Join the NASA STEM Engagement & Educator Professional Development Collaborative at Texas State University for FREE 60-minute webinars.
Earn 1-hour of professional development credit by attending.
See below the titles, dates, and registration links for each event.
NASA STEM — Newton Cars: Design a Solution to a Problem
Event Date: Dec. 3 at 4 p.m. EST
https://na.eventscloud.com/580795
Join us as we explore NASA STEM engineering design resources to engage students in building a variety of cars to demonstrate Newton’s third law. Guide students as they change variables and measure how far their car rolls in response to an action force generated. Reinforce concepts with a STEMonstration video featuring NASA astronauts demonstrating Newton’s third law on the International Space Station.
Explore Flight — What on Earth is Aerobiology?
Event Date: Dec. 3 at 6 p.m. EST
https://na.eventscloud.com/587348
For decades, NASA scientists have hunted for signs of life on other planets. NASA’s newest Mars Rover, Perseverance, will analyze Martian soil samples for biosignatures. But the atmospheres of planets may hold life, too. Researchers have found Earth-based microbes that make their homes in our atmosphere. Could the same be true elsewhere in the universe? We will discover how NASA uses its aircraft and high-altitude scientific balloon research platforms to extend the new field of aerobiology on Earth, and how that affects NASA's future plans for Venus, Mars and Jupiter’s moon Titan. Relevant instructional resources will be included.
Explore Space Tech — Environmental Control Life Support System, Water Filtration and the Engineering Design Process
Event Date: Dec. 3 at 7:30 p.m. EST
https://na.eventscloud.com/587302
NASA’s fleet of satellites, its airborne missions and researchers address some of the critical challenges facing Earth today and in the future: climate change, rising sea levels, freshwater resources and extreme weather events. In this webinar you will learn about the Environmental Control and Life Support System that reclaims wastewater aboard the International Space Station. Explore hands-on experiments and physical demonstrations that can be used in the classroom to create, build and test a water filtration device using commonly available materials.
Computer Science Education with NASA
Event Date: Dec. 7 at noon EST
https://na.eventscloud.com/583378
Computers are the backbone of all NASA missions. The missions rely on computers for everything – from creating simple user interfaces to carrying out complex commands that control the spacecrafts. This fact only means that NASA needs people with varying expertise with computers- from effectively using computers as tools to expert computer scientists who can control hardware and analyze data. NASA is a great real-world context for teaching students computational thinking and computer science.
During this webinar we will explore various NASA Educational Resources that can be used to teach computer science and computational thinking at all grade levels.
STEM Teaching Tips for Parents and Caregivers
Event Date: Dec. 7 at 5 p.m. EST
https://na.eventscloud.com/580617
Educators, parents and caregivers will receive an overview of how to best guide STEM student learning in a home setting using teacher expert tips and strategies. The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), the Mathematics Common Core, and the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for science and math will be reviewed so that you are comfortable in locating more information about what students are expected to learn at each grade level. We will wrap up by sharing many exciting NASA resources to supplement the distance learning programs your child may be using during this time of “stay-in-place” teaching and learning.
Virtual Learning Opportunities and Digital Badging for Educators
Event Date: Dec. 7 at 6:30 p.m. EST
https://na.eventscloud.com/580629
This webinar will feature an overview of the EPDC virtual learning opportunities available to educators and students. Participants will explore the EPDC website to discover the resources available to assist educators with their STEM instruction and students with their continuous STEM learning.
NASA Commercial Crew Program. Mission and Resources Overview Update
Event Date: Dec. 8 at 4:30 p.m. EST
https://na.eventscloud.com/580522
NASA’s Commercial Crew Program is the next phase in space transportation, enabling industry to provide safe, reliable, and cost-effective access to and from the International Space Station and low-Earth orbit. This webinar will provide an overview about the companies, the vehicles, the crew and the STEM classroom resources related to the Commercial Crew Program.
