May 2011 Education Update

A monthly broadcast including upcoming educational programs, events, opportunities, and the latest resources from NASA’s Science Mission Directorate.

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Programs & Events

New in this Issue

  • GLOBE Climate and Land Cover Project (April 17-May 22)
  • Astronomy Day (May 7)
  • A Look to the Future: Student Videos Take on Climate Change – Presentation and Discussion (May 9; Lowell, Mass.)
  • NASA Earth Day Video Contest 2011 (Entries Due May 27)
  • Music and Astronomy Under the Stars (June 12-Oct. 28)
  • NASA’s Multi-Wavelength Universe Online Professional Development Course for Middle and High School Teachers (July 11-22)
  • Hands-On Programs for Classroom Teachers as Part of ASP Meeting (July 30-Aug. 3)
  • NESTA Survey on Earth and Space Science Education Needs for K-12

Previously Broadcast

  • AMNH Summer Online Courses for Educators (Beginning May 9)
  • Explore@NASA Goddard (May 14; Greenbelt, Md.)
  • NASA Open House (May 14-15; Pasadena, Calif.)
  • COSEE-OS Educators Workshop at NASA – K-12 Educators (June 3-4; Pasadena, Calif.)
  • Lunar Workshop for Middle and High School Educators (June 20-24)
  • 2011 INSPIRE Project for High School Students (Application Deadline June 30)
  • ESIP Teacher Workshop – Grades 6-12 (July 12-13; Santa Fe, N.M.)
  • GLOBE 15th Annual Partner Meeting (July 17-22)
  • Earth Science Week 2011: Our Ever-Changing Earth (Oct. 9-15)
  • Lifelines for High School Climate Change Education
  • Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) Ambassador in the Classroom
  • A Day At Goddard: Opportunity for DC Metro Teachers – Grades 8-12

Funding Opportunities

  • Opportunities in Education and Public Outreach for Earth and Space Science (EPOESS) – Deadline Extended (Proposals Due May 20)
  • NASA Seeks Education Partners to Help Inspire the Next Generation of Explorers (Proposals Accepted Through Dec. 31)
  • NASA Research Announcement for Competitive Program for Science Museums and Planetariums (Due June 29)

Employment Opportunities

  • Education Public Outreach Specialist – Goddard Space Flight Center and Houston, Texas

Educational Resources

  • The Universe at Your Fingertips 2.0 – DVD and Activities
  • Dr. Bill Patzert Video Interviews on Ocean Surface Topography From Space Website
  • Year of the Solar System – Volcanism!
  • NASA EDGE: NE Live@Sun Earth Day 2011
  • Science@NASA ScienceCast
  • Inspiring Climate Education Excellence – Community Forum for Middle and High School Teachers
  • Zooniverse – Citizen Scientists Making Incredible Discoveries

Science News

  • NASA’s Swift and Hubble Probe Asteroid Collision Debris (April 28)
  • Voyager Set to Enter Interstellar Space (April 28)
  • Meteors From Halley’s Comet (April 27)
  • NASA and Partners Fund New Climate Impact Studies on Species and Ecosystems (April 22)
  • NASA Spacecraft Reveals Dramatic Changes in Mars’ Atmosphere (April 21)
  • Cassini Probe Sees Electric Link with Saturn and One of Its Moons (April 20)
  • NASA’s Hubble Celebrates 21st Anniversary With “Rose” of Galaxies (April 20)
  • WISE Delivers Millions of Galaxies, Stars, Asteroids (April 14)
  • Solar Activity Heats Up (April 14)
  • Titan Shaped by Storms, Not Volcanoes (April 12)
  • NASA Telescopes Help Discover Surprisingly Young Galaxy (April 12)
  • Breakthrough Study Confirms Cause of Short Gamma-Ray Bursts (April 7)
  • SOFIA Completes First Flight of German Science Instrument (April 7)
  • NASA Telescopes Join Forces to Observe Unprecedented Explosion (April 7)
  • Dawn Approaches Asteroid Vesta (April 7)
  • NASA’s Aquarius: The Water Bearer Flies Soon (April 6)
  • Scientists Find New Type Of Mineral In Historic Meteorite (April 5)
  • NASA’s Spitzer Discovers Time-Delayed Jets (April 4)

Programs & Events

New in this Issue

GLOBE Climate and Land Cover Project (April 17-May 22)

The GLOBE Program and scientists from NOAA’s Earth Systems Research Laboratory are working with GLOBE schools to collect land cover data that will be used to improve land-cover and climate models. During an intensive observation period from April 17-May 22, students around the world are taking digital photographs of land cover sites and then determining the land cover classification using a GLOBE protocol. Next, they upload the photos and enter land cover classification data into the GLOBE database. Students are able to view their uploaded photos and land cover data, as well as the data from other GLOBE schools using Google Earth. This is the second in a series of quarterly intensive data collection periods that comprise the testing period of one of the components of the Student Climate Research Campaign that will be introduced into GLOBE classrooms this fall. For more information, visit http://globe.gov/science/projects.

