NASA Science Events and Activities
Let NASA bring the universe to you!
We’re inviting every student, educator, and lifelong learner to share in the excitement of scientific discovery and space exploration through unique opportunities from NASA’s Science Activation Program – a community-based approach to connect NASA science with learners of all ages. Check out these events and activities for educators, families, and students in kindergarten and up.
Monday, July 1st, 2024: Growing Beyond Earth Information Session for Teachers
Intended Audience: Classroom Teachers (Grades 6-12)
Interested in helping NASA feed astronauts on the International Space Station? Get involved with Growing Beyond Earth®! Growing Beyond Earth is a 6th-12th grade classroom-based citizen science project developed by Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in partnership with scientists at NASA, designed to advance NASA research on growing plants in space. It includes a series of plant experiments conducted by students in a Fairchild-designed plant habitat similar to the Vegetable Production System (Veggie) on the International Space Station.
Tens of thousands of middle and high school students and their teachers nationwide have contributed hundreds of thousands of data points and tested 180 varieties of edible plants for NASA, with four having been flown on the International Space Station based on the student's results. If you are a middle or high school teacher interested in bringing Growing Beyond Earth Citizen Science into your classroom, please join the upcoming information sessions, during which the Growing Beyond Earth team will explain the program and its implementation in the classroom (followed by a Q&A session).
When: Monday, July 1, 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. EST: Join the Webinar
July, Multiple Dates: Creating Virtual Field Trips – Free Tools & Training for Educators
Intended Audience: Formal & Informal Educators
Virtual field trips provide an opportunity to contextualize science concepts by immersing students in landscapes and locales that support learning. With Tour It, Infiniscope’s free virtual field trip creator, you can make place-based learning accessible to all your learners, boosting engagement and learning outcomes while enabling them to build personal connections. Learn how to capture the magic of place-based learning with Infiniscope's free Tour It workshop, Tour It 101. In this training, you'll learn how to use the tool to create high-quality virtual tours and discover place-based learning strategies.
Format:
One-hour on-your-own digital lesson + Two live one-hour sessions
Dates:
Two live online sessions occur on consecutive days at 2:00 p.m. EST. Choose the set of dates that work best for you.
- July 8 & 9
- July 10 & 11
Agenda:
Prior to Day 1: Starting with Tour It
Day 1: Exploring Place-Based Learning
Day 2: Planning Your Virtual Tour
Tuesday, July 16th, 2024: Heliophysics Big Year and Math Enrichment Webinar
Intended Audience: Science & Math Educators (Grades 6-12); General Public
Topic of the Month:
How long does it take for light to travel from the sun’s core to its surface? Astronomers call this the Random Walk Problem and it is the reason why the Sun has what is called a Radiative Zone between its core and its surface.
Math problems - Introductory: Steps and travel time to the sun; Intermediate: Random walk and distance traveled; Advanced: Sunlight escape by random walk
Time: 7 p.m. EST
This 14-month series for science and math educators focuses on heliophysics topics with related math problems at three levels: elementary, middle, and high school. It is sponsored by NASA's Heliophysics Education Activation Team. For more info contact Dr. Hilarie Davis.
Now thru Monday, August 5th, 2024: NASA’s Astrophoto Challenge
Intended Audience: Learners of all Ages and Levels
Join this exciting opportunity to use real astronomical data and tools to create your own images of supernova remnant, Cassiopeia A. Use your images to explore or focus on creating an image that you think is beautiful. You can capture your own real-time telescope image using the MicroObservatory robotic telescope network, or work with a set of data files taken with multi-wavelength space-based missions from NASA, the European Space Agency, and the Canadian Space Agency (Hubble, Webb, Chandra, Spitzer). Standout entries receive expert feedback from NASA scientists!
Visit the NASA’s Astrophoto Challenge webpage for more information about the project and learn how to work with NASA data.
Tuesday, August 20th, 2024: Heliophysics Big Year and Math Enrichment Webinar
Intended Audience: Science & Math Educators (Grades 6-12); General Public
Topic of the Month:
Many things are controlled by cycles, such as every September we start a new school year. There is also the ‘Cycle of Life’ that begins at birth and ends at death. This month we will explore our sun’s life cycle and how Today’s Sun is different from yesterday’s and tomorrow’s.
Math problems: Beginning: How long does it take an interstellar cloud to collapse into a star?; Introductory: How long can a star live by burning hydrogen into helium?; Advanced: What are the properties of stellar remnants like white dwarfs, neutron stars and black holes?
Time: 7 p.m. EST
This 14-month series for science and math educators focuses on heliophysics topics with related math problems at three levels: elementary, middle, and high school. It is sponsored by NASA's Heliophysics Education Activation Team. For more info contact Dr. Hilarie Davis.
On-Demand Events & Activities
Role Model Strategies Guide: Encouraging Youth to Consider STEM Careers
Intended Audience: Subject Matter Experts, STEM Professionals
This Role Model Strategies guide aims to change how youth think about science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Why are role models important? Sharing your lived experiences (your background, hobbies, and career goals) with youth can motivate them to pursue a career in STEM. Research shows that these strategies work towards breaking stereotypes. Seeing the variety of backgrounds, experience, and perspectives of STEM professionals can help inspire and motivate youth who might not otherwise "see" themselves in STEM. This booklet offers basic training for role models, introducing you to best practices for your volunteer efforts.
Girls STEAM Ahead with NASA Program Cookbook
Intended Audience: Educators
Girls STEAM Ahead with NASA is a project within NASA’s Universe of Learning that empowers libraries and community-based organizations to engage girls and their families in exploring the wonders of NASA science and celebrate the contributions of women to science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM).
The Girls STEAM Ahead with NASA Program Cookbook has been designed to guide educators in creating their events. It includes “recipes” about different astrophysics-related topics with sample scenarios, accessibility tips, information on how to request a subject matter expert for the events, and much more!
