Check out the following NASA opportunities for the education community. Full descriptions are listed below.
NEW THIS WEEK! (August 13, 2015)
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Top 10 NASA Education Downloads for July 2015
Audience: All Educators
Help NASA Study Mars — Planet Four: Terrains
Audience: All Educators and Students
Project Timeframe: Ongoing Through Mid-2016
Free NASA Educator Professional Development Webinars for Informal Educators
Audience: Informal Educators
Next Event Date: Aug. 14, 2015, at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. EDT
Live Video Chat With NASA Veggie Project Manager and Indiana State Fair
Audience: All Educators and Students
Event Date: Aug. 18, 2015, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. EDT
Free NASA Educator Professional Development Webinars
Audience: In-service, Pre-service, Home School and Informal Educators
Next Event Date: Aug. 19, 2015, at 6:30 p.m. EDT
Second Annual NASA HBCUs/MSIs Partnerships Meeting
Audience: Representatives from Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority Serving Institutions
Event Date: Sept. 16, 2015
2016 RASC-AL Aerospace Concepts Design Competition
Audience: Higher Education Students
Notice of Intent Requested by Nov. 9, 2015
Abstract Submission Deadline: Jan. 17, 2016
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
PREVIOUSLY PROMOTED OPPORTUNITIES…
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Live Broadcast of Space Launch System RS-25 Engine Test Firing
Audience: All Educators and Students
Event Date: Aug. 13, 2015, at 4 p.m. EDT
2015 von Kármán Lecture Series — Attend in Person or View Online
Audience: All Educators and 9-Higher Education Students
Next Lecture Date: Aug. 13, 2015, at 7 pm. PDT (10 p.m. EDT)
Center for Astronomy Education Teaching Excellence Workshops — Spring/Summer 2015
Audience: Higher Education Educators and Students
Next Event Date: Aug. 15, 2015
Space Shuttle Thermal Protective Tiles Available for Educational Use
Audience: Educational Institutions, Museums and Other Education Organizations
Available While Supplies Last
Join NASA’s Global Precipitation Measurement Mission’s Master Teachers Cohort for the 2015-2016 School Year
Audience: Educators of Grades K-12
Application Deadline: Aug. 17, 2015
“Where Over the World Is Astronaut Scott Kelly?” Geography From Space Trivia Contest
Audience: All Educators and Students
Deadline: Ongoing Through March 2016
Cast Your Vote in the Ceres “Bright Spot” Mystery Poll
Audience: All Educators and Students
#WhySpaceMatters Photography Competition
Audience: All Educators and Students
Next Deadline: Sept. 10, 2015
Free Tours of Facilities at NASA’s Glenn Research Center
Audience: All Educators and Students
Next Event Date: Sept. 12, 2015
Family Day Events at Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum
Audience: All Educators and Students
Next Event Date: Sept. 12, 2015, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. EDT
MAVEN Workshops — ‘Red Planet: Read, Write, Explore!’
Audience: Elementary Educators
Colorado Springs Workshop Date: Sept. 12, 2015
Portland Workshop Date: Sept. 19, 2015
Minorities Striving and Pursuing Higher Degrees of Success in Geosciences Research Experiences for Undergraduates Professional Development Program
Audience: Higher Education Students
Application Deadline: Sept. 14, 2015
International Observe the Moon Night
Audience: All Educators and Students
Event Date: Sept. 19, 2015
Center for Astronomy Education Teaching Excellence Workshops — Fall/Winter 2015-16
Audience: Higher Education Educators and Students
Next Event Date: September 26-27, 2015
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Don’t miss out on upcoming NASA education opportunities.
For a full list of events, opportunities and more, visit the Educator and Student Current Opportunity pages on NASA’s website:
— Educators http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/current-opps-index.html
— Students http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/current-opps-index.html
Are you looking for NASA educational materials to support your STEM curriculum?
Search hundreds of resources by subject, grade level, type and keyword at http://www.nasa.gov/education/resources/.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
NEW THIS WEEK!
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Top 10 NASA Education Downloads for July 2015
What were the most popular NASA education products downloaded from NASA.gov during July 2015? Check out last month’s Top 10 and add them to your classroom curriculum.
Water Rocket Launcher Directions – Grades 5-12
Use simple tools to construct a soda bottle rocket launcher using “off-the-shelf” hardware and wood.
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/Water_Rocket_Launcher_Directions.html
Water Rocket Construction — Grades 4-12
Working in teams, students construct a simple bottle rocket from 2-liter soft drink bottles and other materials. Air pressure and water power the rocket.
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/Water_Rocket_Construction.html
I Want to Hold Your Hand — Grades 3-5
NASA uses robotic explorers to collect information about places where humans cannot travel. This classroom activity leads students to build and test a robotic-like hand.
