NASA Education Express Message — Aug. 6, 2015
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Free NASA Educator Professional Development Webinars
The NASA STEM Educator Professional Development Collaborative at Texas State University is presenting a series of free webinars open to all educators. Join NASA education specialists to learn about activities, lesson plans, educator guides and resources that bring NASA into your classroom. Registration is required to participate. Simply click on the link provided beneath the webinar description to register.
Engineering Enables Science Series: Exploring NASA Engineering Design Challenges
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 5-12
Event Date: Aug. 6, 2015, at 6 p.m. EDT
Engineering design is a common topic across each grade level in the Next Generation Science Standards and an important concept in understanding our world around us. Explore a variety of NASA engineering design challenges that can be integrated into physics, life science and mathematics curriculum. These challenges can guide your students on a standards-based, educational journey into the real world of engineering. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/135187
Engineering Enables Science Series: Integrating Engineering Into Your Science Curriculum
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 5-12
Event Date: Aug. 19, 2015, at 6:30 p.m. EDT
Participants will get an overview of resources in engineering design and participate in a discussion of methods for integrating engineering design into a science curriculum at multiple levels from grades 5-12. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/134536
Engineering Enables Science Series – What’s This Drought Stuff About? Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 3-8
Event Date: Aug. 20, 2015, at 6:30 p.m. EDT
This webinar will feature NASA’s “Water Filtration Design Challenge.” This challenge takes a new look at the water cycle, Earth images, and weather patterns and is a great way to foster discussion about where your local water source is found. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/134192
For a full schedule of upcoming NASA Educator Professional Development webinars, visit http://www.txstate-epdc.net/events/.
Please direct questions about this series of webinars to Steve Culivan at stephen.p.culivan@nasa.gov.
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Family Day Events at Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum
The National Air and Space Museum’s Family Day event series celebrates the diverse ethnic and cultural communities that have contributed to aviation and space exploration. Events will commemorate historic and current contributions through presentations and activities for the entire family. The events are free and open to the public.
Milestones in Aviation and Space
Aug. 8, 2015, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. EDT
National Air and Space Museum in Washington, District of Columbia
Explore how aviation and space exploration have changed the world! Celebrate the amazing accomplishments in aviation and aerospace, from jets making Hawaii a more accessible vacation destination to the CST-100 taking astronauts into space.
http://airandspace.si.edu/events/detail.cfm?id=16881
Women in Aviation and Space
Sept. 12, 2015, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. EDT
National Air and Space Museum in Washington, District of Columbia
From the days of the earliest pilots to today’s space program, women have made significant contributions in aviation and space. During this event, visitors will have the opportunity celebrate these incredible contributions by meeting female role models and learning about the women who inspired them.
http://airandspace.si.edu/events/detail.cfm?id=17545
Hispanic Heritage Month: Innovators in Aviation and Space
Oct. 3, 2015, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. EDT
National Air and Space Museum in Washington, District of Columbia
Celebrate the contributions of Latinos to aviation and space exploration during this Hispanic Heritage Month Family Day event. Meet Hispanic scientists and engineers — including a NASA astronaut — and participate in bilingual activities.
http://airandspace.si.edu/events/detail.cfm?id=17546
Please direct questions about this series of events to the Visitor Service line at 202-633-2214.
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Cast Your Vote in the Ceres “Bright Spot” Mystery Poll
On March 6, 2015, NASA’s Dawn spacecraft began orbiting Ceres, the largest body in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Even before the spacecraft arrived at the dwarf planet, images revealed mysterious bright spots that captivated scientists and observers alike.
Can you guess what’s creating those unusual bright spots on Ceres? Until Dawn gets a closer look over the next few months, it’s anyone’s guess what those spots could be.
To learn more and to cast your vote, visit http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/dawn/world_ceres/.
For more information about the Dawn mission, visit http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/.
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#WhySpaceMatters Photography Competition
NASA and the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, or UNOOSA, have launched a global photography competition to highlight how the vantage point of space helps us better understand our home planet, improve lives, and safeguard our future by aiding sustainable development on Earth.
To highlight the role of space-based science and technologies and their applications on Earth, NASA and UNOOSA are inviting the public to submit photos depicting why space matters to us all in our daily lives. To participate, post a picture and description on Instagram using the hashtag #whyspacematters and tagging @UNOOSA.
