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

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.