Jump to content

Leveraging Teacher Leaders to Share the Joy of NASA Heliophysics


Recommended Posts

  • Publishers
Posted

2 min read

Leveraging Teacher Leaders to Share the Joy of NASA Heliophysics

Many teachers are exceptionally skilled at bridging students’ interests with real-world science. Now for the third year, the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) has brought together such a group of highly-motivated secondary and higher education teachers as part of their NASA Heliophysics Education Activation Team (HEAT) Space Physics Ambassador program. In June of 2024, eight educators from across the country gathered in Chicago to reflect on how they could make use of the AAPT NASA HEAT team’s instructional materials for teaching basic physics concepts in a space science context. Following the three-day summit, each ambassador would plan to carry out professional development workshops for approximately 20 other educators.

Heliophysics can provide ample opportunity for teaching many concepts that are foundational to the Next Generation Science Standards and can support teachers who want to teach physics in context, but don’t always feel they have the resources to do so. One of the team’s most popular instructional materials includes a lesson about using data from NASA’s Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) to create motion graphs of coronal mass ejections. Another activity relates data from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) from solar flare observations to explore how energy is stored and released in magnetic fields. These authentic learning resources offer the opportunity for teachers to bring space data into the classroom.

Educators who are interested in learning more about these and other lessons are welcome to join the team’s free 1.5-hour mini-workshops, one Saturday per month from September to December 2024.

Register: https://forms.gle/jD3fZskjqzFcuXGXA

NASA HEAT is part of NASA’s Science Activation Portfolio. Learn more about how Science Activation connects NASA science experts, real content, and experiences with community leaders to do science in ways that activate minds and promote deeper understanding of our world and beyond: https://science.nasa.gov/learn

Two ambassadors work with NASA sunspot data on computers, graphing sunspot number versus time, and an image of the Sun's surface with spots, while completing an activity sheet.
Two ambassadors explore sunspot data during the summit.
Rebecca Vieyra

Share

Details

Last Updated
Sep 04, 2024
Editor
NASA Science Editorial Team

View the full article

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Similar Topics

    • By NASA
      NASA astronaut Anil Menon poses for a portrait at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Credit: NASA/Josh Valcarcel NASA astronaut Anil Menon will embark on his first mission to the International Space Station, serving as a flight engineer and Expedition 75 crew member.
      Menon will launch aboard the Roscosmos Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft in June 2026, accompanied by Roscosmos cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina. After launching from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, the trio will spend approximately eight months aboard the orbiting laboratory.
      During his expedition, Menon will conduct scientific investigations and technology demonstrations to help prepare humans for future space missions and benefit humanity.
      Selected as a NASA astronaut in 2021, Menon graduated with the 23rd astronaut class in 2024. After completing initial astronaut candidate training, he began preparing for his first space station flight assignment.
      Menon was born and raised in Minneapolis and is an emergency medicine physician, mechanical engineer, and colonel in the United States Space Force. He holds a bachelor’s degree in neurobiology from Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, a master’s degree in mechanical engineering, and a medical degree from Stanford University in California. Menon completed his emergency medicine and aerospace medicine residency at Stanford and the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston.
      In his spare time, he still practices emergency medicine at Memorial Hermann’s Texas Medical Center and teaches residents at the University of Texas’ residency program. Menon served as SpaceX’s first flight surgeon, helping to launch the first crewed Dragon spacecraft on NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2 mission and building SpaceX’s medical organization to support humans on future missions. He served as a crew flight surgeon for both SpaceX flights and NASA expeditions aboard the space station.
      For nearly 25 years, people have lived and worked continuously aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge and conducting critical research for the benefit of humanity and our home planet. Space station research supports the future of human spaceflight as NASA looks toward deep space missions to the Moon under the Artemis campaign and in preparation for future human missions to Mars, as well as expanding commercial opportunities in low Earth orbit and beyond. 
      Learn more about International Space Station at:
      https://www.nasa.gov/station
      -end-
      Joshua Finch / Jimi Russell
      Headquarters, Washington
      202-358-1100
      joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov / james.j.russell@nasa.gov

