NASA Education “Science WOW!” Message — Sept. 7, 2016

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 OSIRIS-REx?

OSIRIS-REx is set to launch on Sept. 8, but what is it? Watch this video to learn the answer: https://youtu.be/3194ROG7VCE.


Have You Seen This?


Want to fly along with NASA’s fleet of Earth science missions? Or travel to planets, their moons, asteroids, comets and more? Is an immersive, real-time visualization of all planets that have been discovered around other stars what you’re looking for? Check out the NASA’s Eyes applications for Mac, PC and mobile devices!

Visit http://eyes.nasa.gov/ to download the app and get started.


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** What’s New at NASA’s Space Place Website?
Audience: K-6 Educators and Students

Space Place is a NASA website for elementary students, their teachers, and their parents. Check it out at www.spaceplace.nasa.gov.

New Resources:

Galactic Explorer
— A galaxy is a huge collection of gas, dust and billions of stars held together by gravity. Visit as many galaxies as possible in Galactic Explorer, our new NASA Space Place game!
http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/galactic-explorer

Sun Comparison — Our sun is a bright, hot ball of hydrogen and helium at the center of our solar system. So hot, that it’s actually 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit at the surface and 27 million degrees Fahrenheit in the core! But how does our sun compare to other stars?
http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/sun-compare

Sunscreen Activity — The sun sends energy toward Earth in the form of ultraviolet, or UV, light. We can’t see UV light with our eyes, but we are affected by it. Make handprint art using UV light.
http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/sunscreen-activity

NASA Space Place Calendar — Looking for some hands-on activities and fun facts to use in the classroom? Check out our 2016-2017 NASA Space Place Calendar! This calendar includes many noteworthy space dates and links to related content on our website.
http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/calendar

Rovers on Mars — Over the years, we’ve sent four rovers to study the cold, red planet we call Mars. We even plan to send another one in just a few years. Meet the team of rovers and discover what we’ve learned from each one.

Sojourner
http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/mars-sojourner

Spirit and Opportunity
http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/mars-spirit-opportunity

Curiosity
http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/mars-curiosity

Mars2020
http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/mars-2020

Back to School
Summer is almost over, and that means it’s time to head back to the classroom! Here are some helpful resources:

Math Activities
http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/math-activities

Social Media
To keep up with the latest, follow us on Facebook and Twitter @nasaspaceplace.

Special Days to Celebrate
Find out about noteworthy days in NASA and space history that you can observe in your classroom.

Sept. 18 — Voyager 1 took the first photo of Earth and the moon together in 1977.
Find out what this spacecraft is doing now.
http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/voyager-to-planets.

Sept. 23 — Neptune was discovered on this day in 1846.
Neptune is dark, cold and very windy. What else do we know about this planet?
http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/all-about-neptune

Oct. 1 — Happy Birthday, NASA!
Today, NASA opened its doors for the first time. But did you know there are also other agencies in space?
http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/other-agencies

Oct. 15 — Today, Uranus will be at its closest approach to Earth.
Fun Fact: Uranus actually has faint rings.
http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/all-about-uranus

Oct. 21 — Get ready for the peak of the Orionid meteor shower!
What causes a meteor shower?
http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/meteor-shower

Share
Do you want some help spreading the word about NASA’s Space Place? We have a page with ready-to-use website descriptions, logos and links to all our social media. Check out http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/share.

Subscribe to Our Monthly E-newsletter!
Interested in keeping up with the latest and greatest news from NASA Space Place? Subscribe to the NASA Space Place Gazette. The NASA Space Place Gazette is for educators, parents and space enthusiasts of all ages. It includes special bulletins for noteworthy days and NASA events, such as a lunar eclipse, planet flyby or rover landing. It’s easy to subscribe — just click here.
http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/subscribe

Send Feedback
Please let us know your ideas about ways to use The Space Place in your teaching. Send them to info@spaceplace.nasa.gov.


NASA’s Digital Learning Network Event — Live From Juno: Exploring Jupiter
Audience: All Educators and Students
Event Date: Sept. 12, 2016, 1 p.m. EDT

After five years of travel, Juno is in orbit actively exploring the largest planet in our solar system. Join NASA’s Digital Learning Network for a live webcast showcasing what we have learned in the first two months since Juno’s arrival at Jupiter and what we expect to learn throughout the course of this mission. The program will be live from two NASA centers, feature special guests and include questions from the online audience.

The event will be webcast on the NASA DLiNfo Channel on Sept. 12, 2016, at 1 p.m. EDT.

Ask questions via Twitter using #askDLN, via Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/NASADLN, or via email to DLiNfochannel@gmail.com.

For more information, visit https://www.nasa.gov/dln.


**NEW** Be a Citizen Earth Scientist With New ‘GLOBE Observer’ App
Audience: All Educators and Students
Initial Release Phase: Aug. 31-Sept. 14, 2016

Want to be a citizen Earth scientist? To contribute to NASA’s studies of our home planet, all you need is a smartphone, access to the outdoors, and the new “GLOBE Observer” app.

Now available for Apple and Android phones, the app is an initiative of the Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment program. For over two decades, GLOBE has enabled schools and students in over 110 countries to investigate their local environment and put their observations in a global context.

The initial release of the app allows users to collect observations of clouds, which are a critical part of the global climate system. From Aug. 31 – Sept.14, the GLOBE Observer team challenges citizen scientists to collect cloud observations that coincide with the overpass of cloud-observing satellites over their location. Through the GLOBE Observer app, users will be informed about the timing of the satellite overpass at their respective locations. Users can also view daily maps of the satellite’s path by following GLOBE Observer on Facebook or Twitter.

To learn more, visit https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2016/nasa-launches-new-citizen-science-opportunity and http://observer.globe.gov.


Science Opportunities for Educators of Grades K-12


**NEW** Take ‘STEM on Station’ Back to School With You
Audience: K-12 Educators

Looking for ways to bring the space station into your classroom? Visit NASA’s STEM on Station website to learn about the station, the research currently taking place there, and exciting ways to get your students involved. Take a look at the themed “Teacher Toolkits” to find lesson plans and other resources related to a monthly topic. STEM on Station has everything you need, all in one place!

More opportunities and resources await you at this education website focused on the space station. https://www.nasa.gov/education/STEMstation


NASA’s Digital Learning Network Event – OSIRIS-REx L-1 Webcast
Audience: All Educators and Students
Event Date: Sept. 7, 2016, 1 – 2 p.m. EDT

As NASA prepares to launch the first U.S. asteroid sample return mission, the Digital Learning Network is hosting a live interactive video chat with special guests including a Launch Services Program engineer. Tune in to learn more about OSIRIS-REx, which will reach a near-Earth asteroid called Bennu in 2018 and return a sample to Earth in 2023. The DLN Live event will stream on the DLiNfo Channel one day before launch. Tweet questions with #askDLN or email DLiNfochannel@gmail.com.

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

The one-hour event will be webcast on the NASA DLiNfo Channel on Sept. 7, 2016, at 1 p.m. EDT.

For more information and other DLN events, visit https://www.nasa.gov/dln .