NASA astronaut Scott Kelly, who is three months into a one-year mission aboard the International Space Station, will announce the winning photo each month by posting it from his Instagram account @StationCDRKelly.
For more information about the competition, visit http://www.unoosa.org/oosa/contests/whyspacematters/index.html.
For more information about the International Space Station and the One-Year Mission, visit http://www.nasa.gov/content/one-year-crew.
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“Where Over the World Is Astronaut Scott Kelly?” Geography From Space Trivia Contest
During his year-long stay on the International Space Station, astronaut Scott Kelly wants to test your knowledge of the world through a geography trivia game on Twitter. Traveling more than 220 miles above Earth, and at 17,500 miles per hour, he circumnavigates the globe more than a dozen times a day. This gives Kelly the opportunity to see and photograph various geographical locations on Earth. In fact, part of his job while in space is to capture images of Earth for scientific observations.
Follow @StationCDRKelly on Twitter. Each Wednesday, Kelly will tweet a picture and ask the public to identify the place depicted in the photo. The first person to identify the place correctly will win an autographed copy of the picture. Kelly plans to continue posting weekly contest photos until he returns from the space station in March 2016.
For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/feature/where-over-the-world-is-astronaut-scott-kelly.
To learn more about the One-Year Mission, visit http://www.nasa.gov/content/one-year-crew.
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Free ‘Ask an Expert’ Series Presented by Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum
Join the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum for a series of “Ask an Expert” events. Each 15-minute discussion is presented by a member of the museum staff. Upcoming space-related discussions include:
Robert Goddard’s Rockets
Aug. 13, 2015, at 12:30 p.m. EDT
http://airandspace.si.edu/events/detail.cfm?id=16556
Join Dr. Michael Neufeld at the National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia, for a 15-minute discussion about rocket pioneer Robert Goddard. Neufeld joined the museum in 1988 and is a senior curator in the Division of Space History. Meet at the nose of the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird in the Boeing Aviation Hangar.
For more information about the “Ask an Expert” series, visit http://airandspace.si.edu/events/ask-an-expert/.
Please direct questions about this series to the Visitor Service line at 202-633-2214.
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Live Broadcast of Space Launch System RS-25 Engine Test Firing
The Space Launch System, or SLS, Liquid Engines Office is conducting a series of tests for its RS-25 engine. The seven-test series began in January 2015 and will conclude in September 2015. On Aug. 13, 2015, at 4:30 p.m. EDT, a 550-second test will be conducted at Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.
The seven-test series will provide critical data on the new engine controller unit and will show how the RS-25 will perform. New ablative insulation and heaters also will be tested during the series.
NASA’s SLS will help send humans to deep space destinations like an asteroid and Mars. SLS is an advanced, heavy-lift launch vehicle that will provide an entirely new capability for science and human exploration beyond Earth’s orbit. The SLS will give the nation a means to reach beyond our current limits and open new doors of discovery from the unique vantage point of space.
The test will be carried live on NASA TV beginning at 4 p.m. EDT and will be streamed at http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html. Please make plans to watch and hear the rumble as NASA continues on its Journey to Mars.
To learn more about the Space Launch System, visit http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/sls/.
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2015 von Kármán Lecture Series — Attend in Person or View Online
The Theodore von Kármán Lecture Series, named after the founder of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and presented by JPL’s Office of Communication and Education, share the excitement of the space program’s missions, instruments and other technologies.
Lectures take place twice per month, on consecutive Thursdays and Fridays. The Thursday lectures take place in JPL’s Theodore von Kármán Auditorium, and Friday lectures take place at Pasadena City College’s Vosloh Forum. Both start at 7 pm. PDT (10 p.m. EDT). Admission and parking are free for all lectures. No reservations are required, but seating is limited. The Thursday evening lectures are also streamed live for viewing online. Archives of past lectures are also available online.
The next lecture in the series is:
Drought: Are We In or Out?
Event Date: Aug. 13 and Aug. 14, 2015, at 7 pm. PDT (10 p.m. EDT)
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/events/lectures_archive.php?year=2015&month=8
Entering its fourth year of below-normal rainfall and snowpack, California faces its most severe drought emergency in decades. Join Dr. William Patzert, Climatologist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory for a discussion about how the drought developed and how we deal with future droughts.
