Guidance for Education and Public Outreach Activities Under Sequestration
NASA has taken the first steps in addressing the mandatory spending cuts called for in the Budget Control Act of 2011. The law mandates a series of indiscriminate and significant across-the-board spending reductions totaling $1.2 trillion over 10 years.
As a result, NASA has been forced to implement a number of new cost-saving measures, policies, and reviews in order to minimize impacts to the mission-critical activities of the Agency. Guidance regarding conferences, travel, and training that reflect the new fiscal reality in which the agency must operate has been provided.
For specific guidance as it relates to public outreach and engagement activities please reference the following webpage.
Check out the following NASA opportunities for the education community. Full descriptions are listed below.
2013 GLOBE Virtual Student Conference Audience: All Educators and Students Event Dates: Ongoing Through May 31, 2013
Engineering Design Challenge: Thermal Protection System Web Seminar Audience: 8-12 and Informal Educators Event Date: May 16, 2013, at 6:30 p.m.
NASA's Digital Learning Network Event -- International Space Station EarthKAM Celebration Audience: Middle School Educators and Students Event Date: May 17, 2013, 11 a.m. - Noon CDT
Free Education Webinar Series from the Aerospace Education Services Project Audience: K-12 Educators Next Event Date: May 17, 2013
ROSES-13 Amendment 9: Final Text for ROSES-13 Appendix A.35, The GLOBE Implementation Office Audience: Education Organizations and Consortiums Notice of Intent Requested by: May 20, 2013 Proposal Deadline: July 19, 2013
The Curiosity Rover: Robotic Geologist and Explorer Web Seminar Audience: Grades 4-9 Teachers and Informal Educators Event Date: May 21, 2013
Engineering Design Challenge: Spacecraft Structures Web Seminar Audience: 5-9 and Informal Educators Event Date: May 22, 2013
NASA ISS FIT iPad App Challenge Audience: Application Designers, Developers and Producers Challenge Runs through July 1, 2013
MAVEN Workshop -- Red Planet: Read, Write, Explore! Audience: Teachers of Grades 3-5 Application Deadline: July 24, 2013 Workshop Date: Aug. 24, 2013
Airborne Research Experience for Educators Academy Audience: 4-12 Educators Applications Open Until Spots Filled
The Global Learning and Observation to Benefit the Environment, or GLOBE, Virtual Student Conference is a place for GLOBE students to showcase their research projects for peer and scientific review. These projects will be available online for the public to view and to post comments and questions. Projects will be available for viewing through May 31, 2013.
Engineering Design Challenge: Thermal Protection System Web Seminar
As part of a series of electronic professional development experiences for educators, the NASA Explorer Schools project and the National Science Teachers Association are hosting a 90-minute live professional development Web seminar for educators on May 16, 2013 at 6:30 p.m. EDT. Learn about the science of heat transfer and heat dissipation related to NASA vehicles, and receive an introduction to the associated engineering design challenge, Thermal Protection System. In this activity, students are challenged to design a thermal protection system and test it using a propane torch.
This is the last time, during the current school year, this seminar will be offered.
NASA's Digital Learning Network Event -- International Space Station EarthKAM Celebration
NASA invites students and educators to tune in for a special Digital Learning Network webcast event celebrating International Space Station, or ISS, EarthKAM. Students around the world recently used a camera aboard the space station to take pictures of erosion on Earth during the ISS EarthKAM mission that took place April 23-26, 2013. These same students will video conference with NASA astronaut Michael Fincke at NASA's Johnson Space Center to share what they learned about erosion, to exchange images and to chat about the research being conducted from the space station.
The event will be webcast on the NASA DLiNfo Channel on May 17, 2013, at 11 a.m. CDT.
All students are invited to join in the fun by submitting questions to dlinfochannel@gmail.com.