Astronomy Day (May 7)

Astronomy Day, May 7, 2011, is designed to share the joy of astronomy with the general population. Astronomy clubs, science museums, observatories, universities, planetariums, laboratories, libraries, and nature centers host special events and activities to acquaint their community with local astronomical resources and facilities. For a list of events near you, visit http://www.astroleague.org/AstronomyDay/AstronomyDay-2011-05.html

A Look to the Future: Student Videos Take on Climate Change – Presentation and Discussion (May 9; Lowell, Mass.)

May 9; University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, Mass.; 5:30-7:30 p.m. ET

Twenty-five UMass-Lowell students have participated in an intensive NASA-sponsored workshop to create 5 short films on one of the greatest challenges faced by society and science : Climate Change. Join us for a free film festival, meet-the-filmmaker panel, and to take part in an open discussion.
http://www.uml.edu/centers/climate-change/

NASA Earth Day Video Contest 2011 (Entries Due May 27)

This Earth Day, NASA is asking you to share your vision about what NASA’s exploration of Earth means to you. Produce a short video (no more than 2-3 minutes) that captures what you find inspiring and important about the unique view of Earth and understanding about how our planet works that NASA science provides. Videos should be uploaded to YouTube and tagged with this exact language – “NASA Earth Day Video Contest 2011: – by May 27. Once the contest ends, the best entries, chosen by a panel of NASA scientists and communicators, will be featured on www.nasa.gov. For full rules and details, visit http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/earth-videos.html.

Music and Astronomy Under the Stars (June 12-Oct. 28)

Join us at this event which brings astronomy to the public, with free star-gazing at music concerts and festivals. Dr. Donald Lubowich, Coordinator of the Astronomy Outreach Program at Hofstra University, will give concert goers a glimpse of the heavens. This NASA-sponsored program will include optical and radio telescope observations of the Sun prior to the concerts, and the Moon, planets, multi-colored double stars, star clusters, and nebulae at intermission and after the concerts – combined with videos, posters, hands-on activities, and the sounds of the Sun. The first events will take place on June 12 & 20. For a full schedule, visit http://www.hofstra.edu/Academics/Colleges/HCLAS/PHYSIC/physic_underthestars.html.

NASA’s Multi-Wavelength Universe Online Professional Development Course for Middle and High School Teachers (July 11-22)

Middle and High-School teachers (both pre- and in-service) are invited to register for an online professional development course sponsored by several different NASA missions exploring our Universe across the Electromagnetic Spectrum. The course is offered for academic or continuing education credit through Sonoma State University. At the conclusion of the course, participants will be able to use astronomical examples (images, phenomena, telescopes) to describe the nature of light and color in terms of the regions of the Electromagnetic Spectrum. They will also be able to explain why NASA uses a variety of telescopes and space-based instruments to make observations of the Universe, to identify NASA resources for the classroom, and to understand how NASA resources can be used to address common student misconceptions about the nature of light and color. For more information and to register, visit http://epo.sonoma.edu/multiu.php.

Hands-On Programs for Classroom Teachers as Part of ASP Meeting (July 30-Aug. 3)

As part of the national education and public outreach meeting, “Connecting People to Science,” the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, in partnership with the American Geophysical Union and the Space Telescope Science Institute, is pleased to present a weekend workshop and six fascinating three-hour short courses for teachers in grades K-12 in Baltimore, Md. Presenters will include NASA mission education specialists and scientists, and most of the sessions include kits of materials and classroom-ready activity handouts. The sessions available for teachers are:

  • In the Footsteps of Galileo: A Hands-On Workshop on Astronomy for Teachers in Grades 3-12 (July 30-31)
  • Active Astronomy: Classroom Activities for Learning About the Electromagnetic Spectrum – Grades 6-12 (Aug. 1)
  • Eye on the Sky: Exploring the Sun with Activities for the Elementary Classroom – Grades K-5 (Aug. 2)
  • Light and Color in the Night Sky, in the City and in the Classroom – Grades K-8 (Aug. 2)
  • Evidence-based Science: Climate in the Classroom – Grades 6-12 (Aug. 3)
  • Global AND Local: Activity-based Explorations Connecting Global Climate Change to Change in Students Own Communities – Grades 6-12 (Aug. 3)

These sessions are open to all teachers; participants do not have to register for the full conference. Some scholarship support is available to help with registration fees and travel expenses. For more information, visit http://www.astrosociety.org/events/meeting.html.

