Papercraft Spaceships and Satellites – Build Your Own Space Program!

This papercraft Galileo model is very challenging to build!

Looking for an inexpensive creative project for you or your children?  Try some of the space themed paper models at the links below.  These patterns are available for free download.  Simply print the pattern and follow the instructions to build your own space fleet!  Warning: Some of these are very challenging!

Balloon Powered Nanorover, Cassini, Galileo, Etc (various skill levels)

http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/kids/papermodels.cfm

Hubble, Chandra X-Ray Telescope, Etc (various skill levels)

http://science.nasa.gov/kids/the-universe/universe-spacecraft-paper-models/

Shuttle, Saturn V, Opportunity and Spirit, Etc (various skill levels)

http://jleslie48.com/gallery_models_real.html

Scaled Composites Spaceship One

http://www.currell.net/models/mod_free.htm

International Space Station

http://www.csiro.au/resources/InternationalSpaceStation.html

ARISSat-1 Satellite Launched

A satellite with amateur radio capabilities and a student-designed experiment was released into orbit around Earth on Aug. 3, 2011, during a spacewalk outside the International Space Station. The satellite is transmitting signals containing information that students around the world can access.

ARISSat-1, which stands for Amateur Radio on the International Space Station Satellite-1, contains a student-designed experiment and other equipment that students can use to learn more about space and space exploration. The rectangular spacecraft is covered by six solar panels that will charge the batteries in the satellite for about six months as it orbits Earth. Spoken telemetry values, with data such as temperature and battery life, are intended to promote science and mathematics education by encouraging school children to listen to the satellite, track its progress and plot the changes.

The project website provides free downloadable software that can be used to decode the data. In addition to data, the satellite will transmit 24 pre-recorded greetings in 15 different languages — French, Spanish, German, English and Chinese, to name a few.

Check out the ARISSat-1 website at http://arissat1.org/ for information on data transmissions, contests and student activities.

Questions about ARISSat-1 should be directed to teachers@arissat1.org.

NASA Education Communications Support Services (ECSS) Website

The NASA Education Communications Support Services (ECSS) website, http://www.nasaecss.com , is now available for NASA Education materials requests and communications-related news/information.

The ECSS team in the NASA Office of Education supports Agency-wide dissemination of materials and education events. All NASA and external individuals/organizations seeking educational materials or event support from the Office of Education may refer to the guidance below and on the website. The website also features a blog, social media connections, and other ongoing updates.

Guidance for Requesting NASA Materials

Companies and Non-Profit Organizations
• Please contact the NASA Education Office in your region. The points of contact can be found at http://www.nasa.gov/offices/education/contacts/cdirect.html

Educators, Schools, and Families

Please utilize the following resources:
• The NASA Educator Resource Center in your region http://www.nasa.gov/offices/education/programs/national/ercn/home/ERCN_Field_Center_Listing.html
• Regional Educator Resource Centers in your state http://www.nasa.gov/offices/education/programs/national/ercn/home/ERCN_State_Listing.html
• NASA Central Operations of Resources for Educators (CORE) http://core.nasa.gov/
• NASA Online Education Materials http://www.nasa.gov/education/materials

Visitors to NASA Headquarters
• The Headquarters Library is open to the public and has an Information Center with a variety of free education and outreach materials.

Blast Back to School With NASA Educational Resources

As you get ready for the new school year, consider adding a little space to your class.

NASA offers educational resources for use with kindergarten through college, as well as resources for the informal education community. Many of NASA’s educational products are quick and easy to find on the NASA website.

