NASA Education “Science WOW!” Message — June 28, 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: What Is Aphelion?

On July 3, 2017, Earth will be at aphelion, the point of orbit where Earth is farthest from the sun. So why is it so hot? Visit the link to learn more about the mechanics of Earth’s orbit, tilt and seasons.

https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/seasons/en/


Have You Seen This?


Harness the energy of the sun to Make Sun S’mores! Check out this activity from Climate Kids to build a solar oven and make a tasty treat.

https://climatekids.nasa.gov/smores/


Solar Eclipse Countdown!


Less Than Eight Weeks Until the Total Solar Eclipse!

Do you wonder what the solar eclipse will look like from your location? Download the NASA Eyes on the Eclipse application to find out! This interactive, web-based 3-D simulation lets you click anywhere on Earth to preview the Aug. 21, 2017 total eclipse.

https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/nasas-eyes
Screenshot of the NASA Eyes on the Eclipse App


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


“Where on Earth?” Quiz From NASA’s MISR Project
Audience: All Educators and Students
Submission Deadline: June 28, 2017, at 4 p.m. PDT

Are you ready for a challenge? Become a geographical detective and solve the latest mystery quiz from NASA’s MISR (Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer) instrument on board the Terra satellite.

The quiz asks nine multiple-choice questions (one question for each of MISR’s nine cameras) about the area seen in the mystery image. Online research is allowed. If all questions are answered correctly, you will have a chance to enter for a prize.

Prize submissions for perfect scores will be accepted until Wednesday, June 28, at 4 p.m. PDT. Happy sleuthing!

Take the quiz here: http://climate.nasa.gov/quizzes/misr_quiz_29.

To learn more about the MISR instrument, visit https://misr.jpl.nasa.gov/.

Please direct questions about this quiz to Abigail Nastan at Abigail.M.Nastan@jpl.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.


Create Art Inspired by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope
Audience: All Educators and Students

In November 2016, a small group of artists visited NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, to see the James Webb Space Telescope in person for inspiration to create art. They have been busy ever since, producing amazing work that will be presented for exhibit during spring 2017 at the Goddard Visitor Center.

Their offerings include painting, poetry, sculpting, textiles, woodworking, music, silk screening, 3-D design, jewelry, posters, tattooing and letterpress printing.

Though only a few artists were able to physically visit the telescope, the team at GSFC was impressed by the number of talented people who were interested in participating and want to offer more artists a chance to participate virtually.

How can you participate? Browse through the collection of James Webb Space Telescope images and videos and see what inspires you. Create art! (Note: this is not limited to art you can hang on a wall.) Then, share it with NASA on social media with #JWSTArt, or email it to jwst@lists.nasa.gov.

There’s no deadline for submissions.

To find inspiration and learn the full details on how to participate, visit https://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/2017/nasa-invites-you-to-create-james-webb-space-telescope-inspired-art.

Email questions about this opportunity to jwst@lists.nasa.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.

**NEW** Journey to Mars: Super Models
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 4-8
Event Date: June 29, 2017, at 6 p.m. EDT
Could students you teach today be the first explorers to Mars? How far will they have to travel to explore Mars? Is Mars big or small? Investigate these questions and more! Learn about our solar system with NASA STEM activities and resources that model the sizes of and distances between Earth, Mars and other bodies in our solar system. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/241395

**NEW** Solar Eclipse: The Mechanics of Eclipses
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 5-12
Event Date: July 3, 2017, at 6:30 p.m. EDT
Participants in this webinar will get an overview of the “Sun, Earth, Moon” system and the basic mechanics of how and why eclipses occur. This webinar addresses the Next Generation Science Standard ESS1. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/242601

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.


NASA Education Workshop at Glenn Research Center — Modeling the Solar Eclipse
Audience: K-12 Educators
Workshop Date: July 25, 2017, 8:30 a.m. EDT

On Aug. 21, 2017, the United States will experience a solar eclipse. This event will provide an excellent opportunity to engage and educate diverse audiences, and NASA has the resources to help.

Join the Office of Education at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio, for a STEM educator workshop on July 25, 2017. 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.

For full event details and registration information, visit https://www.eiseverywhere.com/ehome/index.php?eventid=237940&.

Please direct questions about this workshop to Stephanie Brown-Houston at sdbrown-houston@nasa.gov.