NESTA Survey on Earth and Space Science Education Needs for K-12

In order to better serve Earth and space science teachers, the National Earth Science Teachers Association has prepared an anonymous survey to gather information about your Earth and space science education needs and concerns, your satisfaction with NESTA services (if you are a member), and your ideas about how NESTA can serve you better. Please take a moment to complete this survey at your earliest convenience. You may receive notice about the survey from a variety of sources, but please be sure to complete the survey only once: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NK7ZDGX.

Previously Broadcast

AMNH Summer Online Courses for Educators (Beginning May 9)

May 2011 Session: May 9-June 19
Summer Session 1: June 6-July 17
Summer Session 2: July 4-Aug. 14

Join Seminars on Science and the American Museum of Natural History, for a summer course in the life, Earth or physical sciences. Available courses include Earth: Inside and Out; The Solar System; Evolution; our newest course, Climate Change, and more. All courses run for six weeks and are fully online. Each participant receives a CD of course resources suitable for classroom use. Affordable graduate credit is available for all courses. Sign up today for a $50 discount; email semadmin@amnh.org for more information. To register, visit http://www.amnh.org/learn/.

Explore@NASA Goddard (May 14; Greenbelt, Md.)

May 14, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; Greenbelt, Md.

NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center will again open its gates to welcome the community for a day of activities, hands-on demonstrations, entertainment, and food. Explore@NASA Goddard will showcase the work and people of NASA and Goddard with a focus on science, engineering and technology. This year’s theme is “Understanding our Changing Planet.” Participants will learn about Goddard’s research in Earth science, heliophysics, planetary science and astrophysics. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/events/explore/index.html.

NASA Open House (May 14-15; Pasadena, Calif.)

May 14-15, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Pasadena, Calif.

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory invites the public to a close-up look at JPL’s past, present and future at its annual Open House. The event, themed “Worlds Beyond,” features displays and demonstrations from numerous space missions, and a first look at JPL’s recently renovated von Karman Visitor Center. The JPL will provide hands-on activities and opportunities to talk with scientists and engineers. Selected locations at the Open House will be featured live online on Ustream TV (http://www.ustream.tv/nasajpl). Admission to the open house is free. Parking is also free, but limited. For more information, visit http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/events/open-house.cfm.

COSEE-OS Educators Workshop at NASA – K-12 Educators (June 3-4; Pasadena, Calif.)

June 3-4; NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.

To celebrate the upcoming launch of the Aquarius/SAC-D satellite, the Center for Ocean Science Education Excellence – Ocean Systems will conduct a workshop for K-12 educators at JPL. Aquarius will employ advanced technologies to make NASA’s first space-based measurements of ocean salinity across the globe. This free workshop will feature NASA scientists who will work collaboratively with educators to examine connections between the water cycle, ocean circulation, climate and sea surface salinity. Educators will also visit the JPL facility, learn how to use an online Concept Map Builder, and conduct hands-on activities that support workshop themes. To learn more and register, visit http://cosee.umaine.edu/programs/nasaaquarius/.

Lunar Workshop for Middle and High School Educators (June 20-24)

June 20-24; Herrett Center for Arts and Science, Twin Falls, Idaho
June 27-July 1; Hinds Community College, Utica, Miss.
June 27-July 1; McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center, Concord, N.H.
July 25-29; Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Md.

Aug. 1-5; Arizona State University; Tempe, Ariz.

Educators of grades 6-12 are invited to attend a workshop focused on lunar science, exploration, and how our understanding of the Moon is evolving with the new data from current and recent lunar missions. Workshop participants will learn about the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) and its discoveries, reinforce their understanding of lunar science concepts, interact with lunar scientists and engineers, work with real LRO data, and learn how to bring this information to their students using hands-on activities aligned with local state and national standards. Laptops are strongly encouraged for participation in this workshop. For more information, to see other upcoming dates, and to register, visit: http://lunar.gsfc.nasa.gov/lwe/index.html

2011 INSPIRE Project for High School Students (Application Deadline June 30)

U.S. high school students are invited to participate in NASA’s Interdisciplinary National Science Program Incorporating Research Experience, or INSPIRE, through an online learning community. INSPIRE is designed to encourage students in 9-12 grade to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Students and parents will participate in an online learning community with opportunities to interact with peers, NASA engineers and scientists. The community also provides appropriate grade level educational activities, discussion boards and chat rooms for participants to gain exposure to opportunities available at NASA. Students selected for the program will also have the option to compete for unique grade-appropriate experiences during the summer of 2012 at NASA facilities and participating universities. Applications are being accepted through June 30. To apply and learn more, visit https://inspire.okstate.edu/index.cfm?liftoff=login.LoginForm.

