Prerequisite: ACES Training

Target Grade(s): K-12

Registration for Teachers who have completed ACES only.

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Prerequisite: Methods of STEM Education

Target Grade(s): K-12

Conduct research in your educational setting to examine some aspect of teaching and learning. Design and enact action research by reviewing background literature, formulating research questions, designing a study, collecting data, completing a thorough analysis, and reporting findings. Prepare to present research at an appropriate education conference and to submit work to research publications.

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Target Grade(s): K-12

View the effects of climate change in the context of polar science from the perspective of Native Alaskans and research. Primary data is integrated.

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Target Grade(s): 5-9, or high school

Exploring Mars to Understand Earth

Use a wealth of data sets and technological tools to explore and understand the features of the Red Planet. Look for and study the physical and chemical evidence of water and ice; compare erosional patterns on Mars and Earth; and make inferences about the planet's history as you study its geologic features including volcanoes and craters and the physics of the atmosphere.

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Target Grade(s): K-12

Explore Earth's precious freshwater resources and how human impacts threaten both aquatic systems and humans themselves.

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Target Grade(s): K to 12

Use the unique context of human space flight to teach standards-based NASA content in Earth & Space, Life, & Physical Science.

What will it take to send humans to Mars and beyond? Explore how astronauts will meet their needs on extended spaceflights. Examine how space travel changes human physiology, the challenges of growing food in space and much more. Explore the history and future of NASA missions and how these missions have led to breakthroughs in pharmacology, genetics, and health sciences.

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Target Grade(s): 2 - high school

Use the Ocean to Teach Earth & Life Science

The ocean is critical to the functioning of the Earth system, and is an authentically integrated context for learning about topics such as density, weather and climate, heat transport, environmental issues, biogeochemical cycles, and much more. Access myriad data sets to apply science concepts and make connections between the ocean and atmosphere, living and nonliving parameters, and life on land as well as in the deep sea.

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Target Grade(s): 7 - 8, or high school

Tracking Marine Animals Using Earth Imagery

Development sponsored by: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA Award: NCC5433)

Follow marine animals (e.g., polar bears, sea turtles, sharks, and whales) in real-time and apply life and Earth science topics to the ocean. Study topics such as ecosystems, biodiversity, cell structures, food webs, and conservation, as you make connections to ocean currents, seafloor features, density and more. Discover the importance of the ocean to humans, as well as our impacts, both positive and negative, on marine environments.

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Target Grade(s): 7 - high school

Using Earth Imagery to Explain the Movement of Animals

Development sponsored by: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA Award: NCC5433)

Track dozens of birds and land animals all over the world, and explain their movement on top of NASA remote-sensing satellite imagery! Study landforms, weather features, seasonal changes, natural resources, and other topics as they relate to the movements of animals. Become adept at interpreting many different types of energy seen in satellite imagery including vegetation, topographical, meteorological, and more.

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Target Grade(s): K-12

Use mathematical tools and concepts along with engineering design processes to enrich your understanding of science concepts across the K-12 curriculum. Study authentic examples of the physics of bottle rockets or gears by applying mathematical formulas and understandings. Earth and Space science content (e.g., orbits, forces and motion, topography) is enhanced with math studies as well as the engineering design process.

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Target Grade(s): K-12

This course includes elements of theory and practice for teaching, learning and assessing science. Study the history of science education reforms and engage in a variety of activities to gain experiences with the content and process of science in unique contexts. Explore connections between particular teaching settings to reform-based recommendations in teaching science as you learn to use instructional technology and technology education as a tool for promoting student understanding in science.

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Target Grade(s): 5 to 12

This course will showcase activities you can do with your students today to illustrate core concepts of physical science. Physical science activities focus on one-dimensional motion, forces and aerodynamic principles. Participants will use free, simple-to-use, software simulations from NASA Glenn. Applications are appropriate for grades 5 - 12. The software and material will teach concepts simply, visually and in an exciting manner.

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Target Grade(s): 5-9

Searching for Life in the Universe

Is there life out there? Searching for life in the universe requires a deep understanding of the characteristics and attributes of Earth that make our planet habitable, i.e., its Sun, tectonic plate movements, etc. Learn how scientists use physics concepts such as Keppler's Laws, the Doppler Effect, phase changes and properties of matter to search for planets in faraway galaxies that just might support life forms.

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Target Grade(s): 5 to high school +

Making Sun-Earth Connections

Make the connection between Sun and Earth using exciting, simple-to-understand NASA data. Abrupt changes on the Sun create flares and coronal mass ejections, which sent powerful 'solar storms' into space. NASA satellites predict these storms and protect astronauts and power grids. Topics include magnetic fields, solar structure, orbits, magnetism, light and more. Explore aspects of the electromagnetic spectrum in solar energy in a meaningful, authentic way by tracking solar storms.

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Target Grade(s): 5 to high school

Physical science, when applied, makes tough-to-understand concepts easy and fun.

Physical science activities in this course focus on one-dimensional motion, forces and aerodynamic principles. Participants will use free, simple-to-use, software simulations from NASA Glenn, which help to present these concepts in the context of aeronautics, including airplane design, rocketry, sports, and more.

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Target Grade(s): 5-8

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Target Grade(s): 5-12

Discuss and analyze the ways that literacy and science connect in the science classroom and highlight how reading and writing can be used to increase students' understanding of science content. Focus on how to integrate important literacy skills in your science classroom. Cutting-edge strategies and well-founded principles pave the way to success with non-fiction reading material. The manner in which information and scientific content is presented shapes student success, not just for reading but student writing, organization and presentation.

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Registration for Teachers who have completed ACES only.

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Target Grade(s): K-12

Make connections to mathematics and science concepts by participating in engineering activities. Follow the Engineering Design process as you design, test, and evaluate models and hands-on activities and discover the important reciprocities between science, technology, engineering and mathematics in formal design challenges.

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Target Grade(s): 6-12

Sponsored by: National Science Foundation (NSF Award 0732793)

Study Earth's Polar Regions to better understand the complexity of Earth's climate and how it is changing. View the Earth through the lens of indigenous peoples of the Arctic and examine changes in ice, permafrost, weather patterns and more as you conduct research with sophisticated web-based instructional tools using authentic data sets and computer models to study our planet's past, present, and future climate.

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Target Grade(s): 4

Use Weather Data to Teach and Learn Math

Delivery to NES sponsored by: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA Award: NNG05GJ75G)

Collect, access, and interpret current, meteorological, real-time data and imagery with maps. Make careful connections to learn mathematics. Learn the basics of clouds, air masses, humidity, fronts, jet stream, and climatic patterns as you apply these ideas to math concepts such as measurement, fractions, number sense, data collection, and analysis.

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