Material development for FY 2012 will include Solar System Origins module and accompanying interactives including the stand alone activity "Active Accretion" and "Active Phase Changes." For FY 2012, this will include formatting, posting, internal and product review and subsequent revisions of the Solar Systems Origins module and the initial development of the Data Analysis module. Content module on Dawn instruments: Framing Cameras, Visible and Infrared Spectrometer, Gamma Ray and…

Dawn  education team members presented new science findings and activities as well as background information to a variety of student audiences in informal education settings. Here, a set of workshops about the Dawn Mission were presented at GESTEM, Girls Exploring Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, events in Denver, Colorado, April 20, 2012 and May 9, 2014 sponsored by the Colorado Women in Engineering Society. Aproximately 150 middle school girls were reached during…

In FY 2012, Dawn science, engineering and education team members presented new science findings and activities as well as background information to a variety of student audiences in formal education settings. Here, students participated in a pilot of new materials connected to Dawn's Instrumentation.

For FY 2011: Includes 1) Day-long teacher workshop in Denver CO.  2) Day long workshop for Florida Science Supervisors.  3) Five simultaneous workshops in February 2011 based on results of EPOXI and in anticipation of Stardust NExT and Dawn.  For FY 2012, the Dawn mission will provide educator workshops about some of the findings at Vesta and a review of Stardust NExT and EPOXI educational materials. Venues to include the Colorado Science Conference and the School Science and…

In FY 2011, Stardust NExT organized a district wide NASA event in Cheyenne Wyoming modeled after similar activities conducted by NASA's Discovery Program office. A team of scientists and educators visited students in grades 6-12. An evening star party and the local observatory opened the event to students, parents and families.

"Art and the Cosmic Connection" is a curriculum that uses beautiful and compelling NASA images of planets, moons, and small bodies to help students understand and analyze what they see using the elements of art – shape, line, color, value, texture. After viewing images, students choose one image to draw with pastels, honing observation skills as they learn to look and look to learn. The activity is demonstrated in educator workshops and done with students during classroom visits.

"Unlocking Mysteries of the Solar System" is a video overview of the Discovery Program and missions with an accompanying educator guide.  The video describes the science objectives and results of the missions, and the educator guide leads students through a series of activities to learn about the mission and then design their own space mission.  Portions of the video are shown at workshops and the activity is demonstrated to teachers who work in groups to design a…

Classroom visits by NASA scientists and educators bring a sense of excitement and interest in STEM. In FY 2012, Stardust-NExT, Dawn and EPOXI participated in three-day event in Rainsville, Alabama, coordinated by NASA's Discovery Program with 8 NASA scientists and educators visiting 1,200 students in grades 4-12 at Plainview School, which had been severely damaged from a massive tornado the previous spring. The presentations, hands-on activities and discussions help students see a place…

Conduct visits to schools with presentations, discussions, and hands-on activities.

Space School Musical is a play that introduces the solar system to students while integrating science with performing arts, physical education, music, social themes and leadership opportunities. Aimed at upper elementary and middle school students, the play teaches solar system science in a fun and engaging way.  Designed for easy and successful replication, the package includes a DVD of the play performed by high school students, a CD with the songs, and a CD-ROM with teacher tips, an…

Led by Multiverse at UC Berkeley's Space Sciences Laboratory, Five Stars Pathway: Engaging Girls in Science through Multigenerational Mentors project is developing heliophysics curriculum targeting middle school girls to be implemented in Girls Inc. afterschool programs nationwide. 

Led by Multiverse at UC Berkeley's Space Sciences Laboratory, Five Stars Pathway: Engaging Girls in Science through Multigenerational Mentors project is developing heliophysics curriculum targeting middle school girls to be implemented in Girls Inc. afterschool programs nationwide. 

Led by Multiverse at UC Berkeley's Space Sciences Laboratory, Five Stars Pathway: Engaging Girls in Science through Multigenerational Mentors project is developing heliophysics curriculum targeting middle school girls to be implemented in Girls Inc. afterschool programs nationwide. 

