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/