For more information about the Theodore von Kármán Lecture Series, including a complete list of upcoming lectures, visit http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/events/lectures.php.
Questions about this series should be directed to the http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/contact_JPL.php.
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Center for Astronomy Education Teaching Excellence Workshops — Spring/Summer 2015
NASA’s Center for Astronomy Education, or CAE, announces a series of educator workshops for astronomy and space science educators.
These workshops provide participants with experiences needed to create effective and productive active-learning classroom environments. Workshop leaders model best practices in implementing many different classroom-tested instructional strategies. But more importantly, workshop participants will gain first-hand experience implementing these proven strategies. During many microteaching events, you will have the opportunity to role-play the parts of student and instructor. You will assess and critique each other’s implementation in real time as part of a supportive learning community. You will have the opportunity to use unfamiliar teaching techniques in collaboration with mentors before using them with your students. CAE is funded through NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Exoplanet Exploration Program.
August 15, 2015 — American Museum of Natural History in New York, New York
CAE Northeast Regional Teaching Exchange
For more information and to register for workshops online, visit http://astronomy101.jpl.nasa.gov/workshops/index.cfm.
Inquiries about this series of workshops should be directed to Gina Brissenden at gbrissenden@as.arizona.edu.
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Space Shuttle Thermal Protective Tiles Available for Educational Use
NASA invites eligible U.S. educational institutions and museums to request space shuttle thermal protective tiles and other special items offered on a first-come, first-served basis while quantities last. Organizations previously allocated thermal protective tiles may request an additional three tiles.
There will be a nominal shipping fee that must be paid online with a credit card. To make a request for special items online, visit http://gsaxcess.gov/htm/nasa/userguide/Special_Item_Request_Procedure.pdf.
Questions about this opportunity should be directed to GSAXcessHelp@gsa.gov.
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Join NASA’s Global Precipitation Measurement Mission’s Master Teachers Cohort for the 2015-2016 School Year
NASA’s Global Precipitation Measurement, or GPM, mission is looking for a small cadre of “GPM Master Teachers” to help develop and pilot science, technology, engineering and mathematics lessons to be used with elementary, middle and high school audiences.
Selected teachers will earn a stipend for their participation, which will run from Sept. 1, 2015, through June 30, 2016. All training and participation will take place online. It is anticipated that teachers will spend approximately 10 hours per month working on this collaborative project.
This competitive opportunity is open to elementary, middle and high school teachers. GPM is seeking “master” teachers (those who have successfully taught for at least five years and who have demonstrated the ability to collaborate in professional learning communities within their school district and/or at the state/national level).
Applications are due Aug. 17, 2015.
For more information, visit http://1.usa.gov/1KcIQZd.
Please direct questions about this opportunity to Dorian Janney at dorian.w.janney@nasa.gov.
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Free Tours of Facilities at NASA’s Glenn Research Center
NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio, is offering tours that take visitors behind the scenes and inside certain research facilities. Glenn scientists and engineers serve as guides. Tours will be offered each month through October 2015. Tours are free of charge for groups and individuals on an advance reservation basis. Visitor parking is also available free of charge.
A tour bus departs from Glenn’s main gate every hour beginning at 10 a.m. The last tour departs at 1 p.m. Each tour lasts about 45 minutes and is followed by a stop at Glenn’s Gift Shop.
Glenn’s 2015 Tour Schedule
Sept. 12, 2015 — Go to the Extreme: Join us on a tour through Glenn’s Extreme Environments Rig, or GEER. As NASA ventures through the solar system and beyond, spacecraft will experience hostile environments of Venus and other planetary bodies. Temperatures can reach hundreds of degrees. Air pressure is crushing, and the toxic atmosphere is thick. GEER is designed to simulate those temperatures and pressure extremes and accurately reproduce the atmospheric compositions of bodies in the solar system. GEER is currently in its commissioning phase for operations simulating Venus’ surface temperature, pressure and chemistry.