Get Ready for the 2017 Solar Eclipse With NASA Resources
Audience: K-12 Educators
Event Date: Aug. 21, 2017

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.

Along a path 60 to 70 miles wide stretching from Oregon to South Carolina, observers will be able to see a total solar eclipse. Others across North America will see a partial eclipse. The event will happen around lunch time across the country. For an interactive map with timing information along the path of the eclipse, visit http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEgoogle/SEgoogle2001/SE2017Aug21Tgoogle.html.

Visit the following websites to find additional information and resources, including:
— Tips for safely viewing the solar eclipse.
— Recorded interviews with NASA scientists, mission specialists and eclipse path communities.
— Topical online eclipse videos, featuring a variety of STEM and cultural topics.
— Social media community development and networking.
— Mobile educational eclipse applications.
— Public challenges and engagement activities.
— 2-D and 3-D printing exercises for K-16 students.
— Citizen science campaigns in partnership with NASA mission observations.
— Adjunct activities and educational resources.
— Live streaming of observations and programming.

Total Eclipse 2017 — Through the Eyes of NASA
http://eclipse2017.nasa.gov

Eclipses and Transits
http://www.nasa.gov/eclipse


Opportunities for Higher Education and Informal Institutions


2017 Thermal and Fluids Analysis Workshop
Audience: Higher Education Educators and Students
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, take free training, or do a combination thereof.

Registration to attend the workshop is free. For more information, visit https://tfaws.nasa.gov/.

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

 


Search the Realm Beyond Neptune at Backyard Worlds: Planet 9
Audience: All Educators and Students
Project Timeframe: Ongoing

Is a large planet at the fringes of our solar system awaiting discovery, a world astronomers call Planet Nine? Using data from NASA’s Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer mission, NASA scientists are looking for this planet and for new brown dwarfs in the backyard of the solar system. But they need your help! Finding these dim objects requires the human eye to comb through the images to distinguish moving celestial bodies from ghosts and other artifacts. Participants in this citizen science project will share the credit for their discoveries in any scientific publications that result from the project.

For more information and to learn how to participate, visit the “Backyard Worlds: Planet 9” website at http://backyardworlds.org.

To learn more about NASA’s Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer and its mission to image the entire sky in the infrared, visit https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/WISE/main/index.html.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to Marc Kuchner at marc.j.kuchner@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/

NASA Education “Science WOW!” Message — June 21, 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: Is Mars Really Red?

Mars is often called the “Red Planet,” but is it really red? Check out this “Mars in a Minute” video to find out! https://youtu.be/aXhqNUx2EsE


Have You Seen This?


The MAVEN spacecraft has been orbiting Mars for more than 1,000 days! Read this feature to learn about MAVEN’s Top 10 Discoveries at Mars.

https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2017/maven-1000-days


Solar Eclipse Countdown!


Diagram illustrating the moon's shadow crossing the Earth's surface during a solar eclipseT-minus Two Months Until the Total Solar Eclipse!

Get ready to count down the days with Solar Eclipse Math! In this illustrated NASA mathematics challenge, students use pi to calculate the area of Earth that will be covered by the moon’s shadow during the Aug. 21 total solar eclipse! Includes a free poster!

https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/teach/activity/pi-in-the-sky-4/


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


Press Conference: 2017 Eclipse Across America Through the Eyes of NASA
Audience: All Educators and Students
Event Date: June 21, 2017, at 1 p.m. EDT

Join NASA, other federal agencies and science organizations for a two-hour nationally televised event, live from the Newseum in Washington, D.C.! The event will take place on June 21, 2017, at 1 p.m. EDT. Tune in to watch on NASA TV or see a livestream of the event on NASA.gov.

For the first time in 99 years, a total solar eclipse will cross the entire United States on Monday, Aug. 21, 2017. Over the course of 100 minutes, 14 states across the United States will experience over two minutes of darkness in the middle of the day. Additionally, a partial eclipse will be viewable across the continent.

Tune in to the event for solar eclipse tips, such as:
— How to experience the August 2017 eclipse through the eyes of NASA
— Views from different areas of the country and how to prepare
— Safe practices for viewing an eclipse
— What causes an eclipse and why you should care
— How to participate in events around the country
— The unique research opportunities to study our Earth, moon and the sun

For more information, visit https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/save-date-june-21-2017.

