| Usually when we think of NASA, we think of | | | | Bowman added that the botball program exposed the |
| spacecrafts exploring new frontiers. And so they do, | | | | students to new careers, taught them to use a variety |
| of course, but the nation's space agency has its hand | | | | of technology, increased self confidence, developed |
| in more earthly pursuits, as well--pursuits that may well | | | | complex thinking, and showed the importance of team |
| have a direct influence on the children in your life. | | | | playing. |
| In the NASA Explorer School (NAS) undertaking, | | | | Cassini Scientists for a Day |
| created in 2003, the agency partners with | | | | On January 23, 2006, a group of California third, fourth |
| under-serviced schools across the nation to bring | | | | and fifth graders became "scientists for a day," and |
| mathematics, science and technology curriculum to | | | | selected where to point the cameras on the Cassini |
| students ranging from K-12. When a partnership | | | | spacecraft as it continued its tour of the space around |
| agreement is reached, teachers and a school | | | | Saturn. These students of Shirley Avenue Elementary |
| administrator team up to develop and implement a | | | | School in Reseda, California (part of the Explorer |
| three-year action plan that addresses local challenges | | | | network), had 10 days to study three target options |
| in the subjects mentioned earlier. Based on information | | | | and decide which opportunity would make the most |
| generated through needs assessments, this | | | | scientific sense. After much debate, they decided to |
| customized plan is delivered through a combination of | | | | take an image of the planet's rings. |
| on-site school services and distance-learning networks. | | | | Mission planners calculated the needed maneuvers |
| Program elements include professional development | | | | and sent the commands to the spacecraft. The |
| workshops during the summer months in which teams | | | | students had been studying Saturn prior to the project, |
| of educators meet at the nine NASA Field Centers | | | | so they had some idea of what the mission entailed. |
| and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The intensive, | | | | The "Cassini Scientist for a Day" activity helped them |
| one-week training provides opportunities for the | | | | understand how much time it takes to gather scientific |
| teachers to begin to integrate NASA content into the | | | | information, and how complicated it is to make |
| existing school curricula, and extends to creating and | | | | decisions. The NASA Web site quotes the kids' |
| implementing action plans to address local challenges. | | | | teacher, Kathy Cooper, as saying, "I was stunned to |
| Throughout the school year, ongoing research-based | | | | hear a fourth grader saying, 'You need a good eye |
| professional development includes NASA aerospace | | | | and have to be patient, because science isn't |
| education specialists, Space Grant consortia, educator | | | | quick--we didn't learn about the universe overnight; it |
| resource centers, and NASA Education networks. | | | | takes time,'" Cooper says. "The activity brought a |
| That's the somewhat boring explanation of what it's all | | | | higher level of thinking; they kept coming up with good |
| about. The real-life examples are much more exciting. | | | | questions." |
| Botball, Anyone? | | | | Build Your Own Rocket Ship |
| Chances are you've never played botball--given that | | | | Michigan's Southfield School was the nation's first to be |
| it's a game played only by robots. But, hey, robots | | | | designated a NASA Explorer School. In early 2006, |
| have to have some fun too, right? For the past three | | | | NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, |
| years, students at Explorer Schools have been | | | | Alabama, announced a $2,500 grant to students in |
| accepting the challenge to build and program robots to | | | | Southfield, Michigan, to help them design, build and |
| compete with opponents on a field the size of a | | | | launch their own rocket. Part of NASA's Student |
| ping-pong table. The challenge for 2006 was "Search | | | | Launch Initiative, the project helps students learn more |
| and Rescue." Robotics teams worked autonomously | | | | about engineering and teamwork through a hands-on |
| to locate a plush robot and his "tribble" friends. ( Star | | | | approach to create and launch rockets with payloads. |
| Trek fans understand tribbles. They're the round, furry | | | | The Student Launch Initiative is jointly managed by the |
| animals that reproduce faster than spam in your Inbox.) | | | | Marshall Center in partnership with the Huntsville Area |
| The challenge was to complete various tasks and | | | | Rocketry Association, a group of rocket enthusiasts |
| score points ahead of the opposing robots. (It's a bit | | | | and engineers who launch their own rockets. Each |
| like Survivor, without the bikinis.) | | | | participating student team designs, builds and tests its |
| Search and Rescue (and the other botball challenges) | | | | own rockets, while documenting their progress on a |
| gives middle and high school students a hands-on | | | | Web site. Students can request guidance from |
| learning application in science, technology, engineering | | | | professional engineers during the design and testing |
| and math. The competing teams built their robots from | | | | phases. The teams also learn problem-solving skills, |
| an official kit containing such goodies as 1,800 LEGO | | | | how to prepare and present proposals, and how to |
| building blocks, two Xport Botball Controllers (XBCs, | | | | budget. |
| attached to Nintendo® Game Boy Advance | | | | The teams display and launch their rockets in a |
| devices), and 20 censors, including color-recognition | | | | competition. Competing rockets carry a tracking |
| cameras. After using the pieces to build their robots, | | | | device and a recoverable science payload weighing |
| students programmed them using a version of the C | | | | between one quarter and one half-pound. The rocket |
| computer language. | | | | must reach an altitude of one mile during flight and be |
| The annual botball challenges have generated so much | | | | reusable. After flight, the team collects data from the |
| enthusiasm that at least 13 regional tournaments are | | | | payload, analyzes it, and reports the results to Marshall |
| held across the United States. Hawaii is actively | | | | Center engineers, the project's mentors, who evaluate |
| involved, with more than 20 participating schools. The | | | | each rocket and determine the winners. The winning |
| 2007 national tournament will be held in Honolulu in July, | | | | teams receive a school trophy. |
| and will be one of the events at the National | | | | How to Become an Explorer School |
| Conference on Educational Robotics. | | | | According to the Web site, competitive applications are |
| NASA's Web site quoted Jade Bowman, the NES | | | | accepted and selection of the NASA Explorer School |
| team lead at Hawaii's Waimea Middle School, as | | | | teams occurs each spring. Up to 50 teams will be |
| saying, "The Botball program has been an avenue for | | | | added each year, for a maximum total of 150 teams. |
| our students to broaden their horizons in many areas." | | | | |