Oct. 3, 2015 — Explore Locomotion on Planets: Come explore the Simulated Lunar Operations facility, which is home to a 60-foot-long, 20-foot-wide sandpit filled with simulated lunar soil and a lunar rover test bed. Other areas simulate Martian soil conditions. Research in this facility will help NASA develop the components of rovers capable of traveling long distances and investigating planetary surfaces during future human and robotic missions to keep NASA’s journey to Mars moving forward.
Tours are open to U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents. To guarantee admission, reservations are required. For more information on tours and how to make reservations, visit http://www.nasa.gov/centers/glenn/events/tours.html.
Questions about the tours should be directed to Sheila Reese at sheila.d.reese@nasa.gov.
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MAVEN Workshops — ‘Red Planet: Read, Write, Explore!’
The Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution mission began orbiting Mars on Sept. 21, 2014. MAVEN will explore the planet′s upper atmosphere, ionosphere and interactions with the solar wind. The mission will provide invaluable insights into the history of Mars′ atmosphere, climate, liquid water and planetary habitability.
Join the MAVEN education team for a one-day workshop on the MAVEN mission and the accompanying elementary program, “Red Planet: Read, Write, Explore!” This program features six standards-based lessons that combine science, literacy and art to help students understand planetary habitability and the MAVEN mission. The workshop will introduce participants to these lessons and concepts. The workshop will have a session devoted to Spanish-speaking English Language Learner and English as a Second Language students. Attendees will receive free classroom materials.
This workshop will be offered twice this fall! The first will take place at the Space Foundation Discovery Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on Sept. 12, 2015. The second will be held at the World Forestry Center Museum in Portland, Oregon, on Sept. 19, 2015.
Registration is $15 and includes a continental breakfast and lunch. Participants may bring one guest for no additional charge. Space is limited, so interested educators are encouraged to apply early.
For more information about the workshops and to apply online, visit http://lasp.colorado.edu/home/maven/education-outreach/for-educators/red-planet/.
Please email any questions about this opportunity to epomail@lasp.colorado.edu.
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Minorities Striving and Pursuing Higher Degrees of Success in Geosciences Research Experiences for Undergraduates Professional Development Program
The Institute for Broadening Participation is accepting applications for the Minorities Striving and Pursuing Higher Degrees of Success in Geosciences Research Experiences for Undergraduates (MS PHD’S-GEO REU) Professional Development Program.
The MS PHD’S-GEO REU program is designed specifically for underrepresented minority undergraduates who have participated in a recent National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates, or NSF REU, program in one of the following disciplines: Earth sciences, ocean sciences, polar sciences, or atmospheric and geospace sciences. Consideration also will be given to applicants who have completed REUs in other STEM fields (e.g., environmental engineering, ecology, computational mathematics, etc.) and who demonstrate strong interest in the geosciences and articulate potential benefits received as participants in this program.
For Phase I of the program, participants will attend the December 2015 American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting. During the AGU Fall Meeting, participants will engage in virtual and on-site professional development, and participate in networking, community building and mentoring activities. Financial support to attend the AGU Fall Meeting will be provided.
During Phase II of the program, participants engage in additional virtual and face-to-face activities designed to provide insight and information into geosciences professions and opportunities; promote ongoing engagement with geoscience professionals; and facilitate additional mentoring, professional development and networking opportunities at discipline-specific conferences and meetings.
Applications are due Sept. 14, 2015. For more information and to fill out an application, visit http://www.msphds.org/GEOREU.aspx.
Please direct questions about this opportunity to pdp@msphds.org.
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International Observe the Moon Night
On Sept. 19, 2015, the whole world has the chance to admire and celebrate our moon on International Observe the Moon Night. And you can join in the fun!
Check the map of registered observation events at http://observethemoonnight.org to see if an event is being held near you. If not, please consider registering and hosting one and inviting your community.
You don’t know where to start?
This link walks you through the process of planning an event of any size. See how to host an event in six easy steps: http://observethemoonnight.org/getInvolved.
Do you need suggestions for hands-on activities?
Visit http://observethemoonnight.org/activities/ for ideas.
Are you worried about cloudy weather obscuring your view of the moon?
