Month: May 2017

NASA Education “Science WOW!” Message — May 31, 2017

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: Why Does NASA Study the Environment?

When you think of NASA, you probably think of astronauts, satellites, Mars rovers, and telescopes that study distant planets and far-off galaxies.

NASA is a space agency. So, why study Earth’s environment? To find out, visit https://climatekids.nasa.gov/why-earth/.

Have You Seen This?

World Environment Day is June 5!

Bring the celebration to your classroom with NASA’s GLOBE Program!

Learn more at https://www.globe.gov/.

Solar Eclipse Countdown!

Experience the 2017 Eclipse Across AmericaLess than 11 weeks until the Total Solar Eclipse!

The path of totality for the August 21 solar eclipse will cross through 14 states! The rest of North America will experience a partial eclipse.

Do you know what the eclipse will look like in your area?

Find out at https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/eclipse-maps.

 

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 von Kármán Lecture Series — Attend in Person or View Online
Audience: All Educators; Students in Grades 9-12 and Higher Education
Next Lecture Date: June 1, 2017, at 7 p.m. PDT (10 p.m. EDT)

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, shares the excitement of the space program’s missions, instruments and other technologies.

Lectures take place twice per month, on consecutive Thursdays and Fridays. 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 p.m. 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 streamed live for viewing online. Archives of past lectures are also available online.

Next Lecture in the Series:

The Golden Age of Exploration
Event Date: June 1 and June 2, at 7 p.m. PDT (10 p.m. EDT)
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/events/lectures_archive.php?year=2017&month=6
Missions managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory have visited every planet in our solar system. Mars has been explored by rovers; samples from a comet’s tail and the solar wind have been returned to Earth; planets have been discovered around neighboring stars; and new insights into our planet’s environment have been acquired. Join Charles Elachi, recently retired director of JPL, for a discussion about this golden age of exploration.

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 http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/contact_JPL.php.

Student Spaceflight Experiments Program — Mission 12 to the International Space Station
Audience: School Districts Serving Grades 5-12, Informal Education Institutions, Colleges and Universities
Inquiry Deadline: June, 15, 2017
Start Date: September 5, 2017

The National Center for Earth and Space Science Education and the Arthur C. Clarke Institute for Space Education announce a science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, opportunity for school districts across the U.S. and space station partner nations. The newest flight opportunity, Mission 12 to the International Space Station, gives students across a community the ability to design and propose real experiments to fly in low Earth orbit on the space station. This opportunity is part of the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program, or SSEP.

Each participating community will receive a microgravity research mini-laboratory capable of supporting a single microgravity experiment and all launch services to fly the minilab to the space station in spring/summer 2018 and return it to Earth. An experiment design competition in each community — engaging typically 300+ students — allows student teams to design and propose real experiments vying for their community′s reserved mini-lab.

Content resources for teachers and students support foundational instruction on science in microgravity and experimental design. Additional SSEP programming uses the experiment design competition to engage the community in embracing a learning-community model for STEM education.

This competition is open to students in grades 5-12 and college. Informal education groups and organizations also are encouraged to participate. Interested communities must inquire about the program no later than June 15, 2017. The National Center for Earth and Space Science Education is available to help interested communities in the U.S. secure the needed funding.

To learn more about this opportunity, visit the “SSEP Mission 12 to International Space Station” National Announcement of Opportunity at http://ssep.ncesse.org/2017/03/new-flight-opportunity-for-school-districts-announcing-student-spaceflight-experiments-program-ssep-mission-12-to-the-international-space-station-starting-september-2017/.

SSEP is enabled through a strategic partnership with DreamUp PBC and NanoRacks LLC working with NASA under a Space Act Agreement as part of the use of the International Space Station as a national laboratory. The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (http://www.iss-casis.org/) is a national partner of SSEP. To view a list of all SSEP national partners, visit http://ssep.ncesse.org/national-partners/.

If you have any questions about this opportunity, please email SSEP National Program Director Jeff Goldstein at jeffgoldstein@ncesse.org.

**NEW** New Forever Stamp to Commemorate Solar Eclipse 2017
Audience: All Educators and Students
Release Date: June 20, 2017

To commemorate the Aug. 21 total solar eclipse, the U.S. Postal Service will release a first-of-its-kind stamp that changes when touched. The Total Eclipse of the Sun Forever stamp is the first U.S. stamp application of thermochromic ink. Using the body heat of a person’s thumb or fingers, the eclipse image will transform to reveal an underlying image of the moon. The stamp reverts back to the eclipse image once it cools.

Tens of millions of people in the United States hope to view this rare event, which has not been seen on the U.S. mainland since 1979. The eclipse will travel a narrow path across the entire country for the first time since 1918. The path will run west to east from Oregon to South Carolina and will include portions of 14 states.

The Total Eclipse of the Sun Forever stamps can be pre-ordered now at usps.com/shop for delivery after the June 20 issuance. Please share the news and your eclipse experiences using the hashtag #EclipseStamps.

For more information, visit http://about.usps.com/news/national-releases/2017/pr17_020.htm.

Please direct questions about the Total Solar Eclipse Forever stamp to Mark Saunders at mark.r.saunders@usps.gov.

Science Opportunities for Educators of Grades K-12

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.

NASA Digital Badge for Educators: A Way to Personalize Your Learning
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades K-12
Event Date: May 31, 2017, at 4 p.m. EDT
Digital badges, or microcredentials, are online representation of online learning experiences. They offer educators an opportunity to personalize their professional development. NASA EPDC Digital Badging System offers various opportunities for educators to learn about NASA topics and classroom activities while earning hours of professional development. This webinar will offer a walkthrough of the Digital Badging System and will look through some current opportunities for all educators. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/242639

**NEW** Journey to Mars: Radiation
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades K-12
Event Date: June 6, 2017, at 6:30 p.m. EDT
Learn about NASA’s Journey to Mars and how radiation impacts our planning. Participants also will learn about current research at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in California. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/254169

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.

Be a Citizen Earth Scientist With the ‘GLOBE Observer’ App
 Audience: All Educators and Students

Want to be a citizen Earth scientist? To contribute to NASA’s studies of our home planet, all you need is a smartphone, access to the outdoors, and the “GLOBE Observer” app.