**NEW** 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.

Seeing Your Students at NASA: So You Want to Be an Astronaut and Other NASA Careers
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades K-12
Event Date: Sept. 8, 2016, at 6 p.m. EDT
Working at NASA is not just being an astronaut. Explore the many NASA STEM careers needed to successfully accomplish the unique, exciting missions that explore and build a better understanding of Earth and the universe beyond. NASA career education curriculum and resources will also be integrated into this online learning session. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/197933

Seeing Your Students at NASA: Climate Kids — Dream of a Green Career
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades K-12
Event Date: Sept. 12, 2016, at 6 p.m. EDT
The Climate Kids website features sections through which participants gain a deeper understanding of climate change issues. The section titles are Learn the Basics, See the Impacts, Think Like a Scientist, Be Part of the Solution and Dream of a Green Career. This NASA education resource includes articles, videos, images and games focused on the science of climate change. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/196236

Lava Layering: Making and Mapping a Volcano
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 5-8
Event Date: Sept. 14, 2016, at 7 p.m. EDT
The focus of this webinar is interpreting geologic history through volcano formation and excavation. Baking soda, vinegar and play dough are used to model fluid lava flows. Various colors of play dough identify different eruption events. Students will (1) Construct a model of a volcano, (2) Produce lava flows, (3) Observe, draw, record, and interpret the history and stratigraphy of a volcano produced by other students, and (4) Draw connections between Earth and Mars by studying volcanic features on each. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/196508

For a full schedule of upcoming webinars, visit http://www.txstate-epdc.net/events/.

Please direct questions about this series of webinars to Steve Culivan at stephen.p.culivan@nasa.gov.


Science Opportunities for Higher Education and Informal Institutions


Center for Astronomy Education Regional Teaching Exchanges and Workshops — Fall/Winter 2016-2017
Audience: Current and Future College Instructors of Astronomy
Next Event Date: Sept. 17, 2016

NASA’s Center for Astronomy Education, or CAE, announces a series of regional teaching exchanges and workshops for astronomy and space science educators.

Teaching exchanges foster a sense of community among geographically linked current and future college instructors of astronomy. Regional experts from the broader CAE community are ready to provide the opportunity for you to meet your neighbors, expand your instructional repertoire and share your own expertise.

Workshops provide participants with experiences needed to create effective and productive active-learning classroom environments. Workshop leaders model best practices in implementing many different classroom-tested instructional strategies. But more importantly, workshop participants will gain first-hand experience implementing these proven strategies.

Sept. 17, 2016 — Westchester Community College in Valhalla, New York
CAE Northeast Regional Teaching Exchange

For more information and to register for the teaching exchanges, visit http://astronomy101.jpl.nasa.gov/workshops/index.cfm.

Inquiries about this series of events should be directed to Gina Brissenden at gbrissenden@as.arizona.edu.

CAE is funded through NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Exoplanet Exploration Program.


**NEW** NASA Unveils New Public Web Portal for Research Results
Audience: All Educators and Students

With the launch of a new agency public access portal, public access to NASA-funded research data now is just a click away. PubSpace is a repository of original science journal articles produced by NASA-funded research and available online without a fee.

While the agency always has made access to its research a high priority, the focus now is to make NASA science data more easily obtainable via “one-stop shopping.” This increased public access is intended to accelerate the dissemination of fundamental research results to advance scientific knowledge and help ensure the nation’s future prosperity.

The NASA-Funded Research Results portal was created in response to a 2013 request from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, which directed science-funding agencies to develop plans to increase access to the results of federally funded research. NASA’s public access plan was developed in coordination with the science and technology research community across the agency. NASA will continue to consult with the scientific community, academic institutions, publishers and other federal agencies to implement this plan and increase access to research results.

For more information, visit https://www.nasa.gov/open/researchaccess.


Do you want more NASA science? Visit http://science.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 https://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/current-opps-index.html
— Students https://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 https://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: https://www.nasa.gov/education
For Educators: https://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/index.html
For Students: https://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/index.html
NASA Kids’ Club: https://www.nasa.gov/kidsclub

Did you miss last week’s NASA Education Science WOW! message?
Visit the Science WOW! blog for an archive of previous messages.
https://blogs.nasa.gov/educationsciencewow/

NASA Education “Science WOW!” Message — Aug. 31, 2016

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 Earth?

Planet Earth is called the “Goldilocks planet.” Check out these articles written for students that explain why Earth is just right for us!

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


Have You Seen This?


For more than 50 years, satellites have been observing Earth from orbit. This unique vantage point has provided new perspectives on our home planet. The Earth As Art downloadable book celebrates the beauty of Earth’s patterns, shapes, colors and textures.

Visit https://www.nasa.gov/connect/ebooks/earth_art_detail.html to learn more and download the book.


Opportunities for Future Scientists of All Ages



Science Opportunities for Educators of Grades K-12



Science Opportunities for Higher Education and Informal Institutions



Opportunities for Future Scientists of All Ages


NASA’s Digital Learning Network Event — Live From Juno: Exploring Jupiter
Audience: All Educators and Students
Event Date: Sept. 12, 2016, 1 p.m. EDT

After five years of travel, Juno is in orbit actively exploring the largest planet in our solar system. Join NASA’s Digital Learning Network for a live webcast showcasing what we have learned in the first two months since Juno’s arrival at Jupiter and what we expect to learn throughout the course of this mission. The program will be live from two NASA centers, feature special guests and include questions from the online audience.

The event will be webcast on the NASA DLiNfo Channel on Sept. 12, 2016, at 1 p.m. EDT.

Ask questions via Twitter using #askDLN, via Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/NASADLN, or via email to DLiNfochannel@gmail.com.

For more information, visit https://www.nasa.gov/dln.


NASA Invites You to #SpotHubble
Audience: All Educators and Students

Since its launch in 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope has sent back mind-blowing images that not only changed our understanding of our universe, but also changed where we see glimpses of our universe in everyday life.

Hubble is more than a science spacecraft; it’s a cultural phenomenon! Take a moment to think about where you’ve seen the Hubble Space Telescope or Hubble images in your daily life. Maybe you own a textbook with a picture of the telescope on the cover, or you walk by a mural inspired by Hubble images every day on your way to work. Perhaps you’ve even created art based on Hubble images. NASA wants to see the Hubble impact in your life! Share your photos with NASA on Instagram, Twitter, Flickr and Facebook.

Images may be submitted on the following social media platforms:

— Flickr:
Submit your photos to the Spot Hubble Flickr Group.
— Instagram: Use the Instagram app to upload your photo, and in the description include #SpotHubble and #NASAGoddard.
Twitter: Share your image on Twitter and include #SpotHubble in the tweet.
— Facebook: Share your image on Facebook and include #SpotHubble in the post.

Your #SpotHubble image may be shared on NASA Hubble social media accounts!

To learn more, visit https://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/2016/spothubble.


Science Opportunities for Educators of Grades K-12


**NEW** 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.

Real NASA Data for Real Learning: My NASA Data
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 4-12
Event Date: Sept. 1, 2016, at 6:30 p.m. EDT
Participants will get an overview of resources from the My NASA Data website and discover ways to incorporate real NASA data into discussions about topics ranging from climate system interactions to ocean ecology to forest fires. Use of the Live Access Server for data analysis will also be discussed. This webinar addresses the Next Generation Science Standards ESS2 and ESS3. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/196653

For a full schedule of upcoming webinars, visit http://www.txstate-epdc.net/events/.

