Up To Date NASA IV&V Facility
Educator Resource Center October, 2008 Newsletter Volume 1, Issue 3
NASA IV&V Facility ERC
Featured Implementer: Stacy Jennings Inside: Upcoming Workshops 2 Stacy Jennings participated in Students used robotics to Featured Equipment the September Robotics ERC learn the basics of program- 2 Workshop and became certi- ming. They then solved a Loan Kit: Echo the Bat fied to use the Robotics Loan maze with their robots. The NASA eClips 2 Kit consisting of 6 LEGO NXT final task was for students to Robots and laptops with LEGO make their own challenges Where in WV 2 Mindstorms NXT-G software. using multiple sensors. Is the ERC?
Jennings immediately took Great way to spark the inter- WV STEM Career: 3 what she learned to her gifted est in Engineering! Interested Stacy Jenning’s students, Climatologist classrooms in Preston High in bringing robotics to your Preston County, School, Valley Elementary, learners? Contact Marcie at STEM Career: studying robotics.. 3 Fellowsville Elementary, and marcie.raol@ivv.nasa.gov or Payloads Team Terra Alta East Preston. 304-367-8436 to find out how. NASA Product: 3 A Hubble Space Telescope malfunction that affects the storage World Space Week Lunar Nautics www.worldspaceweek.org and transmittal of science data causes STS-125 to be delayed. FREE STEM Webcasts 3 NASA now will fly space shuttle Endeavour's STS-126 mission to the International October 4 Space Station first, with the STS-125 servicing mission moving into 2009. Endeavour th -10 th Neat Things to Note: 4 is targeted to launch Nov 16. Managers may move the target date up, if possible. Read more at http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html
NASA Update: Mars Rover Heads Towards Bigger Crater Important Dates:
matching the total distance it ever see, and we expect to October has traveled since landing on find more cobbles as we head - Launch of Chandrayaan 1, Mars in 2004. It will travel toward the south.” ISRO (Indian Lunar Orbiter) about 110 yards a day, taking - Launch of TacSat-3 New resources will aid 2 years to reach the crater. Opportunity on the journey. October 5 Launch of IBEX Steve Squryres, principal Imaging from obit of details October 6 MESSENGER investigator for the science smaller than the rover itself, 2nd Flyby of Mercury instruments on Opportunity using the High Resolution comments, “I would love to Imaging Science Experiment October 8 Imagine Mars Opportunity is headed southeast, see that view from the rim (HiRISE) camera on NASA’s Workshop at ERC toward a crater more than 20 (of Endeavour), but even if Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, October 10+ Launch of times wider than "Victoria Crater." we never get there, as we will be used to identify drive Image credit: NASA/JPL/ASU STS 125 Hubble Space move southward we expect paths and potential hazards. Telescope Servicing Mission 4 to be getting to younger and Also, the new version of flight NASA’s Mars Rover Opportu- younger layers of rock on the software uplinked to the October 14 Lunar Nautics surface. Also, there are large rovers in 2006, will boost their Workshop at ERC nity is setting its sights on “Endeavour,” a crater more craters to the south that we ability to autonomously Oct 16 F1 in Schools than 20 times larger than its think are sources of cobbles choose routes and avoid Workshop at ERC home for the past two years. that we want to examine out hazards. Oct 19 Launch of IBEX on the plain. Some of the To reach the crater, Visit www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/ cobbles are samples of layers Oct 28 Engineering Design Opportunity will need to news.cfm?release=2008-176 deeper than Opportunity will Challenge: Launch Platform drive approximately 12 km, for complete article. Workshop at ERC Upcoming Workshops: NASA IV&V Facility ERC This month at the ERC, take part in an Engineering Design Challenge, Imagine and Explore Mars F1 in Schools Workshop: and explore the Moon and Mars. October 8th, 6:00-8:00 STEM in Action, October 16, 9:00-3:30 For educators of grades 3-8. Learn great Participants will use the standard Engi- Engineering Design Challenge: new ideas to teach concepts related to neering-based, five-step process, by modi- Launch Platform, October 28, 6:00-8:00 Mars, get updated about current Mars fying a CAD Design using 3-D Parametric For educators of grades 5-12. Learn a missions, and explore a new national Modeling software. Teams will Analyze engaging way to teach the engineering design educational initiative that leads learners to their designs using CFD – Computational process used by NASA engineers. Then build create a futuristic Mars community. Lots of Fluid Dynamics and Make their F1 cars and test your own model thrust structure. multidisciplinary activity options, so if you using Computer-Aided-Manufacturing and At the ERC in November: are a middle school teacher, bring along Computer-Numerically-Controlled tech- 1st Energy Series: Science of Energy, 10-4:00 members of your team! nologies . Then Test in a wind tunnel Grades 5-12, has an educator kit! courtesy of the Mid Atlantic Aerospace Lunar Nautics, October 14th, 6:00-8:00. 4th NASA Math & Science, Grades PK-2, 12-3:00 Complex. For educators of grades 3-8. Explore this Kindernauts cert. if you stay until 4:30 new curriculum! See NASA Product Article, Don’t’ Forget to Register at 11th GIS, 6-8:00, Grades 5-12 pg 3, for more information. least one week in advance! 18th CONNECT Math, 6-8:00, Grades 5-8
