The title of this post is also the title of this year's Space Exploration Educator's Conference, where this whole thing started. I decided to continue as a SEEC Crew member for my 2nd year in space exploration education. I can explain my year in space exploration, but explaining SEEC is no easy feat. It's one of those, you had to be there situations. Luckily I was able to document my experience. I even had to delete a few apps to make room for all of the photos! It's really difficult to describe it in a way that does it justice. Therefore, this post is going to be formatted in slightly different way to hopefully represent this amazing professional development. It is often said that a picture is worth a thousand words, so here goes nothing... This video shows me describing the features of the ISS Above. Check out a recording of our ISS Downlink with Joe Acaba, former teacher and astronaut currently on Station. You can hear the questions I submitted at the end of the video. For those of you who have experienced SEEC - The energy, awesome presentations, lightbulb moments for things you can do in your classroom, reunion with old friends and meeting new ones - know that the reacclimation process can be challenging. After SEEC, I took part in a 2-day Google Level 1 training. Returning to school, I've been very energized and passionate to share my SEEC experience with the teachers and students I work with. I was also able to incorporate FlipGrid and Screencastify as part of Genius Hour for the first time. I'm looking forward to using what I learned from SEEC to create stations for Mission Days for our kiddos. Seeing kids fascinated by the ISS Above, hearing them interested in careers and sparking their curiosity in the SpaceX is AMAZING!!! I would encourage each of you to venture into the unknown to this Destination Beyond. If Elon Musk can send his red Tesla into space, we can do anything :) Whether that's trying a new activity, incorporating a new technology tool, collaborating with teachers, applying to be a presenter or member of the SEEC Crew next year... It's worth it!
Peace, love and Space Exploration, CAPCOM Conrad
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Ever wonder why Russians use the term cosmonaut to refer to an astronaut? Well, part of the answer is in Greek. The Greek word nautes means sailor. The Greek word astron means star. The word kosmos means universe. So, cosmonaut means universe sailor and astronaut means star sailor. Now, you know! I included this in the glossary of the Mission Logbooks I made as for my space-themed class. I put together a variety of activities to teach 3-5th Grade students at Purdue’s Gifted Education Resource Institute (GERI) Super Fall Program. I’m sure this comes as no surprise when I say that my class was all about space. I also created a new word to describe my students, méllonaut. Méllo means future in Greek. So, my students were future sailors training for a future in space. After all, they are the Mars Generation! The rest of the day's activities were a combination from a variety of sources; NASA, Indianapolis Children's Museum Beyond Spaceship Earth PD and SEEC sessions. I separated the activities into phases: Preparation, Training for Space, Take Off, In Space and Returning to Earth. A great book to pair with the activities was Becoming a Spacewalker : My Journey to the Stars by: Astronaut and Boilermaker Jerry L. Ross . > Preparation First, each méllonaut created a mission patch to represent themselves and they put these in buttons that they could wear all day! > Training for Space Before making the journey through our solar system, you need to be aware of what it is. Our solar system is so large that it's difficult to really grasp the concept of size. For students to get a better idea, we used some hands-on activities. Using JPL's Solar System Bead Activity, méllonauts constructed a scaled model of the solar system. It's a great and unique way for kids to visualize how far away the planets are and how large our solar system is. Tips for using in your classroom: pre-cut the string, make sure you have a variety of bead colors. Based on the scale listed, each kid gets 5m of string. I would recommend decreasing the scale or having students attach the beads without using knots. Since we were at Purdue, families could take advantage of the awesome Voss model - an outdoor scaled model of the solar system - dedicated to Janice L. Voss, a Purdue alum and astronaut. they were able to record their observations in their mission logbook that I created. If you can't visit it in person, you can take a virtual tour! > Take Off Communication is a vital part of being successful on space missions and life in general. Students created structures out of legos. The structure was their choice, but they had to name, draw and label their structure. Then, they had to write a how-to-build my structure. This may have been the most difficult task of the day. I would recommend limited the amount of legos that can be used on the amount of time for building and writing. > In Space Being able to notice similarities and differences and make observations and predictions allows us to be ready for obstacles that may arise as well as prevent problems from occurring. Students did a mini-experiment by rehydrating bananas to experience the difference between eating on Earth and eating in space. Students recorded their before and after observations. We also watched some video clips of Former ISS Commander Chris Hadfield preparing a meal in space. The favorite activity of the day was the EVA! Méllonauts walked down the hallway with their regular shoes and built a tower out of ten blocks. Then, they completed the same activities with moon shoes! Both activities were timed to be able to compare and contrast. >Landing The final activity of the day was to build a lunar lander. Using the structure from SLED (Science Learning Through Engineering Design), students identified key components of their task and were able to test their structure and suggest modifications for future improvements. I'm constantly trying to share space information with others and was happy to be able to wear this shirt proudly on my honeymoon in Maui, Hawaii! I was so honored to be asked to share my Year in Space Experience with my alma mater. You can check it out! My Superintendent interviewed me about My Year in Space on our district podcast, Inside the Rock! I was episode 13 on December and my Genius Hour Session that week was titled, Houston, We Have a Problem. So, you bet I didn't miss that Apollo 13 connection! You can listen here! I've been MIA planning a wedding and getting married. Although my last name is changing, my call sign and enthusiasm for space in not! Stay tuned for a unit on an awesome new book, Lost in Outer Space - The Incredible Journey of Apollo 13 by: Todd Olson and an update on Genius Hour at my school!!
