“Spiders in Space” Teacher Guide Online

Dear Educator:

We are pleased to announce that Baylor College of Medicine’s teacher’s guide for the upcoming “Spiders in Space” investigation now is available online (http://bioedonline.org/space/STS_Mission_134S.cfm).

In April 2011, an orb weaver spider will fly aboard Space Shuttle Endeavor (mission STS-134) for a rendezvous with ISS. Once onboard the Space Station, the spider will star in an exciting experiment to observe its behaviors in microgravity. The spider will live in a special habitat that provides a safe environment, food and water, and allows it to be monitored continuously. Real-time photos and video will be transmitted from ISS back to Earth and made available on the “Spiders in Space” Mission page (http://bioedonline.org/space/STS_Mission_134S.cfm).

We invite your class to participate in the experiment. Baylor College of Medicine has created a complete curricular module that will allow students and teachers worldwide to conduct their own classroom investigations comparing ground-based spiders with those living in microgravity on ISS. The teacher’s guide for the “Spiders in Space” module is free. Just visit the link above, click on the “Spiders in Space” logo to register, and download the module guide. It provides information on the orb weaver spider, housing and care for a spider, and setting up a classroom-based investigation with your own students.

Download the guide to start planning your experiment today!