Maya Science and Nasa Science

Science educators often find themselves in the position of wanting to debunk commonly held beliefs.  Earlier this week astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson tweeted about the 2012 Doomsday rumors, offering scientific reasoning in favor of all life not coming to an end in a few weeks.

NASA's Calendar in the Sky program is embracing the opportunity to educate folks as we approach the winter solstice about Maya Science and Nasa Science.  While the Mayan Long Count Calendar ends on December 21 2012, there is no evidence to suggest that the ancient Maya people believed that the world would end on that day.  They also have free astronomy lesson plans online, including one lesson focused entirely on the "Mayan Skies."

How will you celebrate December 21, 2012? If you need some ideas, join the last webinar in this series from Calendar in the Sky next week!

Title: How Are You Celebrating December 21st, 2012?
Host: Bryan Mendez, Space Sciences Lab, UC Berkeley
Date: Friday, December 14, 2012
Time: 11am PT/12pm MT/1pm CT/2pm ET
Duration: 90 minutes
Format: Online Webinar (60 min presentation with 30 min discussion period)
Registration: Please register for this webinar here

DESCRIPTION:
What do you have planned for your audiences to mark December 21st, 2012, the 13th Bakt'un anniversary of the Maya Long Count calendar? Are you having a "Not the end of the world" party, are you holding a special event, are you marking the solstice, are you including aspects of Maya culture? In this final Webinar of the Bakt'un, participants will share activities they have planned for December 21st, 2012, perhaps getting some last minute ideas from their colleagues from around the country.

ABOUT CALENDAR IN THE SKY:
Calendar in the Sky is a NASA-funded project led by UC Berkeley to engage the American public, particularly Latino audiences, in NASA science (space exploration, astronomy, planetary and Earth sciences, etc.) via the broad interest in Maya culture. We are conducting a series of webinars for educators on NASA science and Maya astronomy. Following the webinars, attendees will be given access to private discussion boards on the project website (www.calendarinthesky.org) where they can discuss the webinar topics and exchange ideas and resources for educational programming with colleagues. The webinars will be recorded and archived on the website. This will be the third webinar in the series.

Mars "Curiosty" landing on August 5

The Mars rover “Curiosity” will land on the red planet on Sunday August 5, 2012.  Here are some great ideas from NASA to get the kids (and adults) in your summer science program excited about this once in a life time event!

• Host a Mars Gazing Party

On August 5th 2012, viewers can observe Mars in the night sky with a telescope or with the naked eye. At sunset, Mars will sit low in the western sky just above the horizon. Viewers will be able to see the orange planet Mars in between Saturn and the bright star Spica. At this point in its orbit, Mars will be roughly 300 million miles away from Earth and the Curiosity Rover will be only hours away from arriving to this distant orange dot in the night sky.

• Get an overview of Mars

Basic Information on Mars

http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/profile.cfm?Object=Mars

Mars Image Collection

http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/images/

3D Images

http://mars3d.jpl.nasa.gov/

• Information about the “Curiosity” landing spot

Destination Gale Crater: August 5, 2012 at 10:31 pm PT

http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/multimedia/images/?ImageID=3852

Gale's Mount Sharp Compared to Three Big Mountains on Earth

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/multimedia/pia15292-Fig2.html

National Parks as Mars Analog Sites

http://www.nps.gov/deva/parknews/mars-and-mojave.htm

• Videos

Curiosity Rover Animation

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4boyXQuUIw

Building Curiosity: Landing System Drop Test

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YasCQRAWRwU&feature=relmfu

Seven Minutes of Terror

http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/multimedia/videos/index.cfm?v=49

• Additional Information

Official Websites:

http://www.nasa.gov/mars

http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov

http://www.nasa.gov/audience/formedia/features/MP_Photo_Guidelines.html

• Tune in to live coverage of the "Curiosity" rover landing

NASA Media Services Information for Curiosity Rover Landing on 8/5/2012

Landing Coverage begins at 12:00 a.m. EST (9:00 p.m. PST) on the NASA TV Cable Channel:

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv

Also, lesson plans and training are available at the following website: http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/participate/marsforeducators/soi/

http://www.nasa.gov/mars has a Google map for displaying your Mars MSL events!