Now available for Apple and Android phones, the app is an initiative of the Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment program. For over two decades, GLOBE has enabled schools and students in over 110 countries to investigate their local environment and put their observations in a global context.

To learn more, visit https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2016/nasa-launches-new-citizen-science-opportunity and http://observer.globe.gov.

Opportunities for Higher Education and Informal Institutions

**NEW** 2017 Girls in STEM Event at NASA’s Glenn Research Center
Audience: Summer Camps and Out-of-School-Time Groups for Girls in Grades 6-8
Registration Deadline: June 2, 2017
Event Date: July 14, 2017

NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio, is hosting a “Girls in STEM” event for girls in grades 6 to 8 who participate in summer camps or other out-of-school-time summer groups and organizations! The event will take place on July 14, 2017, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. EDT.

This activity-filled event includes a career showcase, a panel of female scientists and engineers, an engineering design challenge, and facility tours to encourage future leaders to pursue careers in STEM.

Online registration for the event is open through Friday, June 2, 2017. Attending students and chaperones must be U.S. citizens. Each group must have 10 to 25 students.

For full event details and to register online, visit https://events.grc.nasa.gov/girlsinstem/Default.aspx.

Questions about this event should be directed to Stephanie Brown-Houston at sdbrown-houston@nasa.gov.

2017 Thermal and Fluids Analysis Workshop
Audience: Higher Education Educators and Students
DEADLINE EXTENDED — Abstract Submissions Due: June 2, 2017
Workshop Dates: Aug. 21-25, 2017

The annual Thermal and Fluids Analysis Workshop will be held Aug. 21-25, 2017, at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

The Thermal and Fluids Analysis Workshop encourages knowledge sharing, professional development, and networking throughout the thermal and fluids engineering community within NASA, academia and the aerospace community at large. STEM faculty and university students are encouraged to attend, submit a poster or paper on their thermal/fluids work, take free training, or do a combination thereof.

Registration to attend the workshop is free. Participants interested in presenting at the conference, via manuscript or technical poster, must submit an abstract by June 2, 2017.

For more information about the workshop and how to submit an abstract for consideration, visit https://tfaws.nasa.gov/.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to Ramona Cummings at ramona.o.cummings@nasa.gov.

Lloyd V. Berkner Space Policy Internships
Audience: Undergraduate and Graduate Students at U.S. Universities and Colleges
Application Deadline: June 2, 2017

The Space Studies Board is seeking applicants for the Lloyd V. Berkner Space Policy Internships for autumn 2017. The goal of the program is to provide promising undergraduate and graduate students with the opportunity to work in the area of civil space research policy in the nation’s capital.

Established in 1958, the Space Studies Board is the principal advisory group providing independent scientific and programmatic advice to NASA and other government agencies on all aspects of civil space research and associated ground-based activities. Interns typically undertake one or more short-term research projects designed to assist with or to enhance ongoing study projects.

Applicants must be registered students (undergraduate or graduate) at a U.S. university or college who have completed their junior year. Applicants should have long-term career goals in space science research, applications or policy.

For more information and a full list of eligibility requirements, visit http://sites.nationalacademies.org/SSB/SSB_052239.

Please direct questions about this internship to Dr. David H. Smith at dhsmith@nas.edu.

Check out the ‘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 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/.

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: http://www.nasa.gov/education
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

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/

NASA Education “Science WOW!” Message — May 17, 2017

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: How Do I Make a Pinhole Camera?

You don’t need fancy glasses or equipment to watch the solar eclipse in August. With a few simple supplies, you can make a pinhole camera!

https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/learn/project/how-to-make-a-pinhole-camera/

Have You Seen This?

Boston-based PBS station WGBH’s “Bringing the Universe to America’s Classrooms” project, a collaboration with NASA, has been included in the National Science Foundation’s “2017 STEM for All Video Showcase.” Visit the link to learn more!

http://stemforall2017.videohall.com/presentations/1045

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

NASA’s Digital Learning Network Special Event With Beth Nielsen Chapman and Rocky Alvey
Audience: Educators and Students in Grades 5-12
Event Date: May 18, 2017, at 11 a.m. EDT

Join NASA’s Digital Learning Network on May 18, 2017, from 11:00 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. EDT as Beth Nielsen Chapman and Rocky Alvey help elementary school students learn about the solar system and the universe around them through music and song. Chapman will perform three songs while Alvey explains the science behind them. This special STEM activity is being offered while Chapman is at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Virginia to participate in the NASA Langley Centennial Tribute.

In 2012, Chapman released “The Mighty Sky,” a Grammy-nominated astronomy CD for kids of all ages. This work was featured during NASA’s 2012 Summer of Innovation program to inspire students to learn about the universe and their place in it and to pursue STEM studies. Rocky Alvey is director of the Vanderbilt Dyer Observatory and is also a songwriter. His collaborations with Chapman on “The Mighty Sky” include writing lyrics and developing lesson plans based on the songs and their content.

Those connecting to the webcast will have an opportunity to participate by asking questions live during the event via email at dlinfochannel@gmail.com and via Twitter using #ASKDLN. To connect, click on the following link during the event: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nasa-dlinfo.

For information about other DLN events, visit http://www.nasa.gov/dln.

Please send any questions about this opportunity to dlinfochannel@gmail.com.

Student Spaceflight Experiments Program — Mission 12 to the International Space Station
Audience: School Districts Serving Grades 5-12, Informal Education Institutions, Colleges and Universities
Inquiry Deadline: May 31, 2017
Start Date: September 5, 2017

The National Center for Earth and Space Science Education and the Arthur C. Clarke Institute for Space Education announce a science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, opportunity for school districts across the U.S. and space station partner nations. The newest flight opportunity, Mission 12 to the International Space Station, gives students across a community the ability to design and propose real experiments to fly in low Earth orbit on the space station. This opportunity is part of the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program, or SSEP.

Each participating community will receive a microgravity research mini-laboratory capable of supporting a single microgravity experiment and all launch services to fly the minilab to the space station in spring/summer 2018 and return it to Earth. An experiment design competition in each community — engaging typically 300+ students — allows student teams to design and propose real experiments vying for their community′s reserved mini-lab.

