Tag: Citizen Science Projects

NASA “Science WOW!” Message — Jan. 10, 2018

Check out the latest edition of NASA’s “Science WOW!” — your source for NASA opportunities in science education delivered “Weekly On Wednesday.”

Science WOW! banner

Science Always Starts With a Question …

This Week’s Question: What Is Pluto Time?

On average, Pluto is 3.6 billion miles away from the Sun. Though sunlight is much weaker when it reaches Pluto than on Earth, Pluto’s surface is not completely dark during its “day.” Check out this site to find out what time of day in your area is similar to “high noon” on Pluto.

https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/pluto/plutotime

Have You Seen This?

Have you started making plans for next New Year’s Eve? Add New Horizons to your party plans! Shortly after midnight Eastern Time on Jan. 1, 2019, NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft will buzz by the most primitive and most distant object ever explored!

Learn more at http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/News-Center/News-Article.php?page=20180104.

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** 2018 NASA STEM Enhancement in Earth and Space Science Internship
Audience: Current High School Sophomores and Juniors
Application Deadline: March 1, 2018

NASA, the Texas Space Grant Consortium, and The University of Texas at Austin Center for Space Research have joined forces to encourage high school students’ interest in STEM careers. The SEES project allows students to work remotely prior to their onsite internship in Austin, Texas, July 14-28, 2018. Participants will learn how to interpret NASA satellite data while working with scientists and engineers in their chosen area of work. Housing, transportation and meals will be provided.

For more information, visit http://www.tsgc.utexas.edu/sees-internship/.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to Margaret Baguio at baguio@tsgc.utexas.edu.

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.

 

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.

Advanced Gravity With NASA
Audience: 9-12, Informal and Pre-service Educators
Event Date: Jan. 10, 2018, at 6 p.m. EST
Participants will get an overview of NASA gravity missions and resources for teaching about advanced gravity concepts including gravity waves and relativistic frame dragging. This webinar addresses the Next Generation Science Standards PS2. For lessons, please go to https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/teach/. https://www.eiseverywhere.com/303533

Teaching Force and Motion With Rocket Activities
Audience: 4-10, Informal and Pre-service Educators
Event Date: Jan. 11, 2018, at 5 p.m. EST
This project-based STEAM webinar will guide participants through hands-on and inquiry-based learning activities related to forces, motion, and the engineering design process. Lessons that will be explored in this webinar include Stomp Rockets, Foam Rockets, Green Propellant Rockets and Balloon Rockets. https://www.eiseverywhere.com/303606

**NEW** NASA Aeronautics: Exploring the Extreme
Audience: 5-8, Informal and Pre-service Educators
Event Date: Jan. 16, 2018, at 6:30 p.m. EST
Participants will get an overview of NASA’s “Exploring the Extreme” educator guide. Discussion will focus on hands-on activities to teach the concepts of force and motion. The activities in this webinar address the Next Generation Science Standard PS2.
https://www.eiseverywhere.com/301147

**NEW** NASA Spotlites — Science by Students for Students
Audience: K-12, Informal and Pre-service Educators
Event Date: Jan. 17, 2018, at 6:30 p.m. EST
Learn about a problem-based activity in which students produce NASA Spotlite videos. These 90- to 120-second videos are written, filmed, edited and produced by students using the engineering design process. Each video targets a misconception about science. All steps of creating a Spotlite video can be done using cell phones, tablets and laptops.
https://www.eiseverywhere.com/296985

**NEW** NASA Aeronautics: Elementary Balloons and Kites
Audience: K-5, Informal and Pre-service Educators
Event Date: Jan. 18, 2018, at 5 p.m. EST
Learn how to use aeronautic teaching guides to teach STEAM lessons that incorporate children’s literature and art. By using popular children’s books, students are engaged in the cross-cutting principles and the science and engineering process skills of the Next Generation Science Standards.
https://www.eiseverywhere.com/302503

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.

Free Education Workshops From NASA Stennis Space Center Office of Education
Audience: In-Service, Pre-service, Home School and Informal STEM Educators

The NASA Stennis Space Center Office of Education is presenting a series of free workshops open to all educators. All workshops will take place at the Infinity Science Center in Pearlington, Mississippi. (map) Registration is required to participate. Each workshop is limited to 30 participants. To register, simply click on the link provided beneath the webinar description.

**NEW** Our Solar System and Beyond
Audience: Educators of Grades 4-8
Registration Deadline: Jan. 14, 2018 (maximum of 30 participants)
Event Date: Jan. 18, 2018, 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. CST
Take an exciting journey through our solar system and beyond! NASA’s exploration strives to span the universe and boldly research the outer reaches of space. While using NASA STEM activities and online resources, participants will investigate worlds beyond our planet and probe the origins of our universe.
https://www.eiseverywhere.com/298598

**NEW** Network of States Lunar Sample / Robotics EV3 EPD Workshop
Audience: NASA Network of States Educators Phase 2, and In-service STEM Educators of Grades 5-12 Interested in Joining the NASA Network of States Educator Institute
Registration Deadline: Jan. 22, 2018 (maximum of 50 participants)
Event Date: Jan. 27, 2018, 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. CST
Join the Stennis Space Center Office of Education for a free workshop on the use and security of lunar and meteorite sample disks. Learn about hands-on activities designed to integrate use of the sample disks into curricula. Participants will be certified to borrow lunar and meteorite sample disks from NASA for the classroom. The workshop will include a short follow-up training session on EV3 robotics.
https://www.eiseverywhere.com/276901

**NEW** International Space Station: Beyond the Classroom
Audience: Educators of Grades 4-8
Registration Deadline: Feb. 4, 2018 (maximum of 30 participants)
Event Date: Feb. 8, 2018, 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. CST
Explore ways to integrate the International Space Station into your STEM, arts and social studies instruction. Participants also will learn about the Year of Education on Station — two former classroom teachers, now astronauts, spending a combined year in space delivering STEM activities related to the space station.
https://www.eiseverywhere.com/298599

For a full schedule of upcoming educator workshops, visit https://www.nasa.gov/centers/stennis/education/educators/workshops.html.

Questions about this series of webinars should be directed to April McIntosh at april.l.mcintosh@nasa.gov.

Free Webinar — Parachuting on Mars: Developing Crosscutting Breakthrough Technologies
Audience: 5-8 Educators
Event Date: Jan. 17, 2018, at 6 p.m. EST

Join NASA’s Beginning Engineering, Science and Technology, or BEST, educators for a free 60-minute educator professional development webinar. Learn how NASA is developing large, sturdy and lightweight systems to deliver the next generation of rovers and landers to Mars. Using NASA’S BEST engineering design process, participants will design a prototype of new drag devices to potentially land humans, habitats and rovers safely on Mars.

For more information and to register to participate, visit https://nasabest-epd.eventbrite.com.

Please send questions about this opportunity to afrc-nasabestedu@mail.nasa.gov.

**NEW** Summer Institute — Liftoff 2018: Reach New Heights, Reveal the Unknown, Benefit All Humankind
Audience: Educators of Grades 4-12
Application Deadline: March 30, 2018
Institute Dates: June 24-29, 2018

The 2018 LiftOff Summer Institute is a weeklong training event sponsored by NASA’s Texas Space Grant Consortium and held at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. The theme is “Reach New Heights, Reveal the Unknown, Benefit All Humankind.” The event will celebrate all that NASA has contributed and the engineering behind its accomplishments.

Applicants must be U.S. citizens currently employed as classroom teachers of grades 4-12, with at least one year teaching experience prior to the institute.

For more information and to register to attend, visit http://www.tsgc.utexas.edu/liftoff/.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to Margaret Baguio at baguio@tsgc.utexas.edu.

 

Opportunities for Higher Education and Informal Institutions

Call for Proposals — NASA Research Announcement for NASA Teams Engaging Affiliated Museums and Informal Institutions (TEAM II)
Audience: Informal Education Institutions
Pre-Proposal Telecom: Dec. 21, 2017, at 11:30 a.m. EST
Notice of Intent Deadline: Jan. 16, 2018
Proposal Deadline: Feb. 28, 2018

NASA is seeking proposals for the NASA Research Announcement: NASA Teams Engaging Affiliated Museums and Informal Institutions. Eligible proposers include U.S. nonprofit science museums, planetariums, youth-serving organizations and libraries.

Proposals are solicited to perform NASA education or research for inquiry- or experiential-based educational opportunities that directly align with major NASA missions within these congressionally directed topics: space exploration, space science or microgravity. Proposed projects shall partner with major networks of other informal education institutions, youth-serving organizations, libraries, and/or K-12 schools along with commercial entities, higher education institutions, and/or other agencies that support federal STEM education goals.

A pre-proposal teleconference will take place on Dec. 21, 2017, at 11:30 a.m. EST. To join, dial 888-390-0676 and use the passcode 7710486.

An optional but strongly encouraged Notice of Intent is requested by Jan. 16, 2018. Proposals are due Feb. 28, 2018.

For more information, visit https://informal.jpl.nasa.gov/museum/sites/default/files/2018%20TEAM%20II%20NRA%20Announcement.pdf.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to TEAMII@jpl.nasa.gov.

2018 Lunar and Planetary Institute’s Exploration Science Summer Intern Program
Audience: Graduate Students
Application Deadline: Jan. 19, 2018

Join the Lunar and Planetary Institute for a 10-week program for graduate students in geology, planetary science, planetary astronomy and related programs. Learn how to integrate scientific input with exploration activities in a way that mission architects and spacecraft engineers can use. Activities will support missions to the Moon that use the Orion crew vehicle, the Deep Space Gateway and robotic assets on the lunar surface.

Interns will receive stipends and travel expense reimbursement. Applications are due Jan. 19, 2018.