Are you looking for more information about the upcoming eclipse? Visit the 2017 Solar Eclipse website at https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/.

Please direct questions about the press conference event to https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/contact-us.


**NEW** New “Where on Earth?” Quiz From NASA’s MISR Project
Audience: All Educators and Students
Submission Deadline: June 28, 2017, at 7 p.m. EDT

Are you ready for a challenge? Become a geographical detective and solve the latest mystery quiz from NASA’s MISR (Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer) instrument on board the Terra satellite.

The quiz asks nine multiple-choice questions (one question for each of MISR’s nine cameras) about the area seen in the mystery image. Online research is allowed. If all questions are answered correctly, you will have a chance to enter for a prize.

The new quiz will be available today at 2 p.m. EDT and will be posted at http://climate.nasa.gov/quizzes/misr_quiz_29.

Prize submissions for perfect scores will be accepted until Wednesday, June 28, at 7 p.m. EDT. Happy sleuthing!

To learn more about the MISR instrument, visit https://misr.jpl.nasa.gov/.

Please direct questions about this quiz to Abigail Nastan at Abigail.M.Nastan@jpl.nasa.gov.

 


‘Predict the Corona’ Art Project
Audience: All Educators and Students
Eclipse Date: Aug. 21, 2017

Before the advent of photography, astronomers tried to sketch the fleeting shape of our sun’s outer atmosphere called the corona. This ghostly halo of light had been seen for centuries by naked-eye observers at the height of most total solar eclipses, but little was known about its shape and extent or how these changed with time.

On Aug. 21, 2017, the United States will experience a total solar eclipse once again. Along a path 60 to 70 miles wide stretching from Oregon to South Carolina, observers will be able to see a total solar eclipse. Others across North America will see a partial eclipse. To prepare for the big event, NASA wants you to predict what the corona will look like!

Share your drawings with NASA via the NASA Solar Eclipse Flickr page (https://www.flickr.com/groups/nasa-eclipse2017/) or via Instagram using #Eclipse2017Corona.

For more information about the project and to see what past coronas have looked like, visit https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/predict-corona-art-project.

Please submit questions about this opportunity to https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/contact-us.


Fly Your Exoplanet on the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite
Audience: All Educators and Students
Submission Deadline: Nov. 20, 2017

Set to launch in June 2018, the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite is an explorer-class planet finder. In the first-ever spaceborne all-sky transit survey, TESS will identify planets ranging from Earth-sized to gas giants and will orbit a wide range of stellar types and orbital distances. As the TESS team prepares for launch, it invites the public to ponder what exoplanets might look like and share their ideas in the form of sketches and graphics.

This opportunity is open to all ages and skill levels. Submissions will be collected via email. To download the template for submitting your artwork, visit https://tess.gsfc.nasa.gov/fly_your_exoplanet.html.

The deadline for submissions is Nov. 20, 2017, or when capacity of the drive carrying the submissions to space is reached, whichever occurs first.

To learn more about the TESS mission, visit https://tess.gsfc.nasa.gov/.

Questions about this opportunity should be directed to GSFC-TESS@mail.nasa.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.

**NEW** Journey to Mars: Looking for Life
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 4-10
Event Date: June 22, 2017, at 6:30 p.m. EDT
In this webinar, learn about how scientists conduct research to identify characteristics of living and nonliving organisms. Scientist must establish criteria to work with in their research. Explore the following NASA classroom activities related to this topic: Imaginary Martians, Mars Critters, Strange New Planet, and Areology: the Study of Mars. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/257704

**NEW** Journey to Mars: Survival on Mars
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 4-12
Event Date: June 26, 2017, at 4 p.m. EDT
A trip to Mars means dealing with the challenges of living in a sealed container. Some of the science and technology being developed for the journey to Mars also will help us overcome some challenges on Earth. In this webinar, participants will explore water filtration and compare living on the International Space Station to living in a habitat on Mars. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/249105

**NEW** Journey to Mars: Rockets
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades K-12
Event Date: June 27, 2017, at 6:30 p.m. EDT
Learn about the journey to Mars and how rockets impact planning for the trip. Participants also will learn about current research going on at NASA and about rocketry activities that can be used in the classroom or during after-school time. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/254220

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.


