Summer is heating up with presentations by NASA Solar System Ambassadors at local venues -- libraries, schools, state parks, museums and more -- across the U.S. Themes planned for these public events include "Barnstorming the Solar System," "Phoenix Landing," "Summer Solstice and the Sun," "Moon Observing," and "Twin Robots on Mars in 3-D."
Solar System Ambassadors is a public outreach program designed to work with motivated volunteers across the nation. Ambassadors are space enthusiasts from various walks of life who are interested in providing greater service and inspiration to the community at large. In 50 states, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico, 523 Ambassadors are now bringing the excitement of space science and exploration to the public in their local communities.
In this challenge, students learn how NASA engineers design lightweight but effective, reusable thermal protection systems. Students work in teams to design, build and test a thermal protection system of their own. Simple materials such as wooden dowels, hot-melt glue, aluminum foil and copper screening are used to build a simulated spacecraft and a thermal protection system that can withstand the heat of a propane torch.
In this challenge, students will undertake the problem of designing a strong but lightweight thrust structure that can withstand the launch of a bottle rocket by means of a wooden lever. By using simple materials such as craft sticks, cardboard and hot-melt glue, students strive to make their structure lighter while maintaining its strength. The goal is to construct a launcher that can withstand the force of repeatedly launching a one-kilogram bottle of water one meter into the air. The scientific focus is on understanding forces, structures and energy transfer.
During the annual meeting of the International Astronomical Union in the summer of 2006, members in attendance approved a newer definition for "planet" and other bodies. In this lesson, students learn about the characteristics of planets, comets, asteroids and trans-Neptunian objects through a classification activity. The students can then apply what they have learned by participating in a formal debate about a solar system object discovered by the New Horizons spacecraft and by defining the term "planet."
New Video Clips
The educational video clips listed below have been added to the Videos section of the NASA Educational Materials site. Click on the link below each list of video clips to access the videos online.
Geography From Space
Designed for students in grades K-8, these video clips from the "Liftoff to Learning: Geography From Space DVD" take the viewer on a tour of Earth's surface as seen from space. After explaining how the altitude of the viewer affects the amount of Earth's surface seen at one time, the video moves into a travelogue about some of the interesting features of Earth's continents as seen from space.
Targeting students in grades 9-12, these video clips from the "Sea Winds: Catch the Wind -- The QuikSCAT Story DVD" tell the story of the QuikSCAT mission that was launched in June 1999. The video clips discuss the mission's study of tropospheric dynamics, upper-ocean circulation and air-sea interactions.
The video clips from the "Liftoff to Learning: Go for EVA DVD" are designed for educators and students in grades 5-8. These clips feature astronauts aboard the space shuttle Atlantis during mission STS-37. They discuss the reasons for wearing spacesuits during spacewalking missions, how spacesuits work, and what kinds of jobs astronauts perform while spacewalking.
Designed for students in grades 9-12, these video clips from the "Our Home: Earth From Space DVD" engage the audience with satellite imagery, computer graphics and historical footage to make the point that Earth is an interconnected system of air, land, water and life.
Targeting students in grades 5-8, video clips from the "NASA CONNECT™: Data Analysis and Measurement: Having a Solar Blast! DVD" show how NASA engineers and researchers use data analysis and measurement to predict solar storms, anticipate how they will affect Earth, and improve human understanding of the Sun-Earth system.
Designed for students in grades 5-8, video clips from the "NASA CONNECT™: The Festival of Flight: Opening Space for Next Generation of Explorers DVD" show students performing a hands-on activity to find the optimum ratio of baking soda to a controlled amount of vinegar to power a baking soda and vinegar rocket. The series also explores the concept of gravity and how Newton's three laws help rockets overcome the force of gravity.
The Landsat Image Mosaic of Antarctica (LIMA)is the first-ever true-color high-resolution satellite view of the Antarctic continent enabling everyone to see Antarctica as it appears in real life. This new view of Antarctica will revolutionize Antarctica research. The LIMA web site is designed as part of the International Polar Year to familiarize people with Antarctica, to explore the richness of its features, to learn about why Antarctica matters to us all, and to explain and demonstrate how scientists use satellite imagery to study the continent.
During this challenge, you will become the scientists who study the features on Antarctica, as never seen before, and using a major scientific tool: curiosity, you will develop a research question and argue the value of studying a feature based on this new view of Antarctica.
Moon Math is a software application where users investigate lunar habitat design through learning the mathematical concepts of area, volume and proportion using geometric shapes.
Moon Math is also a robust and flexible in-depth authoring tool that enables users to update or expand the dataset using graphical, animated, interactive, textual and audio-formatted content, customized multiple choice and summary assessment tests.
Page Maintained By: Judy Walker • Last Updated: July 10, 2008 @ 6:30 PM
