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Education Supported Events:

 

NASA Educator Workshop – NASA is With You When You Fly:

Principles of Flight

January 21, 2015

NASA AFRC Educator Professional Development Specialist, Dr. Barbara Buckner, conducted an educator workshop on Principles of Flight, with connections made to the Unmanned Aircraft Systems in the National Airspace System, or UAS in the NAS, project. The workshop explored aeronautics, the parts of an airplane, and the four forces of flight. A hands-on, standards-aligned mathematics, science and engineering activities and interactive multimedia that the educators can take back to their classroom. AFRC engineer Sam Kim also spoke about AFRC's cutting edge research through the UAS in the NAS project.

 

NASA Educator Workshop – Exploration Flight Test of Orion

December 2, 2014

Dr. Barbara "Barbie" Buckner conducted a workshop in recognition of NASA's next step in human space exploration with the inaugural flight of the Orion spacecraft. Activities included building parachutes, assembling an Orion mock-up vehicle, and building and launching a SLS rocket. Educators can explore how to utilize social media, and select multimedia to enhance students' learning experiences the day of the launch.

 

NASA Educator Workshop – The Scale of Discovery

November 12, 2014

Dr. Barbara "Barbie" Buckner conducted a workshop on how to explore the applications of scale with hands-on, standards-aligned science, technology, engineering and mathematics activities and interactive multimedia.

 

Pre-Service Teacher Institute (PSTI) Workshop

August 11 - 15, 2014

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) at the Armstrong Flight Research Center (AFRC) in partnership with the AERO Institute, and California State University Bakersfield, offered an exciting 5-day, expenses paid, Pre-Service Teacher Institute (PSTI) workshop opportunity.

 

NASA and the World of Pressure

May 14, 2014

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Dr. Richard Chapleau conducted a workshop with 15 educators on the difficulties of working with high and low pressure. There was also a demonstration by Mr. James Sokolik of NASA Armstrong with a high altitude pressure suit of how pilots survive at extreme altitudes. A vacuum chamber was used to demonstrate the effect of pressure, and what happens in the absence of air, as well as a syringe demonstration on how water can boil without heat.
 

Aeronautics - "Seeing Sound" and the FPG-9 Glider

April 17, 2014

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22 Educators from throughout the Antelope Valley attended the FREE hands-on educator workshop where they constructed two devices that can be used in their classroom. NASA Armstrong Education Specialist, Dr. Richard Chapleau showed the educators how they can build a simple "waveform monitor" that they can use to show students that sound really does exist because of the motion of air particles. Then, they created a "FPG-9" glider using grocery-store materials that they can use to show basic principles of aeronautics. Connections to Next Generation and Common Core Standard with each activity. This activity will not emphasize mathematics, but was more of a fun design challenge.

NASA's BEST Project / Rocket Lesson - December 2013

8th grade students in San Jose, CA explore the engineering design process and learn the importance of data collection while having fun building their own fizzy rockets. These rockets enable students to use design thinking and are effective demonstrations of Newton's laws of motion. The liftoff power of the rocket is produced by a common acid/base chemical reaction that creates carbon dioxide gas; making this activity an ideal tool for teaching students about chemical reactions and how pressure can do work on objects. The students tested how best to fly the rockets, experimenting to find the best ratio of air, water, and effervescent tablets to use.

 

NASA's BEST Project / Astrobiology Lesson - October 23, 2013

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kindergarten students in Sunnyvale, CA are introduced to astrobiology through the book, "Life is All Around Us" written by Madeline Kotowicz and Susan Ewing and illustrated by Alexandra Black. The book is designed to help children aged 3 through 8 understand the most basic concept of astrobiology: What it means to be alive. The book was created by Montana State University's Astrobiology Biogeocatalysis Research Center part of the NASA Astrobiology Institute, and in partnership with Hopa Mountain's early literacy program. The interactive and California Common Core Standard based lesson included a discussion of how life is defined, and the students generated a list of qualities all things must possess in order to be alive. The engaging lesson concluded with the students sharing their drawings of something that is living, proving that you are never too young to begin learning about astrobiology.

 

NASA's BEST Project / Rover Lesson - October 4, 2013

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As part of NASA's Beginning Engineering, Science, and Technology (BEST) Mission, 4th grade students at Ellis Elementary School in Sunnyvale, CA have fun making a car model for motion based activities. Model cars teach students about motion along inclined planes, friction, gravity and momentum. The lesson included science vocabulary such as potential energy vs. kinetic energy, axle and chassis. The model cars consisted of a simple chassis and straw-based axle system that produces minimal friction and allows the cars to roll with little energy input, making them ideal learning tools for students of all ages. This exciting hands-on experience directly supports the California Common Core Standards of knowledge of simple machines and helps to prepare students for 21st Century skills through collaboration, creativity and communication.