Content resources for teachers and students support foundational instruction on science in microgravity and experimental design. Additional SSEP programming uses the experiment design competition to engage the community in embracing a learning-community model for STEM education.

This competition is open to students in grades 5-12 and college. Informal education groups and organizations also are encouraged to participate. Interested communities must inquire about the program no later than May 31, 2017. The National Center for Earth and Space Science Education is available to help interested communities in the U.S. secure the needed funding.

To learn more about this opportunity, visit the “SSEP Mission 12 to International Space Station” National Announcement of Opportunity at http://ssep.ncesse.org/2017/03/new-flight-opportunity-for-school-districts-announcing-student-spaceflight-experiments-program-ssep-mission-12-to-the-international-space-station-starting-september-2017/.

SSEP is enabled through a strategic partnership with DreamUp PBC and NanoRacks LLC working with NASA under a Space Act Agreement as part of the use of the International Space Station as a national laboratory. The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (http://www.iss-casis.org/) is a national partner of SSEP. To view a list of all SSEP national partners, visit http://ssep.ncesse.org/national-partners/.

If you have any questions about this opportunity, please email SSEP National Program Director Jeff Goldstein at jeffgoldstein@ncesse.org.

 

Science Opportunities for Educators of Grades K-12

Take Your Students on a Series of Virtual Field Trips!
Audience: Grades 6-12 — Students and Educators, Formal and Informal
Next Event Date: May 18, 2017, 9 a.m. CDT

Bring your students along on a series of virtual field trips to NASA centers where students will go behind-the-scenes to see cool NASA places and visit with NASA professionals. Each session is 15-30 minutes long and includes an interactive question-and-answer session. Pre-registration is not required.

Upcoming virtual field trips include:

Adventures in Aeronautics — May 18, 2017, 9 a.m. CDT
Learn about high-flying careers with NASA Aircraft Operations. Join Mallory Yates, aerospace engineer, and Angela Bauer, deputy engineering branch chief of the Aircraft Operations Division, for a behind-the-scenes look at aviation at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

Fun With Technology — May 22, 2017, 10 a.m. CDT
Take a virtual field trip to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Go behind-the-scenes with NASA intern Kaitlin Lostroscio to learn about NASA robotics.

These virtual field trips are a series of events offered to students and teachers as a component of “The Search for STEMnauts” — a virtual scavenger hunt where student teams in grades 6-12 solve puzzles, unravel riddles, break codes and make weekly virtual field trips to exclusive NASA locations. Student teams can even check out where they stand among the competition by following real-time updates on “The Search for STEMnauts” website!

This interactive, technical twist on a traditional scavenger hunt is offered through a partnership between NASA’s STEM on Station and Texas Instruments to provide students with a fun way to learn important STEM skills including coding and problem solving.

All students and educators (grades 6-12) are invited to participate in any virtual field trip offered. Participation in “The Search for STEMnauts” competition is not required. To learn more about these virtual field trips, including links to join in, go to https://education.ti.com/NASAliveevents.

For more information about “The Search for STEMnauts,” including how to register, visit www.STEMnauts.com.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to Kelly McCormick at Kelly.mccormick-1@nasa.gov.

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.

**NEW** International Space Station — Off the Earth, For the Earth: Mass vs. Weight
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 6-8
Event Date: May 18, 2017, at 6 p.m. EDT
“Mass” and “weight” have very different meanings and often are used incorrectly. Participants will explore mass and weight using NASA curriculum that incorporates education video filmed by astronauts on board the International Space Station. Newton’s Laws of Motion, NASA online resources and STEM inquiry activities will be integrated into this “heavy-duty” online program. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/248389

**NEW** Train Like an Astronaut: Out of This World Activities for a Healthier Generation
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades K-10
Event Date: May 23, 2017, at 4 p.m. EDT
Developed in cooperation with NASA scientists and fitness professionals working directly with astronauts, the Train Like an Astronaut activities are a physical and inquiry-based approach to human health and fitness on Earth and in space. Students can participate in physical activities modeled after the real-life physical requirements of humans traveling in space. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/246973

**NEW** International Space Station — Off the Earth, For the Earth: Sally Ride EarthKAM
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 4-9
Event Date: May 23, 2017, at 6:30 p.m. EDT
Sally Ride EarthKAM (Earth Knowledge Acquired by Middle school students) is a NASA educational outreach program that enables students, teachers and the public to learn about Earth from the unique perspective of space. During Sally Ride EarthKAM missions (periods when the Sally Ride EarthKAM camera is operational), middle school students around the world request images of specific locations on Earth. The entire collection of Sally Ride EarthKAM images is available in a searchable archive. This opportunity and accompanying activities are extraordinary resources to engage students in Earth and space science, geography, social studies, mathematics, communications and art. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/244255

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.

**NEW** New From WGBH Education — The Solar Eclipse of 2017: Teacher Toolkit
Audience: K-12 Educators
Tweetchat Event: May 24, 2017, at 6 p.m. EDT

Are you a K-12 teacher looking for ideas and information on what to do with your students, your school, or your community about the upcoming solar eclipse on Aug. 21, 2017? Boston-based PBS station WGBH, supported by a NASA cooperative agreement, has gathered information from trusted content partners into a “Solar Eclipse of 2017: Teacher Toolkit.”

Check out the toolkit to find maps, activities and more. Learn how to align your eclipse activities to national education standards. Watch an archived recording of a professional development webinar about the eclipse. And you can even find resources available in Spanish!

Get ideas and share your plans for bringing the eclipse to your classroom through the #TeachEclipse2017 tweetchat on Wednesday, May 24, 2017, at 6 p.m. EDT.

For all of this and more, visit http://bit.ly/EclipseToolkit.

Please direct questions about this toolkit to Rachel Connolly at rachel_connolly@wgbh.org.

NASA Mars Science: MAVEN Outreach Webinar — Mars and Venus: Terrestrial Analogues for Exoplanets
Audience: K-12 and Informal Educators
Event Date: May 24, 2017, 7 p.m. EDT

MAVEN Outreach Webinars are virtual gatherings of team members from the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution, or MAVEN, mission to offer professional development for formal and informal educators, troop leaders, museum docents, and others interested in MAVEN and Mars science.