GRAIL MoonKAM is a student experience project for 5th-8th grade students nationwide. Middle school students use the MoonKAM website to target and request images of the moon taken by the GRAIL MoonKAM cameras. The objective of GRAIL MoonKAM is to engage students in STEM subjects.

GRAIL MoonKAM is a student experience project for 5th-8th grade students nationwide. Middle school students use the MoonKAM website to target and request images of the moon taken by the GRAIL MoonKAM cameras. The objective of GRAIL MoonKAM is to engage students in STEM subjects.

GRAIL MoonKAM is a student experience project for 5th-8th grade students nationwide. Middle school students attend Sally Ride Science festivals and learn about how to take picture of the moon using the GRAIL MoonKAM cameras. The objective of GRAIL MoonKAM is to engage students in STEM subjects.

E/PO GRAIL MoonKAM. An essential part of the E/PO MoonKAM program is student collaboration.  The E/PO MoonKAM Mission Control Center (MOC) will coexist with and utilize the NASA EarthKAM MOC facility already in place and functional at UCSD. From FY09 through FY2013 UCSD undergraduate students will work with SRS supervisors and GRAIL scientists to design and implement the MoonKAM Mission Operations.www.GRAILMoonKAM.com

The Heliophysics Community of Practice for Formal Educators is a multi-mission effort led by THEMIS-ARTEMIS E/PO and supported by the Van Allen Probes E/PO, IBEX E/PO and the Heliophysics Forum. The Community of Practice provides professional development opportunities for middle and high school teachers across the country to learn more about current heliophysics research and incorporate it into their classroom. 

The Heliophysics Educator Ambassador (HEA) program is a collaborative, multi-mission effort that provides professional development and resources to middle and high school science teachers who then train other teachers at local, regional and/or national workshops, conference and meetings. The NASA Heliophysics missions collaborating on the HEA program are: THEMIS-ARTEMIS, IBEX, Van Allen Probes, SDO, MMS, Voyager, RHESSI, STEREO, TIMED and AIM.

As part of a Chicago Public Schools systemic initiative, the IBEX Space Explorers After School Program (IBEX SEC) trains teachers to use the IBEX-funded GEMS SSS Curriculum with under-represented students.  The purpose of this program is to increase student exposure to space science that they do not receive during the school day and to increase their enjoyment in science activities.  This program provides professional development and classroom support for these science clubs through…

The IBEX Education and Public Outreach program funded the development of seven strategy guides for middle school teachers. The first six guides utilize student text from Great Explorations in Math and Science (GEMS) Space Science Sequence for Grades 6-8: Teaching How Scientists Use Models with What Makes Up Most of the Solar System?, Teaching Roundtable Discussions with Seasons on Mars, Teaching Text Structure with Understanding the Scale of the Universe, Teaching Vocabulary Awareness…

InSight's formal-education program features comparative planetology initiatives with our E/PO partners IRIS (Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology), SCEC (Southern California Earthquake Center) and NASA's SpaceMath for standards based math resources. This year begins development of Preassessment, Standards-focused curriculum, near-real-time data classroom delivery methods, earthquake analysis tools and professional development.

IRIS scientists at Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory are developing a Challenger Learning Center (CLC) module parallel to the materials they created for a similar SDO program. The target audience is students in grades 5-8 who visit the Challenger Centers.

The extremely popular and highly successful program of Quest Challenges presents middle-school students and their teachers with an authentic design task associated with a mission. Student groups are introduced to the Challenge via an initial webcast, and subsequently develop a preliminary design, obtain feedback from IRIS team members through a web chat, refine their designs, and then submit them for review and presentation as part of a culminating live webcast. The challenge is…

The IRIS E/PO team will conduct a series of workshops instructing middle and high school teachers how to incorporate spectroscopy into their classes.

Most of the products of Kepler E/PO and the resources we use in our presentations and teacher workshops are freely available on the Kepler website (http://kepler.nasa.gov).  These include:

Activities:
http://kepler.nasa.gov/education/activities/

Models:
http://kepler.nasa.gov/education/ModelsandSimulations/

Computer Interactives:
http://kepler.nasa.gov/education/ModelsandSimulations/interactives/

Planetarium shows:

The comparative planetology module for SOS is a formal education module on comparative planetology for grades 6-8 that will be developed during FY10. Institutions with SOS installations will be given professional development on how to use the module with students that visit their institutions. 

