OSGC Educational Resources Blog

NASA is pleased to announce that Discovery Communications and 3M are launching a series of Web-based seminars to encourage and support participation by teachers and students in the 2008 Discovery Education/3M Young Scientist Challenge, hosted by NASA. Any teacher or student from anywhere in the world can log onto these free webinars.

There will be two sets of webinars, one for students and one for educators. The student webinars will cover the basics of creating and uploading videos for the challenge. Students will learn how to create videos from cell phones, cameras or webcams. They will learn to edit with or without computers. Most importantly, they will learn that enthusiasm, problem-solving and communication skills are key to winning the Challenge.

The webinars focused on teachers will give an overview of the same skill sets as the student webinars, but the teachers will also be given an overview of the student competition. With this information, teachers can encourage students to enter. The teacher webinars, like the Challenge, will be exclusively for the teachers in the Discovery Educator Network.  ( Becoming a member is easy and registration is free. To become a member, visit http://community.discoveryeducation.com/about/become_discovery_educator )

Webinars (Student Target Audience)
April 21, Monday, 1 p.m. CDT (2 p.m. EDT)
April 22, Tuesday, noon CDT (1 p.m. EDT)
April 23, Wednesday, 2 p.m. CDT (3 p.m. EDT)

Webinars (DEN Teacher Audience)
April 23, Wednesday, 5 p.m. CDT (6 p.m. EDT)
April 30, Wednesday, 7 p.m. CDT (8 p.m. EDT)
May 6, Tuesday, 5 p.m. CDT (6 EDT)

To register for the any of these free webinars, visit https://discoveryed.webex.com/mw0305l/mywebex/default.do?siteurl=discoveryed&service=6

For more information about the Young Scientist Challenge, visit http://www.discoveryeducation.com/youngscientist
Questions about the competition may be sent to YSC@discovery.com

 The FIRST Robotics Championship is the final and largest event of the 2008 Competition. The 2008 Championship is at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, GA on April 17-19. This event is open to the public and free of charge, as are all FIRST Robotics Competitions.

If you are unable to attend the live event, you can still watch the matches on our live webcast courtesy of NASA TV! Check the link below for schedules, teams, match results, and a link to the webcast.
http://www.usfirst.org/community/frc/content.aspx?id=432&menu_id=80

DEADLINE UPDATE: Aeronautics Competitions for College Students

The Fundamental Aeronautics Program of the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters announces a new aeronautics competition for college students for the 2007-2008 academic year.

College students are invited to design the next generation, 21st-century, “DC-3”-type aircraft. Some of the design considerations include reduced environmental impact, reduced noise, daily operations on short runways, cost analysis for production and operation, passenger and cargo limits, structure and materials, and engines. Students should also briefly describe three valid scenarios for potential use of this vehicle in the year 2058. Final entries are due April 30, 2008.

For complete details, visit http://aero.larc.nasa.gov/competitions.htm

By Kids For Kids (BKFK) http://www.bkfk.com/  hosts four quarterly competitons each year for K-12 students in the United States. Prizes vary by contest and include $10,000 awards for each competition and challenge specific trips or products. Free teaching materials are available for educators at the following link:
http://www.bkfk.com/Modules/Teachers/TeachersLanding.aspx

Details regarding each challenge are available at the following links:

Advertise your Cause Challenge
Say It is for teens who want to speak out loud. This season, we challenge them to create an advertising campaign for a cause.
http://www.bkfk.com/Modules/Competition/Competition.aspx?section=sayit

2008 Trash to Treasure Competition
Build It is for gadget gurus and young people who love to build products. This season, inspire your teen to turn their trash to treasure.
http://www.bkfk.com/Modules/Competition/Competition.aspx?section=buildit  

Cosmo Girl MYOB Entrepreneurial Challenge
Design It provides a place for designers, artists & decorators. This season, female moguls can enter their business idea or plan to start off their dream project.
http://www.bkfk.com/Modules/Competition/Competition.aspx?section=designit

A2Z Animal Challenge
Change It is for teens who want to change the world. This season, animal lovers can enter ideas for new ways to improve the life of a pet or an animal.
http://www.bkfk.com/Modules/Competition/Competition.aspx?section=changeit

The Cassini Scientist for a Day contest challenges students to become NASA scientists studying Saturn. Participants are challenged to examine three target images taken by Cassini and choose the one that they think will yield the best scientific results. This choice must then be explained in a 500-word essay.

The contest is open to all students in the United States from grades 5-12, working alone or in groups of up to four students. The essays will be divided into three groups: grades 5-6, 7-8 and 9-12. All submissions must be students’ original work. Each student can submit only one entry.

