Have you ever wondered how astronauts get fresh, breathable air on the space station? In the latest STEMonstration episode, NASA astronaut Thomas Marshburn demonstrates how the Law of Conservation of Mass relates to living and working on the International Space Station. Take a tour of the station and discover how recycled water is converted to fresh, breathable oxygen through electrolysis. Check out the Classroom Connection lesson plan to further explore chemical reactions and the Conservation of Mass. For more STEMonstrations and activities, visit the STEM on Station website. | | Next week, NASA celebrates one of the most mysterious objects found in our universe: black holes!
Join the fun May 1-5 by exploring extraordinary facts, checking out cool images and videos, reading about the latest black hole discoveries, teaching lessons about gravitation, and more!
Click the links below to get started. | | | Educator Professional Development | | Audience: STEM educators Event Date: Tuesday, May 2, at 4 p.m. EDT Do you have questions about NASA CONNECTS or need assistance signing up? Don't worry, you're not alone. Join the NASA CONNECTS team for its monthly CONNECTS Talks session designed for educators who are not yet members of the community. Get your questions answered, learn more about the CONNECTS community of practice, and receive help with the registration process. Already a member of CONNECTS? Share this session with teachers who may be interested in joining. Attend the session if you have questions about new features and to get one-on-one support on how you can interact with the CONNECTS community. | | Audience: Educators of grades K-12 Event Date: Tuesday, May 2, at 7 p.m. EDT Next Gen STEM SPARX (Sparking Participation and Real-world eXperiences in STEM) offers an exciting opportunity for K-12 educators to access evidence-based practices that will equip their students with the skills to thrive in STEM and spark their interest in the endlessly fascinating world of science, technology, engineering, and math.
With access to hands-on, standards-aligned activities and related training resources, you can use NASA as a STEM spark in the classroom. Join the SPARX team for a virtual information session via Teams to learn more about this project. | | Audience: STEM educators Event Date: Wednesday, May 3, at 7 p.m. EDT NASA uses a fleet of satellites and instruments on the International Space Station to monitor the vital signs of Earth. These instruments provide important information like atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, vegetation data, and solar energy inputs. Join us as we explore ways the space station helps us better understand natural disasters and climate change. Learn how you can use STEM demonstration videos from the space station, known as STEMonstrations, to engage students’ creativity, communication, critical thinking, and collaboration skills. Plus, gain access to standards-aligned resources to use in the classroom or virtually. Click here to register. | | Audience: Rural educators in the U.S. Event Date: Thursday, May 4, at 8 p.m. EDT Join NASA’s Science Mission Directorate for a monthly series that connects rural educators to resources, networking, and professional development opportunities.
This month’s webinar will focus on the science of eclipses, occultations, and transits. Special guests Dr. Marc Buie and Dr. John Keller will explain what scientists can learn from these astronomical events and will share a unique citizen science network that involves rural high schools studying outer solar system objects though occultations. Click here to register to attend. | | NASA’s Science Activation Program invites learners of all ages, including students and educators, to join our Digital Learning Week Celebration in conjunction with Teacher Appreciation Week, May 8-12.
Learn about minds-on activities for students and ready-to-use resources that are aligned to standards. Participate in 25 live, interactive events designed to give viewers direct access to NASA subject matter experts and showcase the wonders of NASA science. Take a grand tour of the universe, discover career pathways to NASA, ask questions of subject matter experts from current NASA space science missions, and more.
| | Are You Up for a Challenge? | | Audience: U.S. high school and undergraduate student teams Registration Deadline: Sunday, May 14 The Kibo Robot Programming Challenge (RPC) invites teams of students from around the world to create programs to move free-flying robots known as Astrobees on the International Space Station. The competition presents tasks/obstacles for students to solve using the space station’s Kibo laboratory module as a game space. Preliminary rounds will be held in multiple countries using ground-based simulations. Winning teams will be eligible to participate in the final round, which will be held in the Kibo module on the International Space Station. For general information and details about international student team participation, visit the Kibo RPC website. | | Audience: U.S. students in grades 6-12 Entry Deadline: Monday, May 15 What will the future of aeronautics look like? Students are invited to help NASA envision a more sustainable commercial aircraft.
Teams of 2-4 participants are challenged to build a marketing plan to help convince a team of NASA experts that their design for a commercial aircraft should be chosen as the best sustainable design. Selected teams will have an opportunity to chat with a NASA expert about how they contribute to current aeronautics challenges. Selected designs may also be shared on NASA social media platforms and more. | | Opportunities With Our Partners | | Q&A Webinar Date: Friday, April 28, at 1 p.m. EDT | | Event Date: Wednesday, May 10, at 2 p.m. EDT | | Selections Begin Monday, May 15 | |
Are you looking for NASA STEM materials to support your curriculum?
Find NASA science resources for your classroom. NASA Wavelength is a digital collection of Earth and space science resources for educators of all levels — from elementary to college, to out-of-school programs. https://science.nasa.gov/learners/wavelength
Check out the ‘Explore NASA Science’ website! Science starts with questions, leading to discoveries. Visit science.nasa.gov. To view the site in Spanish, visit ciencia.nasa.gov. | | Visit NASA STEM Engagement on the Web: | | | | | | |