Join the MAVEN team on May 24, 2017, at 7 p.m. EDT, for the Mars and Venus: Terrestrial Analogues for Exoplanets webinar. Learn about ways the MAVEN mission may help scientists understand how the atmospheres of other rocky worlds are also being eroded. Dr. Shannon Curry from the University of California Berkeley will discuss how planetary bodies such as Mars and Venus can be used to provide insight into how atmospheres evolve, as scientists model (and begin to observe directly) the atmospheres of exoplanets.

For more information, visit http://lasp.colorado.edu/home/maven/education-outreach/maven-outreach-webinars/.

Questions about this webinar should be directed to epomail@lasp.colorado.edu.

**NEW** New ‘Teachable Moment’ Educational Resources Available From JPL Education
Audience: K-12 Educators

Are you looking for ways to bring the latest NASA science and mission news into your classroom? Education specialists at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California have the resources to help you do just that! The “Teachable Moments” blog brings together news, activities and education tips on the latest happenings at NASA.

Check out the latest offering from JPL Education.

Teachable Moment — A Moment You Won’t Want to Miss: Cassini’s Daring Mission Finale Between the Rings and Saturn — Grades K-12
After almost 20 years in space, NASA’s Cassini spacecraft has begun the final chapter of its remarkable story of exploration: its Grand Finale. This last phase of the mission will deliver unprecedented views of Saturn and its rings. On April 26, the spacecraft flew between the planet and its rings — a feat that had never been attempted. Cassini will complete 22 of these ring-gap orbits before making a grand finale dive into Saturn’s atmosphere. For more information and ways to bring Cassini’s exciting final phase into the classroom, visit https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/news/2017/4/25/a-moment-you-wont-want-to-miss-cassinis-daring-mission-finale-between-the-rings-and-saturn/.

Looking for more? Check out the “Teachable Moments” archives for more resources. http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/news/column/teachable-moments/

 

Opportunities for Higher Education and Informal Institutions

2017 Thermal and Fluids Analysis Workshop
Audience: Higher Education Educators and Students
Abstract Submission Deadline: May 19, 2017
Workshop Dates: Aug. 21-25, 2017

The annual Thermal and Fluids Analysis Workshop will be held Aug. 21-25, 2017, at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

The Thermal and Fluids Analysis Workshop encourages knowledge sharing, professional development, and networking throughout the thermal and fluids engineering community within NASA, academia and the aerospace community at large. STEM faculty and university students are encouraged to attend, submit a poster or paper on their thermal/fluids work, take free training, or do a combination thereof.

Registration to attend the workshop is free. Participants interested in presenting at the conference, via manuscript or technical poster, must submit an abstract by May 19, 2017.

For more information about the workshop and how to submit an abstract for consideration, visit https://tfaws.nasa.gov/.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to Ramona Cummings at ramona.o.cummings@nasa.gov.

**NEW** NASA Internships, Fellowships and Scholarships Virtual Career Summit
Audience: Higher Education Educators, Undergraduate and Graduate Students
Event Date: May 24, 2017, from 1 – 2:30 p.m. EDT

The NASA Internships, Fellowships and Scholarships recruiting team is excited to announce the NIFS Virtual Career Summit. The 90-minute summit will stream live at 1 p.m. EDT on May 24, 2017. The event will showcase the NIFS programs as well as highlight each NASA center and its missions.

Students will learn about the current NASA opportunities, eligibility requirements and tips for the application process. Previous NIFS interns and fellows will share their experiences.

The session will allow students to ask questions and have some of them answered live by NASA professionals. To join, please register at http://bit.ly/2qSEcvQ.

For more information about NIFS, visit intern.nasa.gov or nspires.nasaprs.com.

Please direct questions about this event to Grace Ensminger at grace.k.ensminger@nasa.gov.

Lloyd V. Berkner Space Policy Internships
Audience: Undergraduate and Graduate Students at U.S. Universities and Colleges
Application Deadline: June 2, 2017

The Space Studies Board is seeking applicants for the Lloyd V. Berkner Space Policy Internships for autumn 2017. The goal of the program is to provide promising undergraduate and graduate students with the opportunity to work in the area of civil space research policy in the nation’s capital.

Established in 1958, the Space Studies Board is the principal advisory group providing independent scientific and programmatic advice to NASA and other government agencies on all aspects of civil space research and associated ground-based activities. Interns typically undertake one or more short-term research projects designed to assist with or to enhance ongoing study projects.

Applicants must be registered students (undergraduate or graduate) at a U.S. university or college who have completed their junior year. Applicants should have long-term career goals in space science research, applications or policy.

For more information and a full list of eligibility requirements, visit http://sites.nationalacademies.org/SSB/SSB_052239.

Please direct questions about this internship to Dr. David H. Smith at dhsmith@nas.edu.

Check out the ‘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 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/.

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: http://www.nasa.gov/education
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

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/

NASA Education “Science WOW!” Message — May 10, 2017

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: How Long Is a Day on Mars?

Is a day on the Red Planet longer or shorter than a day on Earth? Find this answer and other Mars facts at https://mars.nasa.gov/allaboutmars/facts/.

Have You Seen This?

NASA is embarking on a journey to Mars! Are your students ready to join in the adventure? Spark excitement in your classroom with the Mars Survival Kit, a collection of educational activities for students in grades K-12.

Start your classroom’s journey to Mars at http://go.nasa.gov/1NnZ0Rg.

 

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

NASA’s Digital Learning Network Special Event With Beth Nielsen Chapman and Rocky Alvey
Audience: Educators and Students in Grades 5-12
Event Date: May 18, 2017, at 11 a.m. EDT

Join NASA’s Digital Learning Network on May 18, 2017, at 11 a.m. EDT for a special live event to celebrate the 100th anniversary of NASA’s Langley Research Center. The event will feature Grammy-nominated songwriter Beth Nielsen Chapman and fellow songwriter Rocky Alvey.

Beth Nielsen Chapman has released nine solo albums and written seven #1 hits. Her songs have been recorded by many artists including Bonnie Raitt, Willie Nelson, Bette Midler, Elton John, Keb Mo’, Indigo Girls and Faith Hill. In 2012, Chapman released “The Mighty Sky,” a Grammy-nominated astronomy CD for kids of all ages. This work was featured during NASA’s 2012 Summer of Innovation program to inspire students to learn about the universe and their place in it and to pursue STEM studies.