The Lunar Student Imaging Project (LSIP) is an inquiry-based program that enables K-12 students to learn about lunar science and develop proposals to acquire and analyze data from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) instrument.  

This activity is a workshop for educators of grades 6-12 to learn about lunar science and exploration and how to incorporate LRO data into their classrooms. Participants in the workshop attend a week-long workshop at Goddard Space Flight Center in July 2010 and are given follow-up professional development using distance learning technologies.

LRO Middle School Educator Professional Development (MSEPD) provides sustained, long-duration professional development for middle school teachers in the regions directly surrounding our E/PO partners. Educator professional development includes short and long-duration professional development experiences on lunar and planetary content using materials developed in previous LRO E/PO funding cycles. The objective of LRO E/PO middle school educator professional development is for middle…

Mini-RF has developed a beta Lunar Simulation on the instrument and its findings at the Moon. The goal is to provide middle and high school students with a mission specific gaming-like experience that will be used to augment existing math and science curriculums. It also folds in the existing educational products developed for the Mini-RF instrument and the LRO mission. This is based on the ARENA (Augmented Reality Environment at APL), a 3-D modeling and simulation facility at APL that…

These programs give middle school students a close-up look at NASA’s  LRO mission and specifically the Mini-RF instrument. They are designed to engage, inspire, and influence attitudes about space science and STEM careers. Space Academy includes a student press conference with mission experts as panelists and students as “reporters.” The panelists represent varying backgrounds, careers, and roles on the mission. 

Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) Curiosity Landing Site Selection Activity: This activity teaches middle school students about the process used to select a landing site for the Curiosity rover.  In so doing, the students learn basics about Mars geology and mission teamwork.

This project aims to incorporate up-to-date SMD education resources and science and mission data relating to NASA’s explorations of Mars into the Mars Rover Celebration (MRC), an existing low-cost curriculum enhancement program for grades 3-8. The MRC prototype focuses on the adventure of learning and discovery, asking participating teams to propose their own scientific mission to Mars, design a rover to carry it out, and present a mock-up at an open house. The overarching goal of this…

MAVEN mission formal E/PO is a comprehensive program targeting K-12 teachers and students. The program involves product development and professional development workshops, including MAVEN Educator Ambassador Project, Space Science Teachers Summit, and Red Planet, and management and evaluation for the aforementioned activities. The objective of the MAVEN mission EPO program is to engage multiple audiences in the quest to understand Mars’ long-term atmospheric losses, giving insight into…

The MESSENGER K-12 education and public outreach (E/PO) efforts encompass teacher professional development and web-available content-based curriculum for K-12 students and educators. The Educator Fellowship program trains educators who commit to conducting teacher professional development using high-quality educational materials featuring mission-related themes. The objective of the MESSENGER E/PO program is to prepare classroom teachers across the nation to incorporate high-quality,…

The MESSENGER K-12 education and public outreach (E/PO) efforts encompass teacher professional development and web-available content-based curriculum for K-12 students and educators. The Educator Fellowship program trains educators who commit to conducting teacher professional development using high-quality educational materials featuring mission-related themes. The objective of the MESSENGER E/PO program is to prepare classroom teachers across the nation to incorporate high-quality,…

The MESSENGER K-12 education and public outreach (E/PO) efforts encompass teacher professional development and web-available content-based curriculum for K-12 students and educators. The Educator Fellowship program trains educators who commit to conducting teacher professional development using high-quality educational materials featuring mission-related themes. The objective of the MESSENGER E/PO program is to prepare classroom teachers across the nation to incorporate high-quality,…

This program supports in-service teachers in their work towards a Masters of Science degree in Science Education at Montana State University.  Two courses were supported in the program this year, Life in Extreme Environments and Thermal Biology in Yellowstone National Park. The courses provide science content information and authentic research experiences for practicing science instructors at the middle, secondary, and college levels.

This project provides professional development in astrobiology for teachers in Hawai'i and from the mainland US.  Its purpose is to increase awareness of astrobiology science and use of astrobiology classroom materials.  Teachers participate in a week-long workshop including lecture, lab, and field studies.