Please direct questions about this series of webinars to Steve Culivan at stephen.p.culivan@nasa.gov.


Solar System Ambassadors Program Accepting Applications
Audience: All Educators
Application Period: Sept. 1-30, 2016

The NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory Solar System Ambassadors Program, a nationwide network of space enthusiast volunteers, will be accepting applications from Sept. 1 through Sept. 30, 2016.

Highly motivated individuals will be given the opportunity to represent NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory as volunteer SSAs to the public for a one-year, renewable term beginning Jan. 1, 2017.

While applications are being sought nationwide, interested parties from the following areas are especially encouraged to apply: Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Mississippi, Nebraska, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, Wyoming, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories. SSA hopes to add 100 new volunteers to the program in 2017.

To learn more about the SSA Program and to apply online, visit https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/ssa/home.cfm. The Announcement of Opportunity and application form will be available on Sept. 1.

If you have questions about this opportunity, contact Kay Ferrari, SSA coordinator, by email at ambassad@jpl.nasa.gov.

 


NASA’s Digital Learning Network Event – OSIRIS-REx L-1 Webcast
Audience: All Educators and Students
Event Date: Sept. 7, 2016, 1 – 2 p.m. EDT

As NASA prepares to launch the first U.S. asteroid sample return mission, the Digital Learning Network is hosting a live interactive video chat with special guests including a Launch Services Program engineer. Tune in to learn more about OSIRIS-REx, which will reach a near-Earth asteroid called Bennu in 2018 and return a sample to Earth in 2023. The DLN Live event will stream on the DLiNfo Channel one day before launch. Tweet questions with #askDLN or email DLiNfochannel@gmail.com.

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

The one-hour event will be webcast on the NASA DLiNfo Channel on Sept. 7, 2016, at 1 p.m. EDT.

For more information and other DLN events, visit https://www.nasa.gov/dln .


Bring NASA’s Summer Discoveries Into the Classroom With Free Education Resources
Audience: All Educators

This summer, while many of us were sleeping in and avoiding school work, lots of exciting things were happening in and around our solar system!

Check out resources from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory that will help you kick off the 2016 school year right by turning those stellar events into educational connections with NASA.

Summer in the Northern Hemisphere is fire season. See how NASA satellites and airborne instruments are helping scientists better understand wildfires and their impact on our changing climate. Bring the story into the classroom with JPL’s latest Teachable Moment featuring lesson plans that use real NASA data. Or spruce up your classroom with a NASA Earth Science bulletin board kit.

On July 4, the Juno spacecraft entered orbit around Jupiter! Explore the mission with your students with free classroom activities, videos and an easy-to-build Juno model.

To learn more and download education materials to kick off your school year, visit http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/news/2016/8/23/what-nasa-did-over-your-summer-vacation/.


Science Opportunities for Higher Education and Informal Institutions


Center for Astronomy Education Regional Teaching Exchanges and Workshops — Fall/Winter 2016-2017
Audience: Current and Future College Instructors of Astronomy
Next Event Date: Sept. 10, 2016

NASA’s Center for Astronomy Education, or CAE, announces a series of regional teaching exchanges and workshops for astronomy and space science educators.

Teaching exchanges foster a sense of community among geographically linked current and future college instructors of astronomy. Regional experts from the broader CAE community are ready to provide the opportunity for you to meet your neighbors, expand your instructional repertoire and share your own expertise.

Workshops provide participants with experiences needed to create effective and productive active-learning classroom environments. Workshop leaders model best practices in implementing many different classroom-tested instructional strategies. But more importantly, workshop participants will gain first-hand experience implementing these proven strategies.

Sept. 10, 2016 — Westchester Community College in Valhalla, New York
CAE Northeast Regional Teaching Exchange

For more information and to register for the teaching exchanges, visit http://astronomy101.jpl.nasa.gov/workshops/index.cfm.

Inquiries about this series of events should be directed to Gina Brissenden at gbrissenden@as.arizona.edu.

CAE is funded through NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Exoplanet Exploration Program.


Do you want more NASA science? Visit http://science.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 https://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/current-opps-index.html
— Students https://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 https://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: https://www.nasa.gov/education
For Educators: https://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/index.html
For Students: https://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/index.html
NASA Kids’ Club: https://www.nasa.gov/kidsclub

Did you miss last week’s NASA Education Science WOW! message?
Visit the Science WOW! blog for an archive of previous messages.
https://blogs.nasa.gov/educationsciencewow/

NASA Education “Science WOW!” Message — Aug. 24, 2016

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

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


Science Always Starts With a Question …


This Week’s Question: What Is a Conjunction?

The conjunction of Venus and Jupiter will take place just after sunset on Aug. 27, 2016, but what is a conjunction? Visit http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/review/partners/AstronomyClub_July.pdf to find the answer!


Have You Seen This?


Grab a telescope, binoculars or just a lawn chair and head out to the backyard for a night of cosmic sightseeing. The monthly “Tonight’s Sky” stargazing guides keep you informed about constellations, deep sky objects, planets and events.

Learn more at http://amazingspace.org/tonights_sky/.


Opportunities for Future Scientists of All Ages



Science Opportunities for Educators of Grades K-12



Science Opportunities for Higher Education and Informal Institutions


 


Opportunities for Future Scientists of All Ages

 


NASA’s Digital Learning Network Event — Live From Juno: Exploring Jupiter
Audience: All Educators and Students
Event Date: Sept. 12, 2016, 1 p.m. EDT

After five years of travel, Juno is in orbit actively exploring the largest planet in our solar system. Join NASA’s Digital Learning Network for a live webcast showcasing what we have learned in the first two months since Juno’s arrival at Jupiter and what we expect to learn throughout the course of this mission. The program will be live from two NASA centers, feature special guests and include questions from the online audience.

The event will be webcast on the NASA DLiNfo Channel on Sept. 12, 2016, at 1 p.m. EDT.

Ask questions via Twitter using #askDLN, via Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/NASADLN, or via email to DLiNfochannel@gmail.com.

For more information, visit https://www.nasa.gov/dln.


2016 von Kármán Lecture Series — Attend in Person or View Online
Audience: All Educators; Students in Grades 9-12 and Higher Education
Next Lecture Date: Sept. 22, 2016, 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:

Revealing Saturn: Cassini Science Highlights and the Grand Finale
Event Date:
Sept. 22 and Sept. 23, 2016, at 7 p.m. PDT (10 p.m. EDT)
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/events/lectures_archive.php?year=2016&month=9
The Cassini mission’s findings have revolutionized our understanding of Saturn. With its mission winding down, what new puzzles will Cassini solve before it plunges into Saturn’s atmosphere? Cassini Project Scientist Dr. Linda Spilker will present highlights of Cassini’s ambitious inquiry at Saturn and an overview of science observations in the final orbits. Dr. Earl Maize, Cassini program manager, will discuss Cassini’s exciting challenges and the final year of the mission, ultimately flying through a region where no spacecraft has ever flown before.

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


TimPix Project: Access NASA Data to Analyze Astronaut Radiation Exposure in Space
Audience: Educators and Students, Ages 14 to 18
Entry Deadline: Dec. 3, 2016

Imagine what it would be like to live in space. What kind of shelter would you live in? What kind of protection would you have from the elements? How long could you stay there?