Deadline for Spring 2008 submissions is noon Pacific time (3 p.m. EDT) on May 8, 2008 .
For more information, visit http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/education/scientist/

Discovery Education and 3M are proud to partner with NASA for the 2008 Young Scientist Challenge. Currently in its 10th year, the YSC encourages the exploration of science among America’s youth and promotes the importance of science communication at a critical age when interest in science begins to decline.

The challenge sponsors are looking for a few great students and teachers who can inspire others with their enthusiasm for science and their ability to communicate. What does it take to be America’s Top Young Scientist or America’s Top Science Teacher? Students in grades 5-8 and teachers of grades K-12 are being asked to create a short (1-2 minute) video about one of this year’s scientific topics, which all relate to this year’s theme, “The Science of Space.” Participants should enter their videos online and will become eligible to win a trip to Washington, D.C., in the fall to compete in the YSC finals at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.

Science teachers who are interested in participating must be members of the Discovery Educator Network. Becoming a member is easy and registration is free. To become a member, visit http://community.discoveryeducation.com/about/become_discovery_educator

Video topics and registration information can be found online at http://www.discoveryeducation.com/youngscientist

Videos will be accepted through June 15, 2008. Finalists will be announced this summer, and the competition finals will take place Oct. 4-7, 2008.

For more information, log-on to http://www.discoveryeducation.com/youngscientist
Questions about the competition may be sent to YSC@discovery.com

Design a space colony! Space colonies are permanent communities in orbit, as opposed to being on the moon or other planets. Designing a space colony involves physics, mathematics, space science, environmental science and many other disciplines. This contest is for 11-18-year-old students from anywhere in the world. Individuals or teams may enter. Grades 6-9 and 10-12 are judged separately, except for the grand prize. All participants will receive a certificate. Prizes will be awarded to winning entries.

Submissions must be received by March 31, 2008.

For additional information about the contest, visit http://www.nas.nasa.gov/About/Education/SpaceSettlement/Contest/.

The Fundamental Aeronautics Program of the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters announces a new aeronautics competition for high school students for the 2007-2008 academic year.

High school students are challenged to write a research paper to explain ideas for a future aircraft that could become the “DC-3” for cargo and passengers in the year 2058. Descriptions should be well-informed and include sections on fuel, environmental effects, noise levels, runway length and condition, operating costs, passenger and cargo loads, and service operations. Final entries are due on March 15, 2008.

Any U.S. student enrolled in an accredited high school or home school in the United States or its territories is eligible to enter the competition for cash prizes. Non-U.S. citizens and students in international locations can enter as well, but they are not eligible for cash prizes. Trophies and certificates will be awarded to each winner, regardless of citizenship.

For complete details, visit http://aero.larc.nasa.gov/competitions_high.htm.

FIRST Robotics
Pre-Season Scrimmage

Area High school FIRST Robotics teams will have a pre-season scrimmage with their newly constructed robots for the 2008 season. This will be the first test of these newly minted robots. High school students have been working the past six weeks, creating, designing, building, and testing these new creations and going without sleep! A few days after this, the teams will ship their robots to the OREGON REGIONAL.

The game this year is challenging….
“FIRST OVERDRIVE” 2008 FIRST Competition

For short videos of the competition, visit the following url: http://robotics.nasa.gov/events/2008_frcwebcasts.php
You can also watch the FIRST competition in person! Cheer on your favorite teams!

What: FIRST Pre-Season Scrimmage
When: Saturday, February 16th
Time: 11am-3pm
Cost: Free
Where: Linn County Fairgrounds – Santiam Bldg

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FIRST Robotics Oregon Regional Finals

The Oregon regional will be held in a few weeks at the Portland Memorial Coliseum. This event is free and open to the public. Teams from Oregon, Washington, California, Idaho, Hawaii, Michigan and Montana will be there competing for the opportunity to go to Atlanta for the Championships. Come and cheer your favorite robot and team!!!!!

When: February 28 – Practice Day for teams
February 29 –Qualification Matches
March 1 – Finals
Cost: Free
Times: Thurs: 10:00am Practice Rounds
Fri/Sat 9:30am - 4:30pm Matches

For a complete schedule of upcoming FIRST events near you, please visit the following url: http://www.usfirst.org/uploadedfiles/community/frc/events/2008/2008_OR_Agenda.pdf

Burton Snowboards and Girl Overboard author Justina Chen Headley, in partnership with Youth Venture, are co-sponsoring the Go Overboard Challenge Grant to find the best youth-led ideas to change the world. 

Commit to a cause you’re already passionate about-whether it’s saving the environment, ending world hunger, or protecting endangered species.  Think about a problem and figure out a solution!  Then explain how you, your club, your team, or your entire school will Go Overboard. The best ideas will win one of the many Go Overboard Challenge Grants of up to $1,000 each.  So get ready to change the world with your plans.

Visit the Burton Snowboards Girl Overboard Challenge website for application forms and details on how to apply:
http://www.genv.net/en-us/burton