NASA Education Workshop at Glenn Research Center — Modeling the Solar Eclipse
Audience: K-12 Educators
Workshop Date: July 25, 2017, 8:30 a.m. EDT

On Aug. 21, 2017, the United States will experience a solar eclipse. This event will provide an excellent opportunity to engage and educate diverse audiences, and NASA has the resources to help.

Join the Office of Education at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio, for a STEM educator workshop on July 25, 2017. 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.

For full event details and registration information, visit https://www.eiseverywhere.com/ehome/index.php?eventid=237940&.

Please direct questions about this workshop to Stephanie Brown-Houston at sdbrown-houston@nasa.gov.


Get Ready for the 2017 Solar Eclipse With NASA Resources
Audience: K-12 Educators
Event Date: Aug. 21, 2017

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.

Along a path 60 to 70 miles wide stretching from Oregon to South Carolina, observers will be able to see a total solar eclipse. Others across North America will see a partial eclipse. The event will happen around lunch time across the country. For an interactive map with timing information along the path of the eclipse, visit http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEgoogle/SEgoogle2001/SE2017Aug21Tgoogle.html.

Visit the following websites to find additional information and resources, including:
— Tips for safely viewing the solar eclipse.
— Recorded interviews with NASA scientists, mission specialists and eclipse path communities.
— Topical online eclipse videos, featuring a variety of STEM and cultural topics.
— Social media community development and networking.
— Mobile educational eclipse applications.
— Public challenges and engagement activities.
— 2-D and 3-D printing exercises for K-16 students.
— Citizen science campaigns in partnership with NASA mission observations.
— Adjunct activities and educational resources.
— Live streaming of observations and programming.

Total Eclipse 2017 — Through the Eyes of NASA
http://eclipse2017.nasa.gov

Eclipses and Transits
http://www.nasa.gov/eclipse

 


Opportunities for Higher Education and Informal Institutions


Search for Gravitational Waves With ‘Gravity Spy’ Citizen Science Project
Audience: All Educators and Students
Project Timeframe: Ongoing

In 1916, Einstein predicted the existence of ripples in spacetime known as gravitational waves. A century later, on Sept. 14, 2015, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory, or LIGO, made the first direct detection of this elusive phenomenon. This discovery is the first of many that will give researchers a whole new way to explore the universe. However, LIGO needs your help!

Being the most sensitive and most complicated gravitational experiment ever created, LIGO is susceptible to many instrumental and environmental noise sources called “glitches.” These glitches are difficult to model using computers, can mimic true astrophysical signals, and generally make LIGO less sensitive to gravitational waves.

Classifying glitches using computers has proven to be an exceedingly difficult task. That’s where the Gravity Spy Zooniverse Citizen Science Project comes in! Human intuition has proven time and time again to be a useful tool in pattern recognition problems such as this. One of the innovations of this project is that citizen scientists and computer algorithms will work in a symbiotic relationship, helping one another to optimally classify and characterize glitches. By selecting the right classification for a given glitch, you will help computers learn to do this classification themselves on much larger datasets. That capability will help scientists determine and eliminate the sources of noise.

For more information and to learn how to participate, visit the “Gravity Spy” website at https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/zooniverse/gravity-spy.

To learn more about the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory and its mission to detect gravitational waves, visit https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2016/nsf-s-ligo-has-detected-gravitational-waves.

Download the “Direct Observation of Gravitational Waves” Educator Guide for activities and background information designed for grades 5-12. https://dcc.ligo.org/LIGO-P1600015/public.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to Tyson Littenberg at tyson.b.littenberg@nasa.gov.

“Gravity Spy” is a collaboration between the following entities:
–Northwestern University, led by Scott Coughlin and Michael Zevin with PI Vicky Kalogera and co-PI Aggelos Katsaggelos. Northwestern’s team is composed of a LIGO group in the CIERA astrophysics research center and a machine learning group in the Image and Video Processing Laboratory.
–The Adler Planetarium Zooniverse Team, led by co-PI Laura Trouille.
–Syracuse University, led by co-PI’s Kevin Crowston and Carsten Østerlund.
–California State University at Fullerton, led by co-PI Josh Smith.
–The LIGO Scientific Collaboration, of which NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center and Goddard Space Flight Center are member institutions.

The project is funded by the National Science Foundation.


