Professional Development – Page 4

NASA Education “Science WOW!” Message — June 21, 2017

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

Science Always Starts With a Question …

This Week’s Question: Is Mars Really Red?

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

Have You Seen This?

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

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

Solar Eclipse Countdown!

T-minus Two Months Until the Total Solar Eclipse!

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

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

Opportunities for Future Scientists of All Ages

Press Conference: 2017 Eclipse Across America Through the Eyes of NASA
**NEW** New “Where on Earth?” Quiz From NASA’s MISR Project
‘Predict the Corona’ Art Project
Fly Your Exoplanet on the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite

Science Opportunities for Educators of Grades K-12

**NEW** Free Education Webinars From NASA Educator Professional Development
NASA Education Workshop at Glenn Research Center — Modeling the Solar Eclipse
Get Ready for the 2017 Solar Eclipse With NASA Resources

Science Opportunities for Higher Education and Informal Institutions

Search for Gravitational Waves With ‘Gravity Spy’ Citizen Science Project

Opportunities for Future Scientists of All Ages

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Science Opportunities for Educators of Grades K-12

Free Education Webinars From NASA Educator Professional Development
Audience: In-service, Pre-service, Home School and Informal Educators

The NASA STEM Educator Professional Development Collaborative at Texas State University is presenting a series of free webinars open to all educators. Join NASA education specialists to learn about activities, lesson plans, educator guides and resources that bring NASA into your classroom. Registration is required to participate. To register, simply click on the link provided beneath the webinar description.

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

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

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

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

Questions about this series of webinars should be directed to Steve Culivan at stephen.p.culivan@nasa.gov.

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

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

Join the Office of Education at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio, for a STEM educator workshop on July 25, 2017. Participants will be introduced to problem-based-inquiry learning activities related to the solar eclipse. Learn how to bring STEM challenges and the adventure of space exploration to students in the classroom.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Opportunities for Higher Education and Informal Institutions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The project is funded by the National Science Foundation.

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

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

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

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

Visit NASA Education on the web:
NASA Office of Education: http://www.nasa.gov/education
For Educators: http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/index.html
For Students: http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/index.html
NASA Kids’ Club: http://www.nasa.gov/kidsclub

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

NASA Education “Science WOW!” Message — June 7, 2017

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

Science Always Starts With a Question …

This Week’s Question: Why Is the Ocean Important?

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

Have You Seen This?

Tomorrow is World Oceans Day!

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

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

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

Solar Eclipse Countdown!

Less than 10 weeks until the Total Solar Eclipse!

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

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

Opportunities for Future Scientists of All Ages

**NEW** New NASA Resources Highlight Research at Opposite Ends of the Solar System
Student Spaceflight Experiments Program — Mission 12 to the International Space Station
**NEW** ‘Predict the Corona’ Art Project

Science Opportunities for Educators of Grades K-12

**NEW** Free Education Webinars From NASA Educator Professional Development
**NEW** Goldstone Apple Valley Radio Telescope Summer Institute 2017

Science Opportunities for Higher Education and Informal Institutions

Free “NASA’s Journey to Mars” Planetarium/Dome Show
Help NASA Find New Planetary Systems — Become a Disk Detective!

Opportunities for Future Scientists of All Ages

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Student Spaceflight Experiments Program — Mission 12 to the International Space Station
Audience: School Districts Serving Grades 5-12, Informal Education Institutions, Colleges and Universities
Inquiry Deadline: June, 15, 2017
Start Date: September 5, 2017

The National Center for Earth and Space Science Education and the Arthur C. Clarke Institute for Space Education announce a science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, opportunity for school districts across the U.S. and space station partner nations. The newest flight opportunity, Mission 12 to the International Space Station, gives students across a community the ability to design and propose real experiments to fly in low Earth orbit on the space station. This opportunity is part of the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program, or SSEP.

Each participating community will receive a microgravity research mini-laboratory capable of supporting a single microgravity experiment and all launch services to fly the minilab to the space station in spring/summer 2018 and return it to Earth. An experiment design competition in each community — engaging typically 300+ students — allows student teams to design and propose real experiments vying for their community′s reserved mini-lab.

Content resources for teachers and students support foundational instruction on science in microgravity and experimental design. Additional SSEP programming uses the experiment design competition to engage the community in embracing a learning-community model for STEM education.

This competition is open to students in grades 5-12 and college. Informal education groups and organizations also are encouraged to participate. Interested communities must inquire about the program no later than June 15, 2017. The National Center for Earth and Space Science Education is available to help interested communities in the U.S. secure the needed funding.

