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!

Oil Spill! Connecting STEM activities to real world problems

I recently had another opportunity to observe a science program in an after school setting, this time at Greenleaf Elementary School in Oakland, CA.  The rising fifth graders have an hour and a half of STEM programming after lunch every afternoon, and the day I visited they did an activity about cleaning up oil in the ocean.  They worked with trays filled a few inches with water, feathers, straws, cotton balls and sponges.

I think it's especially challenging to lead activities like this, where the materials you have to work with are analogies of what really happens in the real world.  I was impressed with the ways the facilitator drew connections between the activity they were doing and what happens in the real world.

The facilitator started the activity by asking the kids what they already knew about oil spills.  I was struck by how many hands went in the air, and details the kids knew including the catastrophic spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010.

The group discussed what kinds of engineers help solve the environmental problems caused by oil spills - chemical and environmental engineers.

In groups, the kids examined their 'oceans' of water, with oil floating on top.  They discussed and wrote observations in their science notebooks.

The facilitator introduced some terms and definitions and then passed out materials the kids would use to try to clean up the oil.

As kids formulated their plans for working together to get the oil off the feathers and out of the 'ocean', the facilitator passed around photos of actual oil spills and the effects they have on wildlife.  Then it was time to work together to figure out how to use materials to clean up the oil.

During the discussion after the activity, the kids all said that they enjoyed this activity even though it was very difficult to get all the oil out of the water and off of the feathers.  

In order to help kids make connections between the science activities we do after school and science in the real world, here are some things we see quality programs doing:

• Ask kids what they already know about related issues
• Show kids pictures, news articles or videos
• Introduce kids to a scientist who works on the problem in the field
• Take a field trip
• Participate in a citizen science project to help a scientist conduct a study on a related issue

Let us know some ways that your after school science program connects kids to real world science!

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!

Join Us at These Upcoming Conferences & Events This Fall

One of our top priorities in the coming year is to attend conferences and events around the country to meet afterschool leaders and learn more about the latest developments in the field. Here is where we’ll be in the next month—let us know if you will be at any of these meetings and events, or suggest somewhere for us to go next!

• Association of Science & Technology Centers (ASTC) Annual Conference: We are kicking off our conference season this weekend at the ASTC conference in Baltimore, MD. Kalie will be there with the Afterschool Alliance to talk to science centers about how out-of-school time programs are an important part about science center offerings. 
• Up Your Game Pre-Conference Workshop: Later this month, we’ll be travelling to sunny San Diego, CA to host a pre-conference workshop at the Up Your Game conference. This conference focuses on older youth in afterschool, with sessions oriented towards middle school earlier in the week and high school later in the week. Our pre-conference workshop on the 31st will focus on building partnerships for afterschool STEM, with two panels on engaging volunteers and finding community resources. We will have speakers representing high-quality afterschool programs and resources, and the workshop will be a great way to share practices and learn how to integrate community partnerships to promote STEM in your afterschool program. There is still time to register for this conference, so we hope to see you there!
• National Summer Learning Conference: It may be fall, but it's still a great time to talk about summer learning! We'll be exhibiting at the National Summer Learning conference in San Francisco, CA from November 15th-16th. Summer learning is an important part of providing out-of-school time education opportunities for youth, and we look forward to connecting with many great summer programs at this event.

Keep an eye out for our Steering Committee members at other conferences and events around the country. You can also find out more about where we will be in our monthly newsletter.

Summertime Directory Updates

The weather is warming up, which means that now is a great time to enter your summer programs into the Directory! It's free and takes just a few minutes. Go to www.afterschoolscience.org/directory, log in, and enter or update your programs!

 

Summer Learning Opportunities

Organizations from across the country are beginning to plan their summer programs, and youth participants are already starting to sign up! Summer learning is an important component of OST learning time, and the warm weather and freedom to roam outdoors means that it's a great time to do science. 

Below are some summer learning opportunities that have already been entered into the Directory. Get your opportunities in soon for a free way to let your community know about your program!

• COSMOS (The California State Summer School for Mathematics and Science) at the University of California, San Diego 
• Talented and motivated high school students are invited to work side-by-side with university faculty and researchers. In addition to the program at UC San Diego, which offers a focus in technology and engineering, COSMOS is offered at UC Davis, UC Irvine, and UC Santa Cruz.  

•  Summer Camp at the Chicago Academy of Science Notebaert Nature Museum 
• A variety of camps offered all summer long connect children to the wonders of nature through art, music, movement, hands-on science activities, and live animal encounters. Family open house nights each Thursday get parents and siblings involved as well. 