ESIP Teacher Workshop – Grades 6-12 (July 12-13; Santa Fe, N.M.)

July 12-13; Santa Fe, N.M.

The Federation of Earth Science Information Partners (ESIP) teacher workshop is a 1.5 day event with an overall theme of Earth Science Education with an integral strand dedicated to Climate Change Education. Participating educators will learn about climate change science, climate resources, and ways to effectively communicate climate change topics. Educators will also be able to choose from several breakout sessions demonstrating ways that Earth science tools and data can be used in science classrooms. Workshop sessions will be led by ESIP members from NOAA, NASA, NOAA Cooperative Institutes, EPA, DOE, and several Universities from around the country. Educators are eligible to receive a $200 time and travel stipend. For more information visit http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/teacherworkshop/esip/.

GLOBE 15th Annual Partner Meeting (July 17-22)

July 17 – 22; DoubleTree Hotel, Bethesda, Md.

The GLOBE Program Office at UCAR/UCP invites scientists and educators to participate in the 15th GLOBE Annual Partner Meeting. The theme of this year’s meeting is “Expanding International Perspectives About Climate.” Participants will learn about the latest scientific research activities and other developments in the GLOBE Program, interact with GLOBE’s worldwide network of community members and scientists using GLOBE data in their research, and talk to top educators on effective methods of enhancing the GLOBE educational experience. For more details or to register, visit http://globe.gov/events/2011-annual-meeting.

Earth Science Week 2011: Our Ever-Changing Earth (Oct. 9-15)

The American Geological Institute is pleased to announce the theme of Earth Science Week 2011: “Our Ever-Changing Earth.” This event will engage young people and the public in learning about the natural processes that shape our planet over time. Earth Science Week 2011 materials and activities will show how evidence of change can be found everywhere, from the earth beneath our feet to the oceans and atmospheres around us. Earth Science Week offers opportunities to discover the Earth science and engage in responsible stewardship of the Earth. The program is supported by the U.S. Geological Survey, the AAPG Foundation, the U.S. Department of Energy, NASA, the National Park Service, Exxon Mobil, ESRI, and other major geoscience groups. To learn more, visit http://www.earthsciweek.org.

Lifelines for High School Climate Change Education

Lifelines for High School Climate Change Education is a project to establish professional learning communities (PLCs) of high school trachers aimed at implementing effective teaching of climate change in existing courses. PLCs are identifying the best resources to use, comparing course outlines, and are hearing/seeing webinars by climate scientists, both live ans as archived presentations. PLCs are having real-time telemeetings, as well as asynchronous communication through shared websites, wikis, and other techniques to achieve the most effective ways to communicate without petroleum-fueled travel. If you are interested in joining a Lifeline PLC, or forming a PLC (becoming a PLC Leader) please see: http://www.lawrencehallofscience.org/gss/lifelines/

Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) Ambassador in the Classroom

Let NASA take over your classroom for the day! Teachers in the DC Metro area and southern Pennsylvania are eligible for a visit from an SDO educator or scientist. Your students will learn about solar clocks, Earth’s place in the solar system, electricity and magnetism, the electromagnetic spectrum, and the Doppler effect. Visits are free, include all supplies for the activity, and can be customized for each teacher. Register at: http://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/epo/educators/ambassador.php

A Day At Goddard: Opportunity for DC Metro Teachers – Grades 8-12

Teachers in the DC Metro area are invited to bring their students to NASA Goddard Space Flight Center for a day spent learning what it is like to work for NASA. Field trips include a meet-and-greet at the visitor’s center featuring a scientist and engineer, a demonstration of the Science on a Sphere program, a tour of the satellite testing facility and an inquiry based science lab activity. Programs are highly customizable, teacher-friendly and designed for grades 8-12. Contact Aleya Van Doren (aleya.vandoren@nasa.gov) with your desired date and class information to reserve your spot. Slots fill up quickly so register today!

Funding Opportunities

Opportunities in Education and Public Outreach for Earth and Space Science (EPOESS) – Deadline Extended (Proposals Due May 20)

To give time to proposers who are without power due to the recent outbreak of tornadoes in the southern U.S., the deadline for the Opportunities in EPOESS announcement has been extended to May 20th. To view the full announcement, visit http://bit.ly/guG3mY.

NASA Seeks Education Partners to Help Inspire the Next Generation of Explorers (Proposals Accepted Through Dec. 31)

NASA is seeking partners to help achieve its strategic goals for education, including informal education done at museums, science centers, and planetariums. The agency is committed to sharing the excitement of NASA’s space-based missions and inspiring students of all ages to pursue studies in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

NASA seeks unfunded partnerships with organizations to engage new or broader audiences on a national scale. The agency will work collaboratively to leverage partners’ unique resources.