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/I_Want_to_Hold_Your_Hand.html
How Rockets Work — Grades K-12
This overview of rocketry includes an explanation of Newton’s Laws of Motion, which support the basic principles of rocketry.
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/How_Rockets_Work.html
NASA’s African-American Astronauts Fact Sheet — All Grade Levels
NASA selects astronauts from a diverse pool of applicants with a wide variety of backgrounds. From the thousands of applications received, only a few are chosen for the intensive Astronaut Candidate training program. Only 321 astronauts have been selected to date. This fact sheet lists those astronauts of African descent.
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/African_American_Astronauts.html
A Pictorial History of Rockets — Grades K-12
From Archytas, a mathematician in 400 B.C., to privately owned rockets of the 21st century, this timeline of rocket history includes pictures, dates and descriptions of key events and people.
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/A_Pictorial_History_of_Rockets.html
Adventures in Rocket Science Educator Guide – Grades K-12
This guide contains 25 activities designed for 4-H Clubs, Boys and Girls Clubs, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, after-school programs, and other informal education venues. Participants learn about the history and principles of rocketry and NASA’s newest rockets. While doing these hands-on activities, participants learn about Hero Engines, parachutes and surface area, altitude tracking, and Newton’s Laws of Motion. Learners also can build four types of rockets and two types of egg drops.
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/Adventures_in_Rocket_Science.html
3… 2… 1… Puff! – Grades K-8
Students will construct small “indoor” paper rockets, determine their flight stability, and launch them by blowing air through a drinking straw.
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/3_2_1_Puff.html
Advanced High-Power Paper Rockets – Grades 3-12
Students select a flight mission (what they want the rocket to do) and design and construct a high-power paper rocket that will achieve the mission. They construct their rocket, predict its performance, fly the rocket, and file a post-flight mission report. Missions include achieving high-altitude records, landing on a “planetary” target, carrying payloads, testing a rocket recovery system, and more.
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/Advanced_High_Power_Paper_Rockets.html
Pop! Rocket Launcher Directions – Grades K-6
This section contains directions for building a launcher that students stomp to propel a rocket. The launcher can be used for any kind of large paper rocket.
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/Pop_Rocket_Launcher_Directions.html
Looking for more resources? NASA’s new Educational Resource Search Tool can help you find lesson plans, posters, educator guides and other materials to supplement your science, technology, engineering and mathematics curriculum. Search hundreds of resources by subject, grade level, type and keywords.
To check out the search tool and begin your hunt for educational resources, visit http://www.nasa.gov/education/materials/.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Help NASA Study Mars — Planet Four: Terrains
Help NASA study exotic landscape features near the south pole of Mars! NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter team is working with Zooniverse to present a new citizen-science project. Using images from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter’s Context Camera, volunteers will help scientists identify possible areas for even more detailed examination with the orbiter’s High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment camera. HiRISE can reveal more detail than any other camera ever put into orbit around Mars.
Some of Mars resembles deserts on Earth, but seasonal freezing and thawing of carbon-dioxide ice (known on Earth as “dry ice”) at the Martian poles creates some unusual landscape features. There’s a lot of territory to cover, so scientists need your help identifying what and where these features are.
Planet Four: Terrains is on a new platform released by Zooniverse, an organization that currently hosts 30 projects that enlist people worldwide to contribute to discoveries in fields ranging from astronomy to zoology. The new platform is designed to make it easier than ever for a researcher needing help with data analysis to set up a task to involve volunteers.
For more information and to learn how to participate, visit the “Planet Four: Terrains” website at https://www.zooniverse.org/#/projects/mschwamb/planet-four-terrains.
NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter mission is managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, located in Pasadena, California. To learn more about the orbiter and its mission at the Red Planet, visit http://mars.nasa.gov/mro/.
Please direct questions about this opportunity to Whitney Clavin at whitney.clavin@jpl.nasa.gov.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Free NASA Educator Professional Development Webinars for Informal Educators
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center is presenting a series of free webinars open to all informal educators.
NASA Resources for Informal Educators
Event Date: Aug. 14, 2015, at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. EDT
NASA has a wealth of opportunities and information available to the public. Find out how to access these resources and how to incorporate them into an informal learning setting.
Encouraging Your Child in STEM Using NASA Resources
Event Date: Aug. 25, 2015, at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. EDT
Discover how NASA can help encourage an interest in STEM topics for children in informal learning settings and at home.
To register, please email Amanda Harvey at amanda.c.harvey@nasa.gov with your name and the date and time of the program you would like to join. Spaces are limited.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Live Video Chat With NASA Veggie Project Manager and Indiana State Fair
As the Indiana State Fair ramps up to celebrate The Year of the Farmer, astronauts on the International Space Station took their first bites of space-grown lettuce. Learn more about fresh food grown in microgravity with NASA’s Digital Learning Network. On Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2015, NASA’s Kennedy Space Center will connect live to the weGROW theater to talk about NASA’s Vegetable Production System Program, also known as Veggie. The theater is located in the Glass Barn at the Indiana State Fair.