Rocky Alvey is director of the Vanderbilt Dyer Observatory and is also a songwriter. His collaborations with Nielsen on “The Mighty Sky” album include writing lyrics and developing lesson plans based on the songs and their content.

Those tuning in to the webcast may ask questions via email at dlinfochannel@gmail.com and via social media using #askDLN.

To learn more about this event, visit https://www.nasa.gov/dln/live.

For information about other DLN events, visit http://www.nasa.gov/dln.

Please send any questions about this opportunity to dlinfochannel@gmail.com.

Student Spaceflight Experiments Program — Mission 12 to the International Space Station
Audience: School Districts Serving Grades 5-12, Informal Education Institutions, Colleges and Universities
Inquiry Deadline: May 31, 2017
Start Date: September 5, 2017

The National Center for Earth and Space Science Education and the Arthur C. Clarke Institute for Space Education announce a science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, opportunity for school districts across the U.S. and space station partner nations. The newest flight opportunity, Mission 12 to the International Space Station, gives students across a community the ability to design and propose real experiments to fly in low Earth orbit on the space station. This opportunity is part of the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program, or SSEP.

Each participating community will receive a microgravity research mini-laboratory capable of supporting a single microgravity experiment and all launch services to fly the minilab to the space station in spring/summer 2018 and return it to Earth. An experiment design competition in each community — engaging typically 300+ students — allows student teams to design and propose real experiments vying for their community′s reserved mini-lab.

Content resources for teachers and students support foundational instruction on science in microgravity and experimental design. Additional SSEP programming uses the experiment design competition to engage the community in embracing a learning-community model for STEM education.

This competition is open to students in grades 5-12 and college. Informal education groups and organizations also are encouraged to participate. Interested communities must inquire about the program no later than May 31, 2017. The National Center for Earth and Space Science Education is available to help interested communities in the U.S. secure the needed funding.

To learn more about this opportunity, visit the “SSEP Mission 12 to International Space Station” National Announcement of Opportunity at http://ssep.ncesse.org/2017/03/new-flight-opportunity-for-school-districts-announcing-student-spaceflight-experiments-program-ssep-mission-12-to-the-international-space-station-starting-september-2017/.

SSEP is enabled through a strategic partnership with DreamUp PBC and NanoRacks LLC working with NASA under a Space Act Agreement as part of the use of the International Space Station as a national laboratory. The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (http://www.iss-casis.org/) is a national partner of SSEP. To view a list of all SSEP national partners, visit http://ssep.ncesse.org/national-partners/.

If you have any questions about this opportunity, please email SSEP National Program Director Jeff Goldstein at jeffgoldstein@ncesse.org.

NASA Seeks Creative Arts Inspired by Cassini’s Mission to Saturn
Audience: All Educators and Students Ages 13 and Older

During nearly two decades in space, Cassini has inspired people on Earth. Cassini has sent home thousands of images of icy moons and resplendent rings. It helped discover erupting water geysers on Enceladus and seas of methane on Titan. It showed us a view of Earth as a blue dot.

Now the mission is moving toward its “Grand Finale,” and in September 2017 it will finally draw to a dramatic end. NASA’s Cassini team would like to know this: How has Cassini inspired you?

Visit the Cassini Inspires website to explore images and more from the mission. Then use inspiration to get creative. Write a poem. Paint a picture. Choreograph a dance. Tell a story. The possibilities are endless!

Share your creation with the NASA Cassini team on the social media platform of your choice, such as Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter or others. Tag it #CassiniInspires. Or send it directly to cassinimission@jpl.nasa.gov.

To learn more, visit https://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/cassiniinspires/.

 

Science Opportunities for Educators of Grades K-12

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.

Picking Up STEAM: Using Models to Understand the Solar Eclipse
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades K-12
Event Date: May 10, 2017, at 5 p.m. EDT
Participants will be introduced to problem-based inquiry learning activities related to the solar eclipse. Learn how to bring STEM challenges and the adventure of space exploration to students in the classroom. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/237938

**NEW** International Space Station — Off the Earth, For the Earth: Exploring the Extreme
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 5-8
Event Date: May 11, 2017, at 6 p.m. EDT
Explore the over-50-year history of spacewalking. Investigate the critical role of spacewalks in human space exploration, the harsh space environment endured during spacewalks, and how spacesuits are designed to protect astronauts from the space environment. NASA STEM classroom lessons, online resources and teaching strategies will be integrated into this “walking with the stars” webinar. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/235769

**NEW** International Space Station — Off the Earth, For the Earth: One-Year Crew
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades K-12
Event Date: May 16, 2017, at 6:30 p.m. EDT
Educators will explore the STEM on Station website and celebrate the “One-Year Crew” and their yearlong mission on board the International Space Station. Participants will receive NASA “STEM on Station” resources, lesson plans, videos and education news to help bring space into the classroom. Learn about astronaut Scott Kelly’s Year in Space mission, including the 10,944 sunrises and sunsets that transpired during his mission, his need for more than 700 hours of exercise to keep strong, and his drinking 730 liters of recycled urine and sweat. Educators will be presented with hands-on, standard-aligned activities that they can take back to the classroom to inspire their students. The activities will involve radiation, sleep restraints, solar energy and space food. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/244258

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.

Take Your Students on a Series of Virtual Field Trips!
Audience: Grades 6-12 — Students and Educators, Formal and Informal
Next Event Date: May 18, 2017, 2 p.m. CDT

Bring your students along on a series of virtual field trips to NASA centers where students will go behind-the-scenes to see cool NASA places and visit with NASA professionals. Each session is 15-30 minutes long and includes an interactive question-and-answer session. Pre-registration is not required.

Upcoming virtual field trips include:

Adventures in Aeronautics — May 18, 2017, 9 a.m. CDT
Learn about high-flying careers with NASA Aircraft Operations. Join Mallory Yates, aerospace engineer, and Angela Bauer, deputy engineering branch chief of the Aircraft Operations Division, for a behind-the-scenes look at aviation at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

Fun With Technology — May 22, 2017, 10 a.m. CDT
Take a virtual field trip to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Go behind-the-scenes with NASA intern Kaitlin Lostroscio to learn about NASA robotics.

