|
Check out the following
NASA opportunities for the education community. Full descriptions are listed
below.
NASA Exploration Design Challenge
Audience: K-12 Educators and Students
Virtual Crew Registration Deadline: March 14, 2014
Meteorology:
How Clouds Form Web Seminar
Audience: 5-8 and Informal Educators
Event Date: March 14, 2013, at 7:30 p.m. EDT
OSSI -- Summer
2013 Opportunities
Audience: Higher Education Students
Deadline: March 15, 2013
Pre-Service Teacher Institute at NASA's Kennedy
Space Center
Audience: Higher Education Students
Application Deadline: March 15, 2013
Institute Dates: May 28-June 7, 2013
2013 NASA Glenn Research
Center High School Internship Project
Audience: Students in Grades 10-11
Application Deadline: March 15, 2013
Pennsylvania Space Grant
Workshops
Audience: 4-12 Educators
Workshop Dates: Multiple dates July - August
2013
Application Deadline: March 17, 2013
Celebrate Solar Week --
Spring 2013
Audience: 5-8 Educators
Event Dates: March 18-22, 2013
Engineering Design Challenge:
Spacecraft Structures Web Seminar
Audience: 5-9 and Informal Educators
Event Date: March 20, 2013, at 7:30 p.m. EDT
Sun-Earth Days
'SolarMAX Anime' Contest
Audience: Students ages 13 and older
Entry Deadline: March 20, 2013
Heat Transfer: MESSENGER -- My
Angle on Cooling Web Seminar
Audience: 5-8 and Informal Educators
Event Date: March 21, 2013, at 6:30 p.m. EDT
Free Lecture --
GPS for Humanity -- The Stealth Utility
Audience: All Educators and 9-Higher Education Students
Event Date: March 21, 2013, at 8 p.m. EST
Sun-Earth Days
2013: Solar Max -- Storm Warning: Effects on the Solar System
Audience: All Educators and Students
Event Date: March 22, 2013
Sun-Earth Days
Observing Certificate Challenge
Audience: Students ages 13 and older
Entry Deadline: March 22, 2013
Heritage Family Day
Events at Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum
Audience: All Educators and Students
Next Event Date: March 23, 2013
MAVEN Educator Ambassador
Workshop
Audience: Middle School and High School Teachers
Application Deadline: March 31, 2013
Workshop Dates: July 8-12, 2013
The Challenge of Discovery! Educator Workshops
Audience: All Educators
Registration Deadline: April 1, 2013
Workshop Date: April 6, 2013
Caller
Questions With Answers from the Feb. 20, 2013 Pre-Proposal Teleconference -- NASA Research Announcement (NRA) Competitive Program for
Science Museums, Planetariums, and NASA Visitor Centers Plus Other
Opportunities (CP4SMP+) (Announcement Number: NNH13ZHA001N, Catalog of Federal
Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 43.008)
Audience: Informal Education Institutions
Proposal Due Date: April 9, 2013
Reduced Gravity Education Flight Opportunity
for Students at Minority Serving Institutions
Audience: Higher Education Educators & Students
Proposal Deadline: April 17, 2013
Global Precipitation Measurement Mission
Anime Challenge
Audience: Artists ages 13 and older
Entry Deadline: April 30, 2013
SOFIA Airborne Astronomy Ambassador
Program
Audience: All Educators
Application Deadline: May 3, 2013
National Space Biomedical Research
Institute Postdoctoral Fellowship Program
Audience: Higher Education Educators and Students
Application Deadline: June 7, 2013
2013 Lunar Workshops for Educators
Audience: 6-9 Educators
Workshop Dates: June 24-28, and July 8-12, 2013
What's New at NASA's Space Place Website
Audience: K-6 Educators
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
________________________________________________________________
NASA Exploration Design Challenge
Students from Kindergarten through 12th grade will have the opportunity to play
a unique role in the future of human spaceflight through participation in NASA's
Exploration Design Challenge, or EDC. NASA EDC invites students around the world
to think and act like scientists in order to overcome one of the major hurdles of
deep space long-duration exploration -- the dangers associated with space
radiation. Students taking part in the challenge will discover how to plan and
design improved radiation shielding aboard the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew
Vehicle, currently being developed by NASA, Lockheed Martin and other partners
to carry astronauts to space, venturing farther than humans have ever gone
before.