Potential partnership activities are varied. NASA is receptive to a broad range of possibilities from creative organizations with wide-ranging areas of expertise. All categories of domestic entities, including U.S. federal government agencies, are eligible to respond. NASA will accept proposals through Dec. 31. To view the announcement, visit http://www.nasa.gov/offices/education/about/NASA_Seeks_Collaborators.html.

NASA Research Announcement for Competitive Program for Science Museums and Planetariums (Due June 29)

The NASA Office of Education invites proposals from museums, science centers, planetariums, NASA Visitors Centers, and other informal education institutions via the 2011 NASA Research Announcement: Competitive Program for Science Museums and Planetariums Plus Opportunities for NASA Visitor Centers and Other Informal Education Institutions (CP4SMP+), Announcement Number NNH11ZHA004N. Proposals must be submitted electronically via the NASA proposal data system NSPIRES or Grants.gov.

Proposers may request a grant or cooperative agreement to support NASA-themed science, technology, engineering or mathematics informal education, including exhibits, within these congressionally directed topics: space exploration, aeronautics, space science, Earth science or microgravity. This is a competitive, high-quality national program to recruit NASA’s flagship investment in the Office of Education’s Outcome Goal 3: Build strategic partnerships and linkages between STEM formal and informal education providers that promote STEM literacy and awareness of NASA’s mission. Eligible informal education institutions do not need to have the words “museum,” “science,” or “planetarium,” in their official name.

For more information (including detailed eligibility requirements), visit: http://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/solicitations/summary.do?method=init&solId=%7B75AAC7BF-2F69-6C73-2980-B1DCF25EA665%7D&path=open

Employment Opportunities

Education Public Outreach Specialist – Goddard Space Flight Center and Houston, Texas

Universities Space Research Association (USRA), a large non-profit space research university consortium is seeking two Education and Public Outreach Specialists. As part of the Education Public Outreach (EPO) Program team, the selected applicant will work closely with scientists, the NASA education community, formal and informal educators, parents, children and the general public.

The ideal candidate for the position with NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center will be involved in numerous programs and projects, including leading face-to-face, distance-learning based Earth and planetary science workshops for K-12 and higher-education faculty, and developing products for formal and informal education learning environments. Duties will also include building and supporting learning communities, as well as communicating science to, and conducting programs for, the general public. The successful candidate will also have demonstrated abilities to lead programs with minimal supervision, and to obtain financial support of programs through federal and/or non-federal grant proposal opportunities.

A Master’s degree in Earth or planetary science is required, with a degree in an informal education field preferred. A minimum of five years of experience in formal or informal education and outreach is also necessary. To view the entire solicitation and apply, visit http://www.usra.edu/galleries/careers/EPO Specialist_Goddard_March 2011.pdf.

USRA also has a position available for an experienced Education and Public Outreach Specialist in their Houston, Texas office. The ideal candidate for this position will be involved in and lead numerous programs and projects, including: developing virtual and face-to-face communities of practice; delivering professional development in Earth and planetary science education for education specialists, K-12 and higher education faculty, and scientists; developing products for classrooms, museums and after-school programs; and conducting programs for the general public.

A minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in Earth or planetary science, and a minimum of five years experience in leading either formal or informal education projects is required. To view the full solicitation and apply, visit http://www.usra.edu/galleries/careers/EPO_Specialist_Houston_II.pdf.

Educational Resources

The Universe at Your Fingertips 2.0 – DVD and Activities

The Universe at Your Fingertips 2.0 is a DVD featuring 133 activities for teaching Astronomy (and much more) from the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. The activities are field-tested from programs and projects around the U.S. The DVD also included 17 topical guides to sources of information in print and on the web, 52 background articles on astronomy and education, 55 introductory astronomy images with detailed captions, a guide to finding hundreds more images, and 12 short videos with instructions for doing some of the most often-used activities. The disk is available for the special price, through May 31, of $26.95 (free shipping). For more information, visit http://astrosociety.org/uayf/.

Dr. Bill Patzert Video Interviews on Ocean Surface Topography From Space Website

Two new interviews with Dr. Bill Patzert have been posted on the NASA JPL ‘Ocean Surface Topography From Space’ website. The first features a discussion of La Niña still impacting the southwest drought, while the second features a discussion on the rise of ocean temperature and sea level.
http://sealevel.jpl.nasa.gov/newsroom/featurearchive/index.cfm?FuseAction=ShowNews&NewsID=375

Year of the Solar System – Volcanism!