Peace, love and space exploration, -CAPCOM Conrad Three great qualities for educators and students, but also the name of three Mars Rovers! In my new and unique position as an Innovation Specialist, I have been able to embark on missions with several 6th Grade teachers and students at my school. We've had a blast with JPL's Mars Rover Races activity! It is a kinesthetic way to introduce coding and involves communication, problem solving and collaboration. This activity was presented in a great session I attended at SEEC. I knew I wanted to do this activity, but I wasn't quite sure how to make it work in my school. After some trial and error along with resources from the PE department and support from Technology and Science/Social Studies Teachers, we did it! This activity is suggested for grades 5 - 9. It can be done in different class settings; homeroom, related arts or part of a specific subject rotation/block schedule. The biggest thing is course set-up. Modifications I made to the Original Lesson Plan:
My Lesson Structure *I worked with the students for 2 class periods, but I know all schools have different schedules and time available.
Session 1 - Background Information I used JPL's Mars in a Minute videos, which are awesome! These short videos are a great way to provide information in an engaging way. > After each video, students had to make a decision about what they just watched and explain their thinking with evidence. **Literacy connection. > Explain roles (Driver, Official and Rover) and assign students to groups (3-4 per group).
Session 2 - Coding the Course >Drivers (1/group) went to their assigned course (we had 2 of equal difficulty level). >They walked through the course and wrote down their code as they walked. Their coding involved directions (forward, backward, right, left) and a number of steps. > While drivers coded the course, I showed Rovers and Officials mission patches and then they designed their own. > Once all drivers finished coding, groups went to the course one at a time. > After completing the course, students evaluated themselves individually by finishing sentence starters and as groups by rating their performance in various areas and answering reflection questions.
Alternatives/Extensions/Additions On Paper or in Digital Format - Using graph paper or Minecraft, your kiddos could design a martian surface. Student A. *They would need to include craters and rock samples, but also leave space to get around the craters. - The design would be given to Student B who would write the code to get the rover from the start to the finish. - Student A would read Student B's directions to Student C. Student C would follow the directions on a blank piece of graph paper (or by pressing the arrow keys the number of times needed). - -The blank piece of graph paper would be placed on top of the martian surface design to see if craters were avoided and rock samples were collected. - - Students could record the data (number of craters hit, course time and number of rocks retrieved.) > Eventually, students could code a robot through the course. The Rover would be replaced by the robot, but the Driver and Rover could work together to code. The Official's role would remain the same. The students really enjoyed this and so did the teachers! It's a great way to get kids engaged and moving. There are so many follow-up activities for language arts, math, science and technology. I included some suggestions in my Mars Rovers overview above. I hope you're able to use this lesson at your school and find the resources helpful!
Peace, Love and Space Exploration, CAPCOM Conrad No matter how you say it, it’s still cool to get tomato seeds from space! Never would I thought that tomatoes had any connection to space until I signed up for Tomatosphere. I was really excited when my Tomatosphere seeds arrived a few days ago. I am constantly amazed at how space education connects to just about everything. I am more and more aware of it throughout my year in space as I’m looking at things through a space lens. Not to mention, it’s such a high interest area for students. It’s a great way to get them excited and engaged. I have never done this program before, but have heard great things from people who have. It’s a free program that teachers can sign up for. When your seeds arrive, you will a control group of seeds that have remained on Earth as well as an experimental group of seeds that have traveled to space and been on the ISS. Tomatosphere has curriculum resources; questions and investigations to get your kids thinking. I wanted to see how this project could connect to other curricular areas outside of the science realm. So, I’m sure this is no surprise, I created a Tomatosphere Unit. My goal was to connect this to as many subjects as possible and provide resources I found that would help this. After all, when students are able to make connections, it’s more meaningful! The Overall Driving Questions: I also tried to think about driving questions that could create a purpose for specific subject area contributions.