      Shaneequa Vereen
      Johnson Space Center, Houston
      281-483-5111
      shaneequa.y.vereen@nasa.gov   
      Share
      Details
      Last Updated Jul 01, 2025 LocationNASA Headquarters Related Terms
      Astronauts Humans in Space International Space Station (ISS) ISS Research View the full article
    • By NASA
      The four crew members of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission to the International Space Station train inside a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft in Hawthorne, California. From left to right: Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, NASA astronauts Mike Fincke and Zena Cardman, and JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui.Credit: SpaceX Media accreditation is open for the launch of NASA’s 11th rotational mission of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft carrying astronauts to the International Space Station for a science expedition. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission is targeted to launch in the late July/early August timeframe from Launch Complex 39A at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
      The mission includes NASA astronauts Zena Cardman, serving as commander; Mike Fincke, pilot; JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui, mission specialist; and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, mission specialist. This is the first spaceflight for Cardman and Platonov, the fourth trip for Fincke, and the second for Yui, to the orbiting laboratory.
      Media accreditation deadlines for the Crew-11 launch as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program are as follows:
      International media without U.S. citizenship must apply by 11:59 p.m. EDT on Sunday, July 6. U.S. media and U.S. citizens representing international media organizations must apply by 11:59 p.m. on Monday, July 14. All accreditation requests must be submitted online at:
      https://media.ksc.nasa.gov
      NASA’s media accreditation policy is online. For questions about accreditation or special logistical requests, email: ksc-media-accreditat@mail.nasa.gov. Requests for space for satellite trucks, tents, or electrical connections are due by Monday, July 14.
      For other questions, please contact NASA Kennedy’s newsroom at: 321-867-2468.
      Para obtener información sobre cobertura en español en el Centro Espacial Kennedy o si desea solicitar entrevistas en español, comuníquese con Antonia Jaramillo: 321-501-8425, o Messod Bendayan: 256-930-1371.
      For launch coverage and more information about the mission, visit:
      https://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew
      -end-
      Joshua Finch / Claire O’Shea
      Headquarters, Washington
      202-358-1100
      joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov / claire.a.o’shea@nasa.gov
      Steve Siceloff / Stephanie Plucinsky
      Kennedy Space Center, Florida
      321-867-2468
      steven.p.siceloff@nasa.gov / stephanie.n.plucinsky@nasa.gov
      Joseph Zakrzewski
      Johnson Space Center, Houston
      281-483-5111
      joseph.a.zakrzewski@nasa.gov
      Share
      Details
      Last Updated Jul 01, 2025 EditorJessica TaveauLocationNASA Headquarters Related Terms
      Commercial Crew Commercial Space Humans in Space International Space Station (ISS) ISS Research Space Operations Mission Directorate View the full article
    • By NASA
      NASA NASA astronaut Raja Chari and Dr. V. Narayanan, chairman of ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation), interact outside the Orion spacecraft mockup at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Narayanan and Indian officials visited NASA Johnson and NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, ahead of the Axiom Mission 4 launch to the International Space Station.

      As part of a collaboration between NASA and ISRO, Axiom Mission 4 delivers on a commitment highlighted by President Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to send the first ISRO astronaut to the station. The space agencies are participating in five joint science investigations and two in-orbit science, technology, engineering, and mathematics demonstrations. NASA and ISRO have a long-standing relationship built on a shared vision to advance scientific knowledge and expand space collaboration.
      Keep Exploring Discover More Topics From NASA
      Low Earth Orbit Economy
      Humans In Space
      Commercial Space
      Private Astronaut Missions
      View the full article
    • By USH
      In 1992, Dr. Gregory Rogers a NASA flight surgeon and former Chief of Aerospace Medicine witnessed an event that would stay with him for more than three decades. Now, after years of silence, he’s finally revealing the details of a 15-minute encounter that shattered everything he thought he knew about aerospace technology. 

      With a distinguished career that includes support for 31 space shuttle launches, training as an F-16 pilot, and deep involvement in classified aerospace programs, Dr. Rogers brings unmatched credibility to the conversation. His firsthand account of observing what appeared to be a reverse-engineered craft, emblazoned with "U.S. Air Force" markings, raises profound questions about the true timeline of UAP development and disclosure. 
      The full interview spans nearly two hours. To help navigate the discussion, here’s a timeline so you can jump to the segments that interest you most. 
      00:00 Introduction and Dr. Rogers' Unprecedented Credentials 07:25 The 1992 Cape Canaveral Encounter Begins 18:45 Inside the Hangar: First Glimpse of the Craft 26:30 "We Got It From Them" - The Shocking Revelation 35:15 Technical Analysis: Impossible Flight Characteristics 43:40 Electromagnetic Discharges and Advanced Propulsion 52:20 The Cover Story and 33 Years of Silence 1:01:10 Why He's Speaking Out Now: Grush and Fravor's Influence 1:08:45 Bob Lazar Connections and Reverse Engineering Timeline 1:17:20 Flight Surgeon Stories: The Human Side of Classified Work 1:25:50 G-Force Brain Injuries: An Unreported Military Crisis 1:34:30 Columbia Disaster: When Safety Warnings Are Ignored 1:43:15 The Bureaucratic Resistance to Truth 1:50:40 Congressional Testimony and The Path Forward 1:58:25 Final Thoughts: Legacy vs. Truth
        View the full article
    • By NASA
      NASA has awarded a task order to Florida Power and Light of Juno Beach, Florida, to provide electric distribution utility service at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
      This is a fixed-price task order with an estimated value of $70 million over five years. The contract consists of a two-year base period beginning July 1, 2025, followed by a two-year and a one-year option period.
      Under the contract, the awardee will provide all management, labor, transportation, facilities, materials, and equipment to provide electric distribution utility service up to and including all meters across the spaceport.
      For more information about NASA Kennedy, visit:
      https://www.nasa.gov/kennedy
      -end-
      Patti Bielling
      Kennedy Space Center, Florida
      321-501-7575
      patricia.a.bielling@nasa.gov
      View the full article
  • Check out these Videos

×
×
  • Create New...