The Year of the Solar System continues with the monthly topic for May: “Volcanism!” There is plenty of hot stuff in our solar system, even in the outer frozen realms; so much that planetary scientists have found evidence of volcanism on every terrestrial planet and on many of the moons, and even some asteroids. To learn more and find resources for this month’s topic, visit http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/yss/.

NASA EDGE: NE Live@Sun Earth Day 2011

NASA EDGE joins the Sun Earth Day Team and over a hundred of their twitter followers to celebrate this year’s SED theme “Ancient Mysteries and Future Discoveries.” Troy Cline and Peter Eidenbach talk about their experiences at multiple ancient solar sites, Dave Dooling discusses current solar observations and other experts talk about NASA’s unique interest in studying the Sun.

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/podcasting/nasaedge/NE00040711_L08_SED11.html

Science@NASA ScienceCast

The Science@NASA team is pleased to announce a new product: the ScienceCast. Every week, a short video highlighting a topic in NASA science news is produced. A complete list of ScienceCast episodes may be found on Science@NASA’s Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/ScienceAtNASA.

Inspiring Climate Education Excellence – Community Forum for Middle and High School Teachers

ICEE (Inspiring Climate Education Excellence), a NASA GCCE professional development program for middle and high school teachers, is teaming up with EARTH: The Operators’ Manual (or ETOM), a PBS television special on climate science and solutions. ICEE’s Community Forum (http://iceeonline.org/forum) is offering a special discussion thread so that teachers who use the ETOM website (http://earththeoperatorsmanual.com) in their classrooms can discuss the “teachable moment” of the program with other educators. The can also pose questions to Dr. Richard Alley, Penn State glaciologist and climate expert. Clips of the program and an annotated script are also linked to online learning resources that have been reviewed by the Climate Literacy & Energy Awareness Network (http://cleanet.org).

Zooniverse – Citizen Scientists Making Incredible Discoveries

“Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known, ” wrote Carl Sagan. And now you can be the one to find it, thanks to Zooniverse, a unique citizen science website. Zooniverse volunteers, who call themselves “Zooites,” are working on a project called Galaxy Zoo, classifying distant galaxies imaged by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope.
http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/22apr_zooniverse/


Science News

NASA’s Swift and Hubble Probe Asteroid Collision Debris (April 28)

(April 28) Late last year, astronomers noticed an asteroid named Scheila had unexpectedly brightened, and it was sporting short-lived plumes. Data from NASA’s Swift satellite and Hubble Space Telescope showed these changes likely occurred after Scheila was struck by a much smaller asteroid.
http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2011/apr/HQ_11-128_Asteroid_Collision.html

Voyager Set to Enter Interstellar Space (April 28)

(April 28) More than 30 years after they left Earth, NASA’s twin Voyager probes are now at the edge of the solar system. Not only that, they’re still working. And with each passing day they are beaming back a message that, to scientists, is both unsettling and thrilling.

http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/28apr_voyager/

Meteors From Halley’s Comet (April 27)

(April 27) On May 6th, Earth will pass through a stream of debris from Halley’s comet, producing a mild but beautiful meteor shower known as the “eta Aquarids.”
http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/27apr_eta/

NASA and Partners Fund New Climate Impact Studies on Species and Ecosystems (April 22)

(April 22) NASA, the U.S. Geological Survey, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Smithsonian Institution will provide $18 million for 15 new research projects during the next four years. Organizations across the United States in academia, government and the private sector will study the response of different species and ecosystems to climate changes and develop tools to better manage wildlife and natural resources.
http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2011/apr/HQ_11-121_Climate_Projects.html

NASA Spacecraft Reveals Dramatic Changes in Mars’ Atmosphere (April 21)

(April 21) NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) has discovered the total amount of atmosphere on Mars changes dramatically as the tilt of the planet’s axis varies. This process can affect the stability of liquid water if it exists on the Martian surface and increase the frequency and severity of Martian dust storms.
http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2011/apr/HQ_11-118_Mars_Atmosphere.html

Cassini Probe Sees Electric Link with Saturn and One of Its Moons (April 20)

(April 20) NASA is releasing the first images and sounds of an electrical connection between Saturn and one of its moons. The data collected by the agency’s Cassini spacecraft enable scientists to improve their understanding of the complex web of interaction between the planet and its numerous moons. The results of the data analysis are published in the journals Nature and Geophysical Research Letters.

http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2011/apr/HQ_11-115_Cassini_On_Saturn.html

NASA’s Hubble Celebrates 21st Anniversary With “Rose” of Galaxies (April 20)

(April 20) To celebrate the 21st anniversary of the Hubble Space Telescope’s deployment into space, astronomers at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore pointed Hubble’s eye at an especially photogenic pair of interacting galaxies called Arp 273.
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hubble/science/hubble-rose.html

