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Attention, Massachusetts Teachers!

The five-year recertification cycle will come due in 2009 for many veteran teachers, and you'll need to earn 150 Professional Development Points prior to applying.

So how 's about joining us for one of the many summer professional development programs we're offering for 2008.

Start by browsing our summer event schedule, and click on the links for a full description of each program. Call (508) 626-4050 to register.

Fundamentals of Information Technology and Engineering

July 10 - 25, 2008

Northeastern University is pleased to offer a Professional Development opportunity for middle school teachers to participate in an innovative program in pre-engineering concepts.

Participating teachers will be trained to deliver a curriculum unit that teaches students to design and build an assistive device using LEGO Bricks and ROBOLAB.

The unit addresses the Massachusetts Technology and Engineering Curriculum Frameworks. Teachers will gain the skills and confidence to teach engineering concepts.

Summer ARIES Institute 2008

July 7 - 30

All 8 of the perenially popular ARIES physical science modules will be offered in July of 2008.

The ARIES modules dig deep into the roots of some of the most challenging science concepts faced by classroom teachers today.

Browse the course descriptions and register soon for all or just one of these rewarding 2-3 day workshops.

Call (508) 626-4050 to register.

Liftoff to Learning

June 30 - July 3

The oft-spoken lament about NASA's rich spectrum of educational materials is that there is just so darn much of it, teachers don't know where to begin!

Through the Liftoff to Learning workshop, Sean Richardson will introduce you to a few of his favorite NASA educational resources, and prepare you to navigate the complex but fertile maze of publications that your well spent tax dollars have already paid for.

Call (508) 626-4050 to register.

All-New Planetarium Program
Addresses Another Classroom Conundrum

Are we closer to the Sun in summer? The answer to that question surprises many students - and adults.

Angles, not distances, cause winter snows to obscure the same sandy beaches that burn our feet in the blazing heat of summer.

How does it all work?

Come experience the McAuliffe Center's new multimedia planetarium presentation, The TILT, as we uncover the reasons behind the Earth's changing cycle of seasons.

Artist concept of NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander

Mars Phoenix Lander Heads for Martian North Pole

NASA's Mars Phoenix Lander will be the first mission to touch water-ice on Mars.

Its robotic arm will dig to an icy layer believed to lie just beneath the surface.

The mission will study the history of the water in the ice, monitor weather of the polar region, and investigate whether the subsurface environment in the far-northern plains of Mars has ever been favorable for sustaining microbial life.

Samples of soil and ice collected by the lander's robotic arm will be analyzed by instruments mounted on the deck. One key instrument will check for water and carbon-containing compounds by heating soil samples in tiny ovens and examining the vapors that are given off. Another will test soil samples by adding water and analyzing the dissolution products.

If all goes well Phoenix will land on Mars on May 25, 2008.

NASA Publications Available Via Officemax

With the click of a mouse, the public can go to a local OfficeMax to pick up printed and collated copies of NASA mission and program data, pictures and other space-related information.

NASA and OfficeMax have partnered to get agency printed materials into the hands of students, educators and the public quickly and easily. Educators and NASA enthusiasts, who download documents from the agency's Web site, can have the large files printed at the closest OfficeMax store.

OfficeMax Print and Document Services facilities are
offering savings of up to 50 percent on all materials printed from the NASA Web site.

Anyone can search free materials on NASA's Web site by visiting www.nasa.gov/education/materials.

	Other News and Resources

	Visit this site at the Lunar and Planetary Institute in Houston, Texas, for lots of information regarding past, present, and future missions to the Moon.

	Letters to Parents and Administrators - To help teachers get ready for their visit to the Challenger Center, we have posted two letters to this website. These pre-mission "boiler plate" letters are intended to familiarize school administrators and the parents of visiting students with the Challenger experience. Teachers are encouraged to download these letters and modify them as necessary. Letter to Parents Letter to Administrator

	The ASEE EngineeringK12 Center seeks to identify and gather in one place the most effective engineering education resources available to the K-12 community. A helpful resource for teachers and students addressing the engineering curriculum standards.

	This web site from the National Center for Microgravity Research contains everything you need as an educator to pilot test their new, revised Student Glovebox Activities for grades K-8.

	LIFT OFF TO LEARNING! Utilizing NASA Technology and Resources in the Classroom

	The NASA Student Involvement Program (NSIP) invites K-12 students to participate in the exploration of the universe.

	NASAexplores web site delivers innovative lessons to teachers.

	NASA Spacelink's latest Educator Focus article shows educators and students how to locate high quality information about our solar system and the universe beyond.


Live Spacecraft Tracking	Spacecraft Sighting Info	Educator Astronaut Program