2020 was a challenging year to say the least! When it all seemed to get too overwhelming, I thought of my grandpa's advice. 'Look up! That light that you see traveled billions of light years to get to you.' It's a great reminder that there is something bigger out there that connects us all. International Space StationContrary to popular belief; agreement and collaboration for the greater good are possible. In fact, last year marked the 20th Anniversary of continuous human presence on the International Space Station. That is a huge feat considering it's an effort of 5 space agencies and 15 countries. Not to mention the fact that it has been constructed and repaired by astronauts who speak different languages all while orbiting the Earth at 17,500 mph. Google Arts and Culture put together an amazing collection of resources to explore. Launch America2020 also marked the beginning of the Commercial Crew Program. We successfully launched two crews on SpaceX Dragon capsules to the International Space Station in May and November. ArtemisNASA also announced the Artemis team. The Artemis mission to land the first woman on the moon in 2024! Learn more about the eighteen men and women who are part of this incredible group of astronauts. Our students are the Artemis generation! There are numerous ways to incorporate the Artemis missions in your classroom with posters, design challenges, and activities. GEt STudents InvolvedRegardless of your grade level, content area or mode of instruction, space exploration is a great fit. It promotes crucial 21st century skills and helps prepare students for a future in STEM! Plant the Moon Challenge Participate in "a global science experiment, learning activity and inspirational project-based learning challenge to see who can grow the best crops using lunar regolith simulant." Register by January 15th!! NASA Moon 2 Mars Tynker partnered with NASA to create space-themed coding adventures from beginner to advanced levels.
Mark Your Calendars27th Annual SEEC Conference February 4 - 6, 2021 It's difficult to believe that this amazing event is only a month away! This year is 100% virtual. So, you won't have to worry about writing sub plans, booking flights or finding a hotel. It is definitely not something you want to miss! Even if you can't attend the sessions live, registration cost covers access to all sessions and virtual tours for a year! Perseverance Landing on Mars February 18, 2021 @NASAPersevere #CountdowntoMars @NASAJPL Better Late Than NEverFull disclosure: I meant to send the following links about a month ago. I still think they're worth sharing despite the timing. Maybe you like to get a head start on next year's shopping, have money saved up or are on the hunt for something special for friends, family members or even yourself, you should check out these collections. Every year, Purdue University's INSPIRE Research Institute for Pre-College Engineering creates an Engineering Gift Guide. This goal of the guide to recommend items for ages 10 months - 18 years that promote engineering practices like coding, spatial reasoning, problem solving and critical thinking. The guide includes toys, games, puzzles and books and you can search by category or age. If you're wanting more space exploration specific items including clothes, books, games and activities, check out my Wakelet collection. Peace, love and space exploration,
- CAPCOM Conrad
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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 |
AuthorApollo 13 fan. Educator. Lifelong Learner. Third generation Boilermaker. Space Exploration Enthusiast. Collaborator. Click Subscribe to stay updated!Archives
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