The Unit Overview includes suggestions for activities in your classroom based on content area. Things can be modified to fit K-12 students just like the Tomatosphere program is designed to do. It is by no means a complete list of every possible activity or resource, but hopefully it is a starting point that you find helpful for you and your students. Click below to download or find it on my TeachersPayTeachers store.
Thank you to Tomatosphere for the program, First the Seed Foundation for your US partnership, SpaceX for transporting the seeds, the astronauts who unpacked and repacked the seeds and all organizations and people involved with this process. What an awesome opportunity for teachers and students!
Now I wonder... what impact will this program have? Peace, love and space exploration, CAPCOM Conrad signing off My heart goes out to all of those affected by Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Irma and the Columbia River Gorge Wildfire. Although I do not live in Texas, Florida or Oregon, my heart is in all of these places. Hurricane Harvey impacted Houston, Texas and surrounding areas. The heart of my year in space is there. Space Center Houston hosted the Space Exploration Educators Conference, which is where this whole journey began. I was fortunate enough to return to Houston at the end of July for an amazing Professional Development with my fellow SEEC Crew mates. The wildfires are still raging along the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon. A piece of my heart is there because it's where I got engaged. My fiance and I kayaked on the Columbia River the day we got engaged. We throughly enjoyed out waterfall hikes and beautiful drives along the Gorge . Hurricane Irma will be making landfall in Florida within the next few days. I have visited Florida several times and always enjoy the beach. Remember I live in land-locked Indiana. I hope to visit Kennedy Space Center one day and see a launch. I have been able to read a variety of articles and watch videos from different media sources. Since I family and friends who live in Texas and Florida, I have also been able to see their personal experiences via social media. As an adult, it's difficult to process these events. As a child, I would venture to guess it's a whole different ballgame. Lack of understanding of the science behind these events probably contributes to their confusion, uncertainty and concern. I was trying to wrap my head around how I could be helpful so far away. I wanted to help teachers and students. I was also curious what connections could be made to space education. Therefore, I created a unit to answer the driving questions: What is the lasting impact of natural disasters on people and the environment they live in? Download the unit below or on my Teachers Pay Teachers store for free.
Note: I used 5th and 6th Grade Indiana Academic Standards for Science and Media Literacy, but it can be used in other subjects and grade levels. It is not an exhaustive list of everything about natural disasters, but hopefully provides resources that you can use in your classroom to spark awesome student learning. NASA continues to amaze me as I further explore all that it has to offer. It may be stuck in people's minds as a space agency, but what many may not realize is what they do is so relevant to Earth and can be helpful in our daily lives.
NASA Spinoff is a yearly publication that highlights how NASA research is used in commercial products. You can get a copy or print off pdfs from 1976- present. NASA SPoRT (Short-term Prediction Results and Transition Center) is a "is a NASA project to transition unique observations and research capabilities to the operational weather community to improve short-term forecasts on a regional scale." The International Space Station's mantra is off the earth, for the earth . The research done through CASIS, who runs the U.S. ISS National Laboratory, is Science in space to benefit life on Earth. Images from astronauts aboard station allow us to see and understand Earth in ways we never could before. If nothing else, it helps me realize how connected we are and how we, as Earthlings, can learn from and help each other in this journey we call life. Gus was killed in the Apollo 1 fire with his crewmates Roger Chaffee and Ed White. Learning from this terrible tragedy is a major reason why we were able to land on the moon. Peace, love and space exploration, CAPCOM Conrad signing off. My first experience as CAPCOM Conrad with the Flight Director. Let me start with a little background...December of 2015, my coworker (pictured above) asked if I would dress up like an engineer in Mission Control to start a space unit. For those of you who know me, it's no surprise that with absolutely no hesitation, I agreed! He rearranged his room to create a new setup and we chose NASA call signs. I, a fan of alliteration, chose CAPCOM. For those of you unfamiliar with the acronym, it stands for Capsule Communicator. It is the one person on the ground who communicates directly with the astronauts in space. A famous past CAPCOM was Deke Slayton, a Mercury 7 astronaut grounded due to a heart condition. As a teacher, I