To learn more about this opportunity, visit the “SSEP Mission 12 to International Space Station” National Announcement of Opportunity at http://ssep.ncesse.org/2017/03/new-flight-opportunity-for-school-districts-announcing-student-spaceflight-experiments-program-ssep-mission-12-to-the-international-space-station-starting-september-2017/.

SSEP is enabled through a strategic partnership with DreamUp PBC and NanoRacks LLC working with NASA under a Space Act Agreement as part of the use of the International Space Station as a national laboratory. The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (http://www.iss-casis.org/) is a national partner of SSEP. To view a list of all SSEP national partners, visit http://ssep.ncesse.org/national-partners/.

If you have any questions about this opportunity, please email SSEP National Program Director Jeff Goldstein at jeffgoldstein@ncesse.org.

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

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

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

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

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

Science Opportunities for Educators of Grades K-12

**NEW** Picking Up Steam: Using Models to Understand the Solar Eclipse
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades K-12
Event Date: June 8, 2017, at 4 p.m. EDT
Participants will be introduced to problem-based inquiry learning activities related to the solar eclipse. Learn how to bring STEM challenges and the adventure of space exploration to students in the classroom. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/237942

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

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

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

Questions about this series of webinars should be directed to Steve Culivan at stephen.p.culivan@nasa.gov.

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

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

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

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

Registration for both sessions closes on June 16, 2017.

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

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

Opportunities for Higher Education and Informal Institutions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

NASA Education “Science WOW!” Message — May 17, 2017

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

Science Always Starts With a Question …

This Week’s Question: How Do I Make a Pinhole Camera?

You don’t need fancy glasses or equipment to watch the solar eclipse in August. With a few simple supplies, you can make a pinhole camera!

https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/learn/project/how-to-make-a-pinhole-camera/

Have You Seen This?

Boston-based PBS station WGBH’s “Bringing the Universe to America’s Classrooms” project, a collaboration with NASA, has been included in the National Science Foundation’s “2017 STEM for All Video Showcase.” Visit the link to learn more!

http://stemforall2017.videohall.com/presentations/1045

Opportunities for Future Scientists of All Ages

NASA’s Digital Learning Network Special Event With Beth Nielsen Chapman and Rocky Alvey
Student Spaceflight Experiments Program — Mission 12 to the International Space Station

Science Opportunities for Educators of Grades K-12

Take Your Students on a Series of Virtual Field Trips!
**NEW** Free Education Webinars From NASA Educator Professional Development
**NEW** New From WGBH Education — The Solar Eclipse of 2017: Teacher Toolkit
NASA Mars Science: MAVEN Outreach Webinar — Mars and Venus: Terrestrial Analogues for Exoplanets
**NEW** New ‘Teachable Moment’ Educational Resources Available From JPL Education — A Moment You Won’t Want to Miss: Cassini’s Daring Mission Finale Between the Rings and Saturn

Science Opportunities for Higher Education and Informal Institutions

2017 Thermal and Fluids Analysis Workshop
**NEW** NASA Internships, Fellowships and Scholarships Virtual Career Summit
Lloyd V. Berkner Space Policy Internships

Opportunities for Future Scientists of All Ages

NASA’s Digital Learning Network Special Event With Beth Nielsen Chapman and Rocky Alvey
Audience: Educators and Students in Grades 5-12
Event Date: May 18, 2017, at 11 a.m. EDT

Join NASA’s Digital Learning Network on May 18, 2017, from 11:00 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. EDT as Beth Nielsen Chapman and Rocky Alvey help elementary school students learn about the solar system and the universe around them through music and song. Chapman will perform three songs while Alvey explains the science behind them. This special STEM activity is being offered while Chapman is at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Virginia to participate in the NASA Langley Centennial Tribute.

In 2012, Chapman released “The Mighty Sky,” a Grammy-nominated astronomy CD for kids of all ages. This work was featured during NASA’s 2012 Summer of Innovation program to inspire students to learn about the universe and their place in it and to pursue STEM studies. Rocky Alvey is director of the Vanderbilt Dyer Observatory and is also a songwriter. His collaborations with Chapman on “The Mighty Sky” include writing lyrics and developing lesson plans based on the songs and their content.

Those connecting to the webcast will have an opportunity to participate by asking questions live during the event via email at dlinfochannel@gmail.com and via Twitter using #ASKDLN. To connect, click on the following link during the event: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nasa-dlinfo.

For information about other DLN events, visit http://www.nasa.gov/dln.

Please send any questions about this opportunity to dlinfochannel@gmail.com.

This competition is open to students in grades 5-12 and college. Informal education groups and organizations also are encouraged to participate. Interested communities must inquire about the program no later than May 31, 2017. The National Center for Earth and Space Science Education is available to help interested communities in the U.S. secure the needed funding.