Through a series of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM,
engagement activities, students in grades K-8 will analyze different materials
that simulate space radiation shielding and recommend materials that best block
radiation and protect astronauts. Students in grades 9-12 will think and act
like engineers as they apply what they learn to design shielding to protect a
sensor on the Orion crew module from space radiation. After a review of the
design solutions submitted by teams in the grades 9-12 challenge, five finalist
teams will be selected and matched with a mentor from NASA to test their designs
in a virtual simulator. The winning team will build a prototype radiation
shield that will be analyzed and submitted to Lockheed Martin for flight
certification on the inaugural flight of the Orion Exploration Flight Test, or
EFT-1.
The five U.S. finalist teams from the grades 9-12 challenge will be invited to
attend the EFT-1 launch, currently scheduled for November 2014. The names of
all students, grades K-12, participating in the NASA EDC will fly aboard the
spacecraft as honorary virtual crewmembers for Orion’s first flight. The
deadline to register students for the virtual crew is March 14, 2014.
For more information and to register online, visit http://www.nasa.gov/education/edc.
For more information about Orion, visit http://www.nasa.gov/orion.
Email any questions about this opportunity to nasaedc@nianet.org.
________________________________________________________________
Meteorology: How Clouds Form Web Seminar
As part of a series of electronic professional development experiences, the
NASA Explorer Schools project and the National Science Teachers Association are
hosting a free 90-minute Web seminar on March
14, 2013, at 7:30 p.m. EDT. Learn about the relationships between air
pressure, temperature, volume and cloud formation. Get an overview of the
necessary conditions for cloud formation and then see how to make a cloud in a
bottle. Information will be provided about an extension activity, the S'COOL
Project, which involves student participation in authentic science.
This is the last time this seminar will be offered during the current school
year.
For more information
and to register online, visit URL http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/NES3/webseminar10.aspx.
To learn more about the NASA Explorer Schools project, visit http://explorerschools.nasa.gov.
Email any questions about this opportunity to the NASA Explorer Schools help
desk at NASA-Explorer-Schools@mail.nasa.gov.
________________________________________________________________
OSSI -- Summer 2013 Opportunities
The NASA One Stop Shopping Initiative, or OSSI,
strives to provide students at all institutions of higher education access to a
portfolio of internship, fellowship and scholarship opportunities offered by
NASA mission directorates and centers.
Visit the Office of Education Infrastructure
Division LaunchPad to find information on internship, fellowship and
scholarship opportunities. The site features the OSSI online application for
recruiting NASA Interns, Fellows and Scholars, or NIFS. This innovative system
allows students to search and apply for all types of higher-education NASA
internship, fellowship and scholarship opportunities in one location. A single
application places the student in the applicant pool for consideration by all
NASA mentors.
Applications for summer 2013 opportunities are
due March 15, 2013.
To find available opportunities and to fill out
an OSSI online application for recruiting NIFS, visit https://intern.nasa.gov/index.html.
Inquiries about the OSSI should be submitted via
https://intern.nasa.gov/oic/.
________________________________________________________________
Pre-Service Teacher Institute at
NASA's Kennedy Space Center
NASA's Kennedy Space Center has partnered
with Oklahoma State University to offer a 10-day Pre-Service Teacher Institute taking
place May 28-June 7, 2013, in Florida. The Pre-Service Teacher Institute is for
college students who are preparing to teach elementary or secondary science.
The institute will focus on
inquiry-based learning and the incorporation of technology into curriculum.
Education specialists from the Kennedy Space Center Educator Resource Center
will provide participants with training to inspire student learning of science
content through the use of education resources based on NASA missions of
research and discovery. Participants will work in small groups to develop
lesson plans using NASA educational resources and present these activities to local
elementary level students.
