NASA Education “Science WOW!” Message — Dec. 28, 2016

Check out the latest edition of NASA Education’s “Science WOW!” — your source for NASA opportunities in science education delivered “Weekly On Wednesday.”

Check out the latest edition of NASA Education’s “Science WOW!” — your source for NASA opportunities in science education delivered “Weekly On Wednesday.”


Science Always Starts With a Question …


This Week’s Question: What Is the Aurora?

The aurora borealis and aurora australis — often called the northern lights and southern lights — are common occurrences at high northern and southern latitudes. But what are they, and what causes them?

Check out this poster to find the answers to these questions and more! http://pwg.gsfc.nasa.gov/polar/EPO/auroral_poster/aurora_all.pdf


Have You Seen This?


Get ready for the New Year with a new calendar. Download and print your very own Wall Calendar 2017: Best of the “Astronomy Picture of the Day.”

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/fap/APODcalendar2017NASAv5.pdf


Opportunities for Future Scientists of All Ages



Science Opportunities for Educators of Grades K-12



Science Opportunities for Higher Education and Informal Institutions


 


Opportunities for Future Scientists of All Ages


2017 Mission X: Train Like an Astronaut “Walk to the Moon” Challenge
Audience: All Educators and Students, Home School Parents and After-school Groups
Registration Deadline: Dec. 31, 2016
Challenge Dates: Jan. 12 – April 28, 2017

Mission X encourages children of all ages, as well as people with particular needs, to pursue healthy lifestyles based on the model of training like an astronaut. During six- to nine-week “challenges” each fall and spring, schools and student groups from around the world complete Mission X classroom-based science lessons and physical education activities.

In 2017, Mission X is challenging Fit Explorers around the world to work together to perform activities that will move Astro Charlie the 478 million steps it would take to walk from Earth to the moon! That’s 238,857 miles, or 384,403 kilometers! At an average walking speed, that would take one person about nine years to complete.

The challenge kicks off in January. For full challenge details and to do your part to help reach this out-of-this-world goal, visit http://trainlikeanastronaut.org/wttm. The deadline to register for this challenge is Dec. 31, 2016. You may apply for Team USA at http://trainlikeanastronaut.org/usa_application.

In 2016, Mission X was represented by 30 countries and more than 53,000 participants. The challenge was available in 17 languages.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to Nubia Carvajal at nubia.a.carvajal@nasa.gov.


**NEW** NASA’s DIVER (Diving into Experiment Research) Challenge
Audience: 9-12 Students
Proposal Deadline: Feb. 1, 2017

NASA and the American Society for Gravitational and Space Research, or ASGSR, are challenging high school students to design and build an object that will float in water in normal gravity but will submerge in water as far as possible when exposed to microgravity.

After student proposals are evaluated, selected teams will have their objects tested in NASA’s 2.2 Second Drop Tower at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Ohio. Teams are only responsible for their diving objects. NASA will provide the rest of the experimental hardware and interact with teams remotely during testing.

The winning DIVER teams will have the opportunity to present their results in a student poster session at ASGSR’s 2017 conference in Seattle, Washington, in October 2017.

Proposals are due Feb. 1, 2017.

For more information about this opportunity, visit https://spaceflightsystems.grc.nasa.gov/education-outreach/diver/.

Please email questions about this opportunity to celere@lists.nasa.gov.


**NEW** Be a Citizen Scientist With the ‘Aurorasaurus’ Project
Audience: All Educators and Students
Project Timeframe: Ongoing

Aurorasaurus is the first and only citizen science project that tracks auroras around the world via online reports, mobile apps and social media.

Aurorasaurus is a citizen science project that gathers real-time data about aurora sightings and sends out notifications to users when the northern or southern lights are likely visible in their area. Registered users get location-based notifications and a real-time monitor of space weather activity. The project also allows users to help verify tweets and search for real sightings. Plus, the website features answers to science and aurora questions.

To learn more, visit http://www.aurorasaurus.org/.

Please direct questions about this project to aurorasaurus.info@gmail.com.

This project receives support from the National Science Foundation and NASA’s Science Mission Directorate.