On Earth, humans are protected from radiation by the atmosphere and Earth’s magnetic field. Astronauts on the space station are above the atmosphere and receive a higher dose of radiation than when they are on the ground. The harmful effects of radiation that come from the sun and other sources outside the solar system pose danger to humans living and working in space.

Radiation is one of the top concerns for humans living in deep space for long durations. A NASA group called RadWorks is using radiation detectors the size of USB thumb drives to collect data inside the International Space Station. Together with the University of Houston and the Institute for Research in Schools, RadWorks is sharing the data with high school students who are helping to analyze the radiation that astronaut Tim Peake is exposed to during his time aboard the International Space Station.

NASA is making this same data available to teachers and students through the TimPix project administered by the Institute for Research in Schools, with funding from the European Space Agency and the United Kingdom Space Agency. During European Space Agency astronaut Tim Peake’s time aboard the station, data is taken many times a minute while in orbit. A variety of data sets are currently available, and others are being added as the mission progresses. Aimed at high school physics classes, the TimPix project allows students ages 14-18 to access and analyze radiation data during Peake’s mission. They are able to take part in authentic research occurring aboard the station. What type of radiation is present? What impact do different altitudes or locations around the world have on the number and types of particles detected? What happens during a solar flare? Join us in helping NASA answer these questions!

For more information about NASA’s Radworks project, visit http://techport.nasa.gov/view/10581.

For more information or to register for the TimPix project, email timpix@researchinschools.org.


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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Celebrate Curiosity’s Anniversary With New ‘Mars Rover’ Game
Audience: All Educators and Students

As Curiosity marks its fourth anniversary (in Earth years) since landing on Mars, the rover is working on collecting its 17th sample. While Curiosity explores Mars, gamers can join the fun via a new social media game, “Mars Rover.”

On their mobile devices, players drive a rover through rough Martian terrain, challenging themselves to navigate and balance the rover while earning points along the way. The game also illustrates how NASA’s next Mars rover, in development for launch in 2020, will use radar to search for underground water.

Get the free app to play “Mars Rover,” and find out how the game rover compares to real Mars rovers. Visit http://mars.nasa.gov/gamee-rover/ to learn more.


NASA Invites You to #SpotHubble
Audience: All Educators and Students

Since its launch in 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope has sent back mind-blowing images that not only changed our understanding of our universe, but also changed where we see glimpses of our universe in everyday life.

Hubble is more than a science spacecraft; it’s a cultural phenomenon! Take a moment to think about where you’ve seen the Hubble Space Telescope or Hubble images in your daily life. Maybe you own a textbook with a picture of the telescope on the cover, or you walk by a mural inspired by Hubble images every day on your way to work. Perhaps you’ve even created art based on Hubble images. NASA wants to see the Hubble impact in your life! Share your photos with NASA on Instagram, Twitter, Flickr and Facebook.

Images may be submitted on the following social media platforms:

— Flickr:
Submit your photos to the Spot Hubble Flickr Group.
— Instagram: Use the Instagram app to upload your photo, and in the description include #SpotHubble and #NASAGoddard.
Twitter: Share your image on Twitter and include #SpotHubble in the tweet.
— Facebook: Share your image on Facebook and include #SpotHubble in the post.

Your #SpotHubble image may be shared on NASA Hubble social media accounts!

To learn more, visit https://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/2016/spothubble.


Help NASA Study Mars — Planet Four: Terrains
Audience: All Educators and Students

Help NASA study exotic landscape features near the south pole of Mars! In this citizen science project, you will view images from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter’s Context Camera. Your input will help scientists identify possible areas for even more detailed examination with the orbiter’s High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment camera. HiRISE can reveal more detail than any other camera ever put into orbit around Mars.

Some of Mars resembles deserts on Earth, but seasonal freezing and thawing of carbon-dioxide ice (known on Earth as “dry ice”) at the Martian poles create some unusual landscape features. There’s a lot of territory to cover, so scientists need your help identifying what and where these features are.

For more information and to learn how to participate, visit the “Planet Four: Terrains” website at https://www.zooniverse.org/#/projects/mschwamb/planet-four-terrains.

To learn more about NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and its mission at the Red Planet, visit http://mars.nasa.gov/mro/.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to Michelle Viotti at michelle.a.viotti@jpl.nasa.gov.


‘ISS: Science on Orbit’ Exhibit at U.S. Space & Rocket Center
Audience: All Educators and Students

The U.S. Space & Rocket Center’s “ISS: Science on Orbit” exhibit provides visitors with a true sense of what it is like to live and work in space. This exhibit, funded by a NASA grant, begins with a model of NASA’s Payload Operations Integration Center, where scientists and engineers on Earth manage the complex, international science experiments that astronauts conduct on the International Space Station.

Two mockups of space station modules contain 20 full-scale replica racks that illustrate the Environmental Control and Life Support Systems, the astronauts’ food, and a sleeping berth, among other necessary aspects of life and work aboard the station. A connecting node contains a full-scale replica of the Cupola Observation Module, which provides space station crew members with a view of Earth and space.

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

Questions about the exhibit can be directed to Dr. Kay Taylor at kay.taylor@spacecamp.com.


Science Opportunities for Educators of Grades K-12


**NEW** 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.

Real NASA Data for Real Learning: Hurricanes
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 5-8
Event Date: Aug. 25, 2016, at 6 p.m. EDT
As we enter the heart of the 2016 hurricane season, use real NASA data to explore hurricanes while integrating NASA missions, STEM curriculum, design challenges, online resources and the Next Generation Science Standards into your classroom instruction. Also scheduled to present in this webinar will be a U.S. Air Force Reserve “Hurricane Hunters” pilot from Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi, who will share his experiences and expertise in the study of hurricanes and other major storms. (Participation is subject to change because of unpredictable tropical storm activity on the date of this webinar). Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/191057

Real NASA Data for Real Learning: Precipitation Education
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades K-12
Event Date: Aug. 29, 2016, at 6 p.m. EDT
Rain, snow and other forms of precipitation affect every part of life on Earth. Rain falls on the crops we eat, fills the reservoirs of water we drink, and is an integral part of everyday weather and long-term climate trends. The Precipitation Education website, presented by NASA’s Global Precipitation Measurement mission, provides students and educators with resources to learn about Earth’s water cycle, weather, climate and the technology and societal applications of studying these topics. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/196228

Real NASA Data for Real Learning: Clouds and Contrails
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 6-12
Event Date: Aug. 30, 2016, at 4 p.m. EDT
This webinar focuses on cloud types, in particular contrails, and Earth’s energy balance. Clouds are the largest variable controlling Earth’s atmospheric temperature and climate. Contrails, especially persistent contrails, represent a human-caused increase in high, thin clouds in the Earth’s atmosphere. Participants will learn about the S’COOL and GLOBE programs. These programs use real NASA data and feature an emphasis on student observations. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/192105

Real NASA Data for Real Learning: My NASA Data
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 4-12
Event Date: Sept. 1, 2016, at 6:30 p.m. EDT
Participants will get an overview of resources from the My NASA Data website and discover ways to incorporate real NASA data into discussions about topics ranging from climate system interactions to ocean ecology to forest fires. Use of the Live Access Server for data analysis will also be discussed. This webinar addresses the Next Generation Science Standards ESS2 and ESS3. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/196653

For a full schedule of upcoming webinars, visit http://www.txstate-epdc.net/events/.