These virtual field trips are a series of events offered to students and teachers as a component of “The Search for STEMnauts” — a virtual scavenger hunt where student teams in grades 6-12 solve puzzles, unravel riddles, break codes and make weekly virtual field trips to exclusive NASA locations. Student teams can even check out where they stand among the competition by following real-time updates on “The Search for STEMnauts” website!

This interactive, technical twist on a traditional scavenger hunt is offered through a partnership between NASA’s STEM on Station and Texas Instruments to provide students with a fun way to learn important STEM skills including coding and problem solving.

All students and educators (grades 6-12) are invited to participate in any virtual field trip offered. Participation in “The Search for STEMnauts” competition is not required. To learn more about these virtual field trips, including links to join in, go to https://education.ti.com/NASAliveevents.

For more information about “The Search for STEMnauts,” including how to register, visit www.STEMnauts.com.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to Kelly McCormick at Kelly.mccormick-1@nasa.gov.

NASA Mars Science: MAVEN Outreach Webinar — Mars and Venus: Terrestrial Analogues for Exoplanets
Audience: K-12 and Informal Educators
Event Date: May 24, 2017, 7 p.m. EDT

MAVEN Outreach Webinars are virtual gatherings of team members from the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution, or MAVEN, mission to offer professional development for formal and informal educators, troop leaders, museum docents, and others interested in MAVEN and Mars science.

Join the MAVEN team on May 24, 2017, at 7 p.m. EDT, for the Mars and Venus: Terrestrial Analogues for Exoplanets webinar. Learn about ways the MAVEN mission may help scientists understand how the atmospheres of other rocky worlds are also being eroded. Dr. Shannon Curry from the University of California Berkeley will discuss how planetary bodies such as Mars and Venus can be used to provide insight into how atmospheres evolve, as scientists model (and begin to observe directly) the atmospheres of exoplanets.

For more information, visit http://lasp.colorado.edu/home/maven/education-outreach/maven-outreach-webinars/.

Questions about this webinar should be directed to epomail@lasp.colorado.edu.

 

Opportunities for Higher Education and Informal Institutions

NASA Fundamental Physics Workshop 2017
Audience: Higher Education Educators and Students
Registration Deadline: May 17, 2017
Workshop Dates: May 31-June 2, 2017

The NASA Fundamental Physics Workshop 2017 will be held May 31-June 2, 2017, in Santa Barbara, California.

The workshop will provide a forum for NASA fundamental physics investigators to present results and discuss research ideas for future space experimentation with interested international and U.S. colleagues. Topic areas include atomic and molecular physics; fundamental forces and symmetries; dusty plasma physics; and condensed matter physics.

All interested scientists and researchers are invited to participate. The participation of the current NASA-funded investigators is strongly encouraged and kindly requested.

The deadline to register to attend the workshop is May 17, 2017. For more information and to register to attend, visit http://icpi.nasaprs.com/fpw2017.

Please direct questions about this workshop to Renee Atkins at ratkins@nasaprs.com.

2017 Thermal and Fluids Analysis Workshop
Audience: Higher Education Educators and Students
Abstract Submission Deadline: May 19, 2017
Workshop Dates: Aug. 21-25, 2017

The annual Thermal and Fluids Analysis Workshop will be held Aug. 21-25, 2017, at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

The Thermal and Fluids Analysis Workshop encourages knowledge sharing, professional development, and networking throughout the thermal and fluids engineering community within NASA, academia and the aerospace community at large. STEM faculty and university students are encouraged to attend, submit a poster or paper on their thermal/fluids work, take free training, or do a combination thereof.

Registration to attend the workshop is free. Participants interested in presenting at the conference, via manuscript or technical poster, must submit an abstract by May 19, 2017.

For more information about the workshop and how to submit an abstract for consideration, visit https://tfaws.nasa.gov/.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to Ramona Cummings at ramona.o.cummings@nasa.gov.

**NEW** Lloyd V. Berkner Space Policy Internships
Audience: Undergraduate and Graduate Students at U.S. Universities and Colleges
Application Deadline: June 2, 2017

The Space Studies Board is seeking applicants for the Lloyd V. Berkner Space Policy Internships for autumn 2017. The goal of the program is to provide promising undergraduate and graduate students with the opportunity to work in the area of civil space research policy in the nation’s capital.

Established in 1958, the Space Studies Board is the principal advisory group providing independent scientific and programmatic advice to NASA and other government agencies on all aspects of civil space research and associated ground-based activities. Interns typically undertake one or more short-term research projects designed to assist with or to enhance ongoing study projects.

Applicants must be registered students (undergraduate or graduate) at a U.S. university or college who have completed their junior year. Applicants should have long-term career goals in space science research, applications or policy.

For more information and a full list of eligibility requirements, visit http://sites.nationalacademies.org/SSB/SSB_052239.

Please direct questions about this internship to Dr. David H. Smith at dhsmith@nas.edu.

Check out the ‘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 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/.

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: http://www.nasa.gov/education
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

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/

NASA Education “Science WOW!” Message — May 3, 2017

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: Can I See Other Planets Without a Telescope?

This month, the planets Jupiter, Saturn, Venus, Mercury and Mars are all visible in the night sky. Watch the “What’s Up for May 2017” video to find out which ones you can see without a telescope and when the best times are to look!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpxKXstCm2w

Have You Seen This?

May the Fourth be with you! Celebrate Star Wars Day with NASA educational resources. Check out the Teachable Moment: May the Force = mass x acceleration to find videos, lesson plans and more to bring NASA and “Star Wars” into the classroom.

https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/news/2016/05/03/may-the-force-equals-mass-x-acceleration/

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

**NEW** 2017 von Kármán Lecture Series — Attend in Person or View Online
Audience: All Educators; Students in Grades 9-12 and Higher Education
Next Lecture Date: May 4, 2017, at 7 p.m. PDT (10 p.m. EDT)

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, shares 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 p.m. 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 streamed live for viewing online. Archives of past lectures are also available online.

