Oregon Space Grant STEM Resources

All the latest NASA news and opportunities for teachers, students, and faculty…

Oregon Space Grant STEM Resources

OMSI Science Pub to Feature Death from the Skies Author, (Bad Astronomer) Phil Plait – August 1, 2012

July 17th, 2012 · No Comments · Astronomy, Cool Science, Science, STEM

Bad Astronomy

Bad Astronomy author, Phil Plait, will give a Science Pub talk hosted by OMSI at the Bagdad Theater in Portland on august 1, 7pm

OMSI Hosts Death from the Skies! Author, Bad Astronomer Dr. Phil Plait at August 1 Portland Science Pub

A special edition OMSI Portland Science Pub presented by “Bad Astronomer,”Dr. Phil Plait.

How do you think the world will end?  If you’re anything like American astronomer, Phil Plait, the possibility for human extinction by way of astronomical phenomena is a topic worth exploring!  In his

published work, Death from the Skies!,Dr. Plait reveals the real science behind various astronomical events, including asteroid impactssupernovae explosionssolar flares and gamma ray bursts.  What are the chances of any of these radical events occurring in real life?  Listen as Dr. Plait debunks glamorized Hollywood theories and explains how astronomical events have actually shaped our history … and how they may do so again.

Wednesday, August 1, 7-9 p.m. at the Bagdad Theater: 3702 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland
Open to all ages, with purchased tickets. No scientific background required!

COST:  This is a special ticketed Science Pub event.  Tickets are $20 and can be purchased in advance online or at McMenamins box offices.

ABOUT DR. PHIL PLAIT

After earning his doctorate in astronomy at the University of Virginia, Dr. Phil Plait worked as a NASA contractor in the Goddard Space Flight Center on the Hubble Space Telescope. Dr. Plait began a career in public outreach and education with the Bad Astronomy website and blog, exposing bad science and popular misconceptions. He released his book Bad Astronomy in 2002, followed by Death from the Skies! in 2008. Dr. Plait’s television show, Phil Plait’s Bad Universe premiered on the Discovery Channel in September 2010.

ABOUT OMSI SCIENCE PUBS

OMSI Science Pubs give you a chance to quench your thirst and feed your head by combining food, beverages, and learning. Held in seven different locations around the state, Science Pubs feature cutting-edge topics in science and technology presented by leading experts in a fun, casual atmosphere. Whether you’re completely unfamiliar with science or a self-identified “science geek,” at Science Pub, you’ll be entertained and educated in an environment where there’s no such thing as a dumb question! For more information, visit www.omsi.edu/sciencepub.

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Have a Blast Learning About the Moon With New Selene Video Game

July 17th, 2012 · No Comments · Cool Science, K-12, Science, STEM, Student Opportunities

Use your computer to journey back some 4.5 billion years, and prepare to blast away — you’re going to make a moon just like Earth’s. All you need to do is to register to play the award-winning “Selene” online video game from the Center for Educational Technologies, or CET. CET is the home of NASA-sponsored Classroom of the Future at Wheeling Jesuit University in Wheeling, W.Va.

In “Selene: A Lunar Construction Game,” you and your students learn about basic geological processes on Earth and in the solar system while helping educational researchers study how and when people learn through educational video games.

Funded by NASA and the National Science Foundation, “Selene” has won numerous awards, and research has shown that the game aids learning. But we need players. To register your students, email selene@cet.edu with your contact info and times when you would be available for a short 30-minute orientation.

New for the 2012-2013 school year is a Spanish-language version of the game. The game is open to ages 9 and up and can be played anytime, anyplace. To learn more about “Selene,” read testimonials about it or see how it aligns with national and state science standards. Visit the “Selene” website at http://selene.cet.edu.

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Algebraic Skeletal System: Human Physiology in Space Web Seminar – July 19, 2012

July 17th, 2012 · No Comments · Mathematics, Professional Development, Science, STEM, Teacher Development, Teacher Opportunities, Webinar

NASA Explorer Schools and the National Science Teachers Association are hosting a 90-minute live professional development Web seminar for educators on July 19, 2012, at 11 a.m. EDT. The seminar focuses on human physiology. Obtain information about the effect microgravity has on the physiology of astronauts and learn about the countermeasures NASA uses to help overcome these effects when they return to Earth.

Outer space is an exciting part of our lives and promises to be an even more exciting part of the future for your students. It provides scientists with a unique laboratory, allowing scientific studies never possible in the history of civilization. Future space missions will continue to involve sending humans into space. But after extended stays in microgravity, astronauts must return safely to Earth and lead normal, healthy lives.

This seminar will provide instruction on how to integrate the Skeletal System: Human Physiology in Space lesson into your curriculum. There are two classroom activities in this lesson focusing on the effects of spaceflight on human physiology.

For more information and to register online, visit http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_seminars/NES2/webseminar26.aspx

To learn more about the NASA Explorer Schools project, visit http://explorerschools.nasa.gov.

Email any questions about this opportunity to the NASA Explorer Schools help desk at NASA-Explorer-Schools@mail.nasa.gov.

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Follow Your Curiosity! – Free Resources For the Mars Science Lab Mission

July 16th, 2012 · No Comments · Cool Science, K-12, Mars, NASA, Science, Student Opportunities, Teacher Opportunities

Be A Martian!

Be A Martian! is just one of the fun resources available from NASA for the new Mars rover mission!

The Mars Science Laboratory is NASA’s new Mars mission. The spacecraft will deliver the Curiosity rover to the Red Planet on August 5-6, 2012 and you’re invited to participate! NASA’s Jet p[ropulsion Lab has put together a web page full of games, apps, viewing details, and activities for students, teachers, and the general public.

Become a virtual Mars citizen! Watch the landing live on NASA TV! Land your own rover in a free Xbox game! And learn about all of the cool science that the Curiosity rover hopes to accomplish when it is safely on Mars!

http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/participate/

Watch this video of the Seven Minutes of Terror during the Curiosity rover’s landing!

The Curiosity rover will join two other famous rovers on the face of Mars: Spirit and Opportunity.  Learn more about their continuing mission (note: Only the Opportunity rover is still functional as of 2012) at JPL’s website: http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/status.html

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Free NASA Xbox Kinect Game – Mars Rover Landing

July 16th, 2012 · 1 Comment · Cool Science, K-12, Mars, NASA, Science, Student Opportunities

Screenshot from the new NASA Kinect Game - Mars Rover Landing

Get this free Kinect game today! You control the landing. success or failure is in your hands!

NASA, in conjunction with the upcoming Mars Science Lab landing, has just released a FREE new game for XBox Kinect called Mars Rover Landing. In the new game, players will control each stage of the mission landing!

How hard is it to land on Mars? Test your skills! Your mission: guide NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity to its landing site safely and on target. Use your body to direct the craft and control thrusters as you descend. Gain avatar gear and achievements for a safe landing. The rover’s success depends on you! The Games on Demand version supports English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Greek, Hungarian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Swedish, Japanese, Korean, Chinese. This game requires a Kinect™ Sensor.

http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-US/Product/Mars-Rover-Landing/66acd000-77fe-1000-9115-d80258480836

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