Featured NASA IV&V Equipment Loan Kit: NASA eClips
Echo the Bat NASA announces a free new Web-based Echo the Bat is a perfect kit for grades 3-8. To schedule a workshop on this or one educational project. NASA eClips are short, 5 Through a story and video following Echo of our other kits at your school or with to 10 minute video segments available on the the Bat, learners are exposed to the con- 10+ educators, please contact Marcie Internet. Over 220 video segments are pro- cepts of biodiversity, remote sensing, and at [email protected] or jected to be available this school year. the properties of light. Accompanying 304-367-8436. NASA eClips are separated into hands on activities allow learners an oppor- grade-appropriate topics that tie into tunity to further explore these concepts. standards-based instruction. The project con-
The kit includes 10 The Adventures of Echo tains downloadable video segments and the Bat books, DVD with the story narrated teacher guides. and animated, binder of class activities, Look forward to new video and educational and materials to complete the hands on content highlighting current research and activities (including a class set of topog- innovations throughout the school year. The raphical maps). video clips are available for streaming at
To read the story and see the activities visit http://www.nasa.gov/education/nasaeclips. http://science.hq.nasa.gov/kids/imagers/ echohome.html.
Where in WV is the NASA IV&V Facility ERC?
September Equipment Loan
September Workshops
September Video Conferencing
2008-2009 Equipment Loan
2008-2009 Workshop
2008-2009 Video Conferencing
Earth Science Week th th -18 www.earthsciweek.org Page 2 Up To Date October 12 Featured WV Scientist: West Virginia State Climatologist
Did you know of the climate of WV and has the ability In addition to serving as the state that West and knowledge to provide climate data and climatologist, Law teaches meteorology Virginia has a information. Law helps people, such as at Marshall University and is hoping to state climatolo- researchers, engineers and attorneys from establish the only meteorology program gist? Well, meet private firms, and government agencies, within the state. Currently, Marshall Kevin Law. He obtain the weather and climate data they does offer a minor meteorology due to is part of the WV need. Most common requests are monthly/ Law’s efforts. State Climate daily temperature and precipitation data. Law became the state climatologist so he Center, and is a Law grew up near Buckhannon, WV and can have more access to the general member of the Kevin Law, West Virginia earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Geography public and other organizations, such as the American State Climatologist from WVU. He continued his education at National Weather Service. Plans for future Association of Ohio State University, earning a Master’s projects involving both students and the State Climatologists The state office Degree and Ph.D. in Atmospheric Science. general public are underway. serves to provide the best understanding
Featured STEM Career: Space Station Payload Team Job Description: Quote from Current Job Holder: SPACEHAB cargo Pack the Space Shuttle to carry cargo to “I like to work with small payloads, and module seen near the International Space Station. Must work work with payload developers through the middle of payload with providers of payload (developers from entire payload development, certification in this image. internal NASA organizations, industry, aca- and approval process… It has been fun to demia, and world wide space agencies). go from start to finish and then see it Image Credit: Work with other cultures to coordinate the launch.” Joy Norris, Stowage Payload NASA/Dimitri sharing of cargo among international Integration Manager in reference to the Gerondidakis spacecraft. Understanding of scientific Teaching from Space Office’s payload of Learn More: equipment, space station hardware, and basil seeds and research materials for equipment for crew and how to keep it safe STS 118. Visit http://www.nasa.gov/audience/ during transport necessary. Team attitude foreducators/stseducation/stories/Raillan_ necessary to work with Payload team. Young_Joy_Norris.html
