Educator Professional Development – Page 7

Professional Development Web Seminar: Engineering Design: Forces & Motion-The Great Boomerang Challenge

Professional Development Opportunity

NASA Explorer Schools and the National Science Teachers Association are hosting a free 90-minute professional development Web seminar on Oct. 11, 2012 at 6:30 p.m. EDT. Learn how aerodynamic forces and motion are used in boomerang design. Participants will be introduced to the Boomerang Design Challenge and learn how to incorporate this activity into science classes. Two extensions featuring free computer simulations that teach students about airflow around airfoils will also be shared.

Link to the information and registration page.

Professional Development Web Seminar: Electromagnetic Spectrum: Remote Sensing Ices on Mars

Professional Development Web Seminar

NASA Explorer Schools project and the National Science Teachers Association are hosting a 90-minute professional development Web seminar for teachers of grades 8-12 on Oct. 4, 2012, at 7:30 p.m. EDT. Learn how to use authentic NASA mission data to investigate the composition and distribution of ices in the high-latitude regions of Mars through analysis of visible light, infrared light and gamma rays. The seminar includes information about a unique student extension activity, where students access a free computer simulation illustrating how gamma rays are used to determine the chemical composition of Mars.

For more information and to register online, visit http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/NES3/webseminar4.aspx.

Link to the NES Virtual Campus home page.

Professional Development Web Seminar: Engineering Design Process: On The Moon Educator Guide

Professional development opportunity

NASA Explorer Schools and the National Science Teachers Association are hosting a 90-minute live professional development Web seminar on Oct. 10, 2012, at 7:30 p.m. EDT for educators of grades 6-12. This seminar showcases two lessons from the “On the Moon” educator guide: “On Target” and “Feel the Heat”. Learn how to use the engineering design process to challenge students to solve problems related to exploring the moon. This session will fully prepare you to implement these activities in your classroom.

For more information and to register online, visit the seminar registration page.

(This seminar will be repeated on Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2013.)

Engineering Design Challenge: Water Filtration Web Seminar

Professional Development Web Seminar

NASA Explorer Schools and the National Science Teachers Association are hosting a 90-minute live professional development Web seminar for high school educators on Oct. 2, 2012, at 6:30 p.m. EDT. During this seminar, participants learn about ways water is recycled on Earth and on the International Space Station. Participants receive background information about water recycling and then see how to incorporate the information into an exciting hands-on, inquiry-based challenge.

For more information and to register online, visit http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/NES3/webseminar3.aspx.

Link to the NES Virtual Campus home page.

NES Professional Development Web Seminar: Transit Tracks – Finding Habitable Planets

Professional Development Opportunity

As part of a series of electronic professional development experiences for educators, NASA Explorer Schools and the National Science Teachers Association are hosting a 90-minute live professional development Web seminar for educators on Sept. 19, 2012, at 7:30 p.m. EDT. In this Web seminar, you will learn about an engaging algebra activity called “Finding Habitable Planets” that allows students to analyze NASA data with the hopes of discovering planets in habitable zones of solar systems.

For more information and to register online, visit http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/NES3/webseminar2.aspx.

Link to the Algebraic Equations: Transit Tracks—Finding Habitable Planets lesson on the Virtual Campus (requires log in).

Link to the NES Virtual Campus home page.

NES Professional Development Web Seminar: Lunar Nautics

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 Web seminar on Sept. 13, 2012, at 6:30 p.m. EDT. This Web seminar features three lessons for grades 5-8, focusing on a real-world understanding of Newton’s Laws of Motion and addresses common misconceptions associated with the laws. The featured lessons are Rocket Staging: Balloon Staging, Lunar Landing: Swinging Tray and Lunar Base Supply Egg Drop.

For more information and to register online, visit http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/NES3/webseminar1.aspx.

Link to the NES Virtual Campus home page.

NES Events Next Week (Apr. 23 – 27)

NES Video Chat: NASA Untamed

Apr 23 from 1-2 p.m. EDT

In celebration of Earth Day 2012, Becky Bolt, a wildlife ecologist at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, will answer student questions about how scientists study wildlife and how this research helps support space operations.

Heat Transfer: MESSENGER — My Angle on Cooling Web Seminar

April 23, 2012, at 6:30 p.m. EDT

Learn 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.