This project provides professional development in astrobiology for teachers from across the US at Penn State University.  Two workshops were supported in Summer, 2011: Earth's History: Uncovering Clues of the Past‚ and Astrobiology: The Interdisciplinary Search for Life in the Cosmos.  The purpose is to expose teachers to the latest in astrobiology research, NASA missions, and classroom materials.

This program provides hands-on research experiences for students and their teachers in Hawai'i.  Its purpose is to develop astronomy research skills in students in grades 7-11 so they can conduct Science Fair quality projects and pursue STEM majors in college.  After a week-long workshop in the summer, scientist mentors travel to student locations throughout the school year to provide help with the research, and students are supported to participate in science fairs.

This project develops web-based, multimedia, interactive experiences for various kinds of learners.  Called Virtual Field Trips (VFTs), their purpose is to create an online environment which simulates a remote field research locale.  Several NAI teams are collaborating to create a suite of VFTs dealing with different areas of astrobiology research.  They will be field tested in various learning environments and the evaluation will be coordinated.

NASA All-Stars is a summer STEM research experience for teams of students, teachers, and librarians from Chicago-area public, private, and parochial schools.  Assisted by program staff, four experienced teacher-mentors, and scientists from the Astronomy & Astrophysics Center, teams undertake authentic research projects using astronomical data as they discover astronomy across the electromagnetic spectrum.  The program makes use of our Multiwavelength Astronomy website, which presents…

Family Science Night (FSN) is a curriculum in which middle- school-aged children and their families explore the importance of STEM in our daily lives by engaging in activities that make these concepts more practical and approachable. It covers a broad range of topics, from basic scientific processes to specific concepts such as the electromagnetic spectrum, the life cycles of stars, the reasons for Earth’s seasons, exploration of the Moon, and the ways in which we detect and study…

The Educator Cadre program – working in partnership with the NASA Solar System Educator Program (SSEP) – develops middle and high school teachers who represent New Horizons and serve as an important resource for solar system exploration programs across the country. Through New Horizons Teacher Training Workshops, we developed a cadre of skilled master teachers who now represent the mission; these workshops comply with National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) and American Association…

Few programs combine fun and learning like the Space Academy series, where we bring students behind the scenes of current space missions and introduce them to scientists and engineers working on these projects. These events – sponsored by APL, Comcast Cable, and the Discovery Channel Networks – give middle school students a close-up look at NASA missions. They include student press conferences with mission panelists moderated by an APL public affairs representative. Students have an…

The Student Dust Counter (SDC) is a 20-year homework assignment, but you won’t hear any complaints from the students handed the task. Designed by students at the University of Colorado at Boulder, SDC is detecting dust grains produced by collisions among asteroids, comets, and Kuiper Belt objects during New Horizons’ journey. It is the first science instrument on a NASA planetary mission to be designed, built, and “flown” by students.  With faculty supervision, the students also are…

3 separate workshops, for teachers of grades 1-5, 6-8, and high school. Teachers received and practiced age-appropriate astronomy activities with a focus on lunar science. They built inexpensive "galileoscope" telescopes. Cooperation with the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, which was meeting in Boulder, CO in 2010, increased teacher attendance. Nearly all teachers who applied were accepted. Scholarships were supported by NASA and ASP. Teacher assessment forms quite positive.

Working with Erin Wood (LASP) we hosted a teacher workshop for Elem & Middle School teachers.  This workshop was in association with the ASP.  The theme was the Scientific Method and we focused on the Moon to convey many aspects of the scientific method.  20 teachers registered.  Main activities:-  Pre-evaluation with clickers, moon phases (predicting, then "kinesthetic astronomy to explain), remote sensing (shoebox activity), talk by LUNAR PI Jack Burns, post…

A series of lectures to various different audiences (from middle school students to adults) about NASA's lunar science and exploration programs as well as EPO resources. These talks would be visually augmented by NASA lunar imagery such as high-resolution photographs of the lunar surface, the latest lunar science visualizations, as well as by animations of current and future lunar missions. 