WISE Delivers Millions of Galaxies, Stars, Asteroids (April 14)

(April 14) Astronomers across the globe can now sift through hundreds of millions of galaxies, stars and asteroids collected in the first bundle of data from NASA’s Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) mission.
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2011-117#1

Solar Activity Heats Up (April 14)

(April 14) Back in 2008, the solar cycle plunged into the deepest minimum in nearly a century. Sunspots all but vanished, solar flares subsided, and the sun was eerily quiet. “Ever since, we’ve been waiting for solar activity to pick up,” says Richard Fisher, head of the Heliophysics Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington DC. “It’s been three long years.”

http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/14apr_thewatchedpot/

Titan Shaped by Storms, Not Volcanoes (April 12)

(April 12) Have the surface and belly of Saturn’s smog-shrouded moon, Titan, recently simmered like a chilly, bubbling cauldron with ice volcanoes, or has this distant moon gone cold? In a newly published analysis, a pair of NASA scientists analyzing data collected by the Cassini spacecraft suggest Titan may be much less geologically active than some scientists have though.
http://www.astrobio.net/pressrelease/3904/titan-shaped-by-storms-not-volcanoes

NASA Telescopes Help Discover Surprisingly Young Galaxy (April 12)

(April 12) Astronomers have uncovered one of the youngest galaxies in the distant universe, with stars that formed 13.5 billion years ago, a mere 200 million years after the big bang. The finding addresses questions about when the first galaxies arose, and how the early universe evolved.
http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2011/apr/HQ_M11-109_Young_Galaxy.html

Breakthrough Study Confirms Cause of Short Gamma-Ray Bursts (April 7)

(April 7) A new supercomputer simulation shows the collision of two neutron stars can naturally produce the magnetic structures thought to power the high-speed particle jets associated with short gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). The study provides the most detailed glimpse of the forces driving some of the universe’s most energetic explosions.
http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2011/apr/HQ_11-103_Gamma_Rays.html

SOFIA Completes First Flight of German Science Instrument (April 7)

(April 7) The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, or SOFIA, completed its first science flight April 6, using the German Receiver for Astronomy at Terahertz Frequencies (GREAT) scientific instrument. GREAT is a high-resolution far-infrared spectrometer that finely divides and sorts lights into component colors for detailed analysis.
http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2011/apr/HQ_11-104_SOFIA_Update.html

NASA Telescopes Join Forces to Observe Unprecedented Explosion (April 7)

(April 7) NASA’s Swift satellite, Hubble Space Telescope and Chandra X-ray Observatory have teamed up to study one of the most puzzling cosmic blasts ever observed. More than a week later, high-energy radiation continues to brighten and fade from its location.
http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2011/apr/HQ_11-106_SWIFT.html

Dawn Approaches Asteroid Vesta (April 7)

(April 7) After 3 1/2 years of thrusting silently through the void, NASA’s Dawn spacecraft is on the threshold of a new world. It’s deep in the asteroid belt, less than 4 months from giant asteroid Vesta.

http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/07apr_dawn/

NASA’s Aquarius: The Water Bearer Flies Soon (April 6)

(April 6) Aquarius will map the concentration of dissolved salt at the ocean’s surface, information that scientists will use to study the ocean’s role in the global water cycle and how this is linked to ocean currents and climate. Sea surface temperature has been monitored by satellites for decades, but it is both temperature and salinity that determine the density of the surface waters of the ocean.
http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/aquarius20110406.html

Scientists Find New Type Of Mineral In Historic Meteorite (April 5)

(April 5) NASA and co-researchers from the United States, South Korea and Japan have found a new mineral named “Wassonite” in one of the most historically significant meteorites recovered in Antarctica in December 1969.
http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2011/apr/HQ_11-098_New_Mineral.html

NASA’s Spitzer Discovers Time-Delayed Jets (April 4)

(April 4) Astronomers have discovered that two symmetrical jets shooting away from opposite sides of a blossoming star are experiencing a time delay; knots of gas and dust from one jet blast off four-and-a-half years later than identical knots from the other jet.
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/spitzer/news/spitzer20110316.html

Calendar

May 2011

May 7 – Astronomy Day http://www.astroleague.org/AstronomyDay/AstronomyDay-2011-05.html

May 9 – A Look to the Future: Student Videos Take on Climate Change Presentation and Discussion http://www.uml.edu/centers/climate-change/
May 9-June 19 – Online Climate Change Graduate Courses from AMNH http://www.amnh.org/learn
May 13 – IGES 2011 Earth Day Photo and Essay Contest http://www.strategies.org/earthdayphoto
May 14 – Explore@NASA Goddard http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/events/explore/index.html

