OSGC Educational Resources Blog

NASA Quest LIMA Challenge for Students in Grades 4-8

In this challenge, students become scientists and propose Antarctic research. The Landsat Image Mosaic of Antarctica is the first true-color high-resolution satellite view of the Antarctic continent. Using this view of Antarctica, students must develop a research question and debate the value of studying the chosen feature. Registration is currently open and educational resources are available online.

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

The 2008 MY NASA DATA Teacher Workshop will take place at NASA’s Langley Research Center on June 22-27. This workshop will include hands-on sessions designed for educators of students in grades 6-12. The workshop will focus on the implementation and use of Earth system science data sets developed for the pre-college education community as part of the MY NASA DATA program.

Participating teachers will explore topics in Earth system science (especially atmospheric science), educational application of data sets, and hands-on classroom activities. Participants will take informative field trips and benefit from the expertise of nationally recognized atmospheric researchers. The teachers will also explore how data sets can be used to enhance their curriculum and how students can use this data for inquiry-based learning and research.

Applications must be postmarked by April 9, 2008. For more information, visit http://mynasadata.larc.nasa.gov/workshop.html

NASA and NSTA are partnering to present a symposium for elementary educators of grades 3-5. Each participant will be exposed to the NASA 21st Century Explorer project.

Symposium participants will be introduced to the 12 hands-on scientific exploration activities that are part of the project and conduct one during the workshop. Each of these activities promotes higher-order thinking skills and expands the space exploration knowledge base of the bilingual educator, learner and family. The 12 educational packages also provide career connections. These connections introduce students to the subject matter experts who helped create each of the science concepts for the hands-on activities and provide a link to the specific researcher, scientist or engineer. Participants will also have an opportunity to participate in an assessment of the project by providing educator-based comments for improvement of the activities.

All participants will receive educational materials written in English and Spanish and information about resources at NASA. A drawing for prizes will be held at the end of the program. Graduate credit may be available at an additional cost to participants.

This symposium will take place on March 27, 2008, from 1:30 p.m.-6:00 p.m. in Room 257A of the Boston Convention Center. NASA will provide a stipend of $60 to all participants attending this symposium upon its completion.

For more information about this symposium, visit http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/boston08/NASA-Explorers/symposium.aspx

“Floods and Flows: Exploring Mars Geology on Earth,” a NASA-sponsored workshop for educators, will be held July 13-19, 2008. Spend the week with planetary scientists visiting the site of ancient Glacial Lake Missoula and tracing its flood waters through Montana, Idaho and into Washington. From these field experiences and accompanying classroom activities, participants will build an understanding of surface processes on Earth, including water flow, volcanism, glaciation and sedimentation. Attendees will extend their understanding to interpret what the features on the surface of Mars suggest about the past environments and history of the Red Planet.

The experience will be divided between the field and lab, where participants work with classroom-tested, hands-on inquiry-based activities and resources that can be used to enhance Earth and space science teaching in the classroom. Participants receive lesson plans, supporting resources and presentations.

Applications are due April 7, 2008.

For more information about the workshop and to submit an application online, visit http://www.lpi.usra.edu/education/fieldtrips/2008/floods20081st.shtml

In the fifth weekly installment of these mission- and inquiry-oriented math 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, March 14, 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 30 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 apologize and 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. 

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Where to register for this meeting

1. Go to https://nasa.webex.com/nasa/j.php?ED=99987397&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.
At the start time of the event, please login to your event at: http://www.fedrcc.us//Enter.aspx?EventID=962505&CustomerID=321

Alternately, you can visit http://www.fedrcc.us/  and input your event confirmation number,  962505

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For assistance

1. Go to https://nasa.webex.com/nasa/mc
2. Click “Assistance”
3. Click “Support”

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. Materials are listed by type, grade level and subject. The following items are now available for downloading.

International Space Station: National Laboratory Education Concept Development Report

The International Space Station is the largest and most complex space vehicle ever built. Planned for completion in 2010, the space station will provide a home for laboratories equipped with a wide array of resources to develop and test the technologies needed for future generations of space exploration.

This report explores the potential of the space station to engage, inspire, and educate students, teachers, and faculty in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Information about current NASA and non-agency programs aimed to increase STEM achievement is included in the report. Diagrams and detailed information about the station are also included.
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/ISS_Education_Plan.html

2007 NASA Education Highlights

NASA has a tradition of investing in programs and activities that inspire and engage students, educators, families and communities at large in the excitement and discovery of exploration. Read about the innovative ways NASA is creating new activities that spark the interest and imagination of people from all segments of society. Also learn about the education milestones and accomplishments achieved by NASA Education in 2007.
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/2007_NASA_Education_Highlights.html

Additional Video Learning Clips Added

The educational video clips listed below have been added to the Videos section of the NASA Educational Materials site. Click on the link below each list of video clips to access the videos online.

Designed for students in grades 5-12, these video clips from the Universe DVD let the viewer travel billions of years through time. The viewer watches the universe evolve from one primordial mass into the stars and galaxies seen today. These videos are narrated by William Shatner.

