If you haven’t discovered the inspiration that space exploration can bring to your students and children – as well as yourself – step into your virtual spacesuit and open the airlock door. Enter the inspiring world of space and astronomy via the Coalition for Space Exploration’s Education Station.
Join the thousands of educators who already motivate their students using many of these classroom-tested lesson plans, projects and resources. This collection – from NASA, aerospace companies and space organizations – is based on the National Science Education Standards as well as standards for other subjects.
Education Station will help you prepare your students to be part of an exciting workforce - one that will assure the future of our space program and help the U.S. retain a leadership role in technological innovation.
Education Station is where you will find a growing list of the very best lesson plans, activities and resources for teaching Science, English, Mathematics, Social Studies and other subjects using: • Space Sciences • Astronomy • Earth Sciences • Aeronautics • Engineering …and more
Follow along as American, Canadian and Inuit teachers work side by side with NASA scientists studying remote and extreme environments in the Arctic July 25 through Aug. 2, 2008. Training slides and biographies of expedition participants are available online. Science plans are also available that outline the investigations that will be taking place to search for life in extreme environments. During the expedition, participants will post journal entries.
The mission of Spaceward Bound is to train the next generation of space explorers. The mission has students and teachers participate in the exploration of scientifically interesting but remote and extreme environments on Earth as analogs for human exploration of the Moon and Mars. Spaceward Bound Field Expeditions involve teachers in authentic fieldwork so that they can bring that experience back to their classrooms and assist in the development of curriculum related to human exploration of remote and extreme environments.
Take your own flyby of the giant Tycho crater on the Moon!
Thanks to Japan's Kaguya lunar orbiter - reaching its nominal observation orbit around the Moon mid-October of 2007 -- numbers of fascinating, up-close pics of the lunar landscape are being taken.
A new one that's up from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is of Tycho - and it can be viewed at:
As a teacher, summer is looked upon as a time of renewal, reflection, and relaxation. Thus far, I have had time for each, as well as continuing my involvement in teaching. Late in June I was on staff at the Delaware AeroSpace Education Foundation’s (www.dasef.org) Space Academy at the University of Delaware. This program is headed up by a remarkable person - Dr. Stephanie Wright. She was part of the original ‘Teacher in Space’ program, and has dedicated her time and energy to creating opportunities for children (and educators) to learn about aviation and aerospace. The Space Academy programs started by Dr. Wright nineteen years ago, offer learning experiences for children of all ages. If you live in the Delaware area, be sure to check out the website.
This week I was involved in running a workshop for teachers. It was a great group from my district, with an interest in and enthusiasm for space exploration. Several of the teachers who attended had been involved in celebrating Mars back in the springtime, with a special focus on Phoenix. They found that students were very excited about the red planet, and we are hoping that each year more of our teachers come on board to learn more about Mars.
Today’s workshop, Motivating Students through Space Exploration Activities, included making kites, learning about the culture of NASA mission patches, ‘astronaut training’ activities (working with gloves), and finding out more about extravehicular activities (EVA) or space walks. We also talked about the upcoming Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission, STS-125/SM4, LRO, and returning to the moon. Working with my colleagues is a very rewarding experience. We are all learners together, and as I share my knowledge and activities, the ‘participants’ build on ideas presented with their own thoughts for variations on the theme, and how to integrate what I share into their own curriculum. They came away with new enthusiasm, lessons and activities, and I came away with additional ideas for use in my classroom as well.
PETE CONRAD SPIRIT OF INNOVATION AWARD Competition to create a concept that will benefit the personal spaceflight industry or lunar exploration for high school students http://www.conradfoundation.org (click on Pete Conrad Award)
INTERNATIONAL SPACE SETTLEMENT DESIGN COMPETITION For high school students worldwide www.spaceset.org
A unique event is slated during NASA's upcoming Lunar Science Conference being held at NASA's Ames Research Center later this month.
On July 20, members from the younger generation from four NASA Centers will discuss the future of space exploration. The panel is entitled "This is Your Future - Why the Moon?" - and is open to a variety of space topics.
The invitation is out for participants to submit questions to the panel online. The format is modeled after the CNN YouTube Debates. And if your video is selected, it will be aired at the event and discussed by the panel.
Instructions for submitting a video question:
1) Record your question. Include your name, location, and do keep your video under one minute.
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As a teacher, summer is looked upon as a time of renewal, reflection, and relaxation. Thus far, I have had time for each, as well as continuing my involvement in teaching. Late in June I was on staff at the Delaware AeroSpace Education Foundation’s (
This week I was involved in running a workshop for teachers. It was a great group from my district, with an interest in and enthusiasm for space exploration. Several of the teachers who attended had been involved in celebrating Mars back in the springtime, with a special focus on Phoenix. They found that students were very excited about the red planet, and we are hoping that each year more of our teachers come on board to learn more about Mars.
Today’s workshop, Motivating Students through Space Exploration Activities, included making kites, learning about the culture of NASA mission patches, ‘astronaut training’ activities (working with gloves), and finding out more about extravehicular activities (EVA) or space walks. We also talked about the upcoming Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission, STS-125/SM4, LRO, and returning to the moon. Working with my colleagues is a very rewarding experience. We are all learners together, and as I share my knowledge and activities, the ‘participants’ build on ideas presented with their own thoughts for variations on the theme, and how to integrate what I share into their own curriculum. They came away with new enthusiasm, lessons and activities, and I came away with additional ideas for use in my classroom as well.;)
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