Creating a Virtual Astrobiolgy Field Trip to Yellowstone National Park

From July 21-August 1, 2010, five K-12 and informal educators joined scientists from the Arizona State University (ASU) and Montana State University (MSU) teams of the NASA Astrobiology Institute for a two week field experience as part of the ASU Astrobiology Virtual Field Trip (VFT) initiative. To address the need for better teacher preparation in STEM education, these teachers worked directly with scientists studying the thermal environments at Yellowstone National Park. They experienced the thrill of doing authentic field research in a breathtaking setting! These educators are an integral part of the VFT project and will provide valuable input on the design of the Web interface, its functionality in a classroom setting and related K-12 curriculum materials. Their collaboration with the ASU Astrobiology team will continue through Spring 2011 as the virtual field trip takes shape. [Source: NAI Newsletter]