OSGC Educational Resources Blog

Join NASA in 2009 as it celebrates the 400th anniversary of Galileo’s first observations of the universe through a telescope. In honor of this historic event, the International Astronomical Union and the United Nations have proclaimed 2009 as the International Year of Astronomy.

The purpose of IYA is to spread awareness of astronomy’s contributions to society and culture, stimulate young people’s interest in science, portray astronomy as a global peaceful endeavor and to nourish a scientific outlook in society.

NASA invites you to join in the celebration of IYA 2009, as a part of the overall U.S. IYA effort. To commemorate this event, NASA has launched a new Web site that will serve as a portal to NASA resources, events, and opportunities for involvement. A program of regional and national IYA activities for students, teachers and the public are currently being planned.

To learn more about this IYA and to find news and information about events that are being planned, visit http://astronomy2009.nasa.gov/

The Educational Materials section of NASA’s Web site offers classroom activities, educator guides, posters and other types of resources that are available for use in the classroom.

The following educational materials are designed to complement the Field Trip to the Moon DVD. This educational DVD consists of a three-minute Introduction, a 21-minute Feature Presentation and seven minutes of Extra Materials (includes “AstroViz: Our Moon” and moon trivia questions). The DVD, along with five supplementary toolbox kits, is available from the Central Operation of Resources for Educators, or CORE. http://catalog.core.nasa.gov/core.nsf/item/010.5-03D

Field Trip to the Moon Educator’s Guide — Grades 5-8

After watching the Field Trip to the Moon DVD, students continue their lunar exploration with classroom activities that investigate the moon’s habitability and sustainable resources. These activities culminate with plans for the design and creation of a lunar station. The students are assigned to one of six teams, with four to six students in each team. The teams are each given one of six topics to investigate: ecosystem, geology, habitat, engineering, navigation or medical.
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/Field_Trip_to_the_Moon_Educator_Guide.html  

Field Trip to the Moon Companion Guide — Grades 5-8

Take a virtual journey to the moon with the Field Trip to the Moon DVD and use this guide to supplement the experience. The companion guide contains three classroom activities and explanations of the key concepts in the DVD. The activities are Observe the Moon, Investigate Craters, and Examine Human Exploration.
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/FTM_Companion_Guide.html

Field Trip to the Moon Informal Educator’s Guide — Informal Education

After watching the Field Trip to the Moon DVD, participants continue their lunar exploration with workshop activities that investigate the moon’s habitability and sustainable resources. These activities culminate with plans for the design and creation of a lunar station. Working in groups, each team receives one of six topics to investigate: ecosystem, geology, habitat, engineering, navigation or medical.
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/FTM_Informal_Educator_Guide.html

(NASA press release 4-14-0

WASHINGTON — NASA’s Science Mission Directorate has launched a new Web site that provides enhanced and engaging information about NASA’s vast scope of scientific endeavors and achievements.

The site will provide in-depth coverage of NASA’s past, present and future science missions with features that include:

- Interactive tables and searches for Earth, heliophysics, planetary and astrophysics missions
- Insight into dark matter and dark energy, planets around other stars, climate change, Mars and space weather
- Resources for researchers including links to upcoming science solicitations and opportunities
- A mapping of science questions for NASA science missions and the data they produce
- A citizen-scientist page with access to resources that equip the public to engage in scientific investigation
- Expanded “For Educators” and “For Kids” pages to provide access to a broader range of resources for learning the science behind NASA missions
- Easy-to-navigate design and an improved search engine to help find information

Visit the new NASA science Web site at: http://nasascience.nasa.gov

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

John Ensworth at the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies and the NASA Science Mission Directorate invite you to attend an upcoming online professional development workshop.  

Topic: Enrichment Problems in Space Science VI

In the sixth bi-monthly installment of these mission- and inquiry-oriented mathematics problems, Dr. Sten Odenwald will supply background for and lead participants through problems from his “Problems in Space Science” series. The goal of these problems is to teach students about space weather by using mathematics. Each problem begins with real world questions, missions and situations, and applies the necessary mathematics for a solution. Participants may ask questions and work along in this fully interactive Webinar environment. http://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov

Date: Friday, April 4, 2008
Time: 3:00 p.m., EDT (Greenwich Mean Time -04:00, New York)

Participants must first register for this meeting. There is no cost for this event.
Note: Only the first 40 registrants will be accepted. Register ASAP!

If this meeting is full, you will receive an e-mail that reads:
“Your registration for this meeting is denied.”
In that case, we ask you to please join us in the next workshop!
If you do miss this event, we will send you the link to a video archive of the workshop so you will still be able to benefit from the exercises.