Free Education Webinar Series from the Aerospace Education Services Project
The Aerospace Education Services Project is presenting a series of free webinars throughout May 2013. All webinars can be accessed online. Join aerospace education specialists to learn about activities, lesson plans, educator guides and resources to bring NASA into your classroom.
Climate Versus Weather: It's a Matter of Time (Grades 3-8) May 17, 2013, at 4 - 5 p.m. EDT and 6 - 7 p.m. EDT Aerospace education specialist Tony Leavitt will explore how weather and climate are related and how they differ. Participants will be introduced to NASA websites that will engage and educate students about these important topics.
Understanding the Red Planet: Mars Image Analysis (Grades 5-12) May 20, 2013, at 4 - 5 p.m. EDT and 6 - 7 p.m. EDT Join aerospace education specialist Tony Leavitt as he shares ways to use images taken by Arizona State University�s Thermal Emission Imaging System, or THEMIS, visible camera aboard NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft. The Odyssey spacecraft arrived at Mars on October 24, 2001, and its images show the shape of the Martian surface (geologic features).
Modeling the Solar System: What Is a Planet? (Grades 3-8) May 21, 2013, at 4 - 5 p.m. EDT and 6 - 7 p.m. EDT Aerospace education specialist Angelo Casaburri will discuss the challenges of teaching students about the scale of our solar system. Using a simple cash register tape activity, participants will learn how to model the vast distances between the sun and planets. Mathematical scale, astronomical units and differences between planets and a dwarf planets will also be discussed.
ROSES-13 Amendment 9: Final Text for ROSES-13 Appendix A.35, The GLOBE Implementation Office
The Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment, or GLOBE, Program is an important element of NASA's commitment to promoting science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM education among youth worldwide and to enhancing its international collaboration through the peaceful use of space. The Earth Science Division of NASA's Science Mission Directorate solicits proposals for an organization or a consortium of organizations to host the GLOBE Implementation Office and collaborate with NASA in the implementation of GLOBE, with the objective of strengthening the programmatic support for GLOBE and enhancing the value of GLOBE to its worldwide community of partners, students, teachers and scientists.
NASA anticipates making one award through this competitive solicitation at approximately $0.5-0.8M for the first four months of transition from the current operations and $2.0-2.5M per year for the subsequent three years, for a total of three years and four months.
This Amendment creates Appendix A.35. Notices of Intent are requested by May 20, 2013, and proposals are due July 19, 2013.
This amendment to the NASA Research Announcement "Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES) 2013" (NNH13ZDA001N) has been posted on the NASA research opportunity homepage at http://nspires.nasaprs.com/ and appears on the RSS feed at
Questions concerning Appendix A.35, The GLOBE Implementation Office, may be directed to Ming-Ying Wei, Earth Science Division, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC 20546-0001. Telephone: (202) 358-0771; Email: mwei@nasa.gov.
The Curiosity Rover: Robotic Geologist and Explorer Web Seminar
As part of a series of electronic professional development experiences, the NASA Explorer Schools project and the National Science Teachers Association are hosting a 90-minute Web seminar on May 21, 2013, at 6:30 p.m. EDT. Jordan Evans from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory will provide an overview of the Curiosity mission and talk about some stunning geologic discoveries. Curiosity is packing 10 science instruments, including four spectrometers, a rock-zapping laser and the first drill used on Mars.
Engineering Design Challenge: Spacecraft Structures Web Seminar
As part of a series of electronic professional development experiences for educators, the NASA Explorer Schools project and the National Science Teachers Association are hosting a 90-minute live professional development Web seminar for educators on May 22, 2013 at 6:30 p.m. EDT. Learn how to incorporate the excitement of rocketry into your classroom during this Web seminar and receive an overview of the student engineering design challenge, Spacecraft Structures, where students design and construct a strong, but lightweight, structure that can withstand the launch of a water bottle �rocket.�
Due to popular demand, this Web seminar is being offered this one final time during the current school year.
