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Resources from the NESTA and NSTA Aerospace Education Advisory Board Space Science Share-a-Thon at the 2018 NSTA National Conference in Atlanta, GA

The share-a-thon took place from 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM on Thursday, March 14 in the Georgia World Congress Center, B102. Thanks to all our presenters! If you missed it or want a refresher of what you saw, check out the resources below.

  • NASA Langley Earth Science Resources. Spotlight of NASA Partnered Earth Science Resources available for educators: GLOBE/My NASA Data Earth System Poster Activity for Data Visualization in the Classroom, GLOBE-CLOUDS/GLOBE Observer app for authentic data collection, Elementary GLOBE NGSS Aligned Implementation GuideElementary GLOBE eBook and Learning Activities to promote Science Literacy. Presenter(s): Tina Harte. (NASA Langley Research Center: Hampton, VA)
  • Sun and Space Weather Games & Simulating Satellite Remote Sensing with Drones. Check out two activities relevant to space science: computer games about the Sun and space weather, and a remote-sensing activity with inexpensive drones that illustrates concepts of satellite remote sensing. Earth Sci Bio Chem Physics (Acrobat (PDF) 672kB Oct15 17) Chemistry and the Earth (Acrobat (PDF) 1.3MB Oct15 17) Sesimic Waves for Physics (Acrobat (PDF) 2.2MB Oct15 17) Presenter(s): Randy Russell, (UCAR Center for Science Education: Boulder, CO)
  • Using Spectroscopy to Learn about Stellar CompositionsThese interagency guides Do you really know what makes up the light that reaches your eyes? Visible light contains a wealth of valuable information that can only be fully understood by breaking it down into its component wavelength using spectroscopy. Use inexpensive tools to bring stellar composition alive to your students. [file XXXXXX] Presenter(s): Dave Curry (Holland Middle School/Council Rock School District: Holland, PA)
  • GPS-Based STEM Curriculum for Middle School. The U.S. government has developed a new curriculum that uses GPS concepts and activities to stimulate student interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The curriculum is designed for the middle/high school level and tied to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The curriculum progressively educates on STEM topics using the IDEA pedagogical approach (Inquiry, Discovery, Explanation, Application). There are four courses that build in concepts, difficulty, and size (Earth, Space, Life, and Movement); each course has three lessons that are self-contained while building on each other; and are filled with fun, engaging content. Presenter(s): John Johnson (Office of Space Commerce: Washington, DC)
  • Layering Lava. How do people reconstruct the data events in Earth's planetary history? Students act as volcanologists. They will create volcanoes, draw geologic maps, and explore an unknown volcano. They will use core sampling, road cuts/river cuts and relative dating principles to determine the sequence of events of the unknown volcano. Observe geologic maps of Mars and determine the sequence of events of Martian volcanoes. [file XXXXXX] Presenter(s): Melissa Sleeper (Gifford Middle School/Aerospace Advisory Board: Florida)
  • To Infinity and Beyond (A Pinpoint Landing on Mars).This activity - highlighted in the Activity Book: Discover Your Changing World With NOAA - Kobie Boykins and the Mars team work hard to make sure that unmanned rovers land safely on the surface of other planets, such as Mars. They have to be sure that it lands safely and in the area that has been selected for exploration. When the team was working on the Mars rover, Curiosity, they had to consider all the forces the rover would experience during each phase of the landing. In this activity, participants will consider how engineers design entry and landing systems. After communicating ideas of paper and exchanging ideas, participants will watch a video documenting the landing of Curiosity on Mars and develop free-body diagrams for the different stages. Using a variety of simple supplies, participants are challenged to develop a prototype for a balloon-driven rocket, which will attempt to deploy a payload into a specific landing area. Through experimentation and testing, participants make adjustments to increase the accuracy of the landing location, and consider the forces and motion at work. Presenter(s): Dee McLellan (Solar System Ambassador and JASON Learning)
  • Origin of the UniverseThe New Jersey Earth and Environmental Science Educator Institute and the The Georgia Earth and Environmental Science Educator Institute will provide professional development in the use of Model-Evidence Link (MEL) activities centered on current Earth science topics. These 3-dimensional (core ideas, practices, crosscutting concepts) instructional scaffolds facilitate critical thinking, evidence-based reasoning, construction of scientific explanations, and collaborative argumentation to support scientific reasoning within challenging Earth science topics. Apply to the program by March 31, 2018. Stipends provided! Presenter(s): Donna Governor (University of North Georgia: Gainesville, GA)
  • PD Opportunities through Earth2Class and Other ProgramsOnline PD opportunities from the E2C program at LDEO and other programs. Presenter(s): Michael Passow (Dwight Morrow High School: Englewood, NJ)
  • Windows on Earth. See Earth through the Astonaut's Lens. Windows on Earth is an educational project that features photographs taken by astronauts on the International Space Station. Astronauts take hundreds of photos each day, for science research, education and public outreach. The photos are often dramatic, and help us all appreciate home planet Earth. This web site provides free public access to virtually all of these photos, updated at least weekly. Presenter(s): Carla McAuliffe (TERC, Cambridge, MA)
  • Earthquake Machine. Model and explore earthquakes with a simple, inexpensive tabletop exercise. Presenter(s): Wendy Bohon (IRIS: Washington, DC)
  • Recent earthquake teachable momentsIRIS Teachable Moments presentations capture that unplanned opportunity to bring knowledge, insight, and critical thinking to the classroom following a newsworthy earthquake. Presenter(s): John Taber (IRIS: Washington, DC)
  • Using NOAA's Data in the Classroom Resources to Improve 3-D LearningNOAA's Data in the Classroom is a free resource that provides a series of scaffolded digital learning labs for middle and high school students to explore the data that describe major Earth system concepts, learn analytical skills and apply those skills to inquiry based learning concepts and hypothesis testing. Presenter(s): Dan Pisut (NOAA Environmental Visualization Laboratory: Silver Spring, MD)
  • Uncovering Student (and Teacher) Ideas in Earth and Environmental Science. Experience how formative assessment probes are used to elicit commonly held K–12 ideas about Earth, Earth processes, oceans, weather and climate, ecology, and natural resources. Preview a chapter on groundwater from this NSTA Press Book. Presenter(s): Page Keeley (The Keeley Group: Fort Myers, FL)


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