If you have any questions about this opportunity, please email SSEP National Program Director Jeff Goldstein at jeffgoldstein@ncesse.org.

Science Opportunities for Educators of Grades K-12

Take Your Students on a Series of Virtual Field Trips!
Audience: Grades 6-12 — Students and Educators, Formal and Informal
Next Event Date: May 18, 2017, 9 a.m. CDT

Bring your students along on a series of virtual field trips to NASA centers where students will go behind-the-scenes to see cool NASA places and visit with NASA professionals. Each session is 15-30 minutes long and includes an interactive question-and-answer session. Pre-registration is not required.

Upcoming virtual field trips include:

Adventures in Aeronautics — May 18, 2017, 9 a.m. CDT
Learn about high-flying careers with NASA Aircraft Operations. Join Mallory Yates, aerospace engineer, and Angela Bauer, deputy engineering branch chief of the Aircraft Operations Division, for a behind-the-scenes look at aviation at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

Fun With Technology — May 22, 2017, 10 a.m. CDT
Take a virtual field trip to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Go behind-the-scenes with NASA intern Kaitlin Lostroscio to learn about NASA robotics.

These virtual field trips are a series of events offered to students and teachers as a component of “The Search for STEMnauts” — a virtual scavenger hunt where student teams in grades 6-12 solve puzzles, unravel riddles, break codes and make weekly virtual field trips to exclusive NASA locations. Student teams can even check out where they stand among the competition by following real-time updates on “The Search for STEMnauts” website!

This interactive, technical twist on a traditional scavenger hunt is offered through a partnership between NASA’s STEM on Station and Texas Instruments to provide students with a fun way to learn important STEM skills including coding and problem solving.

All students and educators (grades 6-12) are invited to participate in any virtual field trip offered. Participation in “The Search for STEMnauts” competition is not required. To learn more about these virtual field trips, including links to join in, go to https://education.ti.com/NASAliveevents.

For more information about “The Search for STEMnauts,” including how to register, visit www.STEMnauts.com.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to Kelly McCormick at Kelly.mccormick-1@nasa.gov.

**NEW** International Space Station — Off the Earth, For the Earth: Mass vs. Weight
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 6-8
Event Date: May 18, 2017, at 6 p.m. EDT
“Mass” and “weight” have very different meanings and often are used incorrectly. Participants will explore mass and weight using NASA curriculum that incorporates education video filmed by astronauts on board the International Space Station. Newton’s Laws of Motion, NASA online resources and STEM inquiry activities will be integrated into this “heavy-duty” online program. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/248389

**NEW** Train Like an Astronaut: Out of This World Activities for a Healthier Generation
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades K-10
Event Date: May 23, 2017, at 4 p.m. EDT
Developed in cooperation with NASA scientists and fitness professionals working directly with astronauts, the Train Like an Astronaut activities are a physical and inquiry-based approach to human health and fitness on Earth and in space. Students can participate in physical activities modeled after the real-life physical requirements of humans traveling in space. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/246973

**NEW** International Space Station — Off the Earth, For the Earth: Sally Ride EarthKAM
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 4-9
Event Date: May 23, 2017, at 6:30 p.m. EDT
Sally Ride EarthKAM (Earth Knowledge Acquired by Middle school students) is a NASA educational outreach program that enables students, teachers and the public to learn about Earth from the unique perspective of space. During Sally Ride EarthKAM missions (periods when the Sally Ride EarthKAM camera is operational), middle school students around the world request images of specific locations on Earth. The entire collection of Sally Ride EarthKAM images is available in a searchable archive. This opportunity and accompanying activities are extraordinary resources to engage students in Earth and space science, geography, social studies, mathematics, communications and art. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/244255

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

Questions about this series of webinars should be directed to Steve Culivan at stephen.p.culivan@nasa.gov.

**NEW** New From WGBH Education — The Solar Eclipse of 2017: Teacher Toolkit
Audience: K-12 Educators
Tweetchat Event: May 24, 2017, at 6 p.m. EDT

Are you a K-12 teacher looking for ideas and information on what to do with your students, your school, or your community about the upcoming solar eclipse on Aug. 21, 2017? Boston-based PBS station WGBH, supported by a NASA cooperative agreement, has gathered information from trusted content partners into a “Solar Eclipse of 2017: Teacher Toolkit.”

Check out the toolkit to find maps, activities and more. Learn how to align your eclipse activities to national education standards. Watch an archived recording of a professional development webinar about the eclipse. And you can even find resources available in Spanish!

Get ideas and share your plans for bringing the eclipse to your classroom through the #TeachEclipse2017 tweetchat on Wednesday, May 24, 2017, at 6 p.m. EDT.

For all of this and more, visit http://bit.ly/EclipseToolkit.

