Astrophysics Missions, Grants, and Forum Nuggets for March 2013

2 David Begay E/PO Nugget: Navajo Sky (Feb 2013, Flagstaff, AZ) In February of 2013, the Navajo Sky team travelled to Flagstaff, AZ where they presented the Navajo Sky planetarium modules to students from two schools. The STAR School is a charter elementary school serving students in pre- school through grade 8 who live in the Southwest corner of the Navajo Nation and the surrounding rural area. This school has a focus on sustainable living and is solar powered. Because of their focus on solar energy, Troy Cline from NASA GSFC and the MMS mission joined the team to present activities about the Sun. All 130 students at the school participated. In addition, a community event in the evening was held at the school that drew a crowd of about 150 people. This included elders from the Navajo Nation, who were very gratified to see the stories of their people brought to life in the portable planetarium. The second school visited was Puente de Hozhó, a bilingual magnet school whose mission is to provide every student the ability to speak, read, write and think in both English and another language. The bilingual nature of the Navajo Sky modules was a great fit. About 450 students from Puente de Hozhó participated in the activities and saw the planetarium shows. Students reported that it was a treat to learn for the first time about the Navajo Sky; they don’t learn this information in school even though they are in Navajo lands. Students were very appreciative to learn about their own culture’s ideas about astronomy. Seeing the Navajo astronomy side by side with NASA space science information gave the students new ideas and realizations about their own culture. It helped students to realize that their own culture has science, something they may not have thought about before.

3 E/PO Nugget: Navajo Sky (November 2013, Washington, AZ) On November 7 & 8, 2012 the Navajo Sky team was invited by the National Museum of the American Indian to present several modules from our Navajo Sky planetarium shows. We set up our portable planetarium in the atrium near the museum entrance and presented 8 showings for the visitors of the museum over the 2 days, and held 1 special viewing for the museum staff. An additional showing was made for NASA education staff at the Einstein Planetarium at NASM. About 200 people experienced the 25 minute shows, which included Navajo stories of the stars as well as NASA space science. The visitors were of all ages and ethnic groups, including international tourists along with local school children. This event was used to gather audience input on the modules to guide the development of the final modules still to be produced. Visitors reported that they highly valued the opportunity to learn about Navajo culture and astronomy, and gained new awareness and appreciation, particularly of Navajo cosmology. One Navajo visitor said, “I loved, as a Navajo student, the relationships shown between western and Navajo knowledge as equals, something I believe is very important.” David Begay

4 < The first two Cycle 1 Airborne Astronomy Ambassador (AAA) teams participated in the Feb. 12 & 14 FLIPO & HIPO commissioning and V&V flights. (Pictured at left, talking with the DSI FPI team: Constance Gartner [in green] and Chelen Johnson [in black with cap].) AA Ambassadors Ira Harden (left) and Vince Washington (right) at the E/PO console > with flight facilitator Coral Clark (center). Dana Bachman:

Learning.com is an online repository that enables educators to locate specific, standard-based resources that are embedded within an instructional framework while also incorporating digital learning strategies into their lessons. Based upon the recognition and wide- spread use of the Amazing Space website, STScI was invited to include its education resources into Learning.com’s Marketplace alongside other resources that are classroom-tested, widely used, and proven effective. The entire Amazing Space website, content and resources, have been indexed and are now available through Learning.com’s network that reaches approximately 150,000 educators nationwide. Amazing Space Website Featured on Learning.com Founded in 1999, Learning.com helps K-12 educators improve student learning through curriculum solutions and assessments, delivered in their Sky digital learning environment. Learning.com also supports learners by helping them use technology-based materials and develop 21st century skills. Hussein Jirdeh:

The Amazing Space website has been recognized by various educational groups and institutions over the years. Recently, Amazing Space has been recognized by the MSP2: Middle School Portal Project sponsored by Ohio State University, the National Middle School Association, and the Educational Development Center, Inc. Amazing Space is included in the portal’s collection of math and science resources and within a lesson plan entitled “Super Space.” Educators are able to see examples of common misconceptions about the Hubble Space Telescope as they are presented on Amazing Space. They also are directed to Amazing Space’s online exploration “Galaxies Galore, Games, and More” and referred to the “Teaching Tools” section of the site. Amazing Space Website Identified by Middle School Portal Project for Math and Science The MSP2 Middle School Portal supports educators with standards-based resources and promotes collaboration and knowledge-sharing among its users. Educators use MSP2 to increase content knowledge in science, mathematics, and appropriate pedagogy for youth ages 10 to 15. Hussein Jirdeh: