Filed under: Contest, Cool Science, Engineering, K-12, NASA, Research, STEM, Science, Teacher Opportunities
If you are a grade 5 to 8 teacher or a home schooler or science center or museum educator working with grade 5 to 8 students and are looking for real world challenges that meet science and mathematics content standards, the Waste Limitation and Management of Resources Design Challenge is for you!
Form development teams of up to 6 students and a teacher or a mentor. Design a water recycling system for the unique environment of the Moon. Test your system on a simulated wastewater stream and report your proposal and its results to NASA.
Just meeting the challenge will make your students and you winners but you might do better than that. The top team nationally will win an expense-paid trip to the NASA Kennedy Space Center for VIP tours, meetings with NASA scientists and engineers, and much more!
Registration for the Waste Limitation and Management of Resources Design Challenge begins soon so check out the official website for the latest news and support materials: http://wlmr.nasa.gov/
Filed under: Astronomy, NASA, STEM, Science, Student Opportunities, Teacher Opportunities | Tags: Exhibit
“From Earth to the Universe” is a collection of astronomical images that showcase the most dramatic views of the universe. The images represent the incredible variety of astronomical objects that are known to exist — planets, comets, stars, nebulae, galaxies and the clusters in which they congregate — and are being exhibited in over 250 locations throughout the world in 2009 and 2010. These exhibits, held in public parks, airports, art centers and at other unique sites, will bring the wonders of the universe right to you.
Over 60 countries are scheduled to host a FETTU exhibit. To find dates and locations for the exhibit, visit http://www.fromearthtotheuniverse.org/table_events.php
The goal of FETTU is to engage the public — especially those who might think they are not interested in astronomy or science — through the stunning beauty of astronomical images. Short and informative captions on the panels, as well as a comprehensive Web site, are available to help introduce the viewer to the science behind the aesthetics.
More information on FETTU, a project produced and directed by the Chandra X-ray Center at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, may be found at http://www.fromearthtotheuniverse.org
Filed under: Astronomy, Contest, Higher Education, K-12, NASA, Science, Student Opportunities, Teacher Opportunities | Tags: Art
Students, teachers, individuals and families can “Capture the Colorful Cosmos” this summer. From July through September, participants can use MicroObservatory, an online network of robotic telescopes controlled over the Internet.
NASA and the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics invite the community to share views of the universe in this exciting astrophotography project. The images taken using online robotic telescopes will be featured on the NASA and International Year of Astronomy Web sites.
Anyone with an e-mail address can use the MicroObservatory robotic telescopes to request electronic images of astronomical objects. Participants 13 or younger will need a parent or guardian to enter their photos for them. Photos can be taken all summer long. Images must be submitted by Sept. 30, 2009, to participate in the project.
Select photos from the project will be featured on the NASA and International Year of Astronomy Web sites beginning on Labor Day.
For more information, visit http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/seuforum/iyacosmos/individual.htm
Filed under: Astronomy, Cool Science, NASA, Science | Tags: International Year of Astronomy, LCROSS, Moon
During the year 2009, the world is celebrating the International Year of Astronomy as it commemorates the 400th anniversary of Galileo’s use of a telescope to study the skies.
As part of the International Year of Astronomy, the IYA Summer Star Party on Aug. 1, 2009, will focus on observing the moon. Across the country, amateur astronomy clubs will be setting up their telescopes and offering the public opportunities to conduct first-hand exploration of the lunar surface.
NASA’s LCROSS (Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite) mission and the NASA Lunar Science Institute will join with local amateur astronomers to host one of these events. Observe the Moon Night will be held at NASA’s Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif., on Aug. 1, 2009. The event is free of charge and will take place from 8:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
For more information, visit http://www.lcross.arc.nasa.gov/observethemoonnight.htm
Astronomical Society of the Pacific Presents a Weekend of Education Workshops
The intersection in 2009 of the Year of Science, the International Year of Astronomy, and the 120th anniversary meeting of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific provides a singular opportunity to showcase science and to provide professional development opportunities for those working on the front lines of science education and outreach. As part of its annual meeting, ASP is offering a series of workshops and events for teachers, informal educators, and amateur astronomers engaged in public outreach.
All events will be held in Millbrae, Calif.
Formal Educator Workshops: Sept. 12-13, 2009
Designed for educators of grades 4-12, the workshop will have several strands for participants to choose from to match their needs and interests. Each strand will include current content, hands-on activities and approaches to teaching science that can help teachers to meet their curriculum and science standards goals. Take-home materials will also be provided.
Informal Educator Workshops: Sept. 12-13, 2009
Pick up new tips and hone your skills for presenting science in informal settings in workshops designed for informal educators, including planetarium, museum and science/nature center educators. ASP staffers, NASA- and National Science Foundation-sponsored professionals, and special guest presenters will lead the workshop.
Astronomy 101 Workshop: Sept. 12, 2009
The Astronomy 101 Workshop will help participants implement interactive learning strategies in their classrooms. From questioning in the classroom to small group collaborative activities, interactive-teaching will be modeled by both workshop leaders and participants. Members of the Center for Astronomy Education at the University of Arizona will present this workshop.
Amateur Astronomer Workshops and Events: Sept. 12-13, 2009
Join other amateur astronomers for two days of workshops and events. On Sept. 12, 2009, attend a day-long meeting of the Astronomical Association of Northern California to learn new information and techniques. On Sept. 13, 2009, morning workshops will focus on moon outreach and enhancing public outreach skills, while the afternoon will feature speakers from the SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) Institute.
