Former Astronaut to Make BLOSSOMS Lesson As some of you may know, Kathy Sullivan is a three-time astronaut for NASA and the first woman to walk in space. She flew on the mission that deployed the Hubble Space Telescope. We are excited to announce that Kathy has agreed to make a BLOSSOMS module, "Physics in Zero Gravity." This BLOSSOMS video will rely heavily on NASA-provided footage of Kathy and other astronauts performing activities while orbiting the earth, activities that will demonstrate physics principles in zero gravity.
National Science Teachers Association 2011 National Conference MIT BLOSSOMS will present on Thursday, March 10, from 3:30-4:30 at the NSTA National Conference in San Francisco. Peter McLaren, Science and Technology Specialist at the Rhode Island Department of Education, will participate in the presentation. We look forward to seeing many of you there.
Second BLOSSOMS Workshop in D.C.
In February, 2011, BLOSSOMS staff will present a second, hands-on workshop for math, science and STEM high school teachers in the Washington, D.C. school district. Contact BLOSSOMS for information about scheduling a training workshop.
BLOSSOMS Partnership with Lebanon Kicks Off December saw the start of BLOSSOMS’ partnership with professors at the American University of Beirut and Notre Dame University - also of Beirut. Each university will work closely with selected local high schools. BLOSSOMS Lebanon plans to complete approximately ten video lessons – in both English and Arabic – by the end of May, 2011.
Can you suggest a BLOSSOMS topic? Is there a topic you cover in mathematics, science or engineering that you find difficult to teach to your students? Do you think creation of a BLOSSOMS video lesson around that topic would be valuable to you in your teaching? Tell us out about it at: blossoms@mit.edu.
"Geologic Time: The
Ticking of Our Planet's
4.6 Billion Year Clock"
Meet a BLOSSOMS
video teacher
Zach Adam is an Emergency Education Intern at Teachers Without Borders, focusing on the crucial role that space systems such as satellites play in emergency preparedness and response efforts. Zach applies his knowledge of geosciences, astrobiology, and astronautics engineering to develop an engaging curriculum that fuses Earth and Space sciences education with emergency education. With this curriculum, teachers and students can explore and debate the use of space technology in averting, mitigating, and responding to emergencies caused by hazards such as earthquakes, climate change, resource mismanagement, and armed conflict. Read more about Teachers Without Borders here and watch Zach's BLOSSOMS lesson, "Can Earthquakes Be Predicted?"
"Geologic Time: The