Applicants must be U.S. citizens and at least 18 years old. Lodging and a
stipend, as well as transportation for participants who live outside of
Florida, will be provided.
Applications are due March 15, 2013.
For more information and to
apply online, visit https://opportunities.nasa.okstate.edu/index.cfm?liftoff=PSTI.Home.
Please email any questions about this opportunity to ksc-erc-educator-resource-center@mail.nasa.gov.
________________________________________________________________
2013 NASA Glenn
Research Center High School Internship Project
The NASA Glenn Research Center High School Internship Project provides paid
summer internship opportunities, eight weeks in duration, to students
interested in careers in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and
professional administration at the NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland,
Ohio. This project offers opportunities for students in grades 10 and 11 who will
be juniors and seniors in the upcoming school year, and is sponsored by the
Educational Programs Office.
To be eligible for this project:
-- The applicant must be a U.S. citizen and 16
years old on or before the project start date (June 17, 2013).
-- The applicant must be a permanent resident of
Ohio and currently enrolled in a high school located within a 50-mile radius of
Glenn Research Center.
-- The applicant must be a current sophomore or
junior at the time of application.
-- The applicant must have a minimum cumulative
grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
-- The applicant must be available on a
full-time basis (Monday through Friday, 40 hours per week) from June 17, 2013,
through Aug. 9, 2013.
Applications are due March 15, 2013. For
more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/centers/glenn/education/GlennHighSchoolIntership.html.
Please email any questions about this
opportunity to GRC-intern@mail.nasa.gov.
________________________________________________________________
Pennsylvania
Space Grant Workshops
Keep pace with the latest science research,
engage in standards-based classroom activities and explore ways to make science
fun while working with Penn State faculty during these summer workshops for
inservice science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, educators.
Network with peers and earn graduate credits. Workshops are aligned with the
national science education standards and Pennsylvania standards for science and
technology.
All workshops take place on Penn State campus
facilities in Pennsylvania. Grants are awarded to all participants to cover
lodging, parking, some meals and partial tuition.
Applications for all workshops are due March 17, 2013.
Black Holes: Gravity's Fatal Attraction (Grades
6-12) -- July 15-19, 2013
Delve into the predicted properties of black holes, the astronomical
evidence for their existence and their importance in the cosmos. Modern ideas
about gravity, space and time will also be explored.
http://teachscience.psu.edu/workshops/black_holes.html
Astrobiology for Educators: Is There Life Beyond
Our Planet? And How Would We Know? (Grades 4-12) -- July 22-26, 2013
Participants will be introduced to science
content related to the cutting-edge field of astrobiology. Participants will
explore the latest discoveries in the search for conditions needed to support
life on other planets.
http://www.abington.psu.edu/continuing-education/astrobiology-educators
Hands-On Particle Astrophysics (Grades 9-12) --
July 22-26, 2013
Participants will get a brief overview of modern
particle physics and explore various astrophysics topics. Instructors will help
participants build and use devices made from household materials to detect air
showers generated by cosmic-ray protons.
http://teachscience.psu.edu/workshops/particle_astrophysics.html
Telescopes: Tools for Astronomical Discovery and
the Search for Life on Other Planets (Grades 6-12) -- July 29 - Aug. 2, 2013
Participants will build a simple telescope and
learn how to use the Falcon Telescope Network. Modern telescopes that may help
scientists discover other habitable planets will also be discussed.
http://teachscience.psu.edu/workshops/telescopes.html
Questions about the Pennsylvania Space Grant
workshops should be directed to Heather Nelson at teachscience@psu.edu.
________________________________________________________________
Celebrate Solar
Week -- Spring 2013
Solar Week provides a weeklong series of
Web-based educational classroom activities and games with a focus on the
sun-Earth connection geared for grades 5-8. Students learn about solar
eclipses, sunspots, solar flares and solar storms through a series of
activities, games and lessons. In addition, there’s a message board where
classrooms can submit a question to leading solar scientists.