Explore Earth: All About Weather Balloons
Event Date: Dec. 8 at 6 p.m. EST
https://na.eventscloud.com/589399
Participants will begin learning about basic variables used within weather and atmospheric sciences to describe the state of the atmosphere. Focus will then turn to providing a basic description of what a weather balloon is, the instrumentation onboard, as well as the significance weather balloon data provides to meteorologists. This webinar will also include exercises for plotting balloon data, along with analysis/discussion using real-world examples of how weather balloon data is used in forecasting so that a student may do some forecasting themselves. Use of weather balloons in support of NASA project QSF’18 – part of the commercial supersonic transportation initiative – will also be discussed highlighting how analysis of atmospheric variables is important in predicting the propagation of sonic boom sounds.
Explore Space Tech: Robotics and Automated Reconfigurable Mission Adaptive Digital Assembly Systems (ARMADAS) Project
Event Date: Dec. 9 at 1 p.m. EST
https://na.eventscloud.com/587371
NASA Ames Research Center is responding to the needs of future deep space exploration. The Automated Reconfigurable Mission Adaptive Digital Assembly Systems (ARMADAS) project will develop and demonstrate the autonomous assembly of digital materials and structures. Learn how automated technologies present potential for long duration and deep-space infrastructure needs.
Explore Space Tech: Fluids, Foam & Pharmaceuticals
Event Date: Dec. 9 at 4:30 p.m. EST
https://na.eventscloud.com/589059
To mark 20 years of continuous human presence aboard the International Space Station, NASA is celebrating the science made possible by this one-of-a-kind research platform. Remove the gravity variable from any experiment, and everything we know gets turned on its head. Join us to explore fluid dynamics in microgravity, with applications for advancing life-support systems and nanochannel drug delivery in space and on Earth. Relevant instructional resources will also be included.
Explore Moon to Mars: Super Space Rocket the Space Launch System with Artemis and STEM Resources Presented in Spanish
Event Date: Dec. 9 at 6 p.m. EST
https://na.eventscloud.com/587667
Explore de la Luna a Marte (Moon to Mars): Artemis, Marte 2020, Super Cohete Espacial SLS,recursos y micro-credenciales(digital badges)
La NASA está expandiendo la exploración humana al visitar la Luna y después Marte. El nuevo programa de exploración lunar que llevará a la primera mujer y al siguiente hombre a la superficie de la Luna se llama el programa Artemis. La siguiente misión de la NASA a Marte es llamada Marte 2020. En éste seminario hablaremos del programa Artemis y de la misión Marte 2020 y exploraremos recursos educativos relacionados con ésta misión para compartir con los estudiantes conceptos de ciencia, tecnología, ingeniería y matemáticas (STEM). Al mismo tiempo haremos referencia a las micro-credenciales (digital badges) para educadores y estudiantes que proporcionan una exploración en detalle del programa de Artemis y sus actividades para estudiantes. Les invitamos a acompañarnos a éste seminario con duración de 1 hora, sin costo.
Explore Moon to Mars: BEST Thermal Protection & the Engineering Design Process
Event Date: Dec. 10 at 4:30 p.m. EST
https://na.eventscloud.com/587870
Participants will learn what it takes to move around on Mars and the difference in gravity. Participants will learn about the Beginning Engineering Science & Technology (BEST) curriculum and use the Engineering Design Process to design, create, and test a prototype of a spacecraft that is able to withstand a battery of tests that simulate the harsh conditions in space. This webinar is aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards.
NASA Earth Science: Using Picture Books to Initiate STEAM PNL
Event Date: Dec. 10 at 6 p.m. EST
https://na.eventscloud.com/580810
Learn how to use the storybook to introduce young learners to earth science. Participants will review the NASA Earth Science resources and explore on-line learning. Use the inquiry inquiry-based activities associated with the story to help students explore the outdoors.
NASA STEM at Home and School: A Snow Field Trip
Event Date: Dec. 14 at 5 p.m. EST
https://na.eventscloud.com/581897
Come find out about the importance of snow as part of the water cycle and climate change. We will prepare a NASA STEM lesson for a snow field trip. We will create a materials list for items needed for a winter walk and consider questions like:
How cold is the snow?
How do we measure snow density?
How do you dig a snow pit and collect the data?
How much water is in that snow?
Join us as we learn about snowflakes and use satellite data to determine the importance of the snow in the southwestern states.