Please direct questions about this toolkit to Rachel Connolly at rachel_connolly@wgbh.org.

NASA Mars Science: MAVEN Outreach Webinar — Mars and Venus: Terrestrial Analogues for Exoplanets
Audience: K-12 and Informal Educators
Event Date: May 24, 2017, 7 p.m. EDT

MAVEN Outreach Webinars are virtual gatherings of team members from the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution, or MAVEN, mission to offer professional development for formal and informal educators, troop leaders, museum docents, and others interested in MAVEN and Mars science.

Join the MAVEN team on May 24, 2017, at 7 p.m. EDT, for the Mars and Venus: Terrestrial Analogues for Exoplanets webinar. Learn about ways the MAVEN mission may help scientists understand how the atmospheres of other rocky worlds are also being eroded. Dr. Shannon Curry from the University of California Berkeley will discuss how planetary bodies such as Mars and Venus can be used to provide insight into how atmospheres evolve, as scientists model (and begin to observe directly) the atmospheres of exoplanets.

For more information, visit http://lasp.colorado.edu/home/maven/education-outreach/maven-outreach-webinars/.

Questions about this webinar should be directed to epomail@lasp.colorado.edu.

**NEW** New ‘Teachable Moment’ Educational Resources Available From JPL Education
Audience: K-12 Educators

Are you looking for ways to bring the latest NASA science and mission news into your classroom? Education specialists at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California have the resources to help you do just that! The “Teachable Moments” blog brings together news, activities and education tips on the latest happenings at NASA.

Check out the latest offering from JPL Education.

Teachable Moment — A Moment You Won’t Want to Miss: Cassini’s Daring Mission Finale Between the Rings and Saturn — Grades K-12
After almost 20 years in space, NASA’s Cassini spacecraft has begun the final chapter of its remarkable story of exploration: its Grand Finale. This last phase of the mission will deliver unprecedented views of Saturn and its rings. On April 26, the spacecraft flew between the planet and its rings — a feat that had never been attempted. Cassini will complete 22 of these ring-gap orbits before making a grand finale dive into Saturn’s atmosphere. For more information and ways to bring Cassini’s exciting final phase into the classroom, visit https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/news/2017/4/25/a-moment-you-wont-want-to-miss-cassinis-daring-mission-finale-between-the-rings-and-saturn/.

Looking for more? Check out the “Teachable Moments” archives for more resources. http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/news/column/teachable-moments/

Opportunities for Higher Education and Informal Institutions

2017 Thermal and Fluids Analysis Workshop
Audience: Higher Education Educators and Students
Abstract Submission Deadline: May 19, 2017
Workshop Dates: Aug. 21-25, 2017

The annual Thermal and Fluids Analysis Workshop will be held Aug. 21-25, 2017, at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

The Thermal and Fluids Analysis Workshop encourages knowledge sharing, professional development, and networking throughout the thermal and fluids engineering community within NASA, academia and the aerospace community at large. STEM faculty and university students are encouraged to attend, submit a poster or paper on their thermal/fluids work, take free training, or do a combination thereof.

Registration to attend the workshop is free. Participants interested in presenting at the conference, via manuscript or technical poster, must submit an abstract by May 19, 2017.

For more information about the workshop and how to submit an abstract for consideration, visit https://tfaws.nasa.gov/.

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

**NEW** NASA Internships, Fellowships and Scholarships Virtual Career Summit
Audience: Higher Education Educators, Undergraduate and Graduate Students
Event Date: May 24, 2017, from 1 – 2:30 p.m. EDT

The NASA Internships, Fellowships and Scholarships recruiting team is excited to announce the NIFS Virtual Career Summit. The 90-minute summit will stream live at 1 p.m. EDT on May 24, 2017. The event will showcase the NIFS programs as well as highlight each NASA center and its missions.

Students will learn about the current NASA opportunities, eligibility requirements and tips for the application process. Previous NIFS interns and fellows will share their experiences.

The session will allow students to ask questions and have some of them answered live by NASA professionals. To join, please register at http://bit.ly/2qSEcvQ.

For more information about NIFS, visit intern.nasa.gov or nspires.nasaprs.com.

Please direct questions about this event to Grace Ensminger at grace.k.ensminger@nasa.gov.

Lloyd V. Berkner Space Policy Internships
Audience: Undergraduate and Graduate Students at U.S. Universities and Colleges
Application Deadline: June 2, 2017

The Space Studies Board is seeking applicants for the Lloyd V. Berkner Space Policy Internships for autumn 2017. The goal of the program is to provide promising undergraduate and graduate students with the opportunity to work in the area of civil space research policy in the nation’s capital.