For more information, visit https://www.lpi.usra.edu/exploration_intern/.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to explorationintern@lpi.usra.edu.

**NEW** Now Accepting Applications for NASA Summer Internships
Audience: High School, Undergraduate and Graduate Students
Application Deadline: March 1, 2018

Now is your chance to apply for exciting hands-on internship opportunities available this summer at all NASA centers. High school, undergraduate and graduate students are needed to help NASA scientists and engineers with ongoing scientific and engineering research, technology development and spaceflight operations activities. Internships also exist in nontechnical areas such as communications, budget, procurement, education and human resources. NASA internships are stipend-paid and offer students mentor-directed, degree-related, NASA-relevant tasks.

If you think you have what it takes to be a NASA intern, please visit https://intern.nasa.gov today to apply or to learn more about the numerous opportunities available.

The deadline for summer applications is March 1, 2018!

Please submit inquiries about NASA Internships and Fellowships via https://intern.nasa.gov/oic/.

 

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/

Take Part in a Year of Education on Station
September 2017 – September 2018: Although on different crews, astronauts Joe Acaba and Ricky Arnold — both former teachers — will work aboard the International Space Station. Visit NASA’s A Year of Education on Station website for out-of-this-world resources and opportunities for K-16 students and educators.

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 Science WOW! newsletter?
Visit the Science WOW! blog for an archive of previous messages.
https://blogs.nasa.gov/educationsciencewow/

NASA “Science WOW!” Message — Dec. 13, 2017

Check out the latest edition of NASA’s “Science WOW!” — your source for NASA opportunities in science education delivered “Weekly On Wednesday.”

Science WOW! banner

Science Always Starts With a Question …

This Week’s Question: How Can I View Tonight’s Peak of the Geminid Meteor Shower?

This year’s Geminid meteor shower will be the best of 2017! The shower peaks tonight with rates around one meteor per minute under good conditions. So bundle up and head outside. But check out these resources before you go!

Heads Up, Earthlings! The Geminids Are Here
https://www.nasa.gov/centers/marshall/news/news/releases/2017/heads-up-earthlings-the-geminids-are-here.html

Video: What’s Up for December?
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/video/details.php?id=1512

Have You Seen This?

Have you ever wondered what makes a meteor different from a meteorite? Or if asteroids and comets are made of the same stuff? Flip through the “What’s That Space Rock?” Slideshow to learn all about these and other bodies in our solar system.

https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/learn/slideshow/whats-that-space-rock/

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

Free Program — Cubes in Space™
Audience: Students Ages 11-18 and Educator Mentors
Registration Deadline: Feb. 2, 2018

NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility and Langley Research Center, along with the Colorado Space Grant Consortium and idoodledu, inc., are offering a free STEAM education program for students ages 11-18. Cubes in Space™ lets students design and compete to launch an experiment into space. Selected student-designed payload cubes will be launched via a sounding rocket from Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, in late June 2018 or from a high-altitude scientific balloon from NASA’s Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility in New Mexico in late August 2018.

Registration closes on Feb. 2, 2018. For more information, visit http://www.cubesinspace.com/.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to info@cubesinspace.com.

International Space Station Research Design Challenge: Capillary Effects on Liquids Exploratory Research Experiments
Audience: Students in Grades 8-12
Design Submission Deadlines: March 1, 2018

NASA and Portland State University in Oregon are challenging students in grades 8-12 to design microgravity experiments investigating capillary action, similar to those conducted on the space station. Teams or individuals create their own experiment using computer-aided design with a provided template and submit short proposals presenting the experiments. Selected experiments will be tested in the university’s 2.1-second drop tower, and video results will be available for analysis and reporting.

Design ideas are due March 1, 2018. For more information, visit http://spaceflightsystems.grc.nasa.gov/CELERE/.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to celere@lists.nasa.gov.

Be a Citizen Scientist With the ‘Aurorasaurus’ Project
Audience: All Educators and Students
Project Timeframe: Ongoing

Aurorasaurus is the first and only citizen science project that tracks auroras around the world via online reports, mobile apps and social media.

Aurorasaurus is a citizen science project that gathers real-time data about aurora sightings and sends out notifications to users when the northern or southern lights are likely visible in their area. Registered users get location-based notifications and a real-time monitor of space weather activity. The project also allows users to help verify tweets and search for real sightings. Plus, the website features answers to science and aurora questions.

To learn more, visit http://www.aurorasaurus.org/.

Please direct questions about this project to aurorasaurus.info@gmail.com.

This project receives support from the National Science Foundation and NASA’s Science Mission Directorate.

 

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.

Earth Sense — Remote Sensing at NASA: Mission Geography, 6-12
Audience: 6-12, Informal and Pre-service Educators
Event Date: Dec. 14, 2017, at 6 p.m. EST
Learn about NASA’s Mission Geography resources featuring Earth science lessons that integrate STEM, geography and the language arts with Earth observations, remote sensing and maps. Discover ways to use the unique perspective from space to investigate Earth and the processes that shape it, both natural and human influenced. Register online to participate. https://www.eiseverywhere.com/285833

**NEW** The Chemistry of Space Exploration
Audience: 7-12, Informal and Pre-service Educators
Event Date: Dec. 18, 2017, at 7 p.m. EST
Engineering is only one of many disciplines at play in designing a mission to space. See how chemistry is involved in mission planning. Using several demos and highlighting NASA educational material, participants will explore the important role chemistry plays in designing spacecraft and keeping astronauts safe in space. Register online to participate. https://www.eiseverywhere.com/298669

**NEW** NASA Satellite Observations in Science Education — Hunting Icebergs
Audience: 4-10, Informal and Pre-service Educators
Event Date: Dec. 19, 2017, at 6:30 p.m. EST
Explore the NASA Wavelength lesson, “Hunting Icebergs.” The resource uses three modules that engage students with real NASA data: Identifying; Sizing Up; and Tracing Data. Register online to participate. https://www.eiseverywhere.com/293843

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.

GLOBE Student Research Campaign — Water in Our Environment
Audience: K-12 Educators
Campaign Dates: Now Through June 30, 2018

Water continuously circulates through one of Earth’s most powerful systems: the water cycle. Join GLOBE for its latest campaign that uses a set of guiding investigative questions to enable students to meaningfully explore water in their local environment and collaborate to consider the influence of water on a global scale. The project is flexible, allowing teachers to choose between many options to involve their students.

Visit the site for details about the project and upcoming informational webinars.

https://www.globe.gov/web/el-nino/el-nino-campaign/water-in-our-environment-student-research-campaign

Please direct questions about this opportunity to http://www.globe.gov/support/contact.


Opportunities for Higher Education and Informal Institutions

2018 High-Altitude Student Platform Opportunity
Audience: Higher Education Educators and Students
Application Deadline: Dec. 15, 2017

The Louisiana Space Consortium, or LaSPACE, is accepting applications from students at U.S. colleges and universities who want to send experiments to the edge of space. The annual project, supported by the NASA Balloon Program Office and LaSPACE, provides near-space access for 12 student experiments to be carried by a NASA high-altitude research balloon. The flights typically last 15 to 20 hours and reach an altitude of 23 miles. Experiments may include compact satellites or prototypes.

Applications are due Dec. 15, 2017. For more information, visit http://laspace.lsu.edu/hasp/.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to guzik@phunds.phys.lsu.edu.

2018 Lunar and Planetary Institute’s Exploration Science Summer Intern Program
Audience: Graduate Students
Application Deadline: Jan. 19, 2018

Join the Lunar and Planetary Institute for a 10-week program for graduate students in geology, planetary science, planetary astronomy and related programs. Learn how to integrate scientific input with exploration activities in a way that mission architects and spacecraft engineers can use. Activities will support missions to the Moon that use the Orion crew vehicle, the Deep Space Gateway and robotic assets on the lunar surface.

Interns will receive stipends and travel expense reimbursement. Applications are due Jan. 19, 2018.

For more information, visit https://www.lpi.usra.edu/exploration_intern/.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to explorationintern@lpi.usra.edu.

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.

 

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/

Take Part in a Year of Education on Station
September 2017 – September 2018: Although on different crews, astronauts Joe Acaba and Ricky Arnold — both former teachers — will work aboard the International Space Station. Visit NASA’s A Year of Education on Station website for out-of-this-world resources and opportunities for K-16 students and educators.

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 Science WOW! newsletter?
Visit the Science WOW! blog for an archive of previous messages.
https://blogs.nasa.gov/educationsciencewow/

NASA “Science WOW!” Message — Dec. 6, 2017

Check out the latest edition of NASA’s “Science WOW!” — your source for NASA opportunities in science education delivered “Weekly On Wednesday.”

Science WOW! banner

Science Always Starts With a Question …

This Week’s Question: What Science Experiments Are Astronauts Performing on the Space Station?

Astronauts on the International Space Station work on many science experiments during their time in orbit. Each week, the lead scientist for the current expedition posts a summary of the latest science experiments and findings. Check it out weekly!

https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/news/wklysumm_week_of_20nov17.html

Have You Seen This?

Tune in to NASA’s Third Rock Radio on Thursday, Dec. 7, at 5 p.m. EST, for “The Joe Show.” Educator-turned-astronaut Joe Acaba will select tunes and talk about science — all from the International Space Station!

https://www.nasa.gov/feature/third-rock-radio

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

DEADLINE EXTENDED: Help Nickname New Horizons’ Next Flyby Target
Audience: All Educators and Students
New Entry Deadline: Midnight EST on Dec. 6, 2017

On New Year’s Day 2019, the New Horizons spacecraft will fly past a small, frozen world at the outer edge of our solar system. Officially, the small world is known as “(486958) 2014 MU69.” NASA and the New Horizons team are asking for help in giving “MU69” a nickname.