Small Steps to Giant Leaps: X-Plane Glider Challenge
Event Date: Dec. 14 at 6:30 p.m. EST
https://na.eventscloud.com/583491
We will look back at the history of X-Planes and NASA Aeronautical Research while also looking forward to the future of NASA Aeronautics Innovation. Explore geometry and its relation to aircraft design and how the EDP is like the process that NASA engineers use when designing new aircraft. Discover the science of sound, Sonic booms, and the Future of Commercial Supersonic Flight. The session will end with sharing many NASA websites and updated NASA STEM education and aeronautics resources.
Explore Humans in Space: Mass vs Weight on the International Space Station
Event Date: Dec. 15 at 4:30 p.m. EST
https://na.eventscloud.com/585784
Join us for hands-on standards aligned activities using mass and weight that are literally out of this world. Learn about micro-gravity on-board the International Space Station as we celebrate the 20th anniversary of humans on board. While students often confuse the terms "mass" and "weight," each activity within series seeks to demonstrate the difference between mass and weight by comparing student experiments performed on earth to the astronaut experiments on board the space station. Students will perform the experiments and analyze their data. Watch videos of astronauts performing similar experiments on the space station. The activities focus on Newton's second law of motion. These activities will demonstrate the difference between mass and weight, investigate careers in space exploration, and learn about the international partnerships involved in the space station.
NASA's BEST: Engineering Design Process
Event Date: Dec. 15 at 6 p.m. EST
https://na.eventscloud.com/582267
This webinar will provide participants with a high-level overview of the Engineering Design Process (EDP) used by professional engineers to create innovative solutions to human, animal, planetary, and space problems. Attendees will also be provided with many of NASA's BEST Engineering Design resources to help promote engineering mindsets in students and strategies on how to integrate (EDP) into their teaching practices. The session will end with sharing exciting NASA resources to supplement remote learning and STEM Learning at home.
Small Steps to Giant Leaps: Sound Effects
Event Date: Dec. 16 at 1 p.m. EST
https://na.eventscloud.com/588257
In this webinar we will explore the “Sound Effects Activity” where students construct an amplifier that illustrates various principles of sound. Learn about motion, forces, transfer of energy and matter. Take a look back at the history of X-Planes and NASA Aeronautical Research while also looking forward to the future of NASA Aeronautics Innovation including NASA's newest X-plane, the X-59 QueSST, and the research on Quiet Supersonic Flight.
Explore Space Tech: Drag Devices
Event Date: Dec. 16 at 6 p.m. EST
https://na.eventscloud.com/587375
Join us as we discover how Technology drives exploration. Using the Beginning Engineering Science and Technology curriculum, participants will learn how to use the engineering design process to build and test a Drag Device. Participants will also learn about current research going on at NASA Ames Research Center.
Explore Humans in Space: Augmented & Mixed Reality Aboard the ISS
Event Date: Dec. 17 at 4:30 p.m. EST
https://na.eventscloud.com/590413
This year, NASA marks 20 years of continuous human presence aboard the ISS. This unique orbiting laboratory facilitates the convergence of science, technology, and innovation in the development of new technologies for human spaceflight and Earth-based applications. Let’s explore how PL NAS, Sidekick, OnSight and other SS computer science research is preparing a new generation of explorers for the NASA Artemis journey to Mars. Relevant instructional resources will also be included.
Explore Moon to Mars: An Exploration of Models as STEM Learning tools with the Orion Spacecraft
Audience: Educators, Parents & Caregivers
Grade Levels: K-4, 5-8, 9-12, Informal
Event Date: Dec. 17 at 6 p.m. EST
https://na.eventscloud.com/583381
NASA is expanding human exploration by visiting the Moon and then Mars. The new Lunar Exploration program that will land the first woman and the next man on the surface of the moon is called the Artemis Program. To enable educators to engage their students with the Artemis Program, NASA has developed curriculum modules on concepts related to Space Launch System (SLS), Orion, and The Gateway. We will explore how to use models to teach STEM concepts that relate to NASA's Orion Spacecraft. The webinar will also provide a quick walkthrough of other educational resources and opportunities including Digital Badges (micro-credential).