The NASA Tournament Lab has launched a new challenge in support of International Space Station operations. The ISS Food Intake Tracker, or FIT, iPad App Challenge asks participants to design, develop and produce an iPad application that will allow space station crewmembers to easily track what foods they eat.
The application should seamlessly identify the user, track all dietary intake (food and beverages) and provide a timestamp of when the intake was consumed. And the app must be compatible with the iPad operating system.
This challenge is divided into multiple stages, and each stage has its own start and end date. The challenge is currently scheduled to run through July 1, 2013. For full challenge details and a list of what steps are currently in progress, visit http://www.topcoder.com/iss/fit/.
MAVEN Workshop -- Red Planet: Read, Write, Explore!
The Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN, or MAVEN, mission will explore the planet�s upper atmosphere, ionosphere and interactions with the solar wind. Set to launch in November 2013, the mission will provide invaluable insights into the history of Mars� atmosphere and climate, liquid water and planetary habitability.
Join the MAVEN education team for a one-day workshop on the MAVEN mission and the accompanying program for grades 3-5, Red Planet: Read, Write Explore! This program features six standards-based lessons that combine science, literacy and art to help students understand planetary habitability and the MAVEN mission. The workshop will introduce participants to these lessons and concepts. The workshop also will have a session devoted to Spanish speaking English Language Learner and English as a Second Language students. Attendees will receive free classroom materials.
The workshop will take place Aug. 24, 2013, in Los Angeles, Calif. Applications are due July 24, 2013, but space is limited so interested educators are encouraged to apply early.
Airborne Research Experience for Educators Academy
In support of our nation's commitment to training and retaining 100,000 science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, teachers over the next decade through the 100Kin10 initiative, NASA's Earth Science Project Office and NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center Office of Education are recruiting 12 STEM teachers to participate in the Airborne Research Experience for Educators Academy, a 10-day research experience July 15-25, 2013, at the Aerospace Education Research Operations, or AERO, Institute in Palmdale, Calif. Applicants can be formal (traditional classrooms, public or private) or informal (museum, science center, etc.) educators of grades 4-12.
Through interactions with NASA's unique content, facilities and personnel, the academy will focus on three education goals through a variety of interfaces (virtual, in-person, self-directed learning): 1. Engage in NASA's unique, airborne research-based missions. 2. Increase core scientific and research knowledge base. 3. Generate NASA mission-based STEM resources and teaching materials.
Participants will be anchored in a community of scientific practice through an end-to-end airborne experience that will focus on two NASA Earth science missions: (1) Hurricane and Severe Storm Sentinel, or HS3, an investigation of how tropical storms form and develop into hurricanes, and (2) Airborne Tropical TRopopause Experiment, or ATTREX, a study of atmospheric compound concentrations and their impact on the Earth's climate and energy budget.
Experiences will include technical content instruction from mission scientists and engineers, utilization of technology via an online tool to monitor missions in real-time, pedagogical content instruction in 21st century skills, inquiry-based teaching and learning, engineering design and project-based learning. Experiences will be translated into teaching practice through the development of a thematic STEM module and action plan.
This opportunity will remain open until all seats are filled. Applicants must be U.S. citizens and may apply as individuals or as an interdisciplinary team of two - three persons.
Are you tired of struggling to find new ways to integrate technology into your curriculum? NASA's Do-It-Yourself Podcast website is the place to begin: It offers free public-domain resources to help you and your students build your own podcasts. With DIY Podcast, you and your students can start creating podcast files immediately.
Building podcasts supports national education standards in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, disciplines. The process also supports different learning styles. The auditory and visual learners can listen to and watch their podcasts to review the content and learn even more. The kinesthetic learner can perform demonstrations to add to the video. And because they are in the starring roles, students will watch/listen to the podcast repeatedly. The repetition reinforces the content.