Visit the site to submit ideas and to vote on names currently under consideration. Submissions and voting closes at midnight EST/9 p.m. PST on Dec. 6, 2017. NASA and the New Horizons team will announce the winning nickname in January.

For more information, visit https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-extends-campaign-to-nickname-new-horizons-next-target.

Questions about this opportunity should be directed to Laura Cantillo at laura.l.cantillo@nasa.gov.

**NEW** Free Program — Cubes in Space™
Audience: Students Ages 11-18 and Educator Mentors
Registration Deadline: Feb. 2, 2018

NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility and Langley Research Center, along with the Colorado Space Grant Consortium and idoodledu, inc., are offering a free STEAM education program for students ages 11-18. Cubes in Space™ lets students design and compete to launch an experiment into space. Selected student-designed payload cubes will be launched via a sounding rocket from Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, in late June 2018 or from a high-altitude scientific balloon from NASA’s Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility in New Mexico in late August 2018.

Registration closes on Feb. 2, 2018. For more information, visit http://www.cubesinspace.com/.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to info@cubesinspace.com.

Citizen Science Project: Cosmoquest’s Image Detective
Audience: All Educators and Students

CosmoQuest’s Image Detective, a NASA-funded citizen science project, invites the public to identify Earth features in photographs taken by astronauts aboard the International Space Station. Citizen scientists are asked to help identify geographic features (natural or human-made) in astronaut photographs and then determine the location on Earth where the photo is centered.

Your efforts can enhance NASA’s database of images taken by astronauts from the space station. To learn more, visit http://cosmoquest.org/ImageDetective.

Questions about this opportunity should be directed to info@cosmoquest.org.

 

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.

Earth Sense — Remote Sensing at NASA: Water Filtration
Audience: K-12, Informal and Pre-service Educators
Event Date: Dec. 6, 2017, at 6:30 p.m. EST
Explore the space station’s Environmental Control and Life Support System that reclaims waste water from crew members’ urine, cabin condensation and waste. Learn about hands-on experiments and physical demonstrations that can be used in the classroom to create, build and test a water filtration device using common materials. Register online to participate. https://www.eiseverywhere.com/281782

 NASA Food for Thought
Audience: 6-12, Informal and Pre-service Educators
Event Date: Dec. 7, 2017, at 6 p.m. EST
Explore the NASA Food for Thought education guide that investigates space food and guides students to construct sample space food meals based on the nutritional needs of the astronauts on a journey to Mars. Explore a menu of inquiry activities and other resources to satisfy your STEM appetite. Register online to participate. https://www.eiseverywhere.com/283687

**NEW** SpaceMath — Active Math
Audience: 5-8, Informal and Pre-service Educators
Event Date: Dec. 11, 2017, at 6:30 p.m. EST
Space Mathematics is a two-part series designed to help educators make the critical linkage between mathematics and science in the classroom. In this session, “Part 2 — Active Math,” participants will explore the use of inquiry to reinforce mathematics skills while engaging students with hands-on activities. Register online to participate. https://www.eiseverywhere.com/273241

**NEW** POLAR-PALOOZA: The Importance of the Polar Areas
Audience: 4-12, Informal and Pre-service Educators
Event Date: Dec. 12, 2017, at 6:30 p.m. EST
Polar-Palooza is a multimedia effort to explain the importance of the polar areas and clear up misconceptions some may have about them. Sponsored by the National Science Foundation and NASA, the project brings the poles to life through stories told by scientists who travel to and study them, and through hands-on classroom activities. Register online to participate. https://www.eiseverywhere.com/293848

**NEW** Earth Sense — Remote Sensing at NASA: Mission Geography, 6-12
Audience: 6-12, Informal and Pre-service Educators
Event Date: Dec. 14, 2017, at 6 p.m. EST
Learn about NASA’s Mission Geography resources featuring Earth science lessons that integrate STEM, geography and the language arts with Earth observations, remote sensing and maps. Discover ways to use the unique perspective from space to investigate Earth and the processes that shape it, both natural and human influenced. Register online to participate. https://www.eiseverywhere.com/285833

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.

Sign Up to Receive the SciJinks E-Newsletter
Audience: 5-12 Educators

SciJinks is all about weather! Short for “Science Hijinks,” the SciJinks website is a joint effort of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and NASA. SciJinks puts fun and adventure into learning about weather, satellite meteorology and Earth science. The site is geared toward middle and high school students and their educators.

To keep up with the latest articles, activities, and games at the website, sign up to receive the SciJinks E-Newletter. Each month you will receive an email with links to fascinating science articles, fun weather facts and educational games. To sign up, visit https://scijinks.gov/subscribe/.

Please direct questions about the SciJinks E-Newletter to info@scijinks.gov.


Opportunities for Higher Education and Informal Institutions

2018 High-Altitude Student Platform Opportunity
Audience: Higher Education Educators and Students
Application Deadline: Dec. 15, 2017

The Louisiana Space Consortium, or LaSPACE, is accepting applications from students at U.S. colleges and universities who want to send experiments to the edge of space. The annual project, supported by the NASA Balloon Program Office and LaSPACE, provides near-space access for 12 student experiments to be carried by a NASA high-altitude research balloon. The flights typically last 15 to 20 hours and reach an altitude of 23 miles. Experiments may include compact satellites or prototypes.

Applications are due Dec. 15, 2017. For more information, visit http://laspace.lsu.edu/hasp/.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to guzik@phunds.phys.lsu.edu.

2018 Lunar and Planetary Institute’s Exploration Science Summer Intern Program
Audience: Graduate Students
Application Deadline: Jan. 19, 2018

Join the Lunar and Planetary Institute for a 10-week program for graduate students in geology, planetary science, planetary astronomy and related programs. Learn how to integrate scientific input with exploration activities in a way that mission architects and spacecraft engineers can use. Activities will support missions to the Moon that use the Orion crew vehicle, the Deep Space Gateway and robotic assets on the lunar surface.

Interns will receive stipends and travel expense reimbursement. Applications are due Jan. 19, 2018.

For more information, visit https://www.lpi.usra.edu/exploration_intern/.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to explorationintern@lpi.usra.edu.

2018-2019 NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowships
Audience: Higher Education Educators and Students
Proposal Deadline: Feb. 1, 2018

The NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowship program is accepting proposals for the 2018-2019 academic year. Applications must be from accredited U.S. universities on behalf of individuals pursuing master’s or doctoral degrees in Earth and space sciences, or related disciplines.

NASA will award training grants to the respective universities, with the advisor serving as principal investigator. The maximum NESSF award is $45,000 per year.

For information, visit https://go.nasa.gov/2AsHckq.

Questions about Earth Science Research NESSF opportunities should be directed to Claire Macaulay at Claire.I.Macaulay@nasa.gov.

Questions about Heliophysics Research, Planetary Science Research and Astrophysics Research opportunities should be directed to Marian Norris at mnorris@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/

Take Part in a Year of Education on Station
September 2017 – September 2018: Although on different crews, astronauts Joe Acaba and Ricky Arnold — both former teachers — will work aboard the International Space Station. Visit NASA’s A Year of Education on Station website for out-of-this-world resources and opportunities for K-16 students and educators.

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 Science WOW! newsletter?
Visit the Science WOW! blog for an archive of previous messages.
https://blogs.nasa.gov/educationsciencewow/

NASA “Science WOW!” Message — Nov. 29, 2017

Check out the latest edition of NASA’s “Science WOW!” — your source for NASA opportunities in science education delivered “Weekly On Wednesday.”

Science WOW! banner

Science Always Starts With a Question …

This Week’s Question: What Is a Supermoon and Just How Super Is It?

The full Moon on Dec. 3 will be the first and only supermoon of 2017. It will be followed by two more in January and February 2018. Learn about supermoons and find resources to get students excited about exploring Earth’s only natural satellite.

https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/news/2017/11/15/whats-a-supermoon-and-just-how-super-is-it/

For more Moon lessons from JPL Education, visit https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/teach/tag/search/Earth%27s+Moon.

To learn more about the Moon, visit https://moon.nasa.gov/. Explore the lunar surface with Moon Trek. Check it out at https://moontrek.jpl.nasa.gov/.

Have You Seen This?

Are you interested in discovering new facts about our universe? Do you like looking at cool pictures of the cosmos? Check out the Astronomy Picture of the Day website! Each day, a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html

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

Help Nickname New Horizons’ Next Flyby Target
Audience: All Educators and Students
Entry Deadline: 3 p.m. EST on Dec. 1, 2017

On New Year’s Day 2019, the New Horizons spacecraft will fly past a small, frozen world at the outer edge of our solar system. Officially, the small world is known as “(486958) 2014 MU69.” NASA and the New Horizons team are asking for help in giving “MU69” a nickname.

Visit the site to submit ideas and to vote on names currently under consideration. Submissions and voting closes at 3 p.m. EST/noon PST on Dec. 1, 2017. NASA and the New Horizons team will announce the winning nickname in January.

For more information, visit http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/News-Center/News-Article.php?page=20171106.

Questions about this opportunity should be directed to Laura Cantillo at laura.l.cantillo@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.

 

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.