The course, Geology of the Moon (ERTH 580-50), offers MSU graduate credits in earth science for middle school teachers. The online course runs Sept. 28 through Nov. 29 and is taught by Cass Runyan, who teaches at both MSU and the College of Charleston, and Noah Petro, a lunar geologist from NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. Pamela Whiffen, a high school science teacher, will also be part of the instructional team, helping participating teachers better incorporate the science concepts…

Materials for use in classroom for pre-visit: The OSIRIS-REx education and public outreach (E/PO) program includes field trip experiences for K-8 students. Low-income students can access the Great Balls of Fire! exhibit at a local science center through support provided by the OSIRIS-REx mission. The objective of the OSIRIS-REx K-12 E/PO effort is to motivate students to pursue the study of science, technology, engineering and mathematics through attendance at science center with…

Our Solar System – Through the Eyes of Scientists (TES) is a solar system thematic science and language arts based curriculum for students and teachers in grades 1-6.  Students read biographies of current NASA scientists and view scientists’ notebook pages, while learning about planetary features such as canyons, volcanoes, and ice.  Curriculum is distributed on CD-ROM and made available on the Solar System Exploration website.  Teacher professional development is included.  Major costs…

This program trains graduate students, with help of a Physics Education Research specialist, to present NASA-developed classroom activities to K-12 teachers, and to coach the teachers how to use those activities in their classrooms.  Program facilitators adopt and/or adapt activities from the existing, extensive catalogue of NASA-developed & -approved activities.  At the request of the teachers, program facilitators deliver the training/coaching sessions at their schools, with no cost…

What is the Solar Science Fair?
The Solar Science Fair is a semester-long project for students ages 13-18 as well as classrooms and the general public. Participants are expected to create original projects using solar data. There will be many opportunities to ask solar scientists questions about your project or about what they do at NASA.

How will the projects be judged?
All projects will be judged based on the use of the scientific method, use of solar data, creativity and the…

he Space Public Outreach Team (SPOT) provides FREE presentations about current NASA missions to Montana schools, youth programs, and community groups. The office at Montana State University in Bozeman sends presenters to schools and communities across the state.

The interactive SPOT presentations utilize slides, videos, animations and an inquisitive approach to relay the excitement of new discoveries in space science. NASA research and careers here in Montana are highlighted in each…

Solar System Educators (SSEP) are master teacher volunteers who train educators in their states in the use of NASA's STEM educational materials.  Results of these educator workshops are reported to the NASA OEPM system annually.  Currently, there are 94 SSEPs in all 50 states and Puerto Rico.  Training for SSEPs on NASA/JPL educational products is accomplished in two ways:  1) In-person institutes and 2) telecons with downloadable web-based materials.  Institutes are held when…

NASA's Space Forensics project takes students in formal and informal education settings through astronomy problem-solving narratives that parallel crime scene forensics. Each standards-aligned Space Forensics case fuses STEM and literacy, using mystery narratives and hands-on activities to take students through the process of scientific problem-solving. This approach tells the story of "doing science" and meets educators' needs for resources that encourage reading, writing, and speaking…

The Space Place program includes web site for elementary school children as well as a museum display program and partnerships with amateur astronomy clubs and newspapers.  The Space Place web site makes SMD content accessible to a variety of audiences including elementary school age kids, Spanish speakers, amateur astronomers, and teachers.  The Space Place web site is available in both English and Spanish, in upper elementary language; the Space place museum display is in over 350…

The Space Place program includes a web site for elementary school children as well as a museum display program and partnerships with amateur astronomy clubs and newspapers.  The Space Place web site makes SMD content accessible to a variety of audiences including elementary school age kids, Spanish speakers, amateur astronomers, and teachers.  The Space Place web site is available in both English and Spanish, in upper elementary language; the Space place museum display is in over 350…

STEP is a train-the-trainers professional development project for middle school science education specialists and lead teachers.   STEP will increase the Earth and Space Science (ESS)  knowledge and pedagogy, and skills and confidence in providing professional development of middle school science specialists and lead teachers in the Houston region.  STEP provides in-depth long-term professional development for educators already supporting other middle school teachers in Earth and space…