at pha...@seti.org.
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National Space
Biomedical Research Institute Postdoctoral Fellowship Program
The National Space
Biomedical Research Institute, or NSBRI, seeks solutions to health concerns
facing astronauts on long-duration missions. This research also benefits
patients on Earth. The NSBRI is currently soliciting applications for its
Postdoctoral Fellowship Program.
NSBRI's Postdoctoral Fellowship
Program provides support for postdoctoral fellows in any U.S. laboratory
carrying out space-related biomedical or biotechnological research. Funding is
for a two-year period with an option for a third year of support. Applicants
must prepare proposals with the support of a mentor, and all proposals are
evaluated by a peer-review panel.
Applications are due June 7, 2013.
For detailed information on the
application process, visit http://www.nsbri.org/postdocs/.
Questions about this opportunity
should be directed to pos...@nsbri.org.
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2013 Lunar Workshops for
Educators
NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance
Orbiter, or LRO, mission is sponsoring a pair of workshops for educators of
students in grades 6-9. These workshops will focus on lunar science,
exploration and how our understanding of the moon is evolving with the new data
from current and recent lunar missions.
The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter
has allowed scientists to measure the coldest known place in the solar system,
map the surface of the moon in unprecedented detail and accuracy, find evidence
of recent lunar geologic activity, characterize the radiation environment
around the moon and its potential effects on future lunar explorers and much,
much more!
Workshop participants will learn
about these and other recent discoveries, reinforce their understanding of
lunar science concepts, gain tools to help address common student
misconceptions about the moon, interact with lunar scientists and engineers,
work with LRO data and learn how to bring these data and information to their
students using hands-on activities aligned with grades 6-9 National Science
Education Standards and Benchmarks.
Workshops will take place: June 24-28 and July 8-12, 2013,
at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. Workshop participants
will have the opportunity to tour the LRO Mission Operation Center and the
Goddard spacecraft testing facilities.
Each workshop will be limited to
25 participants. Interested educators are encouraged to apply early to secure a
spot. Qualified applicants will be accepted in the order they apply.
For more information and to
register for the workshops, visit http://lunar.gsfc.nasa.gov/lwe/index.html.
Questions about these workshops
should be directed to Katie Hessen at Katie.K...@nasa.gov.
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What's New at NASA's
Space Place Website
Earth Day is coming up April 22.
What is the most abundant component of Earth’s surface? Water, of course. Water
is such a big part of life on Earth that we may take it for granted. But where
did it come from? What makes it liquid, solid or gas? And why should we care?
Lots of NASA’s Earth studies are about water in all its forms.
What's New?
Many students are surprised to
know that during July, Earth is at its farthest point from the sun, and during
January it is at its closest. But that fact has nothing to do with why there
are seasons. This new article explains and illustrates the reason for the
seasons and why some in the U.S. are putting on swimsuits to play in a recently
icy lake, just as some in southern Chile and New Zealand are digging out their
skates as their lakes freeze over. Check it out to help you enlighten your
class at http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/seasons.
La Tierra en Español
¿Es la Tierra en parte un
cometa?
Now you can
read in Spanish, as well as English, about where our oceans may have
originated. With new space telescopes that can analyze the composition of
passing comets, we can actually begin to tease apart these
4-billion-plus-year-old mysteries. Learn what they are finding out at http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/comet-ocean/sp.
Spotlight on Mission
Chronicles
Some NASA missions don't get
nearly as far off the ground as you might think. Operation IceBridge is one
that uses instruments on an airplane rather than a satellite to study the
elevation and thickness of ice at the North and South Poles. So, although it
may be a while before any NASA scientists make it to the moon, they can have a
pretty alien-world experience right here on Earth. Christy Hansen, manager of
the Operation IceBridge Mission, and her team took a trip to the South Pole and
lived to tell the tale at http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/mission-chronicles/#hansen.
For the Classroom
Clouds, of course, are another
form of water. But it's not easy to tell from the ground how much water is
actually in the clouds above us. They may look very threatening but produce
very little precipitation. In the classroom activity called “Sizing Up the
Clouds,” the teacher sets up three simulated clouds representing three
different cloud types. Students use different methods to estimate precipitation
contents of each cloud type. Each method is roughly analogous to methods
actually used in weather forecasting. Finally, the precipitation from each
cloud is released, and the students will compare their estimates to what is
actually experienced on the ground. “Precipitation” in this activity is represented
by colored chocolate candies, which may help to keep the students’ attention!
Find the activity in PDF format at http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/classroom-activities/#cloudcontent.
For Out of School
Time
The “Go With the Flow” game
presents puzzles in which the player must figure out how to place salt (which
makes water denser) and heat (which makes water less dense) in an underwater
grid scenario in order to create a current that will move a tiny, unpowered
submarine to a floating key, which will then open a treasure chest at the
bottom of the sea. We have watched kids playing this game, with or without
their parents, at our take your child to work days. We can hardly tear them
away! Go to http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/ocean-currents.
Special Days
March 5, 1979: Voyager 1
flew past Jupiter.
Another spacecraft is on its way
to Jupiter and will spend a lot more time there. http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/junoquest
March 10, 1876: First
telephone call.
Alexander Graham Bell called
Thomas Watson. How do spacecraft exploring the solar system call home?
http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/x-ponder
March 14: Pi Day! or
p Day
All circles are 3.14… (ad
infinitum, as far as we know) times as big around as across, a value called pi.
What would pi be in binary numbers? http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/binary-code2
April 10: Encourage a
Young Writer Day
Invite students to write about
our future in space.
http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/art
April 22: Earth Day
It's important, and fascinating,
to study Earth's history. Like where did Earth's water come from?
http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/comet-ocean
April 28: Tell a Story
Day
Check out some of the stories on
The Space Place. They could be called creative nonfiction, always a fun genre!
http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/storybook
A Great Earth
Resource
Check out other activities and
articles under the Earth menu on The Space Place. Remember, NASA has many more
missions to planet Earth than to all of the other planets in the solar system
combined. Earth is a very interesting planet!
Send Feedback
Please let us know your ideas
about ways to use The Space Place in your teaching. Send to in...@spaceplace.nasa.gov.
Don't Forget…
You can find dozens
of other ideas and rich resources for the classroom and out-of-school time at
our Parents & Educators page, http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/menu/parents-and-educators.