Please join the meeting 10-15 minutes before start to make sure your computer is prepared to run the Webex software. You may also pre-install the Webex plug-in following the instructions at the bottom of this e-mail.

—————————————————–
Where to register for this meeting
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1. Go to https://nasa.webex.com/nasa/j.php?ED=100327002&RG=1
2. Register for the meeting.

Once the host approves your request, you will receive a confirmation e-mail with instructions for joining the meeting.

In an article posted in January of 2008 Jessica Hupp, a writer for the Online Education Database, offered links to 200 free online courses from some excellent universities. The article, titled 200 Free Online Classes to Learn Anything, lists a wide range of subject material in the sciences, arts, and humanities. Students and educators alike are free to study at their leisure using the same quality course materials provided to university students.

Enhance your current skills or learn about a new subject today. Visit the OEDb website to view the entire article and explore the links of interest to you. http://oedb.org/library/beginning-online-learning/200-free-online-classes-to-learn-anything

Back in January of 2008, Online Education Database writer Heather Johnson posted an excellent article listing 100 sources for free online education podcasts.  The article, titled Skip the Tuition: 100 Free Podcasts from the Best Colleges in the World, includes audio and video course content from such schools as Stanford, MIT, Harvard, Yale, and UCLA. 

Whether you just want to brush up on an old subject or expand your knowlege base, these podcasts provide a free and flexible alternative to traditional courses.  All you need is an MP3 player and an internet connection for downloading the content.

Check out Heather’s post at the following URL:
http://oedb.org/library/beginning-online-learning/skip-the-tuition:-100-free-podcasts-from-the-best-colleges-in-the-world

If you like many teachers out there, are in need of low cost materials for either your classroom or your own professional development, you may want to consider online book trading. Book swap websites such at Zunafish, Paperback Swap, Book Mooch, and Frugal Reader offer members the ability to swap books with others.

Most of these websites work on a point system. Readers receive points by offering their books for trade. The points are used to find new books they really need. Most programs will allow readers to find new and relevant material for the low cost of postage.

Book Mooch is a great place to start your investigation into book swapping. Register your library or school as a non-profit and you’ll be eligible for donated credits! That means you won’t even need to offer your own book for trade.

Each of these websites also features an expansive reader community where teachers, students, and many others engage in lively discussions of the books, the ideas, and ways to use the literature in the classroom.

You may want to start your search for low cost books at the following websites.

Free membership and free trades for the cost of postage:
http://www.paperbackswap.com
http://www.bookmooch.com
http://www.frugalreader.com  (also offers an upgraded membership for a small fee)

Low per trade fees:
http://www.zunafish.com/  ($1 per trade)

Next on NOVA: “Voyage to the Mystery Moon”
http://www.pbs.org/nova/titan

Tuesday, April 1 at 8 p.m.
Check your local listings as dates and times may vary.

Chronicling a bold voyage of discovery — the Cassini/Huygens mission to Saturn and its enigmatic moon Titan — NOVA’s “Voyage to the Mystery Moon” delivers striking images of these fascinating planetary bodies nearly a billion miles from Earth. Saturn’s broad rings hold myriad mysteries, and Titan, whose soupy atmosphere is similar to the one that enshrouded our planet billions of years ago, may hold clues to the origins of life.

Here’s what you’ll find on the companion Web site:

Life on a Tiny Moon? http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/titan/porco.html
Saturn’s water-spewing moon Enceladus has suddenly become target #1 in the search for life beyond Earth, says astrophysicist Carolyn Porco.

Anatomy of the Rings http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/titan/anatomy.html
Images sent back from Cassini are resolving age-old mysteries about Saturn’s rings.

How to Get an Atmosphere http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/titan/atmosphere.html
Only four planets or moons with solid bodies — Earth, Mars, Venus, and Titan — have substantial atmospheres. Why?

Sounds of Titan http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/titan/sounds.html
Hear the first-ever audio recording from one billion miles away, and find out what makes sounds in space different from those on Earth.

Also, Links & Books, the Teacher’s Guide, the program transcript, and more:
http://www.pbs.org/nova/titan

Help NASA on the quest for signs of water on the Red Planet!

The High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment camera now orbiting Mars is helping NASA search for signs of water on Mars. Students are invited to help choose regions of Mars for HiRISE to image. The HiRISE team will pick several suggestions and image them with the camera in the coming months. The participants will represent the first people on Earth to see the resulting image and will have the chance to search for signs of water in the image.

Background information, teacher guides, student activity books and tutorials are available online to help students choose a region. Interested teachers and students are encouraged to register online to receive more information about how to participate.

Initial hypotheses are due March 23, 2008.

For more information, visit http://quest.nasa.gov/challenges/hirise/