Solar Week is ideal for students studying the
solar system, the stars or astronomy in general, and now Solar Week features a
day focused on solar energy. Solar Week is also for kids pondering possible
career choices and wondering what it's like to be a scientist. Participation makes
for a fun computer lab activity as well. After doing the activities, students
can interact on the bulletin board with leading scientists at the forefront of
sun-Earth research. It’s a great place for any student
interested in our nearest star, the sun.
Solar Week takes place March 18-22, 2013.
To learn more and to register to participate,
visit http://www.solarweek.org.
Questions about Solar Week may be emailed to solarweek@solarweek.org.
________________________________________________________________
Engineering Design Challenge:
Spacecraft Structures Web Seminar
As part of a series of electronic professional development experiences for
educators, the NASA Explorer Schools project and the National Science Teachers
Association are hosting a 90-minute live professional development Web seminar
for educators on March 20, 2013, at 7:30
p.m. EDT. Learn how to incorporate the excitement of rocketry into your
classroom during this Web seminar and receive an overview of the student
engineering design challenge, Spacecraft Structures, where students design and
construct a strong, but lightweight, structure that can withstand the launch of
a water bottle “rocket.”
This is the final offering of this Web seminar during the current school year.
For more information and to
register online, visit http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/NES3/webseminar14.aspx.
To learn more about the NASA Explorer Schools project, visit http://explorerschools.nasa.gov.
Email any questions about this opportunity to NASA-Explorer-Schools@mail.nasa.gov.
________________________________________________________________
Sun-Earth Days 'SolarMAX Anime' Contest
NASA's Sun-Earth Days program wants to see your
best anime artwork. SolarMAX is the official superhero mascot for Sun-Earth
Days. But keeping an eye on space weather is a big job for just one superhero.
The Sun-Earth Days team is looking for students ages 13 and older to create and
submit a new and original anime-style character to help SolarMAX. The character
must have a visible space weather related super power.
The Sun-Earth Days team will select five
characters to be added to the Sun-Earth Days superhero team! The first two
winning characters will be selected and announced on the live Sun-Earth Days
webcast on March 22, 2013. Winner characters also will appear as part of a new
Sun-Earth Days desktop wallpaper!
Entries must be submitted online by March 20, 2013.
For more information, including instructions for
submitting a character design, visit http://sunearthday.nasa.gov/2013/solarmax/contest.php.
Questions about this opportunity should be
directed to sunearthday@gmail.com.
________________________________________________________________
Heat Transfer: MESSENGER -- My
Angle on Cooling Web Seminar
As part of a series of electronic professional development experiences, the
NASA Explorer Schools and the National Science Teachers Association are hosting
a 90-minute Web seminar on March 21,
2013, at 6:30 p.m. EDT. Learn how the MESSENGER mission to Mercury takes
advantage of passive cooling methods to keep the spacecraft functioning in a
high-temperature environment. You will also see how to use the mission’s Staying
Cool activities to lead students through an examination of different solutions
to the problem of how to deal with too much sunlight and energy.
This is the final time this seminar will be repeated during the current school
year.
For more information
and to register online, visit http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/NES3/webseminar11.aspx.
To learn more about the NASA Explorer Schools project, visit http://explorerschools.nasa.gov.
Email any questions about this opportunity to NASA-Explorer-Schools@mail.nasa.gov.
________________________________________________________________
Free Lecture --
GPS for Humanity -- The Stealth Utility
The Global Positioning System, or GPS, has
become a ubiquitous, but often invisible, part of modern life. On March 21, 2013, Dr.
Bradford Parkinson, chief architect and original program director for GPS in
the 1970s, will present the history, applications and future of GPS and the
Global Navigation Satellite System.
The lecture begins at 8 p.m. at the National Air
and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. For those unable to attend in person, the
lecture will be webcast live.
For more information, visit http://airandspace.si.edu/events/eventDetail.cfm?eventID=5245.
Questions about this lecture should be directed
to nasmpubliclectures@si.edu.