Science Opportunities for Educators of Grades K-12


2017 Space Exploration Educators Conference
Audience: K-12 Educators
Early Bird Registration Deadline: Dec. 30, 2016
Event Date: Feb. 9-11, 2017

Make plans to attend the 23rd Annual Space Exploration Educators Conference to be held Feb. 9-11, 2017, at Space Center Houston. This conference is for all K-12 educators. Activities presented use space-related themes to teach across the curricula. The activities may be used for science, language arts, mathematics, history and more.

Attend sessions hosted by scientists and engineers working on exciting projects like the International Space Station and the exploration of Mars and other parts of our solar system. Hear from astronauts who will be “leading the charge” in exploration. Attend sessions presented by educators and receive ready-to-implement classroom ideas. Attendees can earn up to 24 hours of continuing professional education credit.

For discounted registration, sign up to attend before the Early Bird Registration deadline on Dec. 30, 2016!

For more information, visit http://spacecenter.org/teacher-programs/teachers-seec/.

Please email any questions about the conference to seec@spacecenter.org.


**NEW** Free Education Webinars From NASA Educator Professional Development
Audience: In-service, Pre-service, Home School and Informal Educators

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. To register, simply click on the link provided beneath the webinar description.

Aeronautics — Come Fly With Us: Balloons and Kites for Elementary Educators
Audience:
Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades K-5
Event Date: Jan. 4, 2017, at 4 p.m. EST
Explore NASA’s “The Courage to Soar” educator guide. Learn about education activities on flight that relate to science, math, language arts, engineering design and art. Participants will discuss the history of kites and balloons. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/217984

Aeronautics — Come Fly With Us: Flying Things in Your Classroom
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 4-8
Event Date: Jan. 5, 2017, at 6 p.m. EST
Explore the principles and physics of flight by flying things in your classroom. Use NASA online resources and simple, inexpensive STEM classroom activities and design challenges to investigate the parts of an airplane, what makes an airplane fly, and how to model aircraft that can fly in your classroom. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/219444

For a full schedule of upcoming NASA Educator Professional Development webinars, visit http://www.txstate-epdc.net/events/.

Questions about this series of webinars should be directed to Steve Culivan at stephen.p.culivan@nasa.gov.


Free Educator Professional Development Workshops From NASA’s Stennis Space Center Office of Education
Audience: In-service, Pre-service, Home School and Informal Educators

NASA’s Stennis Space Center Office of Education is presenting a series of free science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, educator professional development workshops open to all educators. Join NASA education specialists to learn about activities, lesson plans, educator guides and resources that bring NASA into your classroom.

Journey to Mars
Audience
: Grades 4-8, In-service, Informal and Pre-service Educators
Registration Deadline: Jan. 22, 2017 (maximum of 30 participants)
Event Date: Jan. 26, 2017, 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. CST
Launch an investigation into the Red Planet using Earth and Mars comparisons, models, and engineering design. This workshop will integrate NASA online resources and STEM classroom activities, including those from NASA’s “Modern Figures” campaign. “Modern Figures” activities highlight the contributions made by the African American women called “human computers,” as seen in the new movie “Hidden Figures.” The workshop will be presented at the Infinity Science Center in Pearlington, Mississippi. (Map).
Register Online: https://www.etouches.com/219171

NASA Aeronautics: The Science of Flight
Audience
: Grades 4-8, In-service, Informal and Pre-service Educators
Registration Deadline: Feb. 19, 2017 (maximum of 30 participants)
Event Date: Feb. 23, 2017, 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. CST
Explore basic principles of flight, construct aircraft models, and use the engineering design process to make these activities educationally challenging. NASA aeronautics technology will be introduced. Learn how these inquiry-based lessons can help students develop concepts, practice data analysis skills, and relate their investigations to real-world applications. The workshop will be presented at the Infinity Science Center in Pearlington, Mississippi. (Map).
Register Online: https://www.etouches.com/219187

Keesler Air Force Base (Hurricane Hunters) and NASA: Weather and Hurricanes
Audience: Grades 4-8, In-service, Informal and Pre-service Educators
Registration Deadline: March 26, 2017 (maximum of 30 participants)
Event Date: March 30, 2017, 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. CDT
Learn about the role of the Air Force and NASA in our understanding and forecasting of weather, climate, hurricanes and their effects on Earth’s systems. Air Force and NASA data, STEM curriculum resources, and tours will guide participants through classroom activities and learning strategies. The workshop will be presented at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi. (Map). *Registration is restricted to US citizens only*
Register Online: https://www.etouches.com/211635

For more information on the upcoming NASA Educator Professional Development workshops, email Aprill McIntosh at april.l.mcintosh@nasa.gov.