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 — June 14, 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 Artists Visualize Distant Worlds That Can’t Be Seen?

NASA has a team of artists that uses scientific data to imagine exoplanets and other astrophysical phenomena. Watch this video to learn more about them. https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/video/details.php?id=1476


Have You Seen This?


What would it be like to explore the surface of a distant alien world? Find out with Exoplanet Surface Visualizations in 360 Virtual Reality! Grab your virtual reality headset and explore the surface of TRAPPIST-1d or a moon of Kepler-16-b.

https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/vr/


Solar Eclipse Countdown!


Less Than 10 Weeks Until the Total Solar Eclipse!

Illustration of a cardboard box filled with interactive iconsLooking for fun things to do as you prepare for the total solar eclipse on Aug. 21? The Eclipse Kit has activities suitable for families, community outreach and summer camp programs. People of all ages can learn about the sun, moon and eclipses through fun, hands-on STEM activities. The kit includes an activity guide as well as a number of online extension resources.

https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/eclipse-kit.

 


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


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** Press Conference: 2017 Eclipse Across America Through the Eyes of NASA
Audience: All Educators and Students
Event Date: June 21, 2017, at 1 p.m. EDT

Join NASA, other federal agencies and science organizations for a two-hour nationally televised event, live from the Newseum in Washington, D.C.! The event will take place on June 21, 2017, at 1 p.m. EDT. Tune in to watch on NASA TV or see a livestream of the event on NASA.gov.

For the first time in 99 years, a total solar eclipse will cross the entire United States on Monday, Aug. 21, 2017. Over the course of 100 minutes, 14 states across the United States will experience over two minutes of darkness in the middle of the day. Additionally, a partial eclipse will be viewable across the continent.

Tune in to the event for solar eclipse tips, such as:
— How to experience the August 2017 eclipse through the eyes of NASA
— Views from different areas of the country and how to prepare
— Safe practices for viewing an eclipse
— What causes an eclipse and why you should care
— How to participate in events around the country
— The unique research opportunities to study our Earth, moon and the sun

For more information, visit https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/save-date-june-21-2017.

Are you looking for more information about the upcoming eclipse? Visit the 2017 Solar Eclipse website at https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/.

Please direct questions about the press conference event to https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/contact-us.


‘Predict the Corona’ Art Project
Audience: All Educators and Students
Eclipse Date: Aug. 21, 2017

Before the advent of photography, astronomers tried to sketch the fleeting shape of our sun’s outer atmosphere called the corona. This ghostly halo of light had been seen for centuries by naked-eye observers at the height of most total solar eclipses, but little was known about its shape and extent or how these changed with time.

On Aug. 21, 2017, the United States will experience a total solar eclipse once again. Along a path 60 to 70 miles wide stretching from Oregon to South Carolina, observers will be able to see a total solar eclipse. Others across North America will see a partial eclipse. To prepare for the big event, NASA wants you to predict what the corona will look like!

Share your drawings with NASA via the NASA Solar Eclipse Flickr page (https://www.flickr.com/groups/nasa-eclipse2017/) or via Instagram using #Eclipse2017Corona.

For more information about the project and to see what past coronas have looked like, visit https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/predict-corona-art-project.

Please submit questions about this opportunity to https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/contact-us.

 


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** Viewing Your Content Through a NASA Context
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades K-16
Event Date: June 15, 2017, at 4 p.m. EDT
Explore ways to bring real-world NASA science into your classroom. Participants will be introduced to NASA activities that touch on satellites and ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun. Learn how these activities have classroom applications that cover topics such as scatter plots, the upcoming solar eclipse, weather and clouds, atmospheres and solar system exploration, material composition, and radiation safety. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/244606

**NEW** Journey to Mars: Is There Water on Mars?
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 4-12
Event Date: June 19, 2017, at 6:30 p.m. EDT
Explore the possibility of finding water by probing below the surface of Mars. This webinar will include activities where students will record and graph temperature data to learn about the search for water on Mars using two different models. The activities will match both the Next Generation Science Standards and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics’ Principles and Standards for School Mathematics. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/254724

**NEW** Journey to Mars: Space Food
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades K-12
Event Date: June 20, 2017, at 6:30 p.m. EDT
Learn about NASA’s plans for sending astronauts on a journey to Mars and the impact food has on planning the long-duration mission. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/254217

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.