Happy space exploring, and stay curious!

Twitter Chat about STEM in Summer Learning

Are you ready for STEM this summer?

The Coalition for Science After School will host a Twitter chat Thursday May 17, 4 PM to 5 PM EDT about STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) in summer learning.  During this conversation, you will have the opportunity to share your experiences, learn why summer is the perfect time to explore STEM subjects, and hear from experts about resources and best practices.

The chat will feature representatives from NASA's Summer of Innovation (@NASAExplorerSch), The After School Corporation (@expand_school), the National Summer Learning Association (@summerlearning), Coalition Director Carol Tang (@caroltang1) and other special guests from community organizations who are bringing STEM into summer learning experiences, including the Collaborative for Building After-School Systems (@CBASS_National). 

To join the chat and see what others are saying:

1. Go to tweetchat.com and search for the hashtag #SummerSTEM.
2. You do not need a Twitter account to follow the chat, but you do need one to comment or ask questions. If you need to set up a twitter account, you can sign up at http://www.twitter.com. It’s free to join and only takes a minute.
3. To join the discussion, sign into TweetChat using your Twitter account and enter your tweets in the box at the top of the page. TweetChat automatically includes the hashtag for you.
4. Each tweet is limited to 140 characters (including the hashtag #SummerSTEM) but feel free to multiple tweets to pose a question or respond to a comment.

The Coalition's Twitter handle is @sciafterschool.  Feel free to submit questions in advance, either by sending us a message on Twitter or emailing them to sarah.elovich@berkeley.edu.  

Looking forward to seeing you on the chat!

Building Effective Community Partnerships for Science After School Part II: Finding STEM Resources in Your Community

This is the second part in a two-part series on Building Effective Community Partnerships for Science After School, a workshop we recently hosted at the Up Your Game conference. Read Part I on Including Science Volunteers in Afterschool Programs for more information.

In the second half of our workshop on partnerships for afterschool science, our panel of speakers focused on finding and using community resources. Our first speaker, Leslie Lowes, is an informal education specialist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). NASA has a great many resources available for supporting informal science education (as well as lots of resources for in-school learning), and Leslie helped us navigate where to find them.

NASA has a number of education centers around the country--if you live nearby, contact your center to find out about the availability of public tours. The education centers may also have a representative available from NASA's Speakers Bureau (a great way to find scientists with public communication skills!) or a chapter of the Solar System Ambassadors program, a national program of volunteers that specialize in JPL's work.

NASA also offers customizable curriculum just for out-of-school learning. For elementary school students, the Out of School to Outer Space program offers 15 hours of NASA/solar system science and engineering activities, including teacher training and ongoing support. This program is designed to get 4th and 5th graders "thinking like a scientist." The Space School Musical program, featuring downloadable videos, songs, and a guide to putting on a space-themed musical production, gets kids excited about STEM through song and dance.

For middle school students, NASA focuses on developing science skills through programs like the Summer of Innovation. Programs for high school students are geared toward research and preparation for STEM careers through internships and innovation challenges, like the Real World In World engineering challenge.

Not everyone is close to a NASA center, but many people have a museum or science center in their community. Katie Levedahl, Director of Out-of-School Programs for the California Academy of Sciences joined the panel to talk about how to partner with science centers and museums to bring STEM content to afterschool environments. Katie highlighted the Careers in Science (CiS) program, a multi-year internship program for high school students. CiS interns, along with an Academy scientist, bring science activities to afterschool programs in their communities. Because the interns often come from the communities they visit, they become role models for the afterschool program students. Because museum workers are science content experts, they can be great sources of high-quality STEM activities. Katie talked about other ways that afterschool programs can partner with science museums, including:

• Using the museum as a field trip site
• Connecting with older youth programs (like CiS) to find science mentors for afterschool youth
• Obtaining curriculum and activities from museums, or bringing museum scientist-educators into your program to facilitate activities

For the last presentation, I spoke about the many different resources available through the Coalition for Science After School. In particular, I highlighted our members and the National After School Science Directory as being great places to find local partnerships or connect with programs outside of your immediate area. I also highlighted our Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter pages as being great places to connect with resources, funding streams, events, professional development opportunities, research, and more. These tools are free and easily customizable to your needs.