Live Video Chat: 100,000,000,000 Planets in Our Galaxy and Counting

April 25, 2012, from noon – 1 p.m. EDT

NASA research scientist Stephen Kane will answer questions from students in grades 4-12 about a study he co-authored showing there are 100 billion planets in our galaxy.

Review the NES calendar for other upcoming events.

Link to the NES Virtual Campus home page.

NASATalk NXT Tweetup

The NASATalk NXT Tweetup will provide a light introduction for those new to Twitter, while at the same time presenting several NXT robotics resources for use in classroom or informal education settings, on Monday-Friday, April 9-13, from 4-5 p.m. EDT.

This event focuses on NXT robotics questions, answers and comments being addressed within the activities presented in the Group Activities on the NASATalk NXT Tweetup website.

The activities include:

• Circles, Ratios and Robot Navigation.

• Robot Virtual Worlds.

• Decibel Detection (Using Sound Sensor).

• Rocker Bogie Rover Wheel System.

• Gear Ratios Applied to Robots.

For more information, including a short file with Twitter instructions, see https://www.nasatalk.com/collaboratives/robotics/nasatalk-nxt-tweetup.html.

If you’re on Twitter, follow @NXTtweetup. One tweet will be added every 15 minutes during the event.

Direct your NASATalk NXT Robotics Tweetup questions to the following:

• Meri Cummingsabout appropriate activities and the Tweetup schedule.

• Kendyl Morrisabout creating a Twitter account and tweeting.

• Chris Ruckmanabout using NASATalk.

Link to the NES Virtual Campus home page.

NES Professional Development Next Week

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 April 9, 2012, at 6:30 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.

For more information and to register online, visit http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/NES2/webseminar2.aspx.

Engineering Design: Forces and Motion — The Great Boomerang Challenge 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 professional development Web seminar for educators on April 11, 2012 at 6:30 p.m. EDT. Learn how NASA aerodynamics research can be applied to boomerang design to increase performance. During the session, participants will be introduced to the Boomerang Design Challenge and learn how to incorporate this activity into science classes. The seminar also includes information about two unique extensions. In the first, students access a free computer simulation illustrating the airflow around an airfoil to determine the correct flow equation, and a second extension uses an interactive simulation to determine the airflow around various shapes of airfoils.

For more information and to register online, visit http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/NES2/webseminar24.aspx.

To learn more about the NASA Explorer Schools project, visit http://explorerschools.nasa.gov.

Email any questions about these opportunities to the NES Help Desk at NASA-Explorer-Schools@mail.nasa.gov.

NES Professional Development Next Week

Pythagorean Theorem: Exploring Space Through Math — Lunar Rover Web Seminar

This 60-minute live professional development Web seminar for educators will be on April 2, 2012, at 8 p.m. EDT. Learn to use the distance formula and the Pythagorean theorem to determine the minimal path and minimal time for a lunar rover to perform tasks on the surface of the moon. Participants should have a basic knowledge of scale factor and application of the Pythagorean theorem. Having access to a calculator is helpful but not necessary for session.For more information and to register online, visit https://digitalmedia.wufoo.com/forms/nes-webinar-registration-pythagorean-theorem/.

Electromagnetic Spectrum: Remote Sensing Ices on Mars Web Seminar

This 90-minute Web seminar will be held on April 3, 2012, at 8:15 p.m. EDT. Learn how to use authentic NASA mission data to investigate the composition and distribution of ices in the high latitude regions of Mars through analysis of visible light, infrared light and gamma rays. The seminar includes information about a unique student extension activity, where students access a free computer simulation illustrating how gamma rays are used to determine the chemical composition of Mars.For more information and to register online, visit http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/NES2/webseminar1.aspx.

Properties of Living Things: Searching for Life on Mars Web Seminar

This 90-minute Web seminar for educators will be on April 5, 2012, at 6:30 p.m. EDT. Review criteria for determining if something is alive and learn how students can apply the criteria in a hands-on activity. A video will be shown that connects the activity to a NASA mission. Collaborate with other participants about ways of using and adapting the activity. Extension activities for students interested in the topic will be provided.For more information and to register online, visit http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/NES2/webseminar7.aspx.