Titles in this series:
– Scientists Use Observatories to Learn About the Sun
– The Planets
– A Look Beyond the Planets: Nebulae, Stars, Quasars and Galaxies
– Lifecycle of a Star
– The Evolving Universe
– Is There Life Out There?: NASA’s Search Continues
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/The_Planets.html

Targeting students in grades 5-12, the Liftoff to Learning: Plants in Space video clip series follows a group of students at an elementary school as they participate in an experiment on plant growth with space shuttle astronauts. Identical seed growth pouches are planted with corn and soybean seeds. Some of the seeds are germinated on Earth and others on the space shuttle in Earth orbit. Rather than drawing conclusions on the effects of microgravity on plant growth, viewers are invited to participate in the experiment by growing seeds on Earth as control experiments.

Titles in this series:
– How Plants Grow in Space: The Effects of Gravity and Light
– Tropisms of Plants in Space and on Earth
– Why Scientists Study Plants in Space
– Evaluating Experimental Treatment: Controls of Plants Growing in Space
– Discussion Points About Growing Plants in Space
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/How_Plants_Grow_in_Space.html

The video clips in the NASA’s Destination Tomorrow™: Bringing the Future into Focus series are designed for educators, parents, and students in 9-12 and college. These clips build on the premise that much of NASA’s aeronautical research focuses on increasing today’s knowledge to solve tomorrow’s problems.

Titles in this series:
– Helios, NASA’s Unmanned, Remotely Powered Flying Wing
– The Smart Probe, an Early Cancer Detection Tool
– A Retrospective Look at the Gemini Program
– Alleviating Aircraft Noise: The Quiet Aircraft Technology Program
– Spacesuits and How They Work
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/A_Retrospective_Look.html

Visit with NASA representatives at NAA’s 2008 annual conference in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., March 12-14, 2008. Afterschool educators can attend a variety of NASA sessions with hands-on activities designed for all grade levels. Plan to visit the NASA booth to obtain education materials and information on how NASA resources can be used in out-of-school-time programs.

For a list of scheduled NASA-related workshops and sessions, visit http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/natl-afterschool-assoc-08.html  .

The educational video clips listed below have been added to the Videos section of the NASA Educational Materials site. Click on the link below each list of video clips to access the videos online.

From the Living and Working in Space series, astronauts on the space shuttle compare living on Earth to living in space in these videos targeting students in grades K-4. Titles in this series:

– Gravity on Earth Versus Gravity in Space: What’s the Difference?
– Living Aboard a Space Shuttle, a Home Away From Home
– A Day Aboard the Space Shuttle

http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/Gravity_on_Earth_Versus.html

Designed for students in grades 5-8, the Assignment Spacelab series shows how the unique microgravity environment of Earth orbit is used for scientific experiments and how the rules of scientific experimentation and safety that apply to research on Earth also apply to astronauts in space. Titles in this series:

– Why Controlled Experiments Are Important on Earth and in Space
– The Process of Forming a Hypothesis
– Using the General Purpose Work Station in Space
– Identifying, Labeling, and Measuring for Experiment Safety

http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/Why_Controlled_Experiments.html

Targeting students in grades 9-12, the Flight Testing Newton’s Laws NASA Education Series shows how Newton’s three laws of motion and advanced mathematics apply to the real world of flight testing an aircraft. Titles in this series:

– Introduction to Newton’s Three Laws, Lesson 1
– The Law of Inertia: Newton’s First Law
– Force Equals Mass Times Acceleration: Newton’s Second Law
– The Law of Action and Reaction: Newton’s Third Law
– Weight and Balance, Lesson 2
– Lift and Rate of Change of Momentum, Lesson 3
– Drag, Lesson 4
– Thrust, Lesson 5
– Take Off, Lesson 6
– Climb and Descent, Lesson 7
– Cruise, Lesson 8
– Landing, Lesson 9
– The Landing: Approach
– The Landing: Flare
– The Landing: Rollout
– The Landing: Summary

http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/Introduction_to_Newtons_Laws.html

Relive the first moon landing with Flight of Apollo 11 (The Eagle Has Landed) series of video clips. For students in grades 5-12, this series uses footage and photos from the 1969 adventure to give an overview of the historic event. Titles in this series:

– Historical Quotations About Space Exploration
– July 11, 1969: Apollo 11 Lifts Off
– Lunar Module in Space
– Astronauts Work Aboard the Lunar Module
– Destination: The Moon
– Astronauts Armstrong and Aldrin Arrive on the Moon
– Leaving the Moon, Eagle Heads for Columbia
– Mission Ends Safety, Astronauts Head for Debriefing
– Mission Complete: Review and Evaluation

http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/Historical_Quotations.html

In this challenge, students become scientists and propose Antarctic research. The Landsat Image Mosaic of Antarctica is the first true-color high-resolution satellite view of the Antarctic continent. Using this view of Antarctica, students must develop a research question and debate the value of studying the chosen feature. Registration is expected to begin in March 2008, but check the challenge site frequently for new resources to get ready for the challenge. http://quest.nasa.gov/challenges/lima  

The Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite mission will search for water ice at the south pole of the moon. Finding deposits of water ice would be a crucial step in deciding where to locate a human outpost on the moon. In this challenge, students are must design a lunar impact simulator and determine the optimal impact angle to get the most information from the impact. Registration begins in February 2008. Background references are available now at http://quest.nasa.gov/challenges/lcross/