For the final half hour of the workshop, we engaged in networking and a white-board brainstorming session to identify what individual programs actually need to facilitate STEM partnerships. We ended with a productive conversation on goals and next steps for the workshop participants.

For more information about the workshop--as well a starter kit for getting STEM in your afterschool program--visit Gabrielle Lyon's post on the Project Exploration blog.

Many thanks again to our wonderful speakers and engaged participants, and a special thank you to the California AfterSchool Network and Time Warner Cable for helping to make this workshop a reality.

Astronomy in Afterschool

Lots of kids--and adults--are intrigued by what exists beyond our home planet. Astronomy--the study of space and the universe as a whole--is a wide field with many inherent opportunities for doing science outside of the classroom. As yesterday's Solstice and last week's lunar eclipse show, stunning astronomical events are happening all the time. Whether you're watching an astronomy show in a planetarium or working with a group to interpret planet sightings through a telescope, when you're making astronomical observations--you're doing science!

Many local and state astronomy groups are members of the Coalition for Science After School. They offer star parties, group observations, lectures from astronomy professionals, and more. No clear skies in your area? Many science centers and planetariums have regular shows, seasonal camps and afterschool classes, and special astronomy activities. Search for astronomy opportunities by zip code at the Connectory.

Looking for more resources for including astronomy in afterschool programs? Check out these resources:

• Coalition member the Astronomical Society of the Pacific offers an array of astronomy-related activities that can be done in informal settings. They also have an upcoming conference that includes a track for formal and informal educators.
• NASA's Solar System Exploration Education page has a variety of educator resources for exploring the solar system in out-of-school time, including a professional development program and individual activities that can be done in afterschool settings.
• Afterschool Universe from NASA is an out-of-school time program developed for middle school students. In addition to curriculum and activity ideas, there are trainings for educators available.

STEM Teaching and Professional Development

As more educators recognize the importance of science, technology, engineering, and math education, many opportunities for professional development have sprung up around the country. Universities, schools and districts, and corporations have all begun to recognize the critical role that educators play in providing high-quality STEM education both in- and out-of-school time. Likewise, many emerging or mid-career educators are looking to increase their knowledge of effective teaching techniques for communicating STEM subjects as well as background in the subjects themselves. 

Below are some opportunities for further learning from across the country that I found in a couple of quick web searches. This collection of fellowships and certifications are not necessarily degrees in STEM teaching. If you know of any more programs, please share them in the comments!

Siemens STEM Academy

Who: Classroom teachers; no out-of-school time focus specified. STEM content webinars would be helpful for out-of-school time providers as well. 

What: online resource with webinars, blog, and other resources for educators who want to bring STEM into their programs. Also hosts two in-person summer institutes focusing on 1) increasing knowledge of STEM content and teaching techniques and 2) participating in STEM education research at Discovery's world headquarters in Washington, D.C. 

Where: Online with summer institutes in Washington, D.C. 

Math for America Teaching Fellowship

Who: Early Career Fellows, college graduates who have completed coursework in mathematics and who are new to teaching; and Master Teachers, who have at least four years of math teaching experience and who spend at least 75% of their teaching time focused on math

What: Multi-year fellowship that focuses on improving content and quality of 
mathematics instruction at US secondary schools. 

Where: Berkeley, CA; Boston, MA, Los Angeles, CA; San Diego, CA; Washington, D.C.; New York City; Utah

Mickelson Exxonmobil Teachers Academy

Who: Third- through fifth-grade teachers 

What: Intensive week-long training on how to create and effectively teach math and science curricula.