________________________________________________________________
Sun-Earth Days
2013: Solar Max -- Storm Warning: Effects on the Solar System
Join NASA in celebrating Sun-Earth Days with a series of programs and
events that occur throughout the year, culminating with a celebration on March 22, 2013. This
year's theme, “Solar Max -- Storm Warning: Effects on the Solar System,”
invites participants to explore the violent nature of our sun at the peak of
solar activity and the discoveries coming from the heliophysics and planetary
missions during this exciting period. During solar maximum, there are many
sunspots, solar flares and coronal mass ejections, all of which can affect
communications and technology on Earth.
Learn about solar maximum and how it, along with
space weather in general, affects our daily lives. Find out why scientists and
engineers find it important to track space weather, much like meteorologists
track storms on Earth. And learn about NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on
Virginia's Eastern Shore and its role in launching rockets to explore weather
on Earth and in space.
On March
22, 2013, join the Sun-Earth Days team for a live Sun-Earth
Days webcast. For this webcast, the team will combine forces with the
award-winning NASA EDGE team known for their offbeat, funny and informative
look behind the NASA curtain.
For more information, educational resources and
social media connections, visit the Sun-Earth Days website at http://sunearthday.nasa.gov.
Questions about Sun-Earth Days events should be
emailed to sunearthday@gmail.com.
________________________________________________________________
Sun-Earth
Days Observing Certificate Challenge
Attention amateur astronomers! NASA's Sun-Earth Days program wants
to feature your astronomy photographs and videos (up to 90 seconds each) of our
active sun. Images will be featured on the Sun-Earth Days Solar Maximum Flickr
page. And each week, a different image will be selected to highlight on the
NASA Sun-Earth Days home page.
Once your image or video is uploaded with the proper supporting information,
you will be able to download a certificate of appreciation from the NASA
Sun-Earth Days team.
Participants are also invited to upload images of Sun-Earth Days Solar MAX
events, celebrations, activities and star parties. These images often provide
others with inspiration and new ideas! Make sure to include your name, club or
organization's name and a description of the event.
Images and videos must be submitted online by March 22, 2013.
For more information, including instructions for submitting images and videos,
visit http://sunearthday.nasa.gov/2013/getinvolved/aa.php.
Questions about this opportunity should be directed to sunearthday@gmail.com.
________________________________________________________________
Heritage Family
Day Events at Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum
The 2013 Heritage 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 will take place at the Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum Steven F.
Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va., and at the Smithsonian's National Air and
Space Museum in Washington, DC. The events are free and open to the public.
Women in Aviation and Space
March 23, 2013, from 10
a.m. to 3 p.m. EDT
Celebrate the incredible contributions of women
in aviation, science and aerospace. Enjoy hands-on activities, guest speakers,
a theatrical presentation, book signings and Flights of Fancy story time for
our youngest visitors.
http://airandspace.si.edu/events/eventDetail.cfm?eventID=4833
Explore the Universe Day: Everyone Looks Up!
June 1, 2013, from 10
a.m. to 3 p.m. EDT
Everyone looks up! People around the world have
always looked to the sky, but they don’t always see the same things. Experience
how different people study the sky and hear their stories.
http://airandspace.si.edu/events/eventDetail.cfm?eventID=4835
A Century of Women in Aerospace
Sept. 14, 2013, from 10
a.m. to 3 p.m. EDT
For over 100 years, women have contributed to
technological advances in aviation and space. Hear about the historic women who
have inspired today’s role models.
http://airandspace.si.edu/events/eventDetail.cfm?eventID=4836
Hispanic Heritage Month:
Innovators in Air and Space
Sept. 24, 2013, from 10
a.m. to 3 p.m. EDT
Oct. 5, 2013, from 10
a.m. to 3 p.m. EDT
Celebrate Latin America’s historical
contributions to aviation and space exploration. Meet current Hispanic
scientists and engineers through the Smithsonian Latinos in STEM initiative.
Listen to bilingual stories and participate in hands-on activities. The events
are free and open to the public.
http://airandspace.si.edu/events/eventDetail.cfm?eventID=4837
Questions about this series of events should be
directed to the Visitor Service line at 202-633-1000.