This live video chat with Veggie project manager Trent Smith runs from 11:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. A moderator from the Link Observatory will be on hand to moderate questions during the program. The event also will be streamed live on the DLiNfo Channel.
Submit questions via Twitter using #askDLN or via email to DLiNfochannel@gmail.com.
Attend the live event at the Glass Barn during the Indiana State Fair or watch the hourlong webcast on the NASA DLiNfo Channel (http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nasa-dlinfo) on Aug. 18, 2015, at 11:30 a.m. EDT.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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: 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
Engineering Enables Science Series: Marsbound
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 4-10
Event Date: Aug. 25, 2015, at 6 p.m. EDT
Explore NASA’s mission to the Red Planet! Look at data used to develop or refine theories about how air, water and impact events provide clues about Mars to the missions exploring it. Participants will learn about inquiry-based activities that deepen our understanding of the behavior of Earth’s geologic features and how they compare to those on Mars. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/137562
Weather and Climate: Exploring a Storm of STEM in Your Classroom
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 3-8
Event Date: Aug. 26, 2015, at 6 p.m. EDT
Learn about our understanding and forecasting of weather and how weather and climate differ. NASA missions, STEM resources, curriculum and integration of the Next Generation Science Standards will guide us through a “storm” of classroom activities. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/135889
Engineering Enables Science Series: Integration of NASA’s BEST Curriculum
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 6-8
Event Date: Aug. 27, 2015, at 7:30 p.m. EDT
Discover NASA’s Beginning Engineering, Science, and Technology, or BEST, curriculum for grades 6-8. The webinar session will focus on the engineering design process, and participants will see what it’s like to investigate the moon remotely. The webinar content aligns to Next Generation Science Standards. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/137758
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.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Second Annual NASA HBCUs/MSIs Partnerships Meeting
The NASA Headquarters Office of Small Business Programs is hosting the Second Annual NASA Historically Black Colleges and Universities/Minority Serving Institutions Partnerships Meeting. The event will take place on Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2015, from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. CDT at the Davidson Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
This event is targeting NASA’s immediate and future subcontracting opportunities for HBCUs and MSIs. This is an opportunity to network with representatives from NASA and its prime contractors including Aerojet Rocketdyne, Ch2M Hill, Jacobs, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Orbital ATK, SAIC, Teledyne Brown Engineering, The Boeing Company, United Launch Alliance and Wyle.
Registration is free, and attendance by the entire HBCU/MSI community is encouraged. The one-day event is part of an overall NASA initiative designed to increase prime and subcontract opportunities with HBCU/MSIs.
For more information and to register to attend, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2nd-annual-nasa-historically-black-colleges-universities-hbcusminority-serving-institutions-msis-tickets-17209164073.
Please direct questions about this event to MSFC-SmallBusiness@mail.nasa.gov.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2016 RASC-AL Aerospace Concepts Design Competition
NASA and the National Institute of Aerospace announce the 2016 Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts-Academic Linkage Aerospace Concepts competition. RASC-AL is a design project competition for university-level engineering students and faculty.
The 2016 RASC-AL competition challenges participants to design projects based on real NASA problems by responding to one of four themes:
— Crew-Tended Co-Orbiting ISS (International Space Station) Facility
— Lunar Ice-Trap ISRU (In-Situ Resource Utilization) Mining, Processing and Storage Facility
— Crewed Mars Moons Mission
— Earth-Independent 1G Space Station
NASA could potentially implement concepts derived from the design projects.
Interested teams are encouraged to submit a notice of intent by Nov. 9, 2015, and teams must submit an abstract for their proposed project by Jan. 17, 2016.
For the first time, the 2016 RASC-AL Competition will include a two-tiered down-select process. The RASC-AL Steering Committee of NASA and industry experts will evaluate the abstract proposals and select as many as 20 undergraduate or graduate teams to move to the next phase of the competition. Based on evaluation of three-page midproject papers submitted by these teams in mid-March, the field will be narrowed once again to 14-16 teams who will be selected for the final round of the competition. These teams will present their concepts to the panel of judges (the RASC-AL Steering Committee) at the RASC-AL Forum in June 2016 in Florida.
The RASC-AL competition is open to full-time undergraduate or graduate students majoring in engineering or science at an accredited college or university. University design teams must include one faculty or industry advisor with a university affiliation and two or more undergraduate or graduate students. A group of universities also may collaborate on a design project entry. Multidisciplinary teams are encouraged.
For more information about this competition, visit http://rascal.nianet.org.
If you have questions about this competition, please contact the RASC-AL team at rascal@nianet.org.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
PREVIOUSLY PROMOTED OPPORTUNITIES…
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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/.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
“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.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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/.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
#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.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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.
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.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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.