thought this was the perfect fit. On a daily basis, I take the information given to me by the state standards, administration and district guidelines and communicate this to the kiddos I am working with. You may be thinking, okay, how do I use this in my classroom? Change your classroom jobs to NASA acronyms that best fit the duties. It not only sounds awesome, but it also gives real-world context and significance. https://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/k-4/features/F_People_Behind_the_Astronauts.html The awesome Escape Hunt Houston "Houston, We've had a Problem" Room. I would definitely recommend this amazing experience!! I had a blast with my fellow crew mates in the extremely well designed room. * Notice I'm sitting in the CAPCOMM seat :) As a member of the SEEC Crew, I have definitely felt like a CAPCOM. I have been able to go to Space Center Houston and then bring back all that I've learned to Indiana to help inspire teachers and students. I know that space exploration is a high interest topic that can be incorporated in your classroom, regardless of grade level or content area. You just have to be willing to put yourself in the mindset of Mission Control during the Apollo 13 mission. You may be trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. If there's one thing that my year in space has taught me, it's how vital everyone's unique strengths are. I'm so thankful for the awesome coworkers and crew members that I've been able to collaborate with on this journey. No one on the crew teaches the same thing in the same environment, but we are all committed to working together, helping other teachers and sharing our passion with students. When people think of NASA, they think of astronauts, but it takes a whole team to get to the moon, build a low-earth orbit ISS laboratory, send Voyager rovers to deep space and eventually send humans to Mars. There are so many Hidden Figures and Unsung Heroes to celebrate. Michael Collins was an Apollo 11 astronaut and the Columbia Command Module Pilot, but his impact is not as well known. While Armstrong and Aldrin landed on the moon, Collins flew around it, alone and outside radio contact. Without him, the astronauts would not have made it home. A great book for a read aloud or as a whole group or in small groups (depending on your grade level) is The Man Who Went to the Far Side of the Moon: The Story of Apollo 11 Astronaut Michael Collins by: Bea Uusma Schyffert. This expository non-fiction text has awesome graphics and photos too! Excerpts have been published in Pearson's Reading Street and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt's Storytown and there are several teaching resources available. I never thought teaching would take me where it has. I also never imagined the huge impact this year in space would have on me. I loved being asked questions about the Solar Eclipse and being able to share resources and experience that with my entire school. I know it was significant for at least one kiddo, because a student came to me and asked if we had any books about eclipses! I was ecstatic to help him find one!
I am now in a new role in a new school and loving it! I am working on updating our library to an Innovation Center. Keeping the space theme, I have labelled the doors with the space programs. Why put up a number one when you can use a Mercury mission patch? The capsule only had room for one astronaut anyway, so it's synonymous to me. I have added awesome NASA Mars posters to the walls showcasing the different skills and people needed to make the mission successful. I will co-teaching to facilitate Genius Hour and my goal is to emphasize the importance to students of finding a passion with a purpose. So, teachers, wherever you are, whatever you're teaching, share your passion! If it's space or STEAM and you want to know how to get started or build on what you already have, I would LOVE to help!! Peace, love and space exploration, CAPCOM CONRAD Signing Off SAFETY is the number 1 PRIORITY! Remind your students that they should NEVER look directly at the sun! Regular sunglasses will NOT completely protect your eyes. You can get solar eclipse viewing glasses, but you need to make sure they have been verified for safety. The American Astronomical Society has a list here. As an alternative to eclipse glasses, students can construct a viewer using a cereal box, aluminum foil and tape. Photo Credit: NASA In case you haven't heard, a total solar eclipse is happening on Monday August 21st! Everyone in North America will be able to see it to some degree, depending upon your location. If you aren't excited, you should be! I attended an awesome session at SEEC about how to use the solar eclipse in the classroom. I did NOT create these resources, but wanted to share them, so that you can can teach the solar eclipse in YOUR classroom!! The path of totality looks like a diagonal line from Oregon to South Carolina. If you're outside the US or a low percentage of totality, you can see a 3-D simulation by downloading the desktop or web app. The last total solar eclipse was in 1999, but the last total solar eclipse seen by the US (contiguous) was 1979.