The “Moon as Art” collection, chosen by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, team, gives the public the opportunity to see the moon as others have seen it for centuries — as an inspirational muse. But this time, also see the moon from the perspective of being in orbit with a series of eyes that see different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. Learn more at http://lunar.gsfc.nasa.gov/moonartgallery.html.
Additional beautiful, high-resolution images of the moon’s surface taken by LRO’s cameras are available at http://lroc.sese.asu.edu.
Questions about this opportunity should be directed to Lora.V.Bleacher@nasa.gov.
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Center for Astronomy Education Teaching Excellence Workshops — Fall/Winter 2015-16
NASA’s Center for Astronomy Education, or CAE, announces a series of educator workshops for astronomy and space science educators.
These workshops provide participants with experiences needed to create effective and productive active-learning classroom environments. Workshop leaders model best practices in implementing many different classroom-tested instructional strategies. But more importantly, workshop participants will gain first-hand experience implementing these proven strategies. During many microteaching events, you will have the opportunity to role-play the parts of student and instructor. You will assess and critique each other’s implementation in real time as part of a supportive learning community. You will have the opportunity to use unfamiliar teaching techniques in collaboration with mentors before using them with your students. CAE is funded through NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Exoplanet Exploration Program.
Sept. 26-27, 2015 — University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
CAE Tier I Teaching Excellence Workshop for Current and Future Astronomy and Space Science Instructors
Oct. 3, 2015 — Guilford Technical Community College in Jamestown, North Carolina
CAE Southeast Regional Teaching Exchange
Oct. 17, 2015– Everett Community College in Everett, Washington
CAE Northwest Regional Teaching Exchange
November 2015 — American Center for Physics in College Park, Maryland
New Faculty Workshop for Physics and Astronomy
Jan. 3-4, 2016– Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center in Kissimmee, Florida
CAE Tier I Teaching Excellence Workshop for Current and Future Astronomy and Space Science Instructors
For more information and to register for workshops online, visit http://astronomy101.jpl.nasa.gov/workshops/index.cfm.
Inquiries about this series of workshops should be directed to Gina Brissenden at gbrissenden@as.arizona.edu.
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Celebrate World Space Week 2015
Join educators and space enthusiasts around the world to celebrate World Space Week, Oct. 4-10, 2015. This international event commemorates the beginning of the Space Age with the launch of Sputnik 1 on Oct. 4, 1957.
World Space Week is the largest public space event in the world, with celebrations in more than 60 nations. During World Space Week, teachers are encouraged to use space-themed activities.
To learn more about World Space Week, search for events in your area, and find educational materials, visit http://www.worldspaceweek.org.
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Earth Science Week 2015 Contests
The American Geosciences Institute is sponsoring a series of contests to celebrate Earth Science Week 2015. This year’s celebration takes place Oct. 11-17, 2015.
Earth Science Week 2015 Photography Contest — Open to All Ages
http://www.earthsciweek.org/contests/photography/index.html
Geoscientists study our planet’s geosphere (land), hydrosphere (water), atmosphere (air), and biosphere (living things). These spheres — or Earth systems — continually affect and influence one another. With a camera, you can capture evidence of the dynamic impact of change processes in your home, neighborhood, school, workplace or local public spaces. In a photo, show at least one Earth system affecting another Earth system in your community.
Earth Science Week 2015 Visual Arts Contest — Open to Students in Grades K-5
http://www.earthsciweek.org/contests/visualarts/index.html
Earth science is the study of Earth systems — land, water, air and living things. Scientists pay special attention to the ways these things affect each other, such as the way wind shapes the landscape or falling rain nourishes plants. Use artwork to show how land, water, air and living things interact in the world around you.
Earth Science Week 2015 Essay Contest — Open to Students in Grades 6-9
http://www.earthsciweek.org/contests/essay/index.html
Since the earliest hand-drawn maps and diagrams, “visualization” has been an important way of explaining and understanding the interactions of land, water, air and living things. Earth scientists today use more sophisticated technology to monitor and represent these Earth systems — the geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere and biosphere. In an original essay no more than 300 words in length, explain one way that geoscientists’ use of cutting-edge visualization is advancing Earth science today.
The entry deadline for all three contests is Oct. 16, 2015. Visit the contest websites for full details.
If you have any questions about these contests, please email the Earth Science Week staff at info@earthsciweek.org.