________________________________________________________________
MAVEN Educator Ambassador
Workshop
The Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN, or MAVEN, mission will explore the
planet’s upper atmosphere, ionosphere and interactions with the solar wind. Set
to launch in November 2013, the mission will provide invaluable insights into
the history of Mars’ atmosphere and climate, liquid water and planetary
habitability.
The MAVEN Educator Ambassador, or MEA, workshop will bring together educators
from around the country for in-depth learning experiences around MAVEN science.
The goal of the MEA program is for participants to develop the knowledge and
skills needed to train other teachers on NASA’s educational resources.
Participants will attend a weeklong professional development workshop and
receive training on a variety of standards-based classroom activities, as well
as receive follow-up support for several years. The expectation is that
participants will implement some of the lesson plans and resources in their
classrooms, as well as conduct teacher trainings in their local areas on the
MAVEN mission and related educational activities.
A $700 travel stipend is offered, along with a $700 honorarium after a local
workshop is conducted. Housing and meals are provided.
Applications are due March 31, 2013.
For more information about
the workshop and to apply online, visit http://lasp.colorado.edu/home/maven/education-outreach/for-educators/mea/.
Please email any questions about this opportunity to Stephanie Renfrow at stephanie.renfrow@lasp.colorado.edu.
________________________________________________________________
The Challenge of Discovery! Educator Workshops
You want to go where? What does it take to
make a NASA mission happen, and who are the people that drive these tremendous
projects?
In Discovery Program's third annual multisite professional development
workshop, we delve into the stories behind some amazing NASA missions, from
conception to science results. Learn how scientists, engineers and mission
operators collaborate to meet the challenges of complex missions to assure the
science goals are met. Investigate what it takes to move a fantastic idea from
dream to reality.
The Challenge of Discovery workshop will take place on April 6, 2013, in
four locations.
-- NASA's Jet Propulsion
Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
-- NASA's Johnson Space
Center, Houston, Texas
-- University of Arizona,
Tucson, Ariz.
-- Johns Hopkins University
Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Md.
All sites will offer special speakers,
hands-on activities for K-12 and out-of-school-time educators
and resource packets.
The cost of the workshop is $25. Lunch and snacks will be provided.
Registration closes on April 1, 2013.
For more information, visit http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/discovery/challenge_of_discovery.asp.
Please email any questions about this opportunity to Mary Cullen at mcullen@mcrel.org.
________________________________________________________________
Caller
Questions With Answers from the Feb. 20, 2013 Pre-Proposal Teleconference -- NASA Research Announcement (NRA) Competitive Program for
Science Museums, Planetariums, and NASA Visitor Centers Plus Other
Opportunities (CP4SMP+) (Announcement Number: NNH13ZHA001N, Catalog of Federal
Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 43.008)
Twenty-six caller questions with answers
from the Feb. 20, 2013 Pre-Proposal Teleconference were posted on the CP4SMP+
portal page on NSPIRES on March 11, 2013.
Visit: https://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/solicitations/summary.do?method=init&solId=%7B37764C2A-F415-01DF-1B30-F1971BE7F8BE%7D&path=open.
________________________________________________________________
Reduced Gravity Education Flight Opportunity
for Students at Minority Serving Institutions
NASA is offering undergraduate students from minority serving institutions an
opportunity to test experiments in microgravity aboard NASA's reduced gravity
aircraft.
This opportunity is a partnership between the Minority University Research and Education
Program and NASA's Reduced Gravity Education Flight Program, which gives
aspiring explorers a chance to propose, design and fabricate a reduced-gravity
experiment. Selected teams will test and evaluate their experiments aboard
NASA's reduced-gravity airplane. The aircraft flies about 30
roller-coaster-like climbs and dips during experiment flights to produce
periods of weightlessness and hypergravity ranging from 0 gravity, or g,
to 2 g.
Proposals are due April
17, 2013.
All applicants must be full-time undergraduate students, U.S. citizens and at
least 18 years old.
To learn more about this opportunity, visit https://microgravityuniversity.jsc.nasa.gov/murep/.
Questions about this opportunity should be emailed to Suzanne Foxworth at jsc-reducedgravity@nasa.gov.