Earth Sense — Remote Sensing at NASA: GLOBE Atmosphere
Audience: K-12, Informal and Pre-service Educators
Event Date: Nov. 29, 2017, at 6:30 p.m. EST
Learn about clouds and contrails using the GLOBE program, an international science and education program that gives students and the public the opportunity to participate in data collection and the scientific process. They are able to contribute meaningfully to our understanding of the Earth system and global environment. Register online to participate. https://www.eiseverywhere.com/281778

Earth Sense — Remote Sensing at NASA: Mission Geography, K-5
Audience: K-5, Informal and Pre-service Educators
Event Date: Nov. 30, 2017, at 6 p.m. EST
Learn about NASA’s Mission Geography resources featuring Earth science lessons that integrate STEM, geography and the language arts with Earth observations, remote sensing and maps. Discover ways to use the unique perspective from space to investigate Earth and the processes that shape it, both natural and human-influenced. Register online to participate. https://www.eiseverywhere.com/285829

**NEW** Earth Sense — Remote Sensing at NASA: Using Earth Observations to Talk About Snow and Ice
Audience: 5-9, Informal and Pre-service Educators
Event Date: Dec. 4, 2017, at 6:30 p.m. EST
Explore the Earth Observatory and NASA Earth Observations websites and discuss resources related to the effects of changing snow and ice coverage on Earth. The activities in this webinar address the Next Generation Science Standards ESS2 and ESS3. Register online to participate. https://www.eiseverywhere.com/273251

**NEW** Earth Sense — Remote Sensing at NASA: GLOBE Hydrology
Audience: K-12, Informal and Pre-service Educators
Event Date: Dec. 5, 2017, at 6:30 p.m. EST
Learn about water and the hydrologic cycle using GLOBE, an international science and education program that gives students the opportunity to participate in data collection and the scientific process. Discover ways to contribute to our understanding of the Earth system and global environment. Register online to participate. https://www.eiseverywhere.com/281780

**NEW** Earth Sense — Remote Sensing at NASA: Water Filtration
Audience: K-12, Informal and Pre-service Educators
Event Date: Dec. 6, 2017, at 6:30 p.m. EST
Explore the space station’s Environmental Control and Life Support System that reclaims waste water from crew members’ urine, cabin condensation and waste. Learn about hands-on experiments and physical demonstrations that can be used in the classroom to create, build and test a water filtration device using common materials. Register online to participate. https://www.eiseverywhere.com/281782

**NEW** NASA Food for Thought
Audience: 6-12, Informal and Pre-service Educators
Event Date: Dec. 7, 2017, at 6 p.m. EST
Explore the NASA Food for Thought education guide that investigates space food and guides students to construct sample space food meals based on the nutritional needs of the astronauts on a journey to Mars. Explore a menu of inquiry activities and other resources to satisfy your STEM appetite. Register online to participate. https://www.eiseverywhere.com/283687

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.

Mars Survival Kit: Lessons and Activities to Guide Your Exploration of Mars!
Audience: K-12 Educators

NASA is embarking on a journey to Mars! Are your students ready to join in the adventure? Spark excitement in your classroom with the Mars Survival Kit.

The Mars Survival Kit is a collection of educational activities for students in grades K-12. Each educational activity includes a brief description, as well as information about how the activities and lessons align to the Next Generation Science Standards.

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

To learn more about NASA’s Journey to Mars, visit http://www.nasa.gov/topics/journeytomars/index.html.


Opportunities for Higher Education and Informal Institutions

2018 BIG Idea Challenge
Audience: Higher Education Students and Faculty
Entry Deadline: Nov. 30, 2017

NASA’s 2018 Breakthrough, Innovative and Game-changing (BIG) Idea Challenge is an engineering design contest open to full-time undergraduate and graduate students. This competition seeks innovations in the design, installation and sustainable operation of a large solar power system on Mars. Top teams present their concepts via a design review at either NASA’s Langley Research Center in Virginia or NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Ohio. The winning team will receive NASA internship offers.

Entries are due Nov. 30, 2017. For more information, visit http://BigIdea.nianet.org.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to BigIdea@nianet.org.

2018 High-Altitude Student Platform Opportunity
Audience: Higher Education Educators and Students
Application Deadline: Dec. 15, 2017

The Louisiana Space Consortium, or LaSPACE, is accepting applications from students at U.S. colleges and universities who want to send experiments to the edge of space. The annual project, supported by the NASA Balloon Program Office and LaSPACE, provides near-space access for 12 student experiments to be carried by a NASA high-altitude research balloon. The flights typically last 15 to 20 hours and reach an altitude of 23 miles. Experiments may include compact satellites or prototypes.

Applications are due Dec. 15, 2017. For more information, visit http://laspace.lsu.edu/hasp/.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to guzik@phunds.phys.lsu.edu.

**NEW** 2018 Lunar and Planetary Institute’s Exploration Science Summer Intern Program
Audience: Graduate Students
Application Deadline: Jan. 19, 2018

Join the Lunar and Planetary Institute for a 10-week program for graduate students in geology, planetary science, planetary astronomy and related programs. Learn how to integrate scientific input with exploration activities in a way that mission architects and spacecraft engineers can use. Activities will support missions to the Moon that use the Orion crew vehicle, the Deep Space Gateway and robotic assets on the lunar surface.

Interns will receive stipends and travel expense reimbursement. Applications are due Jan. 19, 2018.

For more information, visit https://www.lpi.usra.edu/exploration_intern/.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to explorationintern@lpi.usra.edu.

**NEW** Project Mars: International Art and Film Contest
Audience: College Students and Early Career Professionals
Entry Deadline: Aug. 31, 2018

NASA is leading human space exploration in the vicinity of the Moon and on to Mars. Project Mars invites college students and recent graduates with fewer than 5 years of experience in the film or graphic arts industry to learn about NASA’s deep space endeavors and create a visualization of what this expedition may look like.

Entries can be short films (two to five minutes in length) or posters (standard-size sheets, 27 by 41 inches). Winners will receive cash prizes.

For more information, visit http://projectmarscompetition.com/.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to info@sciartexchange.org.

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/

Take Part in a Year of Education on Station
September 2017 – September 2018: Although on different crews, astronauts Joe Acaba and Ricky Arnold — both former teachers — will work aboard the International Space Station. Visit NASA’s A Year of Education on Station website for out-of-this-world resources and opportunities for K-16 students and educators.

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 Science WOW! newsletter?
Visit the Science WOW! blog for an archive of previous messages.
https://blogs.nasa.gov/educationsciencewow/

NASA Education “Science WOW!” Message — Nov. 22, 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’s “Science WOW!” — your source for NASA science opportunities for educators and students delivered “Weekly On Wednesday.”

Science Always Starts With a Question …

This Week’s Question: What’s That Space Object?
Space scientists around the world are getting excited about this cigar-shaped space object! Click the link to find out what makes the unique object so special.

https://www.nasa.gov/feature/solar-system-s-first-interstellar-visitor-dazzles-scientists

Have You Seen This?

Go on a tour of our galactic neighborhood with the new science podcast from NASA! “Gravity Assist” is a 10-part series featuring lively conversations with some of the world’s leading scientists. Listen in weekly to learn more about our solar system.

https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-expands-podcast-selections-with-new-science-series

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

Help Nickname New Horizons’ Next Flyby Target
Audience: All Educators and Students
Entry Deadline: 3 p.m. EST on Dec. 1, 2017

On New Year’s Day 2019, the New Horizons spacecraft will fly past a small, frozen world at the outer edge of our solar system. Officially, the small world is known as “(486958) 2014 MU69.” NASA and the New Horizons team are asking for help in giving “MU69” a nickname.

Visit the site to submit ideas and to vote on names currently under consideration. Submissions and voting closes at 3 p.m. EST/noon PST on Dec. 1, 2017. NASA and the New Horizons team will announce the winning nickname in January.

For more information, visit http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/News-Center/News-Article.php?page=20171106.

Questions about this opportunity should be directed to Laura Cantillo at laura.l.cantillo@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** Earth Sense — Remote Sensing at NASA: GLOBE Atmosphere
Audience: K-12, Informal and Pre-service Educators
Event Date: Nov. 29, 2017, at 6:30 p.m. EST
Learn about clouds and contrails using the GLOBE program, an international science and education program that gives students and the public the opportunity to participate in data collection and the scientific process. They are able to contribute meaningfully to our understanding of the Earth system and global environment. Register online to participate. https://www.eiseverywhere.com/281778

**NEW** Earth Sense — Remote Sensing at NASA: Mission Geography, K-5
Audience: K-5, Informal and Pre-service Educators
Event Date: Nov. 30, 2017, at 6 p.m. EST
Learn about NASA’s Mission Geography resources featuring Earth science lessons that integrate STEM, geography and the language arts with Earth observations, remote sensing and maps. Discover ways to use the unique perspective from space to investigate Earth and the processes that shape it, both natural and human-influenced. Register online to participate. https://www.eiseverywhere.com/285829

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.

 

Opportunities for Higher Education and Informal Institutions

2018 BIG Idea Challenge
Audience: Higher Education Students and Faculty
Entry Deadline: Nov. 30, 2017

NASA’s 2018 Breakthrough, Innovative and Game-changing (BIG) Idea Challenge is an engineering design contest open to full-time undergraduate and graduate students. This competition seeks innovations in the design, installation and sustainable operation of a large solar power system on Mars. Top teams present their concepts via a design review at either NASA’s Langley Research Center in Virginia or NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Ohio. The winning team will receive NASA internship offers.

Entries are due Nov. 30, 2017. For more information, visit http://BigIdea.nianet.org.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to BigIdea@nianet.org.

**NEW** 2018 High-Altitude Student Platform Opportunity
Audience: Higher Education Educators and Students
Application Deadline: Dec. 15, 2017

The Louisiana Space Consortium, or LaSPACE, is accepting applications from students at U.S. colleges and universities who want to send experiments to the edge of space. The annual project, supported by the NASA Balloon Program Office and LaSPACE, provides near-space access for 12 student experiments to be carried by a NASA high-altitude research balloon. The flights typically last 15 to 20 hours and reach an altitude of 23 miles. Experiments may include compact satellites or prototypes.