Please direct questions about this series of webinars to Steve Culivan at stephen.p.culivan@nasa.gov.


Free Education Webinar From the GOES-R Education Proving Ground — GOES-R: Countdown to Launch!
Audience: 6-12 Educators
Event Date: Sept. 17, 2016, at 11:30 a.m. EDT

The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites-R series is the next generation of geostationary Earth-observing systems. The GOES-R series satellites will provide continuous imagery and atmospheric measurements of Earth’s Western Hemisphere. The satellites will collect lightning data and monitor space weather to provide critical atmospheric, hydrologic, oceanic, climatic, solar and space data. The first satellite in the GOES-R series is scheduled to launch in October 2016.

To help educators prepare for the new satellite imagery and data that will be available during the GOES-R era, the GOES-R Education Proving Ground will host a series of education webcasts leading up to launch.

The webinars will take place on the following Saturday mornings at 11:30 a.m. Eastern Time.

Sept. 17, 2016: Countdown to Launch!

For more information, including log-in instructions for the webinars, visit http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/education/goesr/.

Please direct questions about this series of webinars to Margaret Mooney at Margaret.Mooney@ssec.wisc.edu.


GLOBE El Niño Field Campaign and Webinar — Using El Niño GLOBE Data for Scientific Research
Audience: K-12 Educators
Next Webinar Date: Sept. 19, 2016, at 8 p.m. EDT

El Niño and La Niña are important phenomena that can impact the climate by causing global flooding and droughts as well as changes in seasonal weather. These interactions around the world are called teleconnections. Because of the importance of this issue, a GLOBE ENSO (El Niño Southern Oscillation) Campaign has been formulated to engage students in determining where and how much El Niño affects local places and to put students in contact with their local environment.

To learn more about the campaign and how to participate, visit http://www.globe.gov/web/el-nino/el-nino-campaign.

To help educators prepare for the El Niño Campaign, GLOBE is hosting a series of free education webinars to discuss the mechanics of the campaign, give updates on data collection, and give participants the opportunity to learn science content from experts.

The final hourlong webinar in the series will take place on the following date at 8 p.m. EDT.

Sept. 19, 2016: El Niño Student Campaign Refresher and Update

For more information, including log-in instructions for the webinars and recordings of previous webinars in the series, visit http://www.globe.gov/web/el-nino/el-nino-campaign/webinars.

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


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 https://www.nasa.gov/topics/journeytomars/index.html.


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

Are you looking for ways to prepare your 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.


Science Opportunities for Higher Education and Informal Institutions


Center for Astronomy Education Regional Teaching Exchanges and Workshops — Fall/Winter 2016-2017
Audience: Current and Future College Instructors of Astronomy
Next Event Date: Sept. 10, 2016

NASA’s Center for Astronomy Education, or CAE, announces a series of regional teaching exchanges and workshops for astronomy and space science educators.

Teaching exchanges foster a sense of community among geographically linked current and future college instructors of astronomy. Regional experts from the broader CAE community are ready to provide the opportunity for you to meet your neighbors, expand your instructional repertoire and share your own expertise.

Workshops provide participants with experiences needed to create effective and productive active-learning classroom environments. Workshop leaders model best practices in implementing many different classroom-tested instructional strategies. But more importantly, workshop participants will gain first-hand experience implementing these proven strategies.

Sept. 10, 2016 — Westchester Community College in Valhalla, New York
CAE Northeast Regional Teaching Exchange

Sept. 24, 2016 — Seattle University in Seattle, Washington
CAE Northwest Regional Teaching Exchange

Sept. 24, 2016 — Guilford Technical Community College in Jamestown, North Carolina
CAE Southeast Regional Teaching Exchange

Jan. 4, 2017 — Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center in Grapevine, Texas
CAE Tier I Teaching Excellence Workshop — New Methods for Teaching About Exoplanets

Jan. 5, 2017 — Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center in Grapevine, Texas
CAE Tier I Teaching Excellence Workshop — New Methods for Teaching in the Flipped Classroom

For more information and to register for the teaching exchanges, visit http://astronomy101.jpl.nasa.gov/workshops/index.cfm.

Inquiries about this series of events should be directed to Gina Brissenden at gbrissenden@as.arizona.edu.

CAE is funded through NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Exoplanet Exploration Program.


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

Are you looking for ways to prepare your 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.


Do you want more NASA science? Visit http://science.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 https://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/current-opps-index.html
— Students https://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 https://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: https://www.nasa.gov/education
For Educators: https://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/index.html
For Students: https://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/index.html
NASA Kids’ Club: https://www.nasa.gov/kidsclub

NASA Education “Science WOW!” — Aug. 17, 2016

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

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


Science Always Starts With a Question …


This Week’s Question: What Is a Planet?

Visit http://missionscience.nasa.gov/nasascience/what_is_a_planet.html to find the answer!


Have You Seen This?


Creating a scale model of the solar system with students is a great way for them to experience the vastness of the solar system! The hands-on process can also help to convey the relative sizes and locations of planets and other solar system objects.

Learn more at http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/educ/byoss.


Opportunities for Future Scientists of All Ages



Science Opportunities for Formal and Informal Educators


Science Opportunities for Higher Education and Informal Institutions



Opportunities for Future Scientists of All Ages


NASA’s Digital Learning Network Event — Live From Juno: Exploring Jupiter
Audience: All Educators and Students
Event Date: Sept. 12, 2016, 1 p.m. EDT

After five years of travel, Juno is in orbit actively exploring the largest planet in our solar system. Join NASA’s Digital Learning Network for a live webcast showcasing what we have learned in the first two months since Juno’s arrival at Jupiter and what we expect to learn throughout the course of this mission. The program will be live from two NASA centers, feature special guests and include questions from the online audience.

The event will be webcast on the NASA DLiNfo Channel on Sept. 12, 2016, at 1 p.m. EDT.

Ask questions via Twitter using #askDLN, via Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/NASADLN, or via email to DLiNfochannel@gmail.com.

For more information, visit https://www.nasa.gov/dln.


**NEW** 2016 von Kármán Lecture Series — Attend in Person or View Online
Audience: All Educators; Students in Grades 9-12 and Higher Education
Next Lecture Date: Sept. 22, 2016, 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:

Revealing Saturn: Cassini Science Highlights and the Grand Finale
Event Date:
Sept. 22 and Sept. 23, 2016, at 7 p.m. PDT (10 p.m. EDT)
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/events/lectures_archive.php?year=2016&month=9
The Cassini mission’s findings have revolutionized our understanding of Saturn. With its mission winding down, what new puzzles will Cassini solve before it plunges into Saturn’s atmosphere? Cassini Project Scientist Dr. Linda Spilker will present highlights of Cassini’s ambitious inquiry at Saturn and an overview of science observations in the final orbits. Dr. Earl Maize, Cassini program manager, will discuss Cassini’s exciting challenges and the final year of the mission, ultimately flying through a region where no spacecraft has ever flown before.

