Space Science
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After attending SEEC in 2019, I brought in a portable planetarium, however, I had to make a working optics box to show as evidence for the need to invest in a portable dome. Using a portable planetarium with a Newtonian-Mirrored projection system enabled planetarium learning experiences for students. This type of teaching tool is immersive and showcases advanced integration of technology in the classroom.
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Students create and learn to use a clinometer to measure the height of the trees on campus. They also put this data into NASA GLOBE Trees to create a record that is then compared to the satellite data collected by NASA Lidar.
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On May 4, 2022, my students and I were able to be in a Skype Conference with NASA Astronaut Ricky Arnold.
For Earth Day 2023, my class was able to participate in NASA’s Earth Day celebration. Two students were chosen to ask questions to Subject Matter Experts at Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, Florida.
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After receiving a historical artifact, a Space Shuttle tile, from NASA, I created a lab where my students designed and engineered heat shields to replicate a shuttle tile. The lab required testing, using a blow torch.
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This video was created during my conference attendance and posted to the LMS for students to learn about some of the science being done in space.
Better Together with NASA OSTEM
In August of 2022, I was one of three teachers (K-12) invited to participate in the Better Together Conference conducted by NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement. The aim of this conference was to understand and build relationships between K-12 schools, universities, museums, outreach programs, and NASA moving forward into the next twenty-five years. During this conference I was also able to meet and speak with several key people within NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement, including Astronaut Ricky Arnold. Many times the space science work I have done in my class focuses on and draws from my work with NASA.