Applications are due Dec. 15, 2017. For more information, visit http://laspace.lsu.edu/hasp/.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to guzik@phunds.phys.lsu.edu.

 

Check out the ‘Explore NASA Science’ website!
Science starts with questions, leading to discoveries. Explore the redesigned NASA Science site and send us feedback. Visit https://science.nasa.gov. To view the site in Spanish, visit http://ciencia.nasa.gov.

Don’t miss out on upcoming NASA education opportunities.
For a full list of events, opportunities and more, visit the Educators and Students Current Opportunity pages on NASA’s website:
— Educators http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/current-opps-index.html
— Students http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/current-opps-index.html

Are you looking for NASA educational materials to support your STEM curriculum?
Search hundreds of resources by subject, grade level, type and keyword at http://www.nasa.gov/education/resources/.

Find NASA science resources for your classroom.
NASA Wavelength is a digital collection of Earth and space science resources for educators of all levels — from elementary to college, to out-of-school programs. http://nasawavelength.org/

Take Part in a Year of Education on Station
September 2017 – September 2018: Although on different crews, astronauts Joe Acaba and Ricky Arnold — both former teachers — will work aboard the International Space Station. Visit NASA’s A Year of Education on Station website for out-of-this-world resources and opportunities for K-16 students and educators.

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 — Nov. 15, 2017

Check out the latest edition of NASA Education’s “Science WOW!” — your source for NASA opportunities in science education delivered “Weekly On Wednesday.”

Science WOW! banner

Science Always Starts With a Question …

This Week’s Question: What Is Antarctica?

Antarctica is the coldest place on Earth. Find out who lives there and what NASA can learn about our planet by studying this place at the bottom of the world.

K-4 Students: https://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/k-4/stories/nasa-knows/what-is-antarctica-k4.html
5-8 Students: https://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/5-8/features/nasa-knows/what-is-antarctica-58.html

Have You Seen This?

A new NASA study adds evidence that a geothermal heat source lies deep below Antarctica’s Marie Byrd Land. This discovery explains some of the melting that creates lakes and rivers under the ice sheet. Read Hot News From the Antarctic Underground to learn more about the latest findings.

https://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/hot-news-from-the-antarctic-underground

Opportunities for Future Scientists of All Ages

Science Opportunities for Educators of Grades K-12

Science Opportunities for Higher Education and Informal Institutions

 

Opportunities for Future Scientists of All Ages

2017 von Kármán Lecture Series — Attend in Person or View Online
Audience: All Educators; Students in Grades 9-12 and Higher Education
Next Lecture Date: Nov. 16 and Nov. 17, 2017, at 7 p.m. PST (10 p.m. EST)

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. PST (10 p.m. EST). 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:

Mars 2020, or There and Back Again
Event Date: Nov. 16 and Nov. 17, 2017, at 7 p.m. PST (10 p.m. EST)
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/events/lectures_archive.php?year=2017&month=11
Four years from now, NASA and its Jet Propulsion Laboratory will once again rove the Red Planet with Mars 2020. This time, mission objectives include exploration of extremely ancient habitats to enable collection of samples that could one day be returned to Earth. Join Ken Williford, the deputy project scientist for Mars 2020, for a discussion about the evolving scientific strategy for the mission.

For more information about the Theodore von Kármán Lecture Series, including a complete list of upcoming lectures, visit http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/events/lectures.php.

Questions about this series should be directed to http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/contact_JPL.php.

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.

**NEW** Help Nickname New Horizons’ Next Flyby Target
Audience: All Educators and Students
Entry Deadline: 3 p.m. EST on Dec. 1, 2017

On New Year’s Day 2019, the New Horizons spacecraft will fly past a small, frozen world at the outer edge of our solar system. Officially, the small world is known as “(486958) 2014 MU69.” NASA and the New Horizons team are asking for help in giving “MU69” a nickname.

Visit the site to submit ideas and to vote on names currently under consideration. Submissions and voting closes at 3 p.m. EST/noon PST on Dec. 1, 2017. NASA and the New Horizons team will announce the winning nickname in January.

For more information, visit http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/News-Center/News-Article.php?page=20171106.

Questions about this opportunity should be directed to Laura Cantillo at laura.l.cantillo@nasa.gov.

International Space Station Research Design Challenge: Capillary Effects on Liquids Exploratory Research Experiments
Audience: Students in Grades 8-12
Design Submission Deadlines: March 1, 2018

NASA and Portland State University in Oregon are challenging students in grades 8-12 to design microgravity experiments investigating capillary action, similar to those conducted on the space station. Teams or individuals create their own experiment using computer-aided design with a provided template and submit short proposals presenting the experiments. Selected experiments will be tested in the university’s 2.1-second drop tower, and video results will be available for analysis and reporting.

Design ideas are due March 1, 2018. For more information, visit http://spaceflightsystems.grc.nasa.gov/CELERE/.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to celere@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.

Earth Sense — Remote Sensing at NASA: The Scoop on Soil
Audience: 4-10, Informal and Pre-service Educators
Event Date: Nov. 15, 2017, at 5 p.m. EST
Participants will learn how to bring outdoor inquiry-based experiences to students with the GLOBE program. Learn how NASA’s SMAP mission collects data about soil moisture. Explore the Elementary GLOBE resources including teacher guides, protocols, activities, storybooks and related STEM activities designed for grades K-12. Register online to participate. https://www.eiseverywhere.com/281907

**NEW** Earth Sense — Remote Sensing at NASA: EarthKAM
Audience: 4-9, Informal and Pre-service Educators
Event Date: Nov. 21, 2017, at 6:30 p.m. EST
Get an overview of the Sally Ride EarthKAM program. During Sally Ride EarthKAM missions, middle school students request images of specific locations on Earth. EarthKAM includes a collection of images, accompanying activities and resources to engage students in Earth and space science, geography, social studies, mathematics, communications and art. Register online to participate. https://www.eiseverywhere.com/281705

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.

2018-2019 Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship
Audience: K-12 STEM Educators
Application Deadline: Nov. 16, 2017, at 8 p.m. EST

The Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship is a paid fellowship for K-12 science, mathematics, engineering and technology teachers. Einstein Fellows spend a school year in the Washington, D.C., area serving in a federal agency or on Capitol Hill. Applicants must be U.S. citizens currently employed full time in a U.S. elementary or secondary school or school district. Applicants must have been teaching STEM full time for at least five of the last seven years.

For details, visit http://science.energy.gov/wdts/einstein/.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to sc.einstein@science.doe.gov.

GLOBE Student Research Campaign — Water in Our Environment
Audience: K-12 Educators
Campaign Dates: Now Through June 30, 2018

Water continuously circulates through one of Earth’s most powerful systems: the water cycle. Join GLOBE for its latest campaign that uses a set of guiding investigative questions to enable students to meaningfully explore water in their local environment and collaborate to consider the influence of water on a global scale. The project is flexible, allowing teachers to choose between many options to involve their students.

Visit the site for details about the project and upcoming informational webinars.

https://www.globe.gov/web/el-nino/el-nino-campaign/water-in-our-environment-student-research-campaign

Please direct questions about this opportunity to http://www.globe.gov/support/contact.

Opportunities for Higher Education and Informal Institutions

2018 RASC-AL Special Edition: Mars Ice Challenge Tech Demo and Engineering Design Competition
Audience: Higher Education Students and Faculty
Project Plan Submission Deadline: Nov. 16, 2017

The 2018 RASC-AL Special Edition: Mars Ice Challenge is an engineering design and technology demonstration contest open to full-time undergraduate and graduate students at accredited colleges and universities in the U.S. This challenge gives teams the opportunity to design and build hardware that can extract water from simulated Martian subsurface ice.

Up to 10 teams will be chosen to demonstrate their system’s water extraction capabilities in June 2018 at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia.

Project plans are due Nov. 16, 2017.

For more information, visit http://specialedition.rascal.nianet.org.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to rascal@nianet.org.

2018 BIG Idea Challenge
Audience: Higher Education Students and Faculty
Entry Deadline: Nov. 30, 2017

NASA’s 2018 Breakthrough, Innovative and Game-changing (BIG) Idea Challenge is an engineering design contest open to full-time undergraduate and graduate students. This competition seeks innovations in the design, installation and sustainable operation of a large solar power system on Mars. Top teams present their concepts via a design review at either NASA’s Langley Research Center in Virginia or NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Ohio. The winning team will receive NASA internship offers.

Entries are due Nov. 30, 2017. For more information, visit http://BigIdea.nianet.org.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to BigIdea@nianet.org.

**NEW** 2018-2019 NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowships
Audience: Higher Education Educators and Students
Proposal Deadline: Feb. 1, 2018

The NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowship program is accepting proposals for the 2018-2019 academic year. Applications must be from accredited U.S. universities on behalf of individuals pursuing master’s or doctoral degrees in Earth and space sciences, or related disciplines.

NASA will award training grants to the respective universities, with the advisor serving as principal investigator. The maximum NESSF award is $45,000 per year.

For information, visit https://go.nasa.gov/2AsHckq.

Questions about Earth Science Research NESSF opportunities should be directed to Claire Macaulay at Claire.I.Macaulay@nasa.gov.

Questions about Heliophysics Research, Planetary Science Research and Astrophysics Research opportunities should be directed to Marian Norris at mnorris@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/

Take Part in a Year of Education on Station
September 2017 – September 2018: Although on different crews, astronauts Joe Acaba and Ricky Arnold — both former teachers — will work aboard the International Space Station. Visit NASA’s A Year of Education on Station website for out-of-this-world resources and opportunities for K-16 students and educators.

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 — Nov. 8, 2017

Check out the latest edition of NASA Education’s “Science WOW!” — your source for NASA opportunities in science education delivered “Weekly On Wednesday.”