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


TimPix Project: Access NASA Data to Analyze Astronaut Radiation Exposure in Space
Audience: Educators and Students, Ages 14 to 18
Entry Deadline: Dec. 3, 2016

Imagine what it would be like to live in space. What kind of shelter would you live in? What kind of protection would you have from the elements? How long could you stay there?

On Earth, humans are protected from radiation by the atmosphere and Earth’s magnetic field. Astronauts on the space station are above the atmosphere and receive a higher dose of radiation than when they are on the ground. The harmful effects of radiation that come from the sun and other sources outside the solar system pose danger to humans living and working in space.

Radiation is one of the top concerns for humans living in deep space for long durations. A NASA group called RadWorks is using radiation detectors the size of USB thumb drives to collect data inside the International Space Station. Together with the University of Houston and the Institute for Research in Schools, RadWorks is sharing the data with high school students who are helping to analyze the radiation that astronaut Tim Peake is exposed to during his time aboard the International Space Station.

NASA is making this same data available to teachers and students through the TimPix project administered by the Institute for Research in Schools, with funding from the European Space Agency and the United Kingdom Space Agency. During European Space Agency astronaut Tim Peake’s time aboard the station, data is taken many times a minute while in orbit. A variety of data sets are currently available, and others are being added as the mission progresses. Aimed at high school physics classes, the TimPix project allows students ages 14-18 to access and analyze radiation data during Peake’s mission. They are able to take part in authentic research occurring aboard the station. What type of radiation is present? What impact do different altitudes or locations around the world have on the number and types of particles detected? What happens during a solar flare? Join us in helping NASA answer these questions!

For more information about NASA’s Radworks project, visit http://techport.nasa.gov/view/10581.

For more information or to register for the TimPix project, email timpix@researchinschools.org.


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

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

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

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

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

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

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


**NEW** Celebrate Curiosity’s Anniversary With New ‘Mars Rover’ Game
Audience: All Educators and Students

As Curiosity marks its fourth anniversary (in Earth years) since landing on Mars, the rover is working on collecting its 17th sample. While Curiosity explores Mars, gamers can join the fun via a new social media game, “Mars Rover.”

On their mobile devices, players drive a rover through rough Martian terrain, challenging themselves to navigate and balance the rover while earning points along the way. The game also illustrates how NASA’s next Mars rover, in development for launch in 2020, will use radar to search for underground water.

Get the free app to play “Mars Rover,” and find out how the game rover compares to real Mars rovers. Visit http://mars.nasa.gov/gamee-rover/ to learn more.


NASA Invites You to #SpotHubble
Audience: All Educators and Students

Since its launch in 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope has sent back mind-blowing images that not only changed our understanding of our universe, but also changed where we see glimpses of our universe in everyday life.

Hubble is more than a science spacecraft; it’s a cultural phenomenon! Take a moment to think about where you’ve seen the Hubble Space Telescope or Hubble images in your daily life. Maybe you own a textbook with a picture of the telescope on the cover, or you walk by a mural inspired by Hubble images every day on your way to work. Perhaps you’ve even created art based on Hubble images. NASA wants to see the Hubble impact in your life! Share your photos with NASA on Instagram, Twitter, Flickr and Facebook.

Images may be submitted on the following social media platforms:

— Flickr:
Submit your photos to the Spot Hubble Flickr Group.
— Instagram: Use the Instagram app to upload your photo, and in the description include #SpotHubble and #NASAGoddard.
Twitter: Share your image on Twitter and include #SpotHubble in the tweet.
— Facebook: Share your image on Facebook and include #SpotHubble in the post.

Your #SpotHubble image may be shared on NASA Hubble social media accounts!

To learn more, visit https://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/2016/spothubble.


Help NASA Study Mars — Planet Four: Terrains
Audience: All Educators and Students

Help NASA study exotic landscape features near the south pole of Mars! In this citizen science project, you will view images from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter’s Context Camera. Your input will help scientists identify possible areas for even more detailed examination with the orbiter’s High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment camera. HiRISE can reveal more detail than any other camera ever put into orbit around Mars.

Some of Mars resembles deserts on Earth, but seasonal freezing and thawing of carbon-dioxide ice (known on Earth as “dry ice”) at the Martian poles create some unusual landscape features. There’s a lot of territory to cover, so scientists need your help identifying what and where these features are.

For more information and to learn how to participate, visit the “Planet Four: Terrains” website at https://www.zooniverse.org/#/projects/mschwamb/planet-four-terrains.

To learn more about NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and its mission at the Red Planet, visit http://mars.nasa.gov/mro/.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to Michelle Viotti at michelle.a.viotti@jpl.nasa.gov.


‘ISS: Science on Orbit’ Exhibit at U.S. Space & Rocket Center
Audience: All Educators and Students

The U.S. Space & Rocket Center’s “ISS: Science on Orbit” exhibit provides visitors with a true sense of what it is like to live and work in space. This exhibit, funded by a NASA grant, begins with a model of NASA’s Payload Operations Integration Center, where scientists and engineers on Earth manage the complex, international science experiments that astronauts conduct on the International Space Station.

Two mockups of space station modules contain 20 full-scale replica racks that illustrate the Environmental Control and Life Support Systems, the astronauts’ food, and a sleeping berth, among other necessary aspects of life and work aboard the station. A connecting node contains a full-scale replica of the Cupola Observation Module, which provides space station crew members with a view of Earth and space.

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

Questions about the exhibit can be directed to Dr. Kay Taylor at kay.taylor@spacecamp.com.


Science Opportunities for Educators of Grades K-12


**NEW** 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.

Real NASA Data for Real Learning: Hurricanes
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 5-8
Event Date: Aug. 25, 2016, at 6 p.m. EDT
As we enter the heart of the 2016 hurricane season, use real NASA data to explore hurricanes while integrating NASA missions, STEM curriculum, design challenges, online resources and the Next Generation Science Standards into your classroom instruction. Also scheduled to present in this webinar will be a U.S. Air Force Reserve “Hurricane Hunters” pilot from Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi, who will share his experiences and expertise in the study of hurricanes and other major storms. (Participation is subject to change because of unpredictable tropical storm activity on the date of this webinar). Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/191057

For a full schedule of upcoming webinars, visit http://www.txstate-epdc.net/events/.

Please direct questions about this series of webinars to Steve Culivan at stephen.p.culivan@nasa.gov.


Free Education Webinar From the GOES-R Education Proving Ground — GOES-R: Countdown to Launch!
Audience: 6-12 Educators
Event Date: Sept. 17, 2016, at 11:30 a.m. EDT

The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites-R series is the next generation of geostationary Earth-observing systems. The GOES-R series satellites will provide continuous imagery and atmospheric measurements of Earth’s Western Hemisphere. The satellites will collect lightning data and monitor space weather to provide critical atmospheric, hydrologic, oceanic, climatic, solar and space data. The first satellite in the GOES-R series is scheduled to launch in October 2016.

To help educators prepare for the new satellite imagery and data that will be available during the GOES-R era, the GOES-R Education Proving Ground will host a series of education webcasts leading up to launch.

The webinars will take place on the following Saturday mornings at 11:30 a.m. Eastern Time.

Sept. 17, 2016: Countdown to Launch!

For more information, including log-in instructions for the webinars, visit http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/education/goesr/.

Please direct questions about this series of webinars to Margaret Mooney at Margaret.Mooney@ssec.wisc.edu.


