Humans in Space Art Contest
Posted on September 18th, 2012 by Mary Lord
How will humans use science and technology to explore space, and what mysteries will we uncover? What scientific and technological tools must we create to explore the solar system and beyond? NASA’s second international Humans in Space Art asks students ages 10 – 18 to answer those questions through art. The deadline for submitting musical, literary, visual, or video artwork is midnight U.S. Central Standard Time, October 21, 2012.
Filed under: Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, K-12 Outreach Programs | Comments Off on Humans in Space Art Contest
Tags: Aerospace, Art, Competitions for Students, Contest, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Humans in Space, NASA
NASA is providing several new webinars for educators, which include hands-on activity demonstrations for specific grade levels. Additionally, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln is offering an online course on climate research applications with funding from the NASA Innovations in Climate Education program. Applications for the course are due August 20, 2012.
In this short fun activity, students of all ages learn about rocket stability by constructing and flying small “indoor” paper rockets, then analyzing flight data and interpreting the results.
This annual Spirit of Innovation Challenge from the Conrad Foundation invites high school student teams to use STEM skills to develop the products of tomorrow. Along the way, coaches, world-renowned scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs act as mentors to help turn their ideas into a reality.
Move aside, cute kitties and other viral video hits. A new NASA contest could turn science into the next YouTube sensation. Space Lab, the competition announced by YouTube and computer manufacturer Lenovo on Monday, offers students the chance to make video pitches for experiments to perform in the International Space Station’s zero-gravity environment. 
In this lesson, teams of students in grades 4 – 8 learn about basic aerodynamics by constructing a rocket from a balloon propelled along a guide-string. They use this model to learn about Newton’s three laws of motion, examining the effect of different forces on the motion of the rocket.
NASA’s Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission will launch twin spacecraft in tandem orbits around the Moon to measure its gravity in unprecedented detail and create a gravitational map. GRAIL MoonKAM will allow classrooms to request pictures of the lunar surface from cameras on the twin satellites. 
You don’t have to be an engineer to introduce engineering concepts and design into your classroom. The eGFI site includes scores of inexpensive, engaging lessons – searchable by grade level or subject – that cover the various engineering disciplines. To kick off the school year and acquaint you with eGFI, we’ve assembled a dozen of 2011’s most popular lessons and activities. Have fun putting some “E” in your STEM classes this semester!
An Austrian engineering firm debuted a new type of hovercraft at the Paris Air Show, claiming it can take off and land vertically without using any rotor blades or fixed wings. Popular Science’s report says the Austrian Innovative Aeronautical Technology’s (IAT21) D-Dalus uses four contra-rotating turbines for propulsion, allowing “thrust to be fired in any direction, around any axis.”