Next Lecture in the Series:

Cassini: The Grand Finale Begins
Event Date: May 4 and May 5, at 7 p.m. PDT (10 p.m. EDT)
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/events/lectures_archive.php?year=2017&month=5
NASA’s flagship outer planets mission, Cassini, enters the final phase of its historic mission of exploration and discovery in April 2017. The spacecraft will plunge 22 times through the narrow gap between Saturn and its innermost rings — a completely unexplored region around Saturn. Join Cassini’s project manager Dr. Earl Maize and project scientist Dr. Linda Spilker for a discussion about the final phase of the mission.

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 http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/contact_JPL.php.

**NEW** NASA’s Digital Learning Network Special Event With Beth Nielsen Chapman and Rocky Alvey
Audience: Educators and Students in Grades 5-12
Event Date: May 18, 2017, at 11 a.m. EDT

Join NASA’s Digital Learning Network on May 18, 2017, at 11 a.m. EDT for a special live event to celebrate the 100th anniversary of NASA’s Langley Research Center. The event will feature Grammy-nominated songwriter Beth Nielsen Chapman and fellow songwriter Rocky Alvey.

Beth Nielsen Chapman has released nine solo albums and written seven #1 hits. Her songs have been recorded by many artists including Bonnie Raitt, Willie Nelson, Bette Midler, Elton John, Keb Mo’, Indigo Girls and Faith Hill. In 2012, Chapman released “The Mighty Sky,” a Grammy-nominated astronomy CD for kids of all ages. This work was featured during NASA’s 2012 Summer of Innovation program to inspire students to learn about the universe and their place in it and to pursue STEM studies.

Rocky Alvey is director of the Vanderbilt Dyer Observatory and is also a songwriter. His collaborations with Nielsen on “The Mighty Sky” album include writing lyrics and developing lesson plans based on the songs and their content.

Those tuning in to the webcast may ask questions via email at dlinfochannel@gmail.com and via social media using #askDLN.

To learn more about this event, visit https://www.nasa.gov/dln/live.

For information about other DLN events, visit http://www.nasa.gov/dln.

Please send any questions about this opportunity to dlinfochannel@gmail.com.

Science Opportunities for Educators of Grades K-12

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.

**NEW** Exploring the Physics of Climate Change: Buoyancy
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 6-12
Event Date: May 3, 2017, at 8 p.m. EDT
Participants will explore the basic physics of buoyancy as a function of density. Using easily accessible demonstrations, participants will learn ways to show how buoyancy relates to melting glaciers and ice caps. This activity will help clear up misconceptions about contributing factors to sea-level rise. The activities shared in this webinar address earth science and physics standards. For this and other activities, visit https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/243906

**NEW** From ‘Hidden’ to ‘Modern Figures’: Bringing Katherine Johnson’s Story Into Your Classroom
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades K-12
Event Date: May 4, 2017, at 4 p.m. EDT
The film “Hidden Figures,” based on the book by Margot Lee Shetterly, focuses on the stories of Katherine Johnson, Mary Jackson and Dorothy Vaughan, African-American women who were essential to the success of early spaceflight. This session will focus on K-12 classroom activities that are perfect for English, social studies, history, science, mathematics and engineering. These activities are related to what NASA is doing today. Additional resources and adaptation recommendations will be included for activities that tie directly to the work portrayed in the movie. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/242636

**NEW** Picking Up STEAM: Using Models to Understand the Solar Eclipse
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades K-12
Event Date: May 10, 2017, at 5 p.m. EDT
Participants will be introduced to problem-based inquiry learning activities related to the solar eclipse. Learn how to bring STEM challenges and the adventure of space exploration to students in the classroom. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/237938

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.

**NEW** What’s New at the NASA Space Place Website?
Audience: K-6 Educators

NASA Space Place is a NASA website for elementary students, their teachers and their parents. Check it out at https://spaceplace.nasa.gov .

Don’t forget to subscribe to our monthly e-newsletter, the NASA Space Place Gazette! http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/subscribe

New and Newsworthy Resources

Voyager 1 and 2: The Interstellar Mission — The Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft launched from Earth in 1977. Their mission was to explore Jupiter and Saturn –and beyond to the outer planets of our solar system. Learn more at https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/voyager-to-planets.

What Is Gravity? — Gravity is the force by which a planet or other body draws objects toward its center. The force of gravity keeps all the planets in orbit around the sun. What else does gravity do? Go here to find out! https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/what-is-gravity

Saturn’s Rings — Saturn’s rings are about 400,000 kilometers (240,000 miles) wide. That’s the distance from Earth to the moon! The rings are made up of material ranging from particles too tiny to see to “particles” the size of a bus. Scientists think the particles are icy snowballs or ice-covered rocks. Learn more at https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/saturn-rings.

“JunoQuest” — Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system. But there is still a lot about this gas giant that we don’t know. NASA’s Juno spacecraft currently is helping scientists learn more. Play “JunoQuest,” and help Juno take us a giant step forward in our understanding of how giant planets form and what part they play in putting together the rest of the solar system. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/junoquest.

Summer Activities
Are you looking for fun, educational activities for the summer? Check these out:

Make Sun Paper — Our sun is a burning ball of superheated gas. Even though it is 93 million miles (149.6 million kilometers) away, we can feel its heat and light on Earth. Make this marbled paper that looks just like our sun! https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/sun-paper

Bake Sunspot Cookies — Even when the sun may appear to be shining as brightly as ever, it sometimes has dark areas called sunspots. Learn more with this simple and delicious activity. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/sunspot-cookies

Make Ultraviolet Handprint Art — In this activity, see how sunscreen can be used to block the sun’s ultraviolet light rays. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/sunscreen-activity

Make a Pinwheel Galaxy — The Pinwheel Galaxy is a spiral-shaped galaxy about 21 million light years away from Earth. Scientists call this swirling galaxy M101. Make a Pinwheel Galaxy pinwheel! https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/pinwheel-galaxy

Special Days to Celebrate
Find out about noteworthy days in NASA and space history that you can observe in your classroom.

May 5 — Alan Shepard became the first American in space on this day in 1961.
See more astronauts in action in our gallery: https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/gallery-technology.