“I’m responsible for making sure things get to the station in one piece.” ~ Raillan Young
Featured NASA Product: Free Web Casts Lunar Nautics: Designing a Mission to Live and Work on the Moon Imagine Mars Online Training Providing general overview of the Imagine The Lunar Nautics Educator Guide Mars Project Friday, October 3, 8:30pm contains 40 activities for grades 6-8. http://imaginemars.jpl.nasa.gov/getstarted/ Students assume roles of workers at a educatorchats.html fictional aerospace company specializing Hubble Public Lecture at STSI in mission management, lunar habitat An Idea that Would Not Die: The Story of and exploration design, and scientific the Hubble Space Telescope and the research. An additional CD available Visionaries Who Built It Tues, Oct 7, 8:00pm from CORE http://core.nasa.gov or http://hubblesite.org/about_us/public- your ERC contains resources, additional talks.shtml games, and software. NSTA/NSDL Web Seminar: Lessons enable students to design, Our Lunar Nautics workshop on Oct 23 Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears: Physical test and analyze a model lunar lander, will explore parts of this guide and CD. Science from the Poles Wed, Oct 29, 6:30pm a robot, and a soda bottle rocket. Other Contact Marcie at 367-8436 or http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/ activities include building edible models [email protected] to register. symposia_seminars/NSDL3/ of spacecraft, a solar oven to cook, and Webseminar2.aspx Information gathered from http:// a microgravity sled as part of an www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/ NASA DLN: Observing the Moon underwater activity. topnav/materials/listbytype/ Oct. 29, 2008, 4:00pm Lunar_Nautics_Designing_a_Mission.html http://dln.nasa.gov/dln/content/webcast/. Volume 1, Issue 3 Page 3 The NASA Independent Verification and Validation Facility Educator Resource Center’s goal is to serve NASA IV&V teachers, informal educators, and preservice Facility ERC teaches to enable them to reach their goals. Through a grant with Fairmont State University, 100 University Drive the NASA IV&V Facility ERC provides materials, Fairmont, WV 26554 equipment for loan, and professional development workshops both at the facility and around the Phone: 304-367-8436 state of West Virginia (scheduled upon request) Fax: 304-367-8213 for educators that reflect NASA’s current research and technology. E-mail: [email protected]
We’re on the web!
http://erc.ivv.nasa.gov
Submit story ideas and pictures to [email protected] Independent Verification & Validation Facility
NASA's Swift satellite has found the most distant gamma-ray burst ever detected. The blast, designated GRB 080913, arose from an exploding star 12.8 billion light-years away. Read more at http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/swift/bursts/farthest_grb.html
Neat Things to Note for Your Educational Setting: Send your Name Into Space: NASA Art & Design Contest 2009 CanSat Competition Kepler Mission Grade Level: High School and College Grade Level: College Students Deadline: November 1, 2008 Deadline: March 15, 2009 Applications: October 31, 2008 Submit your name and it will be stored on Students are asked to submit their 2D, Teams of two to 10 students must design a DVD and rocketed into space on board 3D, and digital work on the theme: Life and build a space-type system called a the Kepler spacecraft. Also provide a and Work on the Moon. CanSat. Each CanSat is the size of a soda message up to 500 words about the mis- http://artcontest.larc.nasa.gov/ can and must be built according to the sion’s importance. A copy of the DVD will specifications released by the competition Landsat Image Mosaic of Antarctica be given to the Smithsonian Institution’s organizing committee. (LIMA) Quest Challenge National Air and Space Museum. th th http://www.cansatcompetition.com/ Grade Level: 4 – 8 http://namesinspace.seti.org/ th Preliminary Proposals: Nov 5, 2008 13 Annual Institute for Global Envi- Rock Around the World Students will become scientists who study ronmental Strategies Art Contest Send in a rock an a tool like the one on the features on Antarctica using LandSat Grade Level: 2nd - 4th grade the rover will be used to tell you it is images to develop a research question Deadline: October 24, 2008 made of, post on the web, and then you and argue the value of studying a feature Draw picture on the topic: can compare it to rocks from Mars. based on this view of Antarctica. “Trees: Making a World of Difference” http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/rockworld/ http://quest.nasa.gov/challenges/lima Go to www.strategies.org Click 2008 IGES Art Contest