• Mathematics Summer Camp for High School Girls at the University of Nebraska 
• This all-girls, all-math, week-long camp at the University of Nebraska has been offered since 1997. High school aged girls are invited to this stimulating and supportive environment to develop their mathematical ability and interest. 

For more information on why summer learning is essential to every child's education, check out the research and resources at the National Summer Learning Association.

Summer Learning Day

Tomorrow is National Summer Learning Day (so proclaimed by President Obama).  Find an event near you and celebrate summer learning - a critical tool for closing the achievement gap.  Here is a video from Ron Fairchild of the National Center for Summer Learning, saying more about the value of summer opportunities for youth:

Virtual Camp

Here is a new concept (to me, at least) - virtual camp! Fresh Brain describes itself as a "Technology Exploration Platform for Teens." The site offers a variety of relatively short activities, targeted at individuals, and longer projects, which can be done independently or in groups. This summer - June 15 to August 14 - they are offering a "Virtual Technology Camp" for teens. This camp will include a series of activities, projects, and challenges, and will be supported by counselors and expert advisors. This seems like a great tool that can be used from home or at the local library, community center, or other settings that offer teens access to the Internet.

Of course, if you prefer an in-person camp, check out Project Exploration's Discover Your Summer guide to summer science and technology programs.

Analysis of Extended Day Policy Efforts

In the December 2008 Phi Delta Kappan, Larry Cuban offers an interesting analysis of the efforts to lengthen or alter the school day and year. He goes through the history of reform efforts. He even dispels the myth that our long summer break is a remnant of an agrarian economy; it is actually a result of middle-class parents wanting time to go on vacation or send kids to camp.

One of the major problems is the assumption that schools are just designed to prepare workers:

"By blaming schools, contemporary civic and business elites have reduced the multiple goals Americans expect of their public schools to a single one: prepare youths to work in a globally competitive economy. This has been a mistake because Americans historically have expected more from their public schools."

Cuban points out that there are many reasons that citizens support public education, including preparing responsible citizens, promoting common cultural values, dispel societal inequities, etc. So, building an entire reform effort around the needs of the business community does not actually work.

Instead, Cuban recommends improving the quality and focus on "academic learning time," "improving the quality of the time that teachers and students spend with one another in and out of classrooms":

"If policy makers could open their ears and eyes to student and teacher perceptions of time, they would learn that the secular Holy Grail is decreasing interruption of instruction, encouraging richer intellectual and personal connections between teachers and students, and increasing classroom time for ambitious teaching and active, engaged learning."

My only addition to Cuban's recommendation is that we should consider that not all learning time happens in a classroom in the presence of a teacher. There is a reason that middle-class parents demanded camp opportunities, and a reason that kids who go to camp don't fall as far behind academically as those who do not. It is not because those camps are focused on academic learning with classroom teachers. It is because high quality, focused learning time is more effective if it is balanced by a culture of out-of-school learning experiences.

Navy Engineering Camp

With summer programs in full swing, the articles about summer science learning are starting as well. Here is one about a Navy-sponsored program, the Patriots Technology Training Center, in Maryland. This quote is specifically about recruiting Navy engineers, but it could probably apply to any program looking to engage kids in math and science: "We need to get the word-of-mouth to spread things. What we are finding is that kids are generating their own interest and it spreads very positively." The idea that science and engineering are "not cool" is mostly an adult construction that kids pick up on. Building submarines can be cool, as long as adults don't make kids sit in a classroom and get lectured about submarines.

More Summer Science for Girls

In case you thought toy recalls and stock market crashes were the only stories getting consistent attention this summer, here is yet another story about girls learning science and technology in summer camps. I have already posted on this twice: Aug 3 and July 26, not to mention numerous previous posts on programs that specifically address gender and equity.

Students & Teachers Learn Science & Tech in the Summer

Here are two interesting articles about summer learning in science and technology. One is about an inventor's camp where youth learn the design process. The other is about a special education teacher who went to Space Academy and brought those lessons back to her classroom.

For more about summer programs, visit the Center for Summer Learning at Johns Hopkins University.

Tech Camp Blog

Teacher Magazine has been host to a blog this summer written by an educator working at a summer camp in Chicago. The camp is an ecology and technology program for 9-14 year olds in a predominately Latino neighborhood. Amy Abeln, the author, shares some very interesting insights about kids learning science and technology outside of a traditional school setting. I particularly like her July 8 post about some of the students and their preference for science class over technology: "We love the projects... We like technology, too, ... but we get to do computers all the time in school. We're in the gifted class. But we hardly ever do science." There is so much to analyze in these statements, and Amy does a very good job.

Link to 'My Summer at Tech Camp'