________________________________________________________________
Global Precipitation Measurement
Mission Anime Challenge
NASA's Global Precipitation Measurement, or GPM, mission has teamed
up with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency to hold a design challenge for
people around the world to develop an anime character to represent the GPM
mission. GPM is an international satellite mission that will use multiple
satellites orbiting Earth to collect rain and snow data worldwide every three
hours.
Participants should learn about the GPM mission and design their characters to
represent the mission's objectives. The winning
character will star in a comic series that will teach the public about GPM and
precipitation science.
Participants must be at least 13 years old. Entries must be submitted by April 30, 2013.
For more information, including instructions for submitting a character design,
visit http://pmm.nasa.gov/education/anime.
Questions about this opportunity should be directed to GSFC-GPM@mail.nasa.gov.
________________________________________________________________
SOFIA Airborne Astronomy
Ambassador Program
NASA's Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy, or SOFIA, is a 747SP
aircraft carrying a 2.5 meter-diameter telescope. The SOFIA Airborne Astronomy
Ambassadors Program is seeking educator teams of two to participate in an
upcoming SOFIA flight. One of the team members must be a middle- or high-school
educator. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or legal residents teaching in a
U.S. school.
Applications are due May 3, 2013.
For more information and to apply online, visit http://www.seti.org/epo/SOFIA.
Questions about this opportunity should be directed to Pamela Harman at pharman@seti.org.
________________________________________________________________
National Space Biomedical
Research Institute Postdoctoral Fellowship Program
The National Space Biomedical Research Institute, or NSBRI, seeks
solutions to health concerns facing astronauts on long-duration missions. This
research also benefits patients on Earth. The NSBRI is currently soliciting
applications for its Postdoctoral Fellowship Program.
NSBRI's Postdoctoral Fellowship Program provides support for postdoctoral
fellows in any U.S. laboratory carrying out space-related biomedical or
biotechnological research. Funding is for a two-year period with an option for
a third year of support. Applicants must prepare
proposals with the support of a mentor, and all proposals are evaluated by a
peer-review panel.
Applications are due June 7, 2013.
For detailed information on the application process, visit http://www.nsbri.org/postdocs/.
Questions about this opportunity should be directed to postdoc@nsbri.org.
________________________________________________________________
2013
Lunar Workshops for Educators
NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, mission is sponsoring a pair of
workshops for educators of students in grades 6-9. These workshops will focus
on lunar science, exploration and how our understanding of the moon is evolving
with the new data from current and recent lunar missions.
The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has allowed scientists to measure the coldest
known place in the solar system, map the surface of the moon in unprecedented
detail and accuracy, find evidence of recent lunar geologic activity,
characterize the radiation environment around the moon and its potential effects
on future lunar explorers and much, much more!
Workshop participants will learn about these and other recent discoveries,
reinforce their understanding of lunar science concepts, gain tools to help
address common student misconceptions about the moon, interact with lunar
scientists and engineers, work with LRO data and learn how to bring these data
and information to their students using hands-on activities aligned with grades
6-9 National Science Education Standards and Benchmarks.
Workshops will take place: June 24-28
and July 8-12, 2013, at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt,
Md. Workshop participants will have the opportunity to tour the LRO Mission
Operation Center and the Goddard spacecraft testing facilities.
Each workshop will be limited to 25 participants. Interested educators are
encouraged to apply early to secure a spot. Qualified applicants will be
accepted in the order they apply.
For more information and to register for the workshops, visit http://lunar.gsfc.nasa.gov/lwe/index.html.
Questions about these workshops should be directed to Katie Hessen at Katie.K.Hessen@nasa.gov.
________________________________________________________________
What's New at NASA's Space Place Website
Earth Day is coming up April 22. What is the most abundant component of Earth’s
surface? Water, of course. Water is such a big part of life on Earth that we
may take it for granted. But where did it come from? What makes it liquid,
solid or gas? And why should we care? Lots of NASA’s Earth studies are about
water in all its forms.
What's New?
