1. Astrophysics Missions, Grants, and Forum
Nuggets for January 2014
Posted in June

2. The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium
STScI regularly monitors the integration of HST and JWST materials into state-level educational programs and initiatives through our ongoing impact study. One example of this includes the integration of our Solar System Trading Cards online exploration into the State of Connecticut Smarter Balanced Digital Library. Smarter Balanced is one of two multistate consortia awarded funding from the U.S. Department of Education in 2010 to develop an assessment system aligned to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) by the school year. Fifty percent of U.S. states are currently in the consortium. Diane Faiella, a Library Media Specialist from Riverfield Elementary School in Connecticut, will use the Solar System Trading Cards activity to create an online lesson plan that will be posted on the State of Connecticut Smarter Balanced Digital Library.
Bonnie Eisenhamer/Dan McCallister
The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (Smarter Balanced) is a state-led consortium working to develop next-generation assessments that accurately measure student progress toward college- and career-readiness.

3. Hubble IMAX Movie is a Success
The “Hubble 3D” IMAX movie continues to be a success. “Hubble 3D” has grossed more than $40 million at the box office and is currently the number five IMAX documentary film of all time.
The 43-minute movie chronicles the life of Hubble, includes highlights from the 2009 servicing mission to the Earth-orbiting observatory, and showcases some of Hubble's breathtaking iconic pictures. These groundbreaking astronomy visualizations were the result of efforts by a group of scientists and other specialists at the Space Telescope Science Institute.
Worldwide, this IMAX film has grossed over $57 million at the box office.
Bonnie Eisenhamer/Dan McCallister