For more information about these workshops and events, visit http://www.astrosociety.org/events/2009mtg/workshops.html
Registration is now open for the Chandra’s First Decade of Discovery Symposium. This symposium will take place on Sept. 21-25, 2009, in Boston, Mass.
Chandra’s First Decade of Discovery is the fifth in a series highlighting unique imaging and spectroscopic results from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory. This event will highlight key science results from the first 10 years of operation of the Chandra X-ray Observatory. The focus will be on results that have had the largest impact on astrophysics. These results include The Cosmic Evolution of AGN (Active Galactic Nucleus), AGN outflows, evolutionary processes in galaxy cluster, and our understanding of normal galaxies including Earth’s own galactic center. More locally, high-resolution studies of compact objects, supernova remnants and star-forming regions have led to changes in human understanding of the stellar life cycle.
The registration deadline is Sept. 4, 2009.
For more information about the Chandra’s First Decade of Discovery Symposium, visit http://cxc.harvard.edu/symposium_2009/
Summer is heating up with presentations by NASA Solar System Ambassadors at local venues — libraries, schools, state parks, museums and more — across the U.S. Themes planned for these public events include “Mars: Missions and Mysteries,” “Galaxies, Nebulas, and Stars in the Universe,” “Astronomy at the Beach 2009,” “A Journey Through the Cosmos,” and “Lunar Landing Anniversary/Star Navigation.”
Solar System Ambassadors is a public outreach program designed to work with motivated volunteers across the nation. Ambassadors are space enthusiasts from various walks of life who are interested in providing greater service and inspiration to the community at large. In 50 states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico, close to 500 Ambassadors are now bringing the excitement of space science and exploration to the public in their local communities.
For more information and a calendar of upcoming events, visit http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/ambassador/events.html
Filed under: Aeronautics, Cool Science, Educational Materials, K-12, NASA, Podcasts, STEM, Science, Student Opportunities | Tags: Apollo, Rockets
In time for the 40th anniversary of the Apollo moon landing, NASA Education offers a new DIY (Do-It-Yourself) Podcast topic module entitled “Rocket Evolution.” Students can easily build a podcast or multimedia product about past, present and future rockets with this NASA collection that puts video, audio, images and information at their fingertips. Rocket Evolution sound bites and video footage showcase Apollo, the space shuttle and the Ares rockets of the future. Students can mix NASA multimedia with their own video and narration to tell the story of space transportation and exploration.
Other DIY Podcast topic modules are
• Fitness
• Lab Safety
• Newton’s Laws
• Solar Arrays
• Spacesuits
• Sports Demo.
DIY Podcast modules not only make it easy for students to build multimedia products, but they make it easy for teachers to meet national education standards and to work with other educators to make podcasting projects a cross-curricular activity.
A companion blog offers tips and suggestions for incorporating the DIY Podcast into the classroom, as well as offering updates when new topic modules become available. Teachers are encouraged to use the Comments feature of the DIY Podcast Blog to share ideas and experiences with other teachers and students.
To learn more and to start making podcasts, visit http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/diypodcast/index.html
Filed under: Astronomy, K-12, STEM, Science, Student Opportunities, Webcasts | Tags: Solar Eclipse
On Wednesday, 2009 July 22, a total eclipse of the Sun will be visible from within a narrow corridor traversing half of Earth. Due to the time difference between China and the US, the live on-line viewing time for the eclipse over Shanghai will be Tuesday, July 21 from 9:35pm to 9:41pm Eastern Daylight Time.
The Sun-Earth Day project has prepared various resources for the event. They are available on-line and include stories, activities, and podcasts about eclipses. To access these resources, please visit the Sun Earth Day website at http://sunearthday.nasa.gov
A multi-site federated live broadcast of the eclipse will be provided by the National Astronomical Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. To view the webcast, please visit the following website: http://eclipse.astronomy2009.org.cn/english/
See Also:
* Promo video at http://eclipse.astronomy2009.org.cn/index.html
* the configuration at http://eclipse.astronomy2009.org.cn/01hdjj/1027.html
Filed under: Engineering, Funding, Higher Education, STEM, Scholarships, Science, Student Opportunities
Scholarship applications are now being accepted from individual students worldwide who are registered in a full time Electrical and Electronics Engineering course in the 2009 entry year. Scholarship information, including the application form and terms and conditions, are available on the element14 website at http://www.element-14.com/community/community/liveedge
Applications will be accepted through the 31st of August 2009 and winners will be announced on the 1st of October 2009.
Applicants will be required to answer one of three questions. They can explain the importance of their electrical engineering degree in today and tomorrow’s society and how they plan in using it to better the environment. Alternatively, they can either explain how they feel electronics design will change in the coming years or what new technology will have the biggest impact on electronics in the near future.
The scholarships have been created from the $30,000 USD prize money that remained after a student division winner was not named for the 2008 Live EDGE Electronic Design Global Environment challenge. The scholarship awards will be evenly distributed between Asia, Europe and the Americas, allotting $10,000 for each region or four $2,500 individual scholarships per region.
“Encouraging innovation and forward thinking among engineering students is paramount to the development and sustainability of future generations of design engineers,” said Harriet Green, Chief Executive Officer of Premier Farnell. “The Live EDGE scholarship fund will help to encourage and develop 12 students enabling them to continue or start their education for the year to come. We are excited that through these scholarships we are able to support students as they strive to become leaders in critical environmental design practices.”