GLOBE El Niño Field Campaign and Webinar — Using El Niño GLOBE Data for Scientific Research
Audience: K-12 Educators
Next Webinar Date: Sept. 19, 2016, at 8 p.m. EDT

El Niño and La Niña are important phenomena that can impact the climate by causing global flooding and droughts as well as changes in seasonal weather. These interactions around the world are called teleconnections. Because of the importance of this issue, a GLOBE ENSO (El Niño Southern Oscillation) Campaign has been formulated to engage students in determining where and how much El Niño affects local places and to put students in contact with their local environment.

To learn more about the campaign and how to participate, visit http://www.globe.gov/web/el-nino/el-nino-campaign.

To help educators prepare for the El Niño Campaign, GLOBE is hosting a series of free education webinars to discuss the mechanics of the campaign, give updates on data collection, and give participants the opportunity to learn science content from experts.

The final hourlong webinar in the series will take place on the following date at 8 p.m. EDT.

Sept. 19, 2016: El Niño Student Campaign Refresher and Update

For more information, including log-in instructions for the webinars and recordings of previous webinars in the series, visit http://www.globe.gov/web/el-nino/el-nino-campaign/webinars.

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


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 https://www.nasa.gov/topics/journeytomars/index.html.


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

Are you looking for ways to prepare your 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.


Science Opportunities for Higher Education and Informal Institutions


**NEW** Center for Astronomy Education Regional Teaching Exchanges and Workshops — Fall/Winter 2016-2017

NASA’s Center for Astronomy Education, or CAE, announces a series of regional teaching exchanges and workshops for astronomy and space science educators.

Teaching exchanges foster a sense of community among geographically linked current and future college instructors of astronomy. Regional experts from the broader CAE community are ready to provide the opportunity for you to meet your neighbors, expand your instructional repertoire and share your own expertise.

Workshops provide participants with experiences needed to create effective and productive active-learning classroom environments. Workshop leaders model best practices in implementing many different classroom-tested instructional strategies. But more importantly, workshop participants will gain first-hand experience implementing these proven strategies.

Sept. 10, 2016 — Westchester Community College in Valhalla, New York
CAE Northeast Regional Teaching Exchange

Sept. 24, 2016 — Seattle University in Seattle, Washington
CAE Northwest Regional Teaching Exchange

Sept. 24, 2016 — Guilford Technical Community College in Jamestown, North Carolina
CAE Southeast Regional Teaching Exchange

Jan. 4, 2017 — Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center in Grapevine, Texas
CAE Tier I Teaching Excellence Workshop — New Methods for Teaching About Exoplanets

Jan. 5, 2017 — Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center in Grapevine, Texas
CAE Tier I Teaching Excellence Workshop — New Methods for Teaching in the Flipped Classroom

For more information and to register for the teaching exchanges, visit http://astronomy101.jpl.nasa.gov/workshops/index.cfm.

Inquiries about this series of events should be directed to Gina Brissenden at gbrissenden@as.arizona.edu.

CAE is funded through NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Exoplanet Exploration Program.


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

Are you looking for ways to prepare your 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.


Do you want more NASA science? Visit http://science.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 https://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/current-opps-index.html
— Students https://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 https://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: https://www.nasa.gov/education
For Educators: https://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/index.html
For Students: https://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/index.html
NASA Kids’ Club: https://www.nasa.gov/kidsclub

NASA Education “Science WOW!” — Aug. 10, 2016

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

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


Science Always Starts With a Question …


This Week’s Question: How do hurricanes form?

Visit http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/hurricanes/en/ to find the answer!


Have You Seen This?


Did you know that NASA Science has an app for iPad? Check out “NASA Science:
A Journey of Discovery” for the latest information from NASA’s science missions, including the spacecraft, their instruments, the data and what we are learning about the questions we seek to answer.

Download it at https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/nasa-science-journey-discovery/id541482963?mt=8.


Opportunities for Future Scientists of All Ages



Science Opportunities for Formal and Informal Educators



Science Opportunities for Higher Education and Informal Institutions



Opportunities for Future Scientists of All Ages


2016 von Kármán Lecture Series — Attend in Person or View Online
Audience: All Educators; Students in Grades 9-12 and Higher Education
Next Lecture Date: Aug. 11, 2016, 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:

The Rosetta Mission: Comet C-G Up Close
Event Date:
Aug. 11 and Aug. 12, 2016, at 7 p.m. PDT (10 p.m. EDT)
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/events/lectures_archive.php?year=2016&month=8
After 10 years of flight, the Rosetta spacecraft caught up with a comet and dropped a lander on its surface. The mother spacecraft has been orbiting the comet, and in September 2016 it will touch down onto the comet to end the mission. Join experts from the Rosetta team for a discussion about the upcoming landing and what we have learned from Rosetta about comets and the formation of the solar system.

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.


Astronomy and Night Sky Summer Series
Audience: All Educators and Students
Next Event Date: Aug. 12, 2016

Join NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia for the Astronomy and Night Sky Summer Series, and discover the night sky from Assateague Island!

The final event in the series is scheduled on Friday, Aug. 12, 2016 (Perseid Meteor Shower).

The event will begin at 7:30 p.m. EDT with an hourlong auditorium presentation, followed by stargazing with telescopes and binoculars (weather permitting).

This event is free and open to the public; however, refuge entrance fees still apply. Attendees are encouraged to bring binoculars and insect repellant.

For more information and directions to the event, visit https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/2016_astronomy_summer_series_flyer.pdf.

Please direct questions about this event to Keith Koehler at keith.a.koehler@nasa.gov.


NASA’s Digital Learning Network Event — Live From Juno: Exploring Jupiter
Audience: All Educators and Students
Event Date: Sept. 12, 2016, 1 p.m. EDT

After five years of travel, Juno is in orbit actively exploring the largest planet in our solar system. Join NASA’s Digital Learning Network for a live webcast showcasing what we have learned in the first two months since Juno’s arrival at Jupiter and what we expect to learn throughout the course of this mission. The program will be live from two NASA centers, feature special guests and include questions from the online audience.

The event will be webcast on the NASA DLiNfo Channel on Sept. 12, 2016, at 1 p.m. EDT.

Ask questions via Twitter using #askDLN, via Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/NASADLN, or via email to DLiNfochannel@gmail.com.

For more information, visit https://www.nasa.gov/dln.


TimPix Project: Access NASA Data to Analyze Astronaut Radiation Exposure in Space
Audience: Educators and Students, Ages 14 to 18
Entry Deadline: Dec. 3, 2016

Imagine what it would be like to live in space. What kind of shelter would you live in? What kind of protection would you have from the elements? How long could you stay there?

On Earth, humans are protected from radiation by the atmosphere and Earth’s magnetic field. Astronauts on the space station are above the atmosphere and receive a higher dose of radiation than when they are on the ground. The harmful effects of radiation that come from the sun and other sources outside the solar system pose danger to humans living and working in space.

Radiation is one of the top concerns for humans living in deep space for long durations. A NASA group called RadWorks is using radiation detectors the size of USB thumb drives to collect data inside the International Space Station. Together with the University of Houston and the Institute for Research in Schools, RadWorks is sharing the data with high school students who are helping to analyze the radiation that astronaut Tim Peake is exposed to during his time aboard the International Space Station.