Goldstone Apple Valley Radio Telescope Summer Institute 2017
Audience: K-12 Educators
Registration Deadline: June 16, 2017

The Goldstone Apple Valley Radio Telescope program allows educators and their students to operate a 34-meter (112-foot) radio telescope from the classroom. Partnered with scientists and other observatories from around the world, participants conduct real research and exploration.

Join the GAVRT team for a two-day training institute for educators. Attendees will learn about radio astronomy, current science campaigns available through the GAVRT program, and how the telescopes used by the program operate. Members of the Juno mission team will attend to share highlights from their mission that is studying Jupiter. And attendees will take part in question and answer sessions with professional radio astronomers.

Two institute sessions will be offered:
–June 26-27, 2017 — Howard B. Owens Science Center in Lanham, Maryland.
–June 28-29, 2017 — National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia.

Registration for both sessions closes on June 16, 2017.

For more information, visit http://www.lewiscenter.org/documents/Global%20Programs/east_coast_institute.pdf.

Questions about this workshop should be directed to mc@lcer.org.


**NEW** NASA Education Workshop at Glenn Research Center — Modeling the Solar Eclipse
Audience: K-12 Educators
Workshop Date: July 25, 2017, 8:30 a.m. EDT

On Aug. 21, 2017, the United States will experience a solar eclipse. This event will provide an excellent opportunity to engage and educate diverse audiences, and NASA has the resources to help.

Join the Office of Education at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio, for a STEM educator workshop on July 25, 2017. 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.

For full event details and registration information, visit https://www.eiseverywhere.com/ehome/index.php?eventid=237940&.

Please direct questions about this workshop to Stephanie Brown-Houston at sdbrown-houston@nasa.gov.


Get Ready for the 2017 Solar Eclipse With NASA Resources
Audience: K-12 Educators
Event Date: Aug. 21, 2017

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.

Along a path 60 to 70 miles wide stretching from Oregon to South Carolina, observers will be able to see a total solar eclipse. Others across North America will see a partial eclipse. The event will happen around lunch time across the country. For an interactive map with timing information along the path of the eclipse, visit http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEgoogle/SEgoogle2001/SE2017Aug21Tgoogle.html.

Visit the following websites to find additional information and resources, including:
— Tips for safely viewing the solar eclipse.
— Recorded interviews with NASA scientists, mission specialists and eclipse path communities.
— Topical online eclipse videos, featuring a variety of STEM and cultural topics.
— Social media community development and networking.
— Mobile educational eclipse applications.
— Public challenges and engagement activities.
— 2-D and 3-D printing exercises for K-16 students.
— Citizen science campaigns in partnership with NASA mission observations.
— Adjunct activities and educational resources.
— Live streaming of observations and programming.

Total Eclipse 2017 — Through the Eyes of NASA
http://eclipse2017.nasa.gov

Eclipses and Transits
http://www.nasa.gov/eclipse


Opportunities for Higher Education and Informal Institutions


NASA’s Centennial Challenges: Vascular Tissue Challenge
Audience: All Interested U.S. Citizens, Including Higher Education Educators and Students
Deadline: No Later Than Sept. 30, 2019

NASA, in partnership with the nonprofit Methuselah Foundation’s New Organ Alliance, is seeking ways to advance the field of bioengineering through a new prize competition. The Vascular Tissue Challenge offers a $500,000 prize to be divided among the first three teams that successfully create thick, metabolically functional, human vascularized organ tissue in a controlled laboratory environment.

Competitors must produce vascularized tissue that is more than .39 inches (1 centimeter) in thickness and maintains more than 85 percent survival of the required cells throughout a 30-day trial period. To win an award, teams must demonstrate three successful trials with at least a 75 percent success rate. In addition to the laboratory trials, teams must submit a proposal that details how they would further advance some aspect of their research through a microgravity experiment that could be conducted in the U.S. National Laboratory on the International Space Station.

The first registered team(s) to meet the required guidelines and complete their trials by Sept. 30, 2019, will win the awards.