NSTA PublicationThis has been adapted from the book Solar Science by: Denise Schatz and Andrew Fraknoi, published by the National Science Teachers Association. Bill Nye & The Totally Awesome Total Eclipse Each episode in this 4 part series is 3-4 minutes. You can also download a great activity book. Check out The Planetary Society for more. The Moon's Role in a Solar Eclipse (2:34) - NASAWhy a total Solar Eclipse is such a big deal (5:24) VoxThis video gives great background and uses scientific terminology. Whether you want to refresh your knowledge or show it to your class, it's a solid resource. Solar Eclipse of the Heart (1:45) - Warby ParkerThis parody of Bonnie Tyler's 1983 hit "Total Eclipse of the Heart" is something your students will enjoy! If you're not sure how you can use this in your classroom, don't worry! NASA has got you covered. Regardless of your grade level or content area, this major event can be a learning opportunity for ALL of your students!!
Other Resources to provide background:
Libraries across the country are also hosting Eclipse Events. Click to find a participating library nearest you on the map. Peace, love and space exploration,
CAPCOM Conrad signing off At the end of the year, another teacher was looking for book suggestions for her upper level readers in the fall. She knew I had done a Hidden Figures unit with my class and wanted to continue the space theme!! She asked if my students had read Mercury 13. My reply was no, there is no Mercury 13. I started explaining that the first American astronauts were actually called the Mercury 7. She said, no the women. I quickly searched and indeed she was correct. I was shocked and embarrassed, as someone with such an interest in space exploration, I had never heard of them and immediately decided I needed to further educate myself. So, I ordered the book of the same title. I have since discovered more books, included one for students! I have compiled a list of resources to discover yourself and inspire your students with these women's grit and determination. Who are the Mercury 13? The Mercury 13 are a group of thirteen women pilots who not only wanted to be astronauts, but worked hard to pursue this goal despite many obstacles. They are also referred to as the FLATs - First Lady Astronaut Trainees. Many of them were members of the Ninety - Nines, an organization of female pilots started by Amelia Earhart. Some flew as WASPS (Women Airforce Service Pilots) during World War II. They passed the same tests as the Mercury 7 astronauts, but were prohibited from becoming astronauts solely because...they were women. The first woman in space could have been an American, but the lack of support for the program did not allow this to occur. The good news is these women won't remain hidden figures, as a tv series is in the works with Jessica Chastain involved in the project !! I'll leave you in more capable hands and turn it over to the women who experienced this firsthand. Listen to the Women in the Right Stuff BBC podcast narrated by Wally Funk, one of the Mercury 13 women. In Their Own Words Jerrie Cobb, Solo Pilot by: Jerrie Cobb Tethered Mercury: A Pilot's Memoir: The Right Stuff - - But the Wrong Sex by: Bernice Trimble Steadman Books The Mercury 13: The True Story of the Thirteen Women and the Dream of Space Flight by: Martha Ackmann (pictured above) Promised the Moon - The Untold Story of the First Women in the Space Race by: Stephanie Nolen Right Stuff, Wrong Sex: America's First Women in Space Program (Gender Relations in the American Experience) by: Margaret A. Weitekamp Almost Astronauts: 13 Women who Dared to Dream by: Tanya Lee Stone ** This is targeted for a younger audience and was in this spring's Scholastic Book Fair! Articles NASA - Image of some of the Mercury 13 at KSC watching the STS- 63 launch with the first female shuttle pilot, Eileen Collins. https://www.nasa.gov/missions/highlights/f_mercury13.html Ninety - Nines - Wally Funk talks about her experience. https://www.ninety-nines.org/mercury13.htm BBC Science - An article about Wally Funk. http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-36824898 Mercury 13 - A website dedicated entirely to providing information about these \ women. http://www.mercury13.com/ Rocket Women - A website dedicated to inspiring women to pursue a STEM career, especially space related! http://rocket-women.com/2017/02/rocket-women-featured-in-bbcs-women-with-the-right-stuff/ Smithsonian www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/meet-american-women-who-trained-space-1960s-180963704/?platform=hootsuite Movies Mercury 13: Secret Astronauts - 1998 TV movie Available in parts on Youtube Part 1 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWySNMbGz0w The Purple Plain - short film inspired by the Mercury 13 women https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/662938798/the-purple-plain-a-film-inspired-by-the-mercury-13 Peace, Love and Space Exploration,
CAPCOM Conrad signing off Since I was little, I have loved Apollo 13. It's no secret...I wrote my first blog post about it and it's the first thing I listed about me as an author. I'm not sure how many times I've seen the movie, but I still enjoy it every time. I was fascinated with how Mission Control worked and all that the astronauts endured. When I found this book, it seemed to come full circle. I could now share my passion with my students using a book as a guide. As a teacher, I'm not sure if there's anything better. I devoured the book and took notes as I read to eventually turn into a unit. Let me just say that the book is only 90 pages, so it didn't take long and I knew it would be great for my students. It was an unintentional summer project, but one that I've enjoyed. The Unit Overview is available to download on TeachersPayTeachers for FREE by clicking below. www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Apollo-13-Unit-Overview-3249667 Keep a look out for additional unit resources; comprehension checks, assessments and rubrics. I found this awesome book at Half Price books for $8. It was originally $30! The best part is that it has facsimile documents from archives for several missions. It may just be the coolest book I've ever owned!! I would consider my new books a successful addition to my library and a failure to the library that let them go. To each his/her own.