Science WOW! banner

Science Always Starts With a Question …

This Week’s Question: What Are Sunspots and Solar Flares?

The surface of the sun is a very busy place. NASA’s Space Place has a new article about sunspots and solar flares and how they can affect us here on Earth.

https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/solar-activity/en/

Have You Seen This?

Looking for more information about the star of our solar system? Check out the Sun: In Depth page for basics about the sun, solar facts and more!

https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/sun/indepth

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

Be a Mosquito Habitat Mapper With ‘GLOBE Observer’ App
Audience: All Educators and Students
Project Dates: Now Through Nov. 10, 2017

Mosquitos are more than just a summertime nuisance — they spread diseases. Now citizen scientists can use the “GLOBE Observer” app, available for Apple and Android phones, to help those who are working to understand and reduce mosquito-borne diseases. The Mosquito Habitat Mapper helps users identify and eliminate mosquito breeding sites. This local, ground-based information will help NASA by supporting satellite-based research of environmental conditions that indicate possible outbreaks of mosquitoes.

To learn more, visit https://www.globe.gov/news-events/globe-news/newsdetail/globe/nasa-citizen-science-app-tackles-mosquito-borne-disease.

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

NASA’s 2018 Drop Tower Challenge: Microgravity Expulsion From Water
Audience: 9-12 Students
Proposal Deadline: Nov. 10, 2017

NASA challenges teams of high school students to design and build objects that sink in water in normal gravity but will be expelled as far as possible out of water during free fall in NASA’s 2.2 Second Drop Tower at Glenn Research Center. The expulsion must result from hydrophobic surface properties of the object.

Top-performing teams will be invited to present their results in a poster session at the 2018 meeting of the American Society for Gravitational and Space Research.

Proposals are due Nov. 10, 2017. For more information, visit https://spaceflightsystems.grc.nasa.gov/education-outreach/expulsion/.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to Ed-DropTower@lists.nasa.gov.

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: Nov. 16 and Nov. 17, 2017, at 7 p.m. PST (10 p.m. EST)

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. PST (10 p.m. EST). 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:

Mars 2020, or There and Back Again
Event Date: Nov. 16 and Nov. 17, 2017, at 7 p.m. PST (10 p.m. EST)
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/events/lectures_archive.php?year=2017&month=11
Four years from now, NASA and its Jet Propulsion Laboratory will once again rove the Red Planet with Mars 2020. This time, mission objectives include exploration of extremely ancient habitats to enable collection of samples that could one day be returned to Earth. Join Ken Williford, the deputy project scientist for Mars 2020, for a discussion about the evolving scientific strategy for the mission.

For more information about the Theodore von Kármán Lecture Series, including a complete list of upcoming lectures, visit http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/events/lectures.php.

Questions about this series should be directed to http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/contact_JPL.php.

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

ESTEEM Virtual “Ask US” Event: International Observe the Moon Night Through a Native American Perspective
Audience: Members of Tribal and Indigenous Communities
Event Date: Nov. 8, 2017, 2 – 3 p.m. EST

On Oct. 28, 2017, events were held around the world to observe the moon. Native Americans have been observing the moon for thousands of years and have developed specific cultural connections related to the moon. Join the ESTEEM team as we explore the Native American perspective of the moon, preview materials, answer science questions, and allow for dialogue. Discover how to bring moon topics to the classroom through the eyes of Native Americans.

For more information, visit https://www.nasa.gov/education/esteem/virtual.

Questions about this webinar should be directed to Bonnie Murray at bonnie.murray@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** Earth Sense — Remote Sensing at NASA: My NASA Data
Audience: 4-12, Informal and Pre-service Educators
Event Date: Nov. 13, 2017, at 6:30 p.m. EST
Get an overview of the My NASA Data website that features resources using authentic data on topics from climate system interactions to ocean ecology to forest fires. Use of the Live Access Server for data analysis also will be discussed. The activities shared in this webinar address the Next Generation Science Standards ESS2 and ESS3. Register online to participate. https://www.eiseverywhere.com/273226

**NEW** Space Mathematics: Linking Math and Science
Audience: 5-8, Informal and Pre-service Educators
Event Date: Nov. 14, 2017, at 6:30 p.m. EST
Space Mathematics is a two-part series designed to help educators make the critical linkage between mathematics and science in the classroom. In this session, “Part 1 — Linking Math and Science,” participants will survey some of the available NASA resources and discuss the use of science as a vehicle for mathematics instruction. Register online to participate. https://www.eiseverywhere.com/273233

**NEW** Earth Sense — Remote Sensing at NASA: The Scoop on Soil
Audience: 4-10, Informal and Pre-service Educators
Event Date: Nov. 15, 2017, at 5 p.m. EST
Participants will learn how to bring outdoor inquiry-based experiences to students with the GLOBE program. Learn how NASA’s SMAP mission collects data about soil moisture. Explore the Elementary GLOBE resources including teacher guides, protocols, activities, storybooks and related STEM activities designed for grades K-12. Register online to participate. https://www.eiseverywhere.com/281907

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.

2018-2019 Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship
Audience: K-12 STEM Educators
Application Deadline: Nov. 16, 2017, at 8 p.m. EST

The Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship is a paid fellowship for K-12 science, mathematics, engineering and technology teachers. Einstein Fellows spend a school year in the Washington, D.C., area serving in a federal agency or on Capitol Hill. Applicants must be U.S. citizens currently employed full time in a U.S. elementary or secondary school or school district. Applicants must have been teaching STEM full time for at least five of the last seven years.

For details, visit http://science.energy.gov/wdts/einstein/.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to sc.einstein@science.doe.gov.

 

Opportunities for Higher Education and Informal Institutions

2018 RASC-AL Special Edition: Mars Ice Challenge Tech Demo and Engineering Design Competition
Audience: Higher Education Students and Faculty
Project Plan Submission Deadline: Nov. 16, 2017

The 2018 RASC-AL Special Edition: Mars Ice Challenge is an engineering design and technology demonstration contest open to full-time undergraduate and graduate students at accredited colleges and universities in the U.S. This challenge gives teams the opportunity to design and build hardware that can extract water from simulated Martian subsurface ice.

Up to 10 teams will be chosen to demonstrate their system’s water extraction capabilities in June 2018 at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia.

Project plans are due Nov. 16, 2017.

For more information, visit http://specialedition.rascal.nianet.org.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to rascal@nianet.org.

2018 BIG Idea Challenge
Audience: Higher Education Students and Faculty
Entry Deadline: Nov. 30, 2017

NASA’s 2018 Breakthrough, Innovative and Game-changing (BIG) Idea Challenge is an engineering design contest open to full-time undergraduate and graduate students. This competition seeks innovations in the design, installation and sustainable operation of a large solar power system on Mars. Top teams present their concepts via a design review at either NASA’s Langley Research Center in Virginia or NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Ohio. The winning team will receive NASA internship offers.

Entries are due Nov. 30, 2017. For more information, visit http://BigIdea.nianet.org.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to BigIdea@nianet.org.

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/

Take Part in a Year of Education on Station
September 2017 – September 2018: Although on different crews, astronauts Joe Acaba and Ricky Arnold — both former teachers — will work aboard the International Space Station. Visit NASA’s A Year of Education on Station website for out-of-this-world resources and opportunities for K-16 students and educators.

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 — Nov. 1, 2017

Check out the latest edition of NASA Education’s “Science WOW!” — your source for NASA opportunities in science education delivered “Weekly On Wednesday.”

Science WOW! banner

Science Always Starts With a Question …

This Week’s Question: How Does Mars Compare to Earth?

Is a day on Mars longer than a day on Earth? What is gravity like on Mars? Get answers to these questions and more!

https://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/all-about-mars/facts/

For the latest news about Mars, visit https://mars.nasa.gov/.

Have You Seen This?

Take a walk on Mars in your own living room with Access Mars! This free, immersive experience lets you experience what it would be like to walk alongside the Mars Curiosity rover on the Red Planet.
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/take-a-walk-on-mars-in-your-own-living-room

Want more interactive Mars exploration? Check out Mars Trek! This free, web-based application provides high-quality, detailed visualizations allowing astronomers, citizen scientists and students to study the Red Planet’s features.
https://marstrek.jpl.nasa.gov/

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

Send Your Name to Mars on NASA’s Next Red Planet Mission!
Audience: All Educators and Students
Deadline: Nov. 1, 2017

NASA invites the public to send their names to the Red Planet aboard NASA’s InSight Mars lander! InSight will launch in May 2018 and land on Nov. 26, 2018. The mission will do an in-depth study of the interior of Mars to answer key questions about how the solar system’s rocky planets formed, including Earth. InSight will place the first seismometer directly on the surface of Mars and deploy a self-hammering heat probe that will burrow deeper into the ground than any device on the planet has ever done.

To get your boarding pass to fly your name on the next mission to Mars, visit https://mars.nasa.gov/syn/insight.

Questions about this opportunity should be directed to http://mars.nasa.gov/feedback/.

Be a Mosquito Habitat Mapper With ‘GLOBE Observer’ App
Audience: All Educators and Students
Project Dates: Now Through Nov. 10, 2017

Mosquitos are more than just a summertime nuisance — they spread diseases. Now citizen scientists can use the “GLOBE Observer” app, available for Apple and Android phones, to help those who are working to understand and reduce mosquito-borne diseases. The Mosquito Habitat Mapper helps users identify and eliminate mosquito breeding sites. This local, ground-based information will help NASA by supporting satellite-based research of environmental conditions that indicate possible outbreaks of mosquitoes.

To learn more, visit https://www.globe.gov/news-events/globe-news/newsdetail/globe/nasa-citizen-science-app-tackles-mosquito-borne-disease.