May 14-15 – NASA Open House http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/events/open-house.cfm
May 20 – Opportunities in EPOESS Proposals Due http://bit.ly/guG3mY
May 21-22 – CAE 2011 Professional Development Workshop Series for College Astronomy Instructors (Boston, Mass.) http://astronomy101.jpl.nasa.gov/workshops
May 27 – NASA Earth Day Video Contest 2011 Entries Due http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/earth-videos.html

June 2011

June 3-4 – COSEE-OS Educators Workshop at NASA – K-12 Educators http://cosee.umaine.edu/programs/nasaaquarius/
June 6 – July 17 – Online Climate Change Graduate Courses from AMNH http://www.amnh.org/learn
June 9 – Aquarius Launch Date http://aquarius.nasa.gov/index.html

June 12 – Music and Astronomy Under the Stars (Bethel Woods, N.Y.) http://www.hofstra.edu/Academics/Colleges/HCLAS/PHYSIC/physic_underthestars.html
June 20-24 – Lunar Workshop for Middle and High School Educators; Twin Falls, Idaho http://lunar.gsfc.nasa.gov/lwe/index.html
June 20 – Music and Astronomy Under the Stars (East Meadow, N.Y.) http://www.hofstra.edu/Academics/Colleges/HCLAS/PHYSIC/physic_underthestars.html
June 27-July 1 – Lunar Workshop for Middle and High School Educators; Utica, Miss. and Concord, N.H. http://lunar.gsfc.nasa.gov/lwe/index.html

June 28-July 1 – Changing Planet Faculty Study Group http://www.dickinson.edu/academics/distinctive-opportunities/sustainability-education/content/Climate-Education/
June 29 – Proposals Due – NASA Research Announcement for Competitive Program for Science Museums and Planetariums http://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/solicitations/summary.do?method=init&solId=%7B75AAC7BF-2F69-6C73-2980-B1DCF25EA665%7D&path=open
June 30 – 2011 INSPIRE Project for High School Students Application Deadline https://inspire.okstate.edu/index.cfm?liftoff=login.LoginForm

July 2011

July 4-Aug. 14 – Online Climate Change Graduate Courses from AMNH http://www.amnh.org/learn
July 11-22 – NASA’s Multi-Wavelength Universe Online Professional Development Course for Middle and High School Teachers http://epo.sonoma.edu/multiu.php
July 12-13 – ESIP Teacher Workshop – Grades 6-12 http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/teacherworkshop/esip/

July 16-17 – CAE 2011 Professional Development Workshop Series for College Astronomy Instructors (Hawai’i National Park, Hawaii) http://astronomy101.jpl.nasa.gov/workshops
July 17-23 – Astrobiology Summer Science Experience for Teachers http://www.seti.org/ASSET
July 18-22 – Heliophysics Educator Ambassador Program – Middle School Teacher Workshop http://www.adlerplanetarium.org/educate/pd

July 18-22 – NASA Planetary Science Summer School for Grads/Post-Docs http://pscischool.jpl.nasa.gov
July 17-22 – GLOBE 15th Annual Partner Meeting http://globe.gov/events/2011-annual-meeting
July 25-29 – Lunar Workshop for Middle and High School Educators; Laurel, Md. http://lunar.gsfc.nasa.gov/lwe/index.html
July 30-Aug. 3 – 2011 ASP Education and Public Outreach Conference http://www.astrosociety.org/events/meeting.html

August 2011

Aug. 1-5 – NASA Planetary Science Summer School for Grads/Post-Docs http://pscischool.jpl.nasa.gov
Aug. 1-5 – Lunar Workshop for Middle and High School Educators; Tempe, Ariz. http://lunar.gsfc.nasa.gov/lwe/index.html
Aug. 4 – Abstracts Due – AGU Fall Meeting http://www.agu.org/meetings/

Aug. 8-11 – Climate Modeling and Data Tools Workshop http://www.dickinson.edu/academics/distinctive-opportunities/sustainability-education/content/Climate-Education/

October 2011

Oct. 9-15 – Earth Science Week 2011: Our Ever-Changing Earth http://www.earthsciweek.org

Acknowledgements

NASA Science Mission Directorate: Stephanie Stockman and Ming-Ying Wei

Editor: Theresa Schwerin, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES).

Writer: Morgan Woroner, IGES.

Contributions From: Susan Buhr, University of Colorado; Andrew Franknoi, ASP; Alan Gould, Global System Science; Jan Heiderer, GLOBE; Donald Lubowich, Hofstra University; Mark McCaffery, University of Colorado; Juliette Rooney-Varga, University of Massachusetts Lowell; Denise Smith STScI.

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