Established in 1958, the Space Studies Board is the principal advisory group providing independent scientific and programmatic advice to NASA and other government agencies on all aspects of civil space research and associated ground-based activities. Interns typically undertake one or more short-term research projects designed to assist with or to enhance ongoing study projects.

Applicants must be registered students (undergraduate or graduate) at a U.S. university or college who have completed their junior year. Applicants should have long-term career goals in space science research, applications or policy.

For more information and a full list of eligibility requirements, visit http://sites.nationalacademies.org/SSB/SSB_052239.

Please direct questions about this internship to Dr. David H. Smith at dhsmith@nas.edu.

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

NASA Education “Science WOW!” Message — May 10, 2017

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

Science Always Starts With a Question …

This Week’s Question: How Long Is a Day on Mars?

Is a day on the Red Planet longer or shorter than a day on Earth? Find this answer and other Mars facts at https://mars.nasa.gov/allaboutmars/facts/.

Have You Seen This?

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, a collection of educational activities for students in grades K-12.

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

Opportunities for Future Scientists of All Ages

NASA’s Digital Learning Network Special Event With Beth Nielsen Chapman and Rocky Alvey
Student Spaceflight Experiments Program — Mission 12 to the International Space Station
NASA Seeks Creative Arts Inspired by Cassini’s Mission to Saturn

Science Opportunities for Educators of Grades K-12

**NEW** Free Education Webinars From NASA Educator Professional Development
Take Your Students on a Series of Virtual Field Trips!
NASA Mars Science: MAVEN Outreach Webinar — Mars and Venus: Terrestrial Analogues for Exoplanets

Science Opportunities for Higher Education and Informal Institutions

NASA Fundamental Physics Workshop 2017
2017 Thermal and Fluids Analysis Workshop
**NEW** Lloyd V. Berkner Space Policy Internships

Opportunities for Future Scientists of All Ages

NASA’s Digital Learning Network Special Event With Beth Nielsen Chapman and Rocky Alvey
Audience: Educators and Students in Grades 5-12
Event Date: May 18, 2017, at 11 a.m. EDT

Join NASA’s Digital Learning Network on May 18, 2017, at 11 a.m. EDT for a special live event to celebrate the 100th anniversary of NASA’s Langley Research Center. The event will feature Grammy-nominated songwriter Beth Nielsen Chapman and fellow songwriter Rocky Alvey.

Beth Nielsen Chapman has released nine solo albums and written seven #1 hits. Her songs have been recorded by many artists including Bonnie Raitt, Willie Nelson, Bette Midler, Elton John, Keb Mo’, Indigo Girls and Faith Hill. In 2012, Chapman released “The Mighty Sky,” a Grammy-nominated astronomy CD for kids of all ages. This work was featured during NASA’s 2012 Summer of Innovation program to inspire students to learn about the universe and their place in it and to pursue STEM studies.

Rocky Alvey is director of the Vanderbilt Dyer Observatory and is also a songwriter. His collaborations with Nielsen on “The Mighty Sky” album include writing lyrics and developing lesson plans based on the songs and their content.

Those tuning in to the webcast may ask questions via email at dlinfochannel@gmail.com and via social media using #askDLN.

To learn more about this event, visit https://www.nasa.gov/dln/live.

For information about other DLN events, visit http://www.nasa.gov/dln.

Please send any questions about this opportunity to dlinfochannel@gmail.com.

This competition is open to students in grades 5-12 and college. Informal education groups and organizations also are encouraged to participate. Interested communities must inquire about the program no later than May 31, 2017. The National Center for Earth and Space Science Education is available to help interested communities in the U.S. secure the needed funding.

If you have any questions about this opportunity, please email SSEP National Program Director Jeff Goldstein at jeffgoldstein@ncesse.org.

NASA Seeks Creative Arts Inspired by Cassini’s Mission to Saturn
Audience: All Educators and Students Ages 13 and Older

During nearly two decades in space, Cassini has inspired people on Earth. Cassini has sent home thousands of images of icy moons and resplendent rings. It helped discover erupting water geysers on Enceladus and seas of methane on Titan. It showed us a view of Earth as a blue dot.

Now the mission is moving toward its “Grand Finale,” and in September 2017 it will finally draw to a dramatic end. NASA’s Cassini team would like to know this: How has Cassini inspired you?

Visit the Cassini Inspires website to explore images and more from the mission. Then use inspiration to get creative. Write a poem. Paint a picture. Choreograph a dance. Tell a story. The possibilities are endless!

Share your creation with the NASA Cassini team on the social media platform of your choice, such as Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter or others. Tag it #CassiniInspires. Or send it directly to cassinimission@jpl.nasa.gov.

To learn more, visit https://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/cassiniinspires/.

