NASA Education “Science WOW!” Message — Aug. 16, 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 a Solar Eclipse?

A solar eclipse happens when — at just the right moment — the moon passes between the sun and Earth. Watch this video and download the poster from NASA Space Place to learn the science behind the big Aug. 21 event!

https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/eclipse-snap/en/


Have You Seen This?


The newest Teachable Moment From JPL Education is full of resources to help get your students excited about science with the Aug. 21 total solar eclipse. Get background information, viewing tips, lesson plans and more!

https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/news/2017/8/10/get-students-excited-about-science-during-this-months-total-solar-eclipse/

 


Solar Eclipse Countdown!


Only FIVE DAYS Until the Total Solar Eclipse!

When viewing the solar eclipse on Aug. 21, NASA wants you to remember … Safety First! Looking at the sun with the naked eye is unsafe. But with special solar filters, such as eclipse glasses or a handheld solar viewer, you can safely look directly at the sun. Learn how to check the safety authenticity of viewing glasses, or find out how to observe the eclipse with alternate methods.

For tips to view the solar eclipse safely, visit https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/safety.


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 Live Event — E-Day 2017: Total Solar Eclipse Webcast
Audience: All Educators and Students
Event Date: Aug. 21, 2017, 1:15 – 3:15 p.m. EDT

Join NASA’s Digital Learning Network for a two-hour solar eclipse extravaganza! Tune in to see the eclipse live from within the path of totality and learn about the science of the sun-Earth-moon system. Watch CricketCam and make predictions. Find out how to get involved in NASA opportunities.

Ask NASA experts your questions via Twitter @NASADLN using #askDLN or by email at DLiNfochannel@gmail.com.

For more information about this event, visit https://www.nasa.gov/dln/live.

Please direct questions about this event to DLiNfochannel@gmail.com.


Be a Citizen Scientist During the Solar Eclipse With ‘GLOBE Observer’ App
Audience: All Educators and Students
Eclipse Date: Aug. 21, 2017

Earth is solar-powered. So what happens when the sun’s light is blocked, even temporarily? If you measure air temperature and cloud changes, how cool is the eclipse?

Download the “GLOBE Observer” app, available for Apple and Android phones, and contribute to a citizen science database used by scientists and students to study the effects of eclipses on the atmosphere. Observations are welcome from across North America, even if you are not in the path of totality.

To learn more, visit https://observer.globe.gov/eclipse2017.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to Holli Riebeek at Holli.riebeek@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.


**NEW** New Resources From LPI Explore! The Vanishing Sun: Eclipse Tales From Around the World
Audience: All Educators and Students
Eclipse Date: Aug. 21, 2017

Get excited about the 2017 Solar Eclipse with a new set of online storytelling recordings from the Lunar and Planetary Institute. These multicultural eclipse folktales were researched and performed by professional storytellers Cassandra Wye and Fran Stallings. The stories may be used in all settings and were recorded to engage a diverse audience and a variety of ages

To learn more and watch the videos, visit http://www.lpi.usra.edu/education/explore/eclipse/.

Please direct questions about these resources to Christine Shupla at shupla@lpi.usra.edu.


Space Racers Solar Eclipse Content for Young Children
Audience: Pre-K and Kindergarten Educators and Students
Eclipse Date: Aug. 21, 2017

Find everything you need to know about viewing the upcoming solar eclipse with pre-K and Kindergarten students. Watch a short video that explains the science behind solar eclipses in language and graphics designed specifically for young learners. Young explorers can view a U.S. map that illustrates the path of totality, and do a hands-on eclipse activity.

To learn more, visit https://augusteclipse.com/.

All materials were developed in conjunction with The U.S. Space & Rocket Center and the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. Please direct questions about these materials to info@spaceracers.org.


**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: Aug. 24 and Aug. 25, 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:

40 Years in Space: Voyager’s Remarkable Journey Continues
Event Date:
Aug. 24 and Aug. 25, 2017, at 7 p.m. PDT (10 p.m. EDT)
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/events/lectures_archive.php?year=2017&month=8
For 40 years, NASA’s twin Voyager spacecraft have been on an incredible journey that has taken them to the outer planets and beyond. Join Alan Cummings, a senior research scientist and Voyager team member since 1973, as he revisits the highlights of the last 40 years and speculates on what lies ahead for the intrepid Voyagers.

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.


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 Beyond the Planets: Understanding Asteroids
Audience:
5-12, Informal and Pre-service Educators
Event Date: Aug. 16, 2017, at 6:30 p.m. EDT
Get an overview of asteroids and learn about NASA resources for studying these indicators of our solar system’s history. Specific applications of these activities will be discussed. This webinar addresses the Next Generation Science Standard ESS1. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/242608

**NEW** Exploring Beyond the Planets: All About Moons
Audience:
Grades 5-12, Informal and Pre-service Educators
Event Date: Aug. 17, 2017, at 6:30 p.m. EDT
Discover the many types of moons found in our solar system and what we can learn from them. Specific NASA resources related to moons will be incorporated throughout the presentation. This webinar addresses the Next Generation Science Standard ESS1. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/242614

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.


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


Free Eclipse Digital Experience Available from NASA and Infiniscope
Audience: Grades 5-12 and Informal Educators
Eclipse Date: Aug. 21, 2017

Introduce your students and informal audiences to an entirely new type of learning experience with “Eclipse 2017” from NASA and Infiniscope. Aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards, the experience presents NASA’s “Eyes on the Solar System” visualization embedded within the immersive digital learning environment of Infiniscope. Learners will explore the Earth-moon-sun system; learn about shadows at the astronomical level; and predict the eclipse’s path of totality.

For more information, visit https://infiniscope.education/lesson/eclipse-2017/.

Please direct questions about this resource to Jessica Swann at jlswann@asu.edu.


Opportunities for Higher Education and Informal Institutions


New 2017 Solar Eclipse Resources Available for Public Libraries
Audience: Librarians and Informal Educators

The total solar eclipse on Aug. 21, 2017, is quickly approaching! To help you prepare for the big event, STAR_Net has developed educational resources to assist libraries in creating promotional and program materials for events surrounding the eclipse.

Funded by the NASA@ My Library program, these materials include images, videos, posters, activities, webinars and more! Here are just a few highlights of what is available:

2017 Solar Eclipse Guide: This eclipse information booklet may be downloaded free by anyone at http://www.starnetlibraries.org/EclipseGuide/. The 24-page booklet includes background information on eclipses, times when the eclipse is visible over different parts of the country, safe viewing techniques, suggestions for good outreach partners for libraries, and more.

Online Course About the Sun and the 2017 Solar Eclipse: This course is perfect for librarians who want more extensive background information on how and why astronomers study the sun. It is a five-meeting course, and the last “class” is all about eclipse day. Check it out at http://www.starnetlibraries.org/2017eclipse/eclipse-resource-center/educational-resources/online-course/.

Eclipse-related STEM Clearinghouse Activities: Find fun, hands-on activities to bring the science behind the eclipse to life! Activities are available for a wide range of ages and interest areas. Learn more at http://clearinghouse.starnetlibraries.org/index.php?id_category=124&controller=category.

Eclipse Resources Forum:
Share ideas and brainstorm with other librarians about eclipse programming and events. Join the discussion at http://www.starnetlibraries.org/forums/forum/eclipse-resources-forum/.

Please direct questions about these resources to Anne Holland at aholland@spacescience.com.

For more information about STAR_Net, visit http://www.starnetlibraries.org/.

Looking for more information about the 2017 solar eclipse? Visit NASA’s eclipse website at https://eclipse2017.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/