Peace, Love and Space Exploration, CAPCOM Conrad Despite what you may think, Indiana did not have a blizzard, nor did I create my own snow. So, how is sledding possible in June? Well, SLED is an acronym that stands for Science Learning through Engineering Design. It is a program through Purdue University, funded by a targeted Math Science Partnership NSF Grant. It was first implemented in intermediate classrooms in 2011. My alma mater is AWESOME!!!!! **If you're an NSTA member, you can read about the program for free. The article is called "Shedding Light on Engineering Design" . It was published by: Brenda M. Capobianco, Chell Nyquist, and Nancy Tyrie in the Science and Children Journal in January 2013. If you're not a member, it's only $1 to read. ** My binder and design notebook. You can see my individual plan and my group's plan for our solar tracker. I attended the 2017 SLED Summer Institute. It was a fantastic full-day PD, targeted by grade level (6th Grade). I'm excited to be teaching 6th Grade Science and Social Studies this fall, a change from last year!! Man, was it useful! I walked away with so many resources that I can implement in my classroom and wanted to share. What exactly is SLED? The purpose of SLED, as the name suggests, is to support science concepts using the engineering design process and hands-on tasks. It makes the science concepts more meaningful with a real-world connection and creation of a physical prototype or product. It also gets away from the idea that there is only one correct answer or way to solve a problem. It encourages problem solving and creativity. It is targeted for 3rd - 6th Grade students, but there are extension activities that would allow use in older grades as well. What is great about all of the tasks is the ease of cross curricular connections; math and literacy. It is a great structure for an interactive science notebook. Rubrics are also available to grade design notebooks, collaboration, redesigns and activity wrap-ups. What did we do? We started the day with Candy Bag, an activity focused more on the process and less on the science content. I plan on using this in my classroom at the beginning of the year as a way to build classroom community, encourage collaboration and explain the procedures and expectations for these activities the rest of the year. For Candy Bag, students could measure height, length, and width, calculate volume, surface area and cost of their bag. Students could also write a letter persuading a company to purchase their bag. It would also fit well with Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory by: Roald Dahl. What's the Space Connection? We spent most of the afternoon doing Solar Tracker, a design task focused on building an apparatus to collect solar energy throughout the year. This is a great way to assess student understanding of seasons, direct and indirect rays, and positioning of the earth. Like all of the SLED design tasks, math (measuring angles) and literacy (Secrets of the Seasons: Orbiting the Sun in Our Backyard by: Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld) are easy to incorporate. ****AMAZING RESOURCE ALERT!!!***** I would like to thank the Astronomy Education Department at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for creating these Astronomy Simulations, Animations and Interactives. -> Specific Simulation used for Solar Tracker http://astro.unl.edu/naap/motion1/animations/seasons_ecliptic.html Able to change the view (sun or side of Earth), position on Earth, and date. All Animations and Simulations, grouped by topics: http://astro.unl.edu/animationsLinks.html An entire activity list for student practice, grouped by concepts, is available here: http://astro.unl.edu/interactives/ How can YOU use this in your classroom?
1) Go to stemedhub.org/groups/sled 2) Create a FREE account. *Don't forget to confirm your e-mail. 3) Click on the Design Resources tab on the left hand side. 4) Browse the List of Design Activities, separated by Grade Level *Each activity listed shows has the key concepts and brief description of the design task. 5) Click on the name of the activity. 6) Download for FREE! Peace, love and space exploration, CAPCOM Conrad |
AuthorApollo 13 fan. Educator. Lifelong Learner. Third generation Boilermaker. Space Exploration Enthusiast. Collaborator. Click Subscribe to stay updated!Archives
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