Science Opportunities for Educators of Grades K-12

Picking Up STEAM: Using Models to Understand the Solar Eclipse
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades K-12
Event Date: May 10, 2017, at 5 p.m. EDT
Participants will be introduced to problem-based inquiry learning activities related to the solar eclipse. Learn how to bring STEM challenges and the adventure of space exploration to students in the classroom. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/237938

**NEW** International Space Station — Off the Earth, For the Earth: Exploring the Extreme
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 5-8
Event Date: May 11, 2017, at 6 p.m. EDT
Explore the over-50-year history of spacewalking. Investigate the critical role of spacewalks in human space exploration, the harsh space environment endured during spacewalks, and how spacesuits are designed to protect astronauts from the space environment. NASA STEM classroom lessons, online resources and teaching strategies will be integrated into this “walking with the stars” webinar. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/235769

**NEW** International Space Station — Off the Earth, For the Earth: One-Year Crew
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades K-12
Event Date: May 16, 2017, at 6:30 p.m. EDT
Educators will explore the STEM on Station website and celebrate the “One-Year Crew” and their yearlong mission on board the International Space Station. Participants will receive NASA “STEM on Station” resources, lesson plans, videos and education news to help bring space into the classroom. Learn about astronaut Scott Kelly’s Year in Space mission, including the 10,944 sunrises and sunsets that transpired during his mission, his need for more than 700 hours of exercise to keep strong, and his drinking 730 liters of recycled urine and sweat. Educators will be presented with hands-on, standard-aligned activities that they can take back to the classroom to inspire their students. The activities will involve radiation, sleep restraints, solar energy and space food. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/244258

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

Questions about this series of webinars should be directed to Steve Culivan at stephen.p.culivan@nasa.gov.

Take Your Students on a Series of Virtual Field Trips!
Audience: Grades 6-12 — Students and Educators, Formal and Informal
Next Event Date: May 18, 2017, 2 p.m. CDT

Upcoming virtual field trips include:

For more information about “The Search for STEMnauts,” including how to register, visit www.STEMnauts.com.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to Kelly McCormick at Kelly.mccormick-1@nasa.gov.

NASA Mars Science: MAVEN Outreach Webinar — Mars and Venus: Terrestrial Analogues for Exoplanets
Audience: K-12 and Informal Educators
Event Date: May 24, 2017, 7 p.m. EDT

For more information, visit http://lasp.colorado.edu/home/maven/education-outreach/maven-outreach-webinars/.

Questions about this webinar should be directed to epomail@lasp.colorado.edu.

Opportunities for Higher Education and Informal Institutions

NASA Fundamental Physics Workshop 2017
Audience: Higher Education Educators and Students
Registration Deadline: May 17, 2017
Workshop Dates: May 31-June 2, 2017

The NASA Fundamental Physics Workshop 2017 will be held May 31-June 2, 2017, in Santa Barbara, California.

The workshop will provide a forum for NASA fundamental physics investigators to present results and discuss research ideas for future space experimentation with interested international and U.S. colleagues. Topic areas include atomic and molecular physics; fundamental forces and symmetries; dusty plasma physics; and condensed matter physics.

All interested scientists and researchers are invited to participate. The participation of the current NASA-funded investigators is strongly encouraged and kindly requested.

The deadline to register to attend the workshop is May 17, 2017. For more information and to register to attend, visit http://icpi.nasaprs.com/fpw2017.

Please direct questions about this workshop to Renee Atkins at ratkins@nasaprs.com.

2017 Thermal and Fluids Analysis Workshop
Audience: Higher Education Educators and Students
Abstract Submission Deadline: May 19, 2017
Workshop Dates: Aug. 21-25, 2017

The annual Thermal and Fluids Analysis Workshop will be held Aug. 21-25, 2017, at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

Registration to attend the workshop is free. Participants interested in presenting at the conference, via manuscript or technical poster, must submit an abstract by May 19, 2017.

For more information about the workshop and how to submit an abstract for consideration, visit https://tfaws.nasa.gov/.

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

**NEW** Lloyd V. Berkner Space Policy Internships
Audience: Undergraduate and Graduate Students at U.S. Universities and Colleges
Application Deadline: June 2, 2017

For more information and a full list of eligibility requirements, visit http://sites.nationalacademies.org/SSB/SSB_052239.

Please direct questions about this internship to Dr. David H. Smith at dhsmith@nas.edu.

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

NASA Education “Science WOW!” Message — May 3, 2017

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

Science Always Starts With a Question …

This Week’s Question: Can I See Other Planets Without a Telescope?

This month, the planets Jupiter, Saturn, Venus, Mercury and Mars are all visible in the night sky. Watch the “What’s Up for May 2017” video to find out which ones you can see without a telescope and when the best times are to look!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpxKXstCm2w

Have You Seen This?