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

NASA’s 2018 Drop Tower Challenge: Microgravity Expulsion From Water
Audience: 9-12 Students
Proposal Deadline: Nov. 10, 2017

NASA challenges teams of high school students to design and build objects that sink in water in normal gravity but will be expelled as far as possible out of water during free fall in NASA’s 2.2 Second Drop Tower at Glenn Research Center. The expulsion must result from hydrophobic surface properties of the object.

Top-performing teams will be invited to present their results in a poster session at the 2018 meeting of the American Society for Gravitational and Space Research.

Proposals are due Nov. 10, 2017. For more information, visit https://spaceflightsystems.grc.nasa.gov/education-outreach/expulsion/.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to Ed-DropTower@lists.nasa.gov.

**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: Nov. 16 and Nov. 17, 2017, at 7 p.m. PST (10 p.m. EST)

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. PST (10 p.m. EST). 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:

Mars 2020, or There and Back Again
Event Date: Nov. 16 and Nov. 17, 2017, at 7 p.m. PST (10 p.m. EST)
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/events/lectures_archive.php?year=2017&month=11
Four years from now, NASA and its Jet Propulsion Laboratory will once again rove the Red Planet with Mars 2020. This time, mission objectives include exploration of extremely ancient habitats to enable collection of samples that could one day be returned to Earth. Join Ken Williford, the deputy project scientist for Mars 2020, for a discussion about the evolving scientific strategy for the mission.

For more information about the Theodore von Kármán Lecture Series, including a complete list of upcoming lectures, visit http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/events/lectures.php.

Questions about this series should be directed to http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/contact_JPL.php.

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.

Earth Sense — Remote Sensing at NASA: For Your Eyes Only
Audience: 5-8, Informal and Pre-service Educators
Event Date: Nov. 2, 2017, at 6 p.m. EDT
Look at Earth through the eyes of the astronauts. Learn how human observations from space help us understand our planet better. Using NASA missions, real data, online resources and classroom lessons, we’ll investigate Earth with eyes from above. Register online to participate. https://www.eiseverywhere.com/280901

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** ESTEEM Virtual “Ask US” Event: International Observe the Moon Night Through a Native American Perspective
Audience: Members of Tribal and Indigenous Communities
Event Date: Nov. 8, 2017, 2 – 3 p.m. EST

On Oct. 28, 2017, events were held around the world to observe the moon. Native Americans have been observing the moon for thousands of years and have developed specific cultural connections related to the moon. Join the ESTEEM team as we explore the Native American perspective of the moon, preview materials, answer science questions, and allow for dialogue. Discover how to bring moon topics to the classroom through the eyes of Native Americans.

For more information, visit https://www.nasa.gov/education/esteem/virtual.

Questions about this webinar should be directed to Bonnie Murray at bonnie.murray@nasa.gov.

2018-2019 Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship
Audience: K-12 STEM Educators
Application Deadline: Nov. 16, 2017, at 8 p.m. EST

The Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship is a paid fellowship for K-12 science, mathematics, engineering and technology teachers. Einstein Fellows spend a school year in the Washington, D.C., area serving in a federal agency or on Capitol Hill. Applicants must be U.S. citizens currently employed full time in a U.S. elementary or secondary school or school district. Applicants must have been teaching STEM full time for at least five of the last seven years.

For details, visit http://science.energy.gov/wdts/einstein/.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to sc.einstein@science.doe.gov.

Opportunities for Higher Education and Informal Institutions

Apply to Receive Free ‘Explore Science: Earth & Space 2018’ Toolkits
Audience: Children’s Museums, Science Centers, Science Museums, NASA Visitor Centers, Public Planetariums and Observatories Located in the U.S.
Application Deadline: Nov. 1, 2017

The National Informal STEM Education Network, or NISE Network, is pleased to offer free “Explore Science: Earth & Space 2018” toolkits to new and existing eligible partners in the United States. In collaboration with NASA, the NISE Network has assembled a new set of engaging, hands-on Earth and space science experiences with connections to science, technology and society. In addition to the physical toolkits, all digital materials will be available online as a free download in February 2018.

A total of 250 toolkits will be awarded to eligible organizations through a competitive application process. Eligible organizations include children’s museums, science centers, science museums, public planetariums and observatories, and NASA visitor centers located in the U.S.

Applications are due Nov. 1, 2017. To learn more, visit http://www.nisenet.org/blog/post/applications-free-physical-2018-explore-science-earth-space-toolkits-hands-activities-due.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to Catherine McCarthy at cmccarthy@smm.org.

2018 RASC-AL Special Edition: Mars Ice Challenge Tech Demo and Engineering Design Competition
Audience: Higher Education Students and Faculty
Project Plan Submission Deadline: Nov. 16, 2017

The 2018 RASC-AL Special Edition: Mars Ice Challenge is an engineering design and technology demonstration contest open to full-time undergraduate and graduate students at accredited colleges and universities in the U.S. This challenge gives teams the opportunity to design and build hardware that can extract water from simulated Martian subsurface ice.

Up to 10 teams will be chosen to demonstrate their system’s water extraction capabilities in June 2018 at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia.

Project plans are due Nov. 16, 2017.

For more information, visit http://specialedition.rascal.nianet.org.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to rascal@nianet.org.

2018 BIG Idea Challenge
Audience: Higher Education Students and Faculty
Entry Deadline: Nov. 30, 2017

NASA’s 2018 Breakthrough, Innovative and Game-changing (BIG) Idea Challenge is an engineering design contest open to full-time undergraduate and graduate students. This competition seeks innovations in the design, installation and sustainable operation of a large solar power system on Mars. Top teams present their concepts via a design review at either NASA’s Langley Research Center in Virginia or NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Ohio. The winning team will receive NASA internship offers.

Entries are due Nov. 30, 2017. For more information, visit http://BigIdea.nianet.org.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to BigIdea@nianet.org.

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/

Take Part in a Year of Education on Station
September 2017 – September 2018: Although on different crews, astronauts Joe Acaba and Ricky Arnold — both former teachers — will work aboard the International Space Station. Visit NASA’s A Year of Education on Station website for out-of-this-world resources and opportunities for K-16 students and educators.

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 — Oct. 25, 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 Dark Matter?

Dark matter may seem spooky, but don’t be scared! Find out what we know — and don’t know — about this mysterious matter.

Basics for Beginners: https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/dark-matter/en/
Advanced Information: https://science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/focus-areas/what-is-dark-energy

Have You Seen This?

October 31 is Dark Matter Day! Find resources to celebrate the hunt for the universe’s missing matter. Or make plans to attend one of the many Dark Matter Day events scheduled nationwide.

Learn more at http://newscenter.lbl.gov/2017/06/28/dark-matter-day-is-approaching-but-dont-be-afraid-of-the-dark/.

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

Participate in International Observe the Moon Night
Audience: All Educators and Students
Event Date: Oct. 28, 2017

On Oct. 28, 2017, the whole world has the chance to admire and celebrate our moon on International Observe the Moon Night. And you can join in the fun! Visit the website to find a map of registered events and make plans to attend. If you don’t see an event near you, sign up to host your own! The website has step-by-step plans for hosting an event of any size. Ideas for hands-on activities are available to make your event a success.

To learn more, visit http://observethemoonnight.org/.

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

**NEW** Celebrate International Observe the Moon Night at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center
Audience: All Educators and Students
Event Date: Oct. 28, 2017, 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. CDT

Join in the celebration of International Observe the Moon Night with an evening of fun-filled events at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Enjoy hands-on activities, a live interactive solar system show, solar system virtual reality simulators from NASA, and a chance to see the moon up close with the help of telescopes and astronomers. The event is free and open to the public.

For event details, visit https://www.rocketcenter.com/calendar/2017-10-28/international-observe-moon-night.

Please direct questions about this event to stephanie.w.henry@nasa.gov.

Send Your Name to Mars on NASA’s Next Red Planet Mission!
Audience: All Educators and Students
Deadline: Nov. 1, 2017

NASA invites the public to send their names to the Red Planet aboard NASA’s InSight Mars lander! InSight will launch in May 2018 and land on Nov. 26, 2018. The mission will do an in-depth study of the interior of Mars to answer key questions about how the solar system’s rocky planets formed, including Earth. InSight will place the first seismometer directly on the surface of Mars and deploy a self-hammering heat probe that will burrow deeper into the ground than any device on the planet has ever done.

To get your boarding pass to fly your name on the next mission to Mars, visit https://mars.nasa.gov/syn/insight.

Questions about this opportunity should be directed to http://mars.nasa.gov/feedback/.

Be a Mosquito Habitat Mapper With ‘GLOBE Observer’ App
Audience: All Educators and Students
Project Dates: Now Through Nov. 10, 2017

Mosquitos are more than just a summertime nuisance — they spread diseases. Now citizen scientists can use the “GLOBE Observer” app, available for Apple and Android phones, to help those who are working to understand and reduce mosquito-borne diseases. The Mosquito Habitat Mapper helps users identify and eliminate mosquito breeding sites. This local, ground-based information will help NASA by supporting satellite-based research of environmental conditions that indicate possible outbreaks of mosquitoes.

To learn more, visit https://www.globe.gov/news-events/globe-news/newsdetail/globe/nasa-citizen-science-app-tackles-mosquito-borne-disease.