Blast back to school with some great NASA space materials

Visit the NASA Blast Back to School page to find educational resources and NASA events taking place in your area. From the site, you can find information relating to the following topics:

• NASA Explorer Schools
• NASA Summer of Innovation
• Current Opportunities for Students and Educators
• National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program
• Taking Up Space Blog
• Go Backstage With NASA Education
• Homework Topics for Students
• NASA’s Education Resources
• Easy Ways to Obtain NASA Educational Materials
• Find NASA Teaching Materials
• NASA’s Educator Resource Center Network
• Central Operation of Resources for Educators
• Educational Multimedia

For more information, visit the Blast Back to School page:
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/blast-back-to-school-2010.html

New NASA Website Focusing on Robotics

Innovation, creativity, problem solving — the world of robotics at NASA is all of these things. Bookmark this new one-stop shop on NASA.gov for news about robotics for educators and students. Check out the things to do on the site to see if robotics might be in your future.

Things you can do on this site:
–Answer the question: What Is Robotics?
–Practice your programming skills with the interactive robotic activity.
–Watch and download video and multimedia features about robotics.
–Follow a timeline tracing the history of robotics.
–Check out lesson plans for your classroom.
–Stay up-to-date with information about NASA-supported robotics competitions.
–Visit the Robotics Image Gallery.
–Explore other worlds with NASA through robotic spacecraft discoveries.
–Read about scientists and engineers who design and test robots.
–Browse NASA Web sites for information about robotics.

Visit the new NASA Robotics website at: http://www.nasa.gov/education/robotics

Blast Back to School with NASA Educational Programs

As you get ready for the new school year, consider adding a little space to your class.

NASA offers educational resources for use with kindergarten through college, as well as resources for the informal education community. Many of NASA’s educational products are quick and easy to find on the NASA Web site.

Visit the NASA Blast Back to School page to find educational resources and NASA events taking place in your area. From the site, you can find information relating to the following topics:

– Bring NASA Missions Into Your Classroom
– Bring NASA to Your School and Neighborhood
– Attend a NASA Educator Workshop
– Current Opportunities for Educators and Students
– NASA Resources for Your Classroom
– Especially for Students

For more information, visit the Blast Back to School page:
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/blast-back-to-school.html

Sun-Earth Day Celebration – March 20, 2009

Join NASA in celebrating Sun-Earth Day on March 20, 2009.

Sun-Earth Day is comprised of a series of programs and events that occur throughout the year culminating with a celebration on or near the Spring Equinox. For Sun-Earth Day 2009, NASA will engage a worldwide audience in the celebration of the International Year of Astronomy, with an emphasis on daytime astronomy. Tremendous strides have been made as satellites and ground-based observatories attentively monitor the sun to understand the processes that govern the sun’s influence on the solar system. NASA will offer a series of coordinated events to promote and highlight the sun and its connection to Earth and other planets. The events will support the spirit of international collaboration.

Over the past eight years, the NASA Sun-Earth Connection Education Forum has sponsored and coordinated education and public outreach events to highlight NASA Sun-Earth Connection research and discoveries. The Forum’s strategy involves using celestial events, such as total solar eclipses and the Transit of Venus, as well as Sun-Earth Day during the March equinox, to engage K-12 schools and the public in space science activities, demonstrations, and interactions with space scientists.

Students in upper-elementary, middle and high school are also invited to participate in Solar Week taking place March 9-13, 2009. Solar Week provides a week of series of Web-based educational classroom activities and games that focus on the Sun-Earth connection. Solar Week is ideal for students studying the solar system, the stars and astronomy in general. An interactive message board is available where classrooms can pose questions of leading solar scientists.

On March 20, 2009, at 1:00 p.m. EST, join a panel of scientists for a live Sun-Earth Day Webcast. During the webcast, scientists Eric Christian, Nicky Fox, Terry Kucera and Sten Odenwald will share discoveries about the sun, while students monitor the sun and prepare their own space weather forecast. Students from Houston will demonstrate their own sundials. New and exciting images and visualizations will be shared during the program.

For more information and educational resources, including posters, fliers, postcards and an educator kit, visit the Sun-Earth Day Web site at http://sunearthday.nasa.gov/2009/index.php

Link to 200 Free College Courses Available Online

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