Space Across The Curriculum Kicks Off Today

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Jun. 13, 2011) — The Space Foundation’s Space Across the Curriculum courses kick off this morning in Colorado Springs, Colo., with two concurrent week-long sessions:

Earth Systems Science: Planetary Geology, which covers what shapes and creates Earth and other planets and moons in our solar system. This course, one of five being offered this summer to preK-12 educators, includes fieldwork in Colorado Springs’ geologically fascinating Garden of the Gods park, using the terrain and geological formations. Through a variety of guided tours, hands-on activities, lesson plans and knowledgeable instructors, educators will gain a better perspective of their planet and how it functions.

PreK-2 Early Childhood Space Exploration, which centers on space and science education for early learners and provides early childhood educators the necessary tools to inspire eager young minds through inquiry-based learning. The course includes age-appropriate, hands-on activities that can be immediately used with students and are specifically designed to instill the excitement of exploration and the wonderment of space.

Space Across the Curriculum courses focus on national standards and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) principles. The full-day, week-long classes held at the Space Foundation Discovery Institute, offer continuing education credits and/or coursework applicable to masters degrees in curriculum and instruction with a space studies emphasis. All courses are experiential, hands-on and immediately transferable to the classroom.

Limited enrollment is still available for the three additional courses being offered in Colorado Springs this summer:

June 20-24 Rocketry: Space History, which uses rocketry to teach the fundamental processes of propulsion, Newton’s Laws of Motion and the physics of space travel. The course shows participants how to construct a variety of rockets, including soda pop, water and solid fueled, and provides an overview of the history of space exploration, focusing on the connection between the social and political aspects of the “space race” and how this transformed our society. The class also discusses the laws that govern the space industry and the exploration and use of space.

July 11-15 Astronomy Principles for the Classroom: Exploring our Universe and the Search for Life, which examines the many fascinating aspects of astronomy as it relates to astrobiology and the development of life on Earth, as well as the possible existence of life elsewhere in the universe. Participants investigate extremophile organisms by conducting fieldwork at the Cave of the Winds in Manitou Springs, Colo., as well as looking at current NASA missions to explore the possibility of life on other worlds and spending an evening stargazing and learning to use a planisphere to view worlds that may harbor life.

July 18-22 Space Technologies in the Classroom: Nanotechnology and Space Spin-Offs, which examines the numerous ways space technologies in our society benefit of humankind. The class covers the practical applications of orbital mechanics and, through field trips and hands-on demonstrations, provides an introduction to space transportation and design, robotics, communications, space power and space structures. Participants explore a variety of space technologies, including constructing their own programmable robots.

Free Course in Pueblo, Colo.
Pueblo-area educators may take advantage of a free space Across the Curriculum Course on Lunar/Mars Exploration and Base Construction June 27-July 1 at Colorado State University – Pueblo at no charge. For details, email [email protected].

Pictured: On Monday morning, geologist Jay Temple led students in the Space Foundation “Earth Systems Science: Planetary Geology” class on a geology tour of Garden of the Gods.