Educators have drafted proposed national standards for K-12 science, math, English language arts, history and social studies. The push for nationwide benchmarks is backed by the Obama administration and 48 states.

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In this simple, exciting demonstration of Newton’s Laws of Motion, students in grades 5-8 construct a rocket powered by the pressure generated from an effervescing antacid tablet reacting with water. They undertake the work of aerospace engineers in exploring design elements that can affect a spacecraft’s performance.

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Filed under: Class Activities, Grades 6-8, Grades K-5 | 3 Comments »

Tags: Aerospace, grades 5-8, NASA, Newton's Laws

Make plans to join hundreds of students, their families, and scientists and engineers at the upcoming the Tri-Valley Science and Engineering Fair (TVSEF), in Livermore, California, March 30 — April 2, 2010.

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Tags: Competitions for Students, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Science and Engineering Fair

As part of the 2010 Junior Solar Spring, Florida middle school students, grades 6-8, are invited to design, build and race Junior Solar Sprint (JSS) cars. The small model cars — powered entirely by solar energy and steered by wires — are built as team efforts guided by teachers. Date: May 1, 2010

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Tags: Automobiles, Automotive engineering, Competitions for Students, Solar Engineering

In this activity, middle school students use tracking software available on the Internet to monitor a very large satellite, the International Space Station. Using information from this online resource, students predict and graph the motion of the space station at their location and create a 3-D display of its path through the sky.

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Tags: Aerospace, Aerospace Engineering, International Space Station, Satellites

Since 2003, Washington D.C.’s fourth grade math scores have increased at triple the national rate. Educators there think one big reason is the adoption of the Everyday Mathematics curriculum, which emphasizes problem-solving in the students’ own worlds, and frequent practice of math skills via games.

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Tags: Mathematics, Research on Learning

The Great Lakes Spaceport Education Foundation, Inc.’s Rockets for Schools program allows students to experience the excitement of building-high power rockets, coordinating a rocket launch and working hands-on with industry professionals. This program is open to students of varied socio-economic backgrounds in grades 6-12 from a five state area in the Midwest. Rockets for Schools 2010 is scheduled for Friday, May 7th and Saturday, May 8th in Sheboygan, Wisconsin.

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Tags: Aerodynamics, Aeronautics, Aerospace, Events, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, NASA, Programs for Students, Space, Web Resources

NASA’s EarthKAM helps students learn about the Earth from the unique perspective of space. Through this interactive program, middle school students take part in photographing the Earth from a digital camera onboard the International Space Station. Educators are encouraged to register now for the upcoming April EarthKAM Mission.

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Tags: Aerospace, Grades 6-8, International Space Station, Satellite imagery

Across America, there has been a burgeoning school-garden movement for several years. But the national standout is a Fort Worth nonprofit called REAL School Gardens, created six years ago and backed by billionaire financier Richard Rainwater.

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Tags: Environmental science