OSGC Educational Resources Blog

Volunteers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory created an extraordinary float for the 2008 Rose Parade in Pasadena California. The float, celebrating the 50th anniversary of JPL’s Explorer 1 satellite, featured many JPL and NASA milestones in space exploration. The 25-foot-tall float, covered in everything from black seaweed, eucalyptus leaves, split pea and ground walnut shells to daisies, roses, carnations, chrysanthemums, carnations, strawflower and cut everlasting, depicted Explorer 1, Voyager One, several robotic rovers, and a “photo” depiction of some space exploration pioneers! To read more about the float, view photos (in case you missed the parade), or to find more information about Explorer 1, please visit the JPL website at the following link: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2007-153

GES is now accepting entries for the 2008 Thacher Scholars Award, to be given to secondary school students demonstrating the best use of geospatial tools or data to study our home planet. U.S. students in grades 9-12 are eligible for the cash awards. For each winning student, a teacher or designated adult “coach” will receive a $200 gift card. Entries must be postmarked by April 4, 2008. Visit the IGES website for details. http://www.strategies.org/education/index.aspx?sub=education&sub2=scholars&sub3=scholars2008

Due to issues with an engine cutoff sensor circuit, issues which abruptly ended recent launch attempts, the planned January 10 Space Shuttle launch has been postponed. Repair work will take some time and no updated launch date was released. For updates, please visit the main Shuttle website at http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html

It is now even easier to find NASA teaching materials. Apart from the spiffy new appearance of the NASA Education Portal, NASA has added new functionality and organization to the website. Are you looking for grade appropriate science content for your classroom? Just use the checkboxes on the main Educator’s portal to select content relevant to your needs. To find current programs and funding opportunities for both educators and students, please select the “Current Opportunities” links found on the left side of the page within each grade level. Visit the revamped NASA web portal today! http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/index.html

Gotta Have IT is an all-in-one computing resource kit designed with educators’ needs in mind. A select set of high-quality posters, computing and careers information, digital media and more, the resource kit builds awareness and inspires interest in computing. Resources are for all students and are especially inclusive of girls. Resources were compiled by members of the NCWIT K-12 Alliance. Visit the website today to print or download copies of these great resources!
http://www.ncwit.org/ghit

The National Girls Collaborative Project offers many tools to help strengthen the capacity of programs serving girls in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). NGCP awards mini-grants to girl-serving STEM focused programs to support collaboration, address gaps and overlaps in service, and share promising practices. Mini-grant projects must relate to either informal learning or evaluation and assessment. A variety of resources about NGCP mini-grants are available on the Web site. The first round of mini-grants will best serve projects that are planned for implementation in late Spring and Summer of 2008. Regions or states not listed will open mini-grants in 2009. To view the current timeline:
http://www.ngcproject.org/mini-grant/index.cfm