Where: Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, New Jersey (also a member of the Coalition!).

Knowles Science Teaching Foundation (KSTF) Teaching Fellowships

Who: Teaching Fellowships are awarded to science and/or math educators, focusing on emerging professionals

What: Five-year program that provides ongoing training and mentorship in teaching techniques and trends; provides financial support of up to $150,000 over five-year length of fellowship

Where: Nationwide

Center for Advancement of Informal Science Education (CAISE) Fellows Program

Who: Informal science educators from underrepresented groups and regions across the US

What: Ongoing mentoring and professional development; participation in CAISE Inquiry Groups; travel stipends to attend Informal Science Education summit 

Where: Fellows work across the informal science education spectrum across the country. View a list of current fellows and read about their work here. 

NASA Endeavor Science Teaching Certificate Project

Who: Current or prospective educators

What: Graduate-level online courses teaching research-based pedagogical strategies and cutting-edge STEM content; leads to a certificate as well as credit to affiliated graduate institutions

Where: Nationwide--courses are all online

St. Catherine University STEM Graduate Certificates

Who: Elementary-school educators

What: Teacher training that focuses on technology and engineering content and teaching 
strategies; university offers training and materials to start graduate certificate programs at schools and districts across the country
Where: St. Catherine University in St. Paul/Minneapolis, Minnesota

In addition, check out the many professional development opportunities available through the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA). 

Careers in STEM

NASA recently launched Learning Technologies, a program designed to increase interest in space science through gaming. Learning Technologies just released their first game—Moonbase Alpha, in which a team of players works together to save a Lunar base that has been damaged by a meteor strike.

It may seem strange for a government organization to devote time to creating computer games for children. But Moonbase Alpha is more than just entertainment—it’s a part of a strategy by NASA to increase support for STEM education across the US.

Profiled on the website Ars Technica, the project manager for Learning Technologies, Daniel Laughlin, said that the project was developed as a direct response to the decline in STEM education in the US. Laughlin pointed out that “there are not enough students studying science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to fill our national needs in those areas” and that “NASA literally cannot function without STEM graduates.” (Read the full article here .)

This got us thinking about what kinds of other opportunities there are for students to engage in STEM education and learn the practical skills necessary to be competitive in the workforce today. A quick search of the Directory brought up several programs designed to prepare students for careers in research, advocacy, and education in a variety of STEM fields. Below are some standouts:

• Bright Students Training as Research Scientists (Bright STaRS) at the American Geophysical Union. At this conference, high school students have the opportunity to present original research and learn more about how to become professionals in the geosciences.

• Discover the Possibilities at the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE). This weeklong program exposes potential engineering students to all of the different opportunities in the field, giving them the tools to pursue their ideal engineering career.

• Student Science Training Program (SSTP) at the Center for Precollegiate Education and Training. This prestigious research seminar teaches students the practical skills needed to conduct science research and to attain a career in science.

• Pasadena Technology Camp at the CA Space Education and Workforce Institute. This weekend program provides computer literacy training to disadvantaged student populations, teaching them an essential skill needed in the workforce today.

• Leadership Intern Field Training (LIFT) at Sustainable South Bronx. This internship gives high school students hands-on organizing experience in the growing field of environmental justice and gain advocacy skills that are applicable to many STEM fields

Do you know of a program that provides practical STEM career skills to high school students or young adults? Join the Coalition and add your opportunity to the Directory.

Monthly Star-Gazing Video

The NASA Jet Propulsion Lab has released a new video feature on its website describing the most interesting views of the night sky for the month. Each month will feature a new video, and the views are accessible even for people who lack telescopes or live in urban areas. This month's video talks about Saturn, which is prominent in the sky this April.

The video is called "What's Up" and can be found on the JPL homepage, the Solar System Exploration page, or follow this link for April's video. There are also great resources for educators - including after-school - on the Solar System education page, including a page on amateur astronomy.