[Nhsci-ed] NASA Explorer Schools Project Application

[Mal Cameron]

Dear Educators,
 
The Christa McAuliffe Planetarium would like to share the following
information with you:
 
Each year, NASA selects up to 50 school teams to participate in the
three-year NASA Explorer Schools project.  The following Web site will
provide you with detailed information regarding this opportunity and we
would like to encourage you to apply:
 
http://explorerschools.nasa.gov/portal/site/nes/
 
Please select the tab for "Project Application" and the Web site will
provide you information about the projects, duration of the projects,
support provided in travel and training, a calendar with the time-line
of the application process as well as links for the application forms.
 
After a year of implementing classroom and school activities, NES
educators are invited to attend content-specific workshops during the
summer at NASA centers. NASA centers offer workshops based on the
center's area of scientific concentration. Educators can select from any
of the offerings based on the needs of the school's instructional
program, the team's strategic plan and the educational background of the
educator. Some examples of past summer content workshops are listed
below.
 
*Technology Immersion*: 
Participants attend the Technology Immersion workshop and become an
active participant in the Vision for Exploration. They investigate the
potential instructional benefits and limitations of PDAs, probeware,
robotics, videoconferencing, video editing and podcasting while
integrating these technologies into NASA-developed content. 
 
 *Astrobiology*:
Through a study of life in extreme environments, participants learn from
NASA scientists who are working to explore the relationship between the
characteristics of life forms and the environmental conditions in which
they exist. This work will help determine the potential for life
elsewhere in the solar system, and beyond. In this workshop, educators
discover how NASA works to better our understanding of /Life: What is
it? Where is it? How do we find it? How do we recognize it?/ A variety
of educational activities are presented that students can use to explore
the characteristics of living things, the conditions needed for life,
and the potential for life elsewhere in the universe. 
 
 *Robotics Exploration and Education*:
This introductory workshop in robotics is a mix of practical robotics
education materials and lessons, combined with a look at how robotics is
currently being used to explore the solar system. Participants see past,
present and future robotics devices and testing areas, and interact with
inventors and scientists. Robotics education is centered on readily
available kits applied to planetary surface-type explorations. The
workshop includes robotics design, construction, programming and
control, simple machines, basic electronics, robotics challenges and
competitions. 
 
 *Investigating Earth from Space*:
Participants in this unique workshop learn about Earth system science by
interacting with NASA's world-class scientists and investigators who use
information and data from Earth-viewing satellites in an attempt to
understand Earth processes and trends. Educational activities that
participants can use with their classes are provided for each of the
Earth systems studied during the workshop. 
 
To apply to become a NASA Explorer School, download and print the
application worksheet and begin collecting information needed for
completion of the online application. Go to the online application Web
page and create a unique login and password. Once a login and password
have been established, the online application may be completed in
multiple sessions.
 
Sincerely,
 
Mal Cameron
 
**********************************************
Malcolm E. Cameron
Education Specialist/ERC Coordinator
Christa McAuliffe Planetarium
2 Institute Drive, Concord, NH 03301
Ph - (603) 271-7831; FAX - (603) 271-7832
www.starhop.com