Science Opportunities for Higher Education and Informal Institutions


Center for Astronomy Education Regional Teaching Exchanges and Workshops — Fall/Winter 2016-2017
Audience: Current and Future College Instructors of Astronomy
Next Event Date: Jan. 4, 2017

NASA’s Center for Astronomy Education, or CAE, announces a series of regional teaching exchanges and workshops for astronomy and space science educators.

Teaching exchanges foster a sense of community among geographically linked current and future college instructors of astronomy. Regional experts from the broader CAE community are ready to provide the opportunity for you to meet your neighbors, expand your instructional repertoire and share your own expertise.

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.

Jan. 4, 2017 — Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center in Grapevine, Texas
CAE Tier I Teaching Excellence Workshop — New Methods for Teaching About Exoplanets

Jan. 5, 2017 — Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center in Grapevine, Texas
CAE Tier I Teaching Excellence Workshop — New Methods for Teaching in the Flipped Classroom

For more information and to register for the teaching exchanges, visit http://astronomy101.jpl.nasa.gov/workshops/index.cfm.

Inquiries about this series of events should be directed to Gina Brissenden at gbrissenden@as.arizona.edu.

CAE is funded through NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Exoplanet Exploration Program.


Nancy Grace Roman Technology Fellowships for Early Career Researchers
Audience: Researchers Who Have Received a Ph.D. in the Last Eight Years
Notice of Intent Deadline: Jan. 20, 2017
Proposal Deadline: March 17, 2017

The Nancy Grace Roman Technology Fellowship in astrophysics seeks to provide early-career researchers the opportunity to develop the skills necessary to lead astrophysics flight instrument development projects, including suborbital investigations, in preparation to become principal investigators of future astrophysics missions; to develop innovative technologies for space astrophysics that have the potential to enable major scientific breakthroughs; and to foster new talent by putting early-career instrument builders on a trajectory toward long-term positions. NASA is committed to supporting deserving early-career researchers by selecting one or more Roman Technology Fellows every year.

This fellowship consists of two components with two different submission procedures. (1) The first component is the application to be named a Roman Technology Fellow through a one-page application submitted along with a proposal submitted to D.3, the Astrophysics Research and Analysis, or APRA, program element. (2) The second component is the subsequent submission of a proposal for up to $300K in fellowship funds by a previously selected Roman Technology Fellow once that individual obtains a permanent or permanent track position.

A notice of intent to submit a proposal is required and is due Jan. 20, 2017. Proposals are due March 17, 2017.

For complete fellowship details and application procedures, visit http://go.nasa.gov/2hmrro0.

Questions concerning this opportunity may be directed to William Lightsey at Billy.Lightsey@nasa.gov.


Check out the new ‘Explore NASA Science’ website!
Science starts with questions, leading to discoveries. Explore the redesigned NASA Science site and send us feedback. Visit https://science.nasa.gov. To view the site in Spanish, visit http://ciencia.nasa.gov.

Don’t miss out on upcoming NASA education opportunities
.
For a full list of events, opportunities and more, visit the Educators and Students Current Opportunity pages on NASA’s website:
— Educators https://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/current-opps-index.html
— Students https://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 https://www.nasa.gov/education/resources/.

Find NASA science resources for your classroom.
NASA Wavelength is a digital collection of Earth and space science resources for educators of all levels — from elementary to college, to out-of-school programs. http://nasawavelength.org/

Visit NASA Education on the web:
NASA Office of Education: https://www.nasa.gov/education
For Educators: https://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/index.html
For Students: https://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/index.html
NASA Kids’ Club: https://www.nasa.gov/kidsclub

Did you miss last week’s NASA Education Science WOW! newsletter?
Visit the Science WOW! blog for an archive of previous messages.
https://blogs.nasa.gov/educationsciencewow/