The Vascular Tissue Challenge prize purse is provided by NASA’s Centennial Challenges Program, part of NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate. Centennial Challenges, managed by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, is NASA’s citizen-inventor prize program. It invites the nation to help advance the technologies that will enable us to go to Mars and beyond, as well as improve life on Earth. The New Organ Alliance is administering the competition on behalf of NASA. The alliance is a nonprofit organization focused on regenerative medicine research and development to benefit human disease research and tissue engineering.

For information about the Methuselah Foundation’s New Organ Alliance, official challenge documents, rules and schedule of events, visit https://neworgan.org/vtc-prize.php.

For more information about the Vascular Tissue Challenge, visit http://www.nasa.gov/vtchallenge.


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 — June 7, 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: Why Is the Ocean Important?

We live on land, but the ocean covers 70 percent of Earth’s surface! To find out more about this important part of our planet, visit https://climatekids.nasa.gov/ocean/.


Have You Seen This?


Tomorrow is World Oceans Day!

Commemorate the day in your classroom with the Ocean World: Earth Globe Toss Game. This classroom activity for grades K-6 features a hands-on game that challenges students to collect data on whether there is more surface water or more land on Earth.

https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/teach/activity/ocean-world-earth-globe-toss-game/

Ever wonder if there are oceans beyond Earth? Check out the “Ocean Worlds” online feature. https://www.nasa.gov/specials/ocean-worlds/


Solar Eclipse Countdown!


Two 3-D printed pinhole projectors, one in the shape of the continental U.S. and the other shaped like North CarolinaLess than 10 weeks until the Total Solar Eclipse!

Thinking of making a pinhole projector to observe the solar eclipse on Aug. 21? Why not make your own 3-D-printed pinhole projector in the shape of the United States or a U.S. state?

Find out how at https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/3d-printable-pinhole-projectors.

 

 

 


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** New NASA Resources Highlight Research at Opposite Ends of the Solar System
Audience: Science Enthusiasts of All Ages

Two NASA missions, exploring areas at opposite ends of the solar system, released multimedia resources that can help bring recent events into the classroom.

On May 31, 2017, NASA announced the renaming of the Solar Probe Plus spacecraft — humanity’s first mission to a star, which will launch in 2018 — as the Parker Solar Probe. This historic mission will revolutionize our understanding of the sun. The mission is named for astrophysicist Eugene Parker, who discovered the solar wind and has made other profound contributions to our knowledge of the sun. The Parker Solar Probe will plunge through the sun’s atmosphere, closer to the surface than any spacecraft before it, and provide humanity with the first-ever close-up view of a star.

Check out the new “Parker Solar Probe Trailer” video at http://solarprobe.jhuapl.edu/Multimedia/Videos.php#Mission-Videos.

Want to learn more about the Parker Solar Probe? Download a mission fact sheet. http://solarprobe.jhuapl.edu/The-Mission/docs/SolarProbe_FS_WEB.pdf

Over the next few weeks, NASA’s New Horizons mission team is getting a rare sneak peek at the probe’s next flyby target — the ancient Kuiper Belt Object 2014 MU69. During this timeframe, MU69 will occult — or block the light from — distant stars. To observe the “stellar occultation,” on July 3, more than 50 team members and collaborators have deployed along projected viewing paths in Argentina and South Africa, fixing camera-equipped portable telescopes on the occultation star and watching for changes in its light that can tell them a lot about MU69 itself.

For a July 10 occultation, the team gets help from above by adding the powerful 100-inch (2.5-meter) telescope on NASA’s airborne Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA). Enlisting SOFIA, with its vantage point above the clouds, takes the bad-weather factor out of the picture. The plane also should be able to improve its measurements by maneuvering into the very center of the occultation shadow. An occultation on July 17 will be covered through a ground-based observation campaign from Argentina.

Learn more about this rare opportunity with a two-part podcast. Go behind the scenes with scientists who shaped the plans and prepped the tools the team will use to chase the shadow of MU69 across two continents. http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/Mission/KBO-Chasers.php

For more educational resources relating to the New Horizons mission, visit http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/Participate/teach/Activities.php.

Looking for more? Check out the Explore NASA Science website at https://science.nasa.gov. To view the site in Spanish, visit http://ciencia.nasa.gov.


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** ‘Predict the Corona’ Art Project
Audience: All Educators and Students
Eclipse Date: Aug. 21, 2017

Before the advent of photography, astronomers tried to sketch the fleeting shape of our sun’s outer atmosphere called the corona. This ghostly halo of light had been seen for centuries by naked-eye observers at the height of most total solar eclipses, but little was known about its shape and extent or how these changed with time.