May 6: Today is peak viewing time for the Eta Aquarids meteor shower.
What’s the difference between an asteroid and meteor? https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/asteroid-or-meteor

May 26: Astronaut Sally Ride was born on this day in 1951.
She was the first American woman to fly in space! Learn more at https://go.nasa.gov/2jtoYHo.

June 8: Happy World Oceans Day!
Did you know that water covers 71 percent of Earth’s surface, and 96.5 percent of it is salt water? https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/ocean-currents

June 20: Today is the first day of summer.
Why does Earth have seasons? https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/seasons

June 22: Pluto’s moon Charon was discovered on this day in 1978.
Learn more about Pluto and its moons. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/ice-dwarf

Share
Do you want some help spreading the word about NASA Space Place? We have a page with ready-to-use website descriptions, logos and links to all our social media. Check out http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/share.

Subscribe to Our Monthly E-newsletter!
Are you interested in keeping up with the latest and greatest news from NASA Space Place? Subscribe to the NASA Space Place Gazette. The NASA Space Place Gazette is for educators, parents and space enthusiasts of all ages. It includes special bulletins for noteworthy days and NASA events, such as a lunar eclipse, planet flyby or rover landing. It’s easy to subscribe — just click here.
http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/subscribe

Send Feedback
Please share your ideas about ways to use NASA Space Place in your teaching. Send them to info@spaceplace.nasa.gov.

Take Your Students on a Series of Virtual Field Trips!
Audience: Grades 6-12 — Students and Educators, Formal and Informal
Next Event Date: May 5, 2017, 2 p.m. CDT

Bring your students along on a series of virtual field trips to NASA centers where students will go behind-the-scenes to see cool NASA places and visit with NASA professionals. Each session is 15-30 minutes long and includes an interactive question-and-answer session. Pre-registration is not required.

Upcoming virtual field trips include:

Deep Space Patrol — May 5, 2017, 2 p.m. CDT
Go behind-the-scenes in NASA’s meteorite lab with Kevin Righter, planetary scientist at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

Mission to Mars — May 8, 2017, 10 a.m. CDT
Learn about driving on another planet with an inside look at NASA’s space exploration vehicles with Lucien Junkin, robotics engineer at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

Adventures in Aeronautics — May 18, 2017, 9 a.m. CDT
Learn about high-flying careers with NASA Aircraft Operations. Join Mallory Yates, aerospace engineer, and Angela Bauer, deputy engineering branch chief of the Aircraft Operations Division, for a behind-the-scenes look at aviation at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

Fun With Technology — May 22, 2017, 10 a.m. CDT
Take a virtual field trip to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Go behind-the-scenes with NASA intern Kaitlin Lostroscio to learn about NASA robotics.

These virtual field trips are a series of events offered to students and teachers as a component of “The Search for STEMnauts” — a virtual scavenger hunt where student teams in grades 6-12 solve puzzles, unravel riddles, break codes and make weekly virtual field trips to exclusive NASA locations. Student teams can even check out where they stand among the competition by following real-time updates on “The Search for STEMnauts” website!

This interactive, technical twist on a traditional scavenger hunt is offered through a partnership between NASA’s STEM on Station and Texas Instruments to provide students with a fun way to learn important STEM skills including coding and problem solving.

All students and educators (grades 6-12) are invited to participate in any virtual field trip offered. Participation in “The Search for STEMnauts” competition is not required. To learn more about these virtual field trips, including links to join in, go to https://education.ti.com/NASAliveevents.

For more information about “The Search for STEMnauts,” including how to register, visit www.STEMnauts.com.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to Kelly McCormick at Kelly.mccormick-1@nasa.gov.

NASA Solar Eclipse Workshops at Marshall Space Flight Center
Audience: K-12 Educators
Next Workshop Date: May 6, 2017, 9-11 a.m. CDT

On Aug. 21, 2017, the United States will experience a solar eclipse. This celestial event will provide a golden opportunity to engage and educate diverse audiences, and NASA has the resources to help. Join the Educator Resource Center at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, for a series of grade-level specific educator workshops to learn about safety tips, hands-on activities, resources and more!

May 6, 2017, 9-11 a.m. CDT: Educators of Grades K-12
June 1, 2017, 9-11 a.m. CDT: Educators of Grades K-12

For full event details and registration information, visit https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/solar_eclipse_workshop2017.pdf.

Please direct questions about this workshop to Maria Chambers at maria.a.chambers@nasa.gov.

Opportunities for Higher Education and Informal Institutions

NASA Fundamental Physics Workshop 2017
Audience: Higher Education Educators and Students
Registration Deadline: May 17, 2017
Workshop Dates: May 31-June 2, 2017

The NASA Fundamental Physics Workshop 2017 will be held May 31-June 2, 2017, in Santa Barbara, California.

The workshop will provide a forum for NASA fundamental physics investigators to present results and discuss research ideas for future space experimentation with interested international and U.S. colleagues. Topic areas include atomic and molecular physics; fundamental forces and symmetries; dusty plasma physics; and condensed matter physics.

All interested scientists and researchers are invited to participate. The participation of the current NASA-funded investigators is strongly encouraged and kindly requested.

The deadline to register to attend the workshop is May 17, 2017. For more information and to register to attend, visit http://icpi.nasaprs.com/fpw2017.

Please direct questions about this workshop to Renee Atkins at ratkins@nasaprs.com.

2017 Thermal and Fluids Analysis Workshop
Audience: Higher Education Educators and Students
Abstract Submission Deadline: May 19, 2017
Workshop Dates: Aug. 21-25, 2017

The annual Thermal and Fluids Analysis Workshop will be held Aug. 21-25, 2017, at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

The Thermal and Fluids Analysis Workshop encourages knowledge sharing, professional development, and networking throughout the thermal and fluids engineering community within NASA, academia and the aerospace community at large. STEM faculty and university students are encouraged to attend, submit a poster or paper on their thermal/fluids work, take free training, or do a combination thereof.

Registration to attend the workshop is free. Participants interested in presenting at the conference, via manuscript or technical poster, must submit an abstract by May 19, 2017.

For more information about the workshop and how to submit an abstract for consideration, visit https://tfaws.nasa.gov/.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to Ramona Cummings at ramona.o.cummings@nasa.gov.

Check out the ‘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 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/.

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: http://www.nasa.gov/education
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

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/