NASA is making this same data available to teachers and students through the TimPix project administered by the Institute for Research in Schools, with funding from the European Space Agency and the United Kingdom Space Agency. During European Space Agency astronaut Tim Peake’s time aboard the station, data is taken many times a minute while in orbit. A variety of data sets are currently available, and others are being added as the mission progresses. Aimed at high school physics classes, the TimPix project allows students ages 14-18 to access and analyze radiation data during Peake’s mission. They are able to take part in authentic research occurring aboard the station. What type of radiation is present? What impact do different altitudes or locations around the world have on the number and types of particles detected? What happens during a solar flare? Join us in helping NASA answer these questions!

For more information about NASA’s Radworks project, visit http://techport.nasa.gov/view/10581.

For more information or to register for the TimPix project, email timpix@researchinschools.org.


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

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

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

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

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

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

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


NASA Invites You to #SpotHubble
Audience: All Educators and Students

Since its launch in 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope has sent back mind-blowing images that not only changed our understanding of our universe, but also changed where we see glimpses of our universe in everyday life.

Hubble is more than a science spacecraft; it’s a cultural phenomenon! Take a moment to think about where you’ve seen the Hubble Space Telescope or Hubble images in your daily life. Maybe you own a textbook with a picture of the telescope on the cover, or you walk by a mural inspired by Hubble images every day on your way to work. Perhaps you’ve even created art based on Hubble images. NASA wants to see the Hubble impact in your life! Share your photos with NASA on Instagram, Twitter, Flickr and Facebook.

Images may be submitted on the following social media platforms:

— Flickr:
Submit your photos to the Spot Hubble Flickr Group.
— Instagram: Use the Instagram app to upload your photo, and in the description include #SpotHubble and #NASAGoddard.
Twitter: Share your image on Twitter and include #SpotHubble in the tweet.
— Facebook: Share your image on Facebook and include #SpotHubble in the post.

Your #SpotHubble image may be shared on NASA Hubble social media accounts!

To learn more, visit https://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/2016/spothubble.


Help NASA Study Mars — Planet Four: Terrains
Audience: All Educators and Students

Help NASA study exotic landscape features near the south pole of Mars! In this citizen science project, you will view images from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter’s Context Camera. Your input will help scientists identify possible areas for even more detailed examination with the orbiter’s High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment camera. HiRISE can reveal more detail than any other camera ever put into orbit around Mars.

Some of Mars resembles deserts on Earth, but seasonal freezing and thawing of carbon-dioxide ice (known on Earth as “dry ice”) at the Martian poles create some unusual landscape features. There’s a lot of territory to cover, so scientists need your help identifying what and where these features are.

For more information and to learn how to participate, visit the “Planet Four: Terrains” website at https://www.zooniverse.org/#/projects/mschwamb/planet-four-terrains.

To learn more about NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and its mission at the Red Planet, visit http://mars.nasa.gov/mro/.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to Michelle Viotti at michelle.a.viotti@jpl.nasa.gov.


‘ISS: Science on Orbit’ Exhibit at U.S. Space & Rocket Center
Audience: All Educators and Students

The U.S. Space & Rocket Center’s “ISS: Science on Orbit” exhibit provides visitors with a true sense of what it is like to live and work in space. This exhibit, funded by a NASA grant, begins with a model of NASA’s Payload Operations Integration Center, where scientists and engineers on Earth manage the complex, international science experiments that astronauts conduct on the International Space Station.

Two mockups of space station modules contain 20 full-scale replica racks that illustrate the Environmental Control and Life Support Systems, the astronauts’ food, and a sleeping berth, among other necessary aspects of life and work aboard the station. A connecting node contains a full-scale replica of the Cupola Observation Module, which provides space station crew members with a view of Earth and space.

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

Questions about the exhibit can be directed to Dr. Kay Taylor at kay.taylor@spacecamp.com.


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.

Real NASA Data for Real Learning: Discovering New Planets
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 6-12
Event Date: Aug. 11, 2016, at 6 p.m. EDT
Use real NASA data to explore how the Kepler Space Telescope searches for planets orbiting stars beyond our sun. Investigate how to use Kepler Telescope data and Kepler’s Third Law to construct graphs and interpret data that determines if a planet, orbiting a star in another solar system, is Earth-like and a candidate to support “life.” Other related NASA STEM missions and resources will also be explored. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/191056

For a full schedule of upcoming webinars, visit http://www.txstate-epdc.net/events/.

Please direct questions about this series of webinars to Steve Culivan at stephen.p.culivan@nasa.gov.


Free Education Webinar From the GOES-R Education Proving Ground — GOES-R: Countdown to Launch!
Audience: 6-12 Educators
Event Date: Sept. 17, 2016, at 11:30 a.m. EDT

The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites-R series is the next generation of geostationary Earth-observing systems. The GOES-R series satellites will provide continuous imagery and atmospheric measurements of Earth’s Western Hemisphere. The satellites will collect lightning data and monitor space weather to provide critical atmospheric, hydrologic, oceanic, climatic, solar and space data. The first satellite in the GOES-R series is scheduled to launch in October 2016.

To help educators prepare for the new satellite imagery and data that will be available during the GOES-R era, the GOES-R Education Proving Ground will host a series of education webcasts leading up to launch.

The webinars will take place on the following Saturday mornings at 11:30 a.m. Eastern Time.

Sept. 17, 2016: Countdown to Launch!

For more information, including log-in instructions for the webinars, visit http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/education/goesr/.

Please direct questions about this series of webinars to Margaret Mooney at Margaret.Mooney@ssec.wisc.edu.


GLOBE El Niño Field Campaign and Webinar — Using El Niño GLOBE Data for Scientific Research
Audience: K-12 Educators
Next Webinar Date: Sept. 19, 2016, at 8 p.m. EDT

El Niño and La Niña are important phenomena that can impact the climate by causing global flooding and droughts as well as changes in seasonal weather. These interactions around the world are called teleconnections. Because of the importance of this issue, a GLOBE ENSO (El Niño Southern Oscillation) Campaign has been formulated to engage students in determining where and how much El Niño affects local places and to put students in contact with their local environment.

To learn more about the campaign and how to participate, visit http://www.globe.gov/web/el-nino/el-nino-campaign.

To help educators prepare for the El Niño Campaign, GLOBE is hosting a series of free education webinars to discuss the mechanics of the campaign, give updates on data collection, and give participants the opportunity to learn science content from experts.

The final hourlong webinar in the series will take place on the following date at 8 p.m. EDT.

Sept. 19, 2016: El Niño Student Campaign Refresher and Update

For more information, including log-in instructions for the webinars and recordings of previous webinars in the series, visit http://www.globe.gov/web/el-nino/el-nino-campaign/webinars.

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


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 https://www.nasa.gov/topics/journeytomars/index.html.


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

Are you looking for ways to prepare your 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.


Science Opportunities for Higher Education and Informal Institutions


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

Are you looking for ways to prepare your 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.


Do you want more NASA science? Visit http://science.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 https://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/current-opps-index.html
— Students https://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 https://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: https://www.nasa.gov/education
For Educators: https://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/index.html
For Students: https://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/index.html
NASA Kids’ Club: https://www.nasa.gov/kidsclub