On Aug. 21, 2017, the United States will experience a total solar eclipse once again. Along a path 60 to 70 miles wide stretching from Oregon to South Carolina, observers will be able to see a total solar eclipse. Others across North America will see a partial eclipse. To prepare for the big event, NASA wants you to predict what the corona will look like!

Share your drawings with NASA via the NASA Solar Eclipse Flickr page (https://www.flickr.com/groups/nasa-eclipse2017/) or via Instagram using #Eclipse2017Corona.

For more information about the project and to see what past coronas have looked like, visit https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/predict-corona-art-project.

Please submit questions about this opportunity to https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/contact-us.


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** 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: June 8, 2017, at 4 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/237942

**NEW** Journey to Mars: Red Planet — Read, Write, Explore!
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 3-5
Event Date: June 12, 2017, at 6:30 p.m. EDT
Participants in this webinar will get an overview of the MAVEN mission currently exploring Mars. Participants will also learn about the “Red Planet — Read, Write, Explore” educator guide. This guide contains six activities focused on language arts, science and art. Discussion will include classroom modifications. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/242595

**NEW** Journey to Mars: Roving the Red Planet
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 4-9
Event Date: June 13, 2017, at 6:30 p.m. EDT
Participants will get a historical overview of NASA’s rover missions to Mars. Discussion will be focused on hands-on activities involving the engineering of rover vehicles. The activities shared in this webinar address the Next Generation Science Standard ETS1. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/242598

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** Goldstone Apple Valley Radio Telescope Summer Institute 2017
Audience: K-12 Educators
Registration Deadline: June 16, 2017

The Goldstone Apple Valley Radio Telescope program allows educators and their students to operate a 34-meter (112-foot) radio telescope from the classroom. Partnered with scientists and other observatories from around the world, participants conduct real research and exploration.

Join the GAVRT team for a two-day training institute for educators. Attendees will learn about radio astronomy, current science campaigns available through the GAVRT program, and how the telescopes used by the program operate. Members of the Juno mission team will attend to share highlights from their mission that is studying Jupiter. And attendees will take part in question and answer sessions with professional radio astronomers.

Two institute sessions will be offered:
–June 26-27, 2017 — Howard B. Owens Science Center in Lanham, Maryland.
–June 28-29, 2017 — National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia.

Registration for both sessions closes on June 16, 2017.

For more information, visit http://www.lewiscenter.org/documents/Global%20Programs/east_coast_institute.pdf.

Questions about this workshop should be directed to mc@lcer.org.


Opportunities for Higher Education and Informal Institutions


Free ‘NASA’s Journey to Mars’ Planetarium/Dome Show
Audience: Formal and Informal Educators

Are you looking for ways to prepare students for STEM-related career opportunities? Do you want to spark their interest in pushing the boundaries of technology and innovation? Right now, NASA’s fleet of Mars robotic explorers is paving the way for human exploration of the solar system in the coming decades. Have your students join NASA in preparing for a monumental journey of a lifetime — to Mars!

“NASA’s Journey to Mars” is a short planetarium presentation that can be used in the educational domes of your school district, as well as local planetariums, to inspire interest in STEM. To learn more, including how you can acquire the show for use in your area, visit https://www.nasa.gov/feature/journey-of-a-lifetime-mars-education-resources/.

Please direct questions about the “NASA’s Journey to Mars” planetarium/dome show to Elsie Weigel at elsie.weigel@nasa.gov.


Help NASA Find New Planetary Systems — Become a Disk Detective!
Audience: All Educators and Students
Project Timeframe: Now Through 2018

Help NASA find new disks, homes of extrasolar planets, by classifying images from NASA’s Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer telescope and other observatories. In this citizen science project, you’ll view animated images of disk candidates and classify them, distinguishing good candidates from galaxies, asteroids and image artifacts. This project, suitable for elementary students through expert adults, will yield targets for the James Webb Space Telescope and publications in professional scientific literature.

This project is ongoing and expected to run through 2018. For more information and to start hunting for planets, visit http://www.diskdetective.org/.

Questions about this opportunity should be directed to Marc Kuchner at marc.j.kuchner@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/