May the Fourth be with you! Celebrate Star Wars Day with NASA educational resources. Check out the Teachable Moment: May the Force = mass x acceleration to find videos, lesson plans and more to bring NASA and “Star Wars” into the classroom.

https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/news/2016/05/03/may-the-force-equals-mass-x-acceleration/

Opportunities for Future Scientists of All Ages

**NEW** 2017 von Kármán Lecture — Cassini: The Grand Finale Begins
**NEW** NASA’s Digital Learning Network Special Event With Beth Nielsen Chapman and Rocky Alvey

Science Opportunities for Educators of Grades K-12

**NEW** Free Education Webinars From NASA Educator Professional Development
**NEW** What’s New at the NASA Space Place Website?
Take Your Students on a Series of Virtual Field Trips!
NASA Solar Eclipse Workshops at Marshall Space Flight Center

Science Opportunities for Higher Education and Informal Institutions

NASA Fundamental Physics Workshop 2017
2017 Thermal and Fluids Analysis Workshop

Opportunities for Future Scientists of All Ages

**NEW** 2017 von Kármán Lecture Series — Attend in Person or View Online
Audience: All Educators; Students in Grades 9-12 and Higher Education
Next Lecture Date: May 4, 2017, at 7 p.m. PDT (10 p.m. EDT)

The Theodore von Kármán Lecture Series, named after the founder of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and presented by JPL’s Office of Communication and Education, shares the excitement of the space program’s missions, instruments and other technologies.

Lectures take place twice per month, on consecutive Thursdays and Fridays. The Thursday lectures take place in JPL’s Theodore von Kármán Auditorium, and Friday lectures take place at Pasadena City College’s Vosloh Forum. Both start at 7 p.m. PDT (10 p.m. EDT). Admission and parking are free for all lectures. No reservations are required, but seating is limited. The Thursday evening lectures are streamed live for viewing online. Archives of past lectures are also available online.

Next Lecture in the Series:

Cassini: The Grand Finale Begins
Event Date: May 4 and May 5, at 7 p.m. PDT (10 p.m. EDT)
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/events/lectures_archive.php?year=2017&month=5
NASA’s flagship outer planets mission, Cassini, enters the final phase of its historic mission of exploration and discovery in April 2017. The spacecraft will plunge 22 times through the narrow gap between Saturn and its innermost rings — a completely unexplored region around Saturn. Join Cassini’s project manager Dr. Earl Maize and project scientist Dr. Linda Spilker for a discussion about the final phase of the mission.

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

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

**NEW** NASA’s Digital Learning Network Special Event With Beth Nielsen Chapman and Rocky Alvey
Audience: Educators and Students in Grades 5-12
Event Date: May 18, 2017, at 11 a.m. EDT

Those tuning in to the webcast may ask questions via email at dlinfochannel@gmail.com and via social media using #askDLN.

To learn more about this event, visit https://www.nasa.gov/dln/live.

For information about other DLN events, visit http://www.nasa.gov/dln.

Please send any questions about this opportunity to dlinfochannel@gmail.com.

Science Opportunities for Educators of Grades K-12

**NEW** Exploring the Physics of Climate Change: Buoyancy
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades 6-12
Event Date: May 3, 2017, at 8 p.m. EDT
Participants will explore the basic physics of buoyancy as a function of density. Using easily accessible demonstrations, participants will learn ways to show how buoyancy relates to melting glaciers and ice caps. This activity will help clear up misconceptions about contributing factors to sea-level rise. The activities shared in this webinar address earth science and physics standards. For this and other activities, visit https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/243906

**NEW** From ‘Hidden’ to ‘Modern Figures’: Bringing Katherine Johnson’s Story Into Your Classroom
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades K-12
Event Date: May 4, 2017, at 4 p.m. EDT
The film “Hidden Figures,” based on the book by Margot Lee Shetterly, focuses on the stories of Katherine Johnson, Mary Jackson and Dorothy Vaughan, African-American women who were essential to the success of early spaceflight. This session will focus on K-12 classroom activities that are perfect for English, social studies, history, science, mathematics and engineering. These activities are related to what NASA is doing today. Additional resources and adaptation recommendations will be included for activities that tie directly to the work portrayed in the movie. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/242636

**NEW** Picking Up STEAM: Using Models to Understand the Solar Eclipse
Audience: Pre-service, In-service, Home School and Informal Educators of Grades K-12
Event Date: May 10, 2017, at 5 p.m. EDT
Participants will be introduced to problem-based inquiry learning activities related to the solar eclipse. Learn how to bring STEM challenges and the adventure of space exploration to students in the classroom. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/237938

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

Questions about this series of webinars should be directed to Steve Culivan at stephen.p.culivan@nasa.gov.