NASA offers six video tutorials to show educators and students how easy it is to make podcasts and vodcasts. In just minutes, we show you how to create audio and video podcast files with the free video clips, audio tracks and images on the DIY Podcast site. The six-video series comprises:
-- What Is a Podcast? -- DIY Podcast Tour -- Viewing and Downloading Video Clips -- Listening to and Downloading Audio Clips -- Building an Audio Podcast -- Building a Video Podcast
The series provides time-saving tips for helping students create podcasts and explains the benefits of using podcasts as an educational tool. You can find additional techniques and tips on the DIY Podcast Blog. Visit today to learn how you and your students can make podcasts -- all it takes is a few minutes!
NASA's Aerospace Education Services Project has teamed up with the National Science Teachers Association to launch the new Teacher Learning Journeys project. This new approach to individualized professional development is designed to help teachers meet personal learning goals and increase student learning and motivation.
Educators can select, prioritize and complete professional development paths that allow them to find and make use of specific resources, teaching strategies and content they need for their students. Participants may apply for digital badges, a form of recognition that explains the activity, required effort and skills acquired.
More and more of our readers are using mobile devices. For that reason, we have recently optimized the design of The Space Place to work well on mobile phone screens. You will see only what fits comfortably (at a readable size) on even the smallest screen, with the rest of the page accessible at your touch. Here's what else we've been doing . . .
What's New? Why would a pigeon racer phone the Space Weather Prediction Center in Boulder, Colo., for a report before entering a prized pigeon into a big race?
It's surprising how many ways the sun affects Earth and its living things. Solar storms can cause "bad space weather" on Earth. Bad space weather can damage communication and navigation satellites, power grids and hurt astronauts on the space station. But that's not all. Read this new article on The Space Place to find out why homing pigeons and their human handlers might care about space weather. Go to http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/pigeons.
Un Rescate en Espa�ol We have all heard stories in which it took many days and a lot of trouble and expense to rescue or find people who were lost in the wilderness or at sea. Sometimes, the rescue comes too late. Here's a story with a much happier ending, thanks to advance planning and the help of a well-designed and -managed system involving weather satellites and a ground-support system. This new feature on Space Place is in both English and Spanish, with Spanish being the story�s original form. Go to http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/sarsat/sp.
Spotlight on a Dream Career A Mars mission is good example to show how different scientists and engineers can be. The engineers build and operate the spacecraft, and the scientists determine what information it will gather once it is on the ground or in orbit. Engineers and scientists have different priorities. So there is a special kind of engineer who designs and sets up tools that allow these two types of people to work smoothly together. That's the job of our latest Mission Chronicles blogger. Sarah Milkovich gives a unique view of how a diverse mission operations and science team can work together even though they are located around the country. Check it out at
For the Classroom No matter what kind of science lesson or activity you are doing with your class, the most important lesson is how to think like a scientist. Science isn't just a bunch of facts. And although there is a formal process known as the scientific method, it is not always necessary to follow it in order to �do science.� So what is science? That is the weighty topic dealt with lightly at http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/science. Along with this discussion is an introduction to doing a science fair project, which can be found at spaceplace.nasa.gov/science-fair. Although it may be a bit late in the year to think about science fairs, such projects can also be encouraged just to satisfy students' curiosity -- or, if that isn�t enough -- for extra credit!
For Out of School Time A menu full of games will entertain kids all summer, while sneaking in a few informal science and technology lessons -- but don't let them know about this latter advantage! See them all in one place at http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/menu/play.
Also, don't forget about our iPhone and iPad mobile apps over the summer. Space Place Prime updates daily with new images, videos and articles from The Space Place. Games "Satellite Insight" and "Comet Quest" are also fun challenges. Find out more at http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/ios.
We Love Feedback Thanks to the many of you who have written to info@spaceplace.nasa.gov to tell us how you use our website in your teaching and informal work with kids. We are happy to be able to bring you this valuable resource to enhance and supplement your curriculum.
Have a restorative, relaxing summer. Meanwhile, we will continue working to bring you more new materials for next school year.
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