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

Technology for Exploration: Mysteries of Saturn and Cassini
Audience: Grades 4-10, Informal and Pre-service Educators
Event Date: Oct. 26, 2017, at 6:30 p.m. EDT
Saturn’s ringed world has attracted attention ever since humans first looked at the sky. Scientists first got a close-up look at the planet when the Pioneer and Voyager spacecrafts swung by Saturn in the 1970s and 1980s. Explore the incredible Cassini mission and learn Saturn facts to share with your students. Register online to participate. https://www.eiseverywhere.com/282865

**NEW** Using Rover Design Challenges to Teach Simple Machines
Audience: 4-10, Informal and Pre-service Educators
Event Date: Oct. 30, 2017, at 5 p.m. EDT
Explore lesson ideas featuring all six simple machines — lever, wedge, wheels and axles, screw, pulley, and inclined plane. Combine different machines to create more complex, kinetic systems. Use inspiration from real NASA missions to help students gain critical mechanical skills, “design-thinking” principles and physical science concepts. Register online to participate. https://www.eiseverywhere.com/278059

**NEW** Earth Sense — Remote Sensing at NASA: For Your Eyes Only
Audience: 5-8, Informal and Pre-service Educators
Event Date: Nov. 2, 2017, at 6 p.m. EST
Look at Earth through the eyes of the astronauts. Learn how human observations from space help us understand our planet better. Using NASA missions, real data, online resources and classroom lessons, we’ll investigate Earth with eyes from above. Register online to participate. https://www.eiseverywhere.com/280901

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** 2018-2019 Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship
Audience: K-12 STEM Educators
Application Deadline: Nov. 16, 2017, at 8 p.m. EST

The Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship is a paid fellowship for K-12 science, mathematics, engineering and technology teachers. Einstein Fellows spend a school year in the Washington, D.C., area serving in a federal agency or on Capitol Hill. Applicants must be U.S. citizens currently employed full time in a U.S. elementary or secondary school or school district. Applicants must have been teaching STEM full time for at least five of the last seven years.

For details, visit http://science.energy.gov/wdts/einstein/.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to sc.einstein@science.doe.gov.

 

Opportunities for Higher Education and Informal Institutions

Apply to Receive Free ‘Explore Science: Earth & Space 2018’ Toolkits
Audience: Children’s Museums, Science Centers, Science Museums, NASA Visitor Centers, Public Planetariums and Observatories Located in the U.S.
Application Deadline: Nov. 1, 2017

The National Informal STEM Education Network, or NISE Network, is pleased to offer free “Explore Science: Earth & Space 2018” toolkits to new and existing eligible partners in the United States. In collaboration with NASA, the NISE Network has assembled a new set of engaging, hands-on Earth and space science experiences with connections to science, technology and society. In addition to the physical toolkits, all digital materials will be available online as a free download in February 2018.

A total of 250 toolkits will be awarded to eligible organizations through a competitive application process. Eligible organizations include children’s museums, science centers, science museums, public planetariums and observatories, and NASA visitor centers located in the U.S.

Applications are due Nov. 1, 2017. To learn more, visit http://www.nisenet.org/blog/post/applications-free-physical-2018-explore-science-earth-space-toolkits-hands-activities-due.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to Catherine McCarthy at cmccarthy@smm.org.

2018 RASC-AL Special Edition: Mars Ice Challenge Tech Demo and Engineering Design Competition
Audience: Higher Education Students and Faculty
Project Plan Submission Deadline: Nov. 16, 2017

The 2018 RASC-AL Special Edition: Mars Ice Challenge is an engineering design and technology demonstration contest open to full-time undergraduate and graduate students at accredited colleges and universities in the U.S. This challenge gives teams the opportunity to design and build hardware that can extract water from simulated Martian subsurface ice.

Up to 10 teams will be chosen to demonstrate their system’s water extraction capabilities in June 2018 at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia.

Project plans are due Nov. 16, 2017.

For more information, visit http://specialedition.rascal.nianet.org.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to rascal@nianet.org.

 

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 — Oct. 18, 2017

Check out the latest edition of NASA Education’s “Science WOW!” — your source for NASA opportunities in science education delivered “Weekly On Wednesday.”

Check out the latest edition of NASA Education’s “Science WOW!” — your source for NASA opportunities in science education delivered “Weekly On Wednesday.”

Science Always Starts With a Question …

This Week’s Question: Can I See Planets From My Backyard?

Some planets in our solar system, like Venus and Jupiter, can be easy to spot with the naked eye. You just need to know when and where to look! Check out this month’s “What’s Up?” video to get all the planet-spotting details.

https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/video/details.php?id=1503

Have You Seen This?

Want to be your favorite planet for Halloween? Visit NASA’s Space Place to print a Planet Mask to top off your costume.

https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/planet-masks/en/

Opportunities for Future Scientists of All Ages

Science Opportunities for Educators of Grades K-12

Science Opportunities for Higher Education and Informal Institutions

 

Opportunities for Future Scientists of All Ages

2017 von Kármán Lecture Series — Attend in Person or View Online
Audience: All Educators; Students in Grades 9-12 and Higher Education
Next Lecture Date: Oct. 19 and Oct. 20, 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:

Sink or Swim? Using Radar to Protect California’s Water Supply
Event Date: Oct. 19 and Oct. 20, 2017, at 7 p.m. PDT (10 p.m. EDT)
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/events/lectures_archive.php?year=2017&month=10
California has highly variable annual precipitation and a great disparity between where precipitation falls and where people live and grow crops. To deal with these issues, a vast array of infrastructure is in place. Monitoring and maintaining this infrastructure is critical. Join Dr. Cathleen E. Jones, a signals analysis engineer, for a discussion about how NASA is using high-resolution, airborne radar to make this monitoring more efficient.

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.

Participate in International Observe the Moon Night
Audience: All Educators and Students
Event Date: Oct. 28, 2017

On Oct. 28, 2017, the whole world has the chance to admire and celebrate our moon on International Observe the Moon Night. And you can join in the fun! Visit the website to find a map of registered events and make plans to attend. If you don’t see an event near you, sign up to host your own! The website has step-by-step plans for hosting an event of any size. Ideas for hands-on activities are available to make your event a success.

To learn more, visit http://observethemoonnight.org/.

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

Send Your Name to Mars on NASA’s Next Red Planet Mission!
Audience: All Educators and Students
Deadline: Nov. 1, 2017

NASA invites the public to send their names to the Red Planet aboard NASA’s InSight Mars lander! InSight will launch in May 2018 and land on Nov. 26, 2018. The mission will do an in-depth study of the interior of Mars to answer key questions about how the solar system’s rocky planets formed, including Earth. InSight will place the first seismometer directly on the surface of Mars and deploy a self-hammering heat probe that will burrow deeper into the ground than any device on the planet has ever done.

To get your boarding pass to fly your name on the next mission to Mars, visit https://mars.nasa.gov/syn/insight.

Questions about this opportunity should be directed to http://mars.nasa.gov/feedback/.

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.

Technology for Exploration: Engineering a Satellite
Audience: Grades 4-10, Informal and Pre-service Educators
Event Date: Oct. 18, 2017, at 5 p.m. EDT
Materials going into space encounter extremely harsh conditions not normally encountered on Earth. Probes dropped into the atmosphere of a planet like Jupiter or Saturn’s moon, Titan, may encounter tremendous pressures, temperatures and corrosive gases. Learn how to bring these challenges into your classroom with two satellite engineering design challenges. Register online to participate. https://www.eiseverywhere.com/271398

**NEW** Technology for Exploration: Speed of Sound
Audience: K-12, Informal and Pre-service Educators
Event Date: Oct. 24, 2017, at 6:30 p.m. EDT
Explore NASA’s efforts to reduce aircraft noise. Learn about motions and forces, transfer of energy and the abilities of technological design to reduce or eliminate noise. Use hands-on experiments and physical demonstrations to make and share connections to aircraft noise research within the classroom. Register online to participate. https://www.eiseverywhere.com/281497

**NEW** Technology for Exploration: Mysteries of Saturn and Cassini
Audience: Grades 4-10, Informal and Pre-service Educators
Event Date: Oct. 26, 2017, at 6:30 p.m. EDT
Saturn’s ringed world has attracted attention ever since humans first looked at the sky. Scientists first got a close-up look at the planet when the Pioneer and Voyager spacecrafts swung by Saturn in the 1970s and 1980s. Explore the incredible Cassini mission and learn Saturn facts to share with your students. Register online to participate. https://www.eiseverywhere.com/282865

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.

Sign Up to Receive the NASA Space Place Gazette
Audience: K-6 Educators

Something new is always going on at NASA Space Place. Do you want to keep up with all the latest articles, activities and games? Sign up to receive the NASA Space Place Gazette!

This monthly e-newsletter for educators and parents has information on all of the latest and greatest offerings from the NASA Space Place website. To sign up, visit https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/subscribe/en/.

Please direct questions about the NASA Space Place Gazette to info@spaceplace.nasa.gov.

Opportunities for Higher Education and Informal Institutions

Apply to Receive Free ‘Explore Science: Earth & Space 2018’ Toolkits
Audience: Children’s Museums, Science Centers, Science Museums, NASA Visitor Centers, Public Planetariums and Observatories Located in the U.S.
Application Deadline: Nov. 1, 2017

The National Informal STEM Education Network, or NISE Network, is pleased to offer free “Explore Science: Earth & Space 2018” toolkits to new and existing eligible partners in the United States. In collaboration with NASA, the NISE Network has assembled a new set of engaging, hands-on Earth and space science experiences with connections to science, technology and society. In addition to the physical toolkits, all digital materials will be available online as a free download in February 2018.

A total of 250 toolkits will be awarded to eligible organizations through a competitive application process. Eligible organizations include children’s museums, science centers, science museums, public planetariums and observatories, and NASA visitor centers located in the U.S.

Applications are due Nov. 1, 2017. To learn more, visit http://www.nisenet.org/blog/post/applications-free-physical-2018-explore-science-earth-space-toolkits-hands-activities-due.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to Catherine McCarthy at cmccarthy@smm.org.

Help NASA 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/