Many students are surprised to know that during July, Earth is at its farthest
point from the sun, and during January it is at its closest. But that fact has
nothing to do with why there are seasons. This new article explains and
illustrates the reason for the seasons and why some in the U.S. are putting on
swimsuits to play in a recently icy lake, just as some in southern Chile and
New Zealand are digging out their skates as their lakes freeze over. Check it
out to help you enlighten your class at http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/seasons.
La Tierra en Español
¿Es la Tierra en parte un cometa? Now you can read in Spanish, as well
as English, about where our oceans may have originated. With new space
telescopes that can analyze the composition of passing comets, we can actually
begin to tease apart these 4-billion-plus-year-old mysteries. Learn what they
are finding out at http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/comet-ocean/sp.
Spotlight on Mission Chronicles
Some NASA missions don't get nearly as far off the ground as you might think.
Operation IceBridge is one that uses instruments on an airplane rather than a
satellite to study the elevation and thickness of ice at the North and South
Poles. So, although it may be a while before any NASA scientists make it to the
moon, they can have a pretty alien-world experience right here on Earth.
Christy Hansen, manager of the Operation IceBridge Mission, and her team took a
trip to the South Pole and lived to tell the tale at http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/mission-chronicles/#hansen.
For the Classroom
Clouds, of course, are another form of water. But it's not easy to tell from
the ground how much water is actually in the clouds above us. They may look
very threatening but produce very little precipitation. In the classroom
activity called “Sizing Up the Clouds,” the teacher sets up three simulated
clouds representing three different cloud types. Students use different methods
to estimate precipitation contents of each cloud type. Each method is roughly
analogous to methods actually used in weather forecasting. Finally, the
precipitation from each cloud is released, and the students will compare their
estimates to what is actually experienced on the ground. “Precipitation” in
this activity is represented by colored chocolate candies, which may help to
keep the students’ attention! Find the activity in PDF format at http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/classroom-activities/#cloudcontent.
For Out of School Time
The “Go With the Flow” game presents puzzles in which the player must figure
out how to place salt (which makes water denser) and heat (which makes water
less dense) in an underwater grid scenario in order to create a current that
will move a tiny, unpowered submarine to a floating key, which will then open a
treasure chest at the bottom of the sea. We have watched kids playing this
game, with or without their parents, at our take your child to work days. We
can hardly tear them away! Go to http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/ocean-currents.
Special Days
March 5, 1979: Voyager 1 flew past
Jupiter.
Another spacecraft is on its way to Jupiter and will spend a lot more time
there. http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/junoquest
March 10, 1876: First telephone call.
Alexander Graham Bell called Thomas Watson. How do spacecraft exploring the
solar system call home?
http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/x-ponder
March 14: Pi Day! or p Day
All circles are 3.14… (ad infinitum, as far as we know) times as big around as
across, a value called pi. What would pi be in binary numbers? http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/binary-code2
April 10: Encourage a Young Writer Day
Invite students to write about our future in space.
http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/art
April 22: Earth Day
It's important, and fascinating, to study Earth's history. Like where did
Earth's water come from?
http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/comet-ocean
April 28: Tell a Story Day
Check out some of the stories on The Space Place. They could be called creative
nonfiction, always a fun genre!
http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/storybook
A Great Earth Resource
Check out other activities and articles under the Earth menu on The Space
Place. Remember, NASA has many more missions to planet Earth than to all of the
other planets in the solar system combined. Earth is a very interesting planet!
Send Feedback
Please let us know your ideas about ways to use The Space Place in your
teaching. Send to info@spaceplace.nasa.gov.
Don't Forget…
You can find dozens of other ideas and rich resources for the
classroom and out-of-school time at our Parents & Educators page, http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/menu/parents-and-educators.
________________________________________________________________
Don't miss out on education-related opportunities available from NASA.
For a full list of Current Opportunities, visit http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/current-opps-index.html.
Visit NASA Education on the Web:
For Educators: http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/index.html
For Students: http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/index.html
NASA Kids’ Club: http://www.nasa.gov/kidsclub
|