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

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

Don’t forget to subscribe to our monthly e-newsletter, the NASA Space Place Gazette! http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/subscribe

New and Newsworthy Resources

Voyager 1 and 2: The Interstellar Mission — The Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft launched from Earth in 1977. Their mission was to explore Jupiter and Saturn –and beyond to the outer planets of our solar system. Learn more at https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/voyager-to-planets.

What Is Gravity? — Gravity is the force by which a planet or other body draws objects toward its center. The force of gravity keeps all the planets in orbit around the sun. What else does gravity do? Go here to find out! https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/what-is-gravity

Saturn’s Rings — Saturn’s rings are about 400,000 kilometers (240,000 miles) wide. That’s the distance from Earth to the moon! The rings are made up of material ranging from particles too tiny to see to “particles” the size of a bus. Scientists think the particles are icy snowballs or ice-covered rocks. Learn more at https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/saturn-rings.

“JunoQuest” — Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system. But there is still a lot about this gas giant that we don’t know. NASA’s Juno spacecraft currently is helping scientists learn more. Play “JunoQuest,” and help Juno take us a giant step forward in our understanding of how giant planets form and what part they play in putting together the rest of the solar system. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/junoquest.

Summer Activities
Are you looking for fun, educational activities for the summer? Check these out:

Make Sun Paper — Our sun is a burning ball of superheated gas. Even though it is 93 million miles (149.6 million kilometers) away, we can feel its heat and light on Earth. Make this marbled paper that looks just like our sun! https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/sun-paper

Bake Sunspot Cookies — Even when the sun may appear to be shining as brightly as ever, it sometimes has dark areas called sunspots. Learn more with this simple and delicious activity. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/sunspot-cookies

Make Ultraviolet Handprint Art — In this activity, see how sunscreen can be used to block the sun’s ultraviolet light rays. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/sunscreen-activity

Make a Pinwheel Galaxy — The Pinwheel Galaxy is a spiral-shaped galaxy about 21 million light years away from Earth. Scientists call this swirling galaxy M101. Make a Pinwheel Galaxy pinwheel! https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/pinwheel-galaxy

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

May 5 — Alan Shepard became the first American in space on this day in 1961.
See more astronauts in action in our gallery: https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/gallery-technology.

May 6: Today is peak viewing time for the Eta Aquarids meteor shower.
What’s the difference between an asteroid and meteor? https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/asteroid-or-meteor

May 26: Astronaut Sally Ride was born on this day in 1951.
She was the first American woman to fly in space! Learn more at https://go.nasa.gov/2jtoYHo.

June 8: Happy World Oceans Day!
Did you know that water covers 71 percent of Earth’s surface, and 96.5 percent of it is salt water? https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/ocean-currents

June 20: Today is the first day of summer.
Why does Earth have seasons? https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/seasons

June 22: Pluto’s moon Charon was discovered on this day in 1978.
Learn more about Pluto and its moons. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/ice-dwarf

Share
Do you want some help spreading the word about NASA 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.

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Take Your Students on a Series of Virtual Field Trips!
Audience: Grades 6-12 — Students and Educators, Formal and Informal
Next Event Date: May 5, 2017, 2 p.m. CDT

Upcoming virtual field trips include:

Deep Space Patrol — May 5, 2017, 2 p.m. CDT
Go behind-the-scenes in NASA’s meteorite lab with Kevin Righter, planetary scientist at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

Mission to Mars — May 8, 2017, 10 a.m. CDT
Learn about driving on another planet with an inside look at NASA’s space exploration vehicles with Lucien Junkin, robotics engineer at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

For more information about “The Search for STEMnauts,” including how to register, visit www.STEMnauts.com.

Please direct questions about this opportunity to Kelly McCormick at Kelly.mccormick-1@nasa.gov.

NASA Solar Eclipse Workshops at Marshall Space Flight Center
Audience: K-12 Educators
Next Workshop Date: May 6, 2017, 9-11 a.m. CDT

On Aug. 21, 2017, the United States will experience a solar eclipse. This celestial event will provide a golden opportunity to engage and educate diverse audiences, and NASA has the resources to help. Join the Educator Resource Center at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, for a series of grade-level specific educator workshops to learn about safety tips, hands-on activities, resources and more!

May 6, 2017, 9-11 a.m. CDT: Educators of Grades K-12
June 1, 2017, 9-11 a.m. CDT: Educators of Grades K-12

For full event details and registration information, visit https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/solar_eclipse_workshop2017.pdf.

Please direct questions about this workshop to Maria Chambers at maria.a.chambers@nasa.gov.