January 4, 2012
WSGC Newsletter for Educators
Washington NASA Space Grant Consortium's electronic newsletter for teachers provides curriculum ideas, Internet links and other resources to help you better meet the Washington EALRs and the National Science Education Standards.TABLE OF CONTENTS
-- OCEAN SALINITY WEBINAR (9-12+)
-- BIOMEDICAL ESSAY CONTEST (7-8)
-- ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH CONTEST (9-12)
-- 21ST CENTURY EXPLORER (3-5)
NASA will host a two-part webinar series on the Aquarius/SAC-D Satellite and the science behind what it takes to measure the salinity of the world's oceans.
On January 17 and 24, NASA scientists will discuss the complexities of getting accurate salinity measurements from space, share recent data, and provide participants with a rich collection of educational resources relating to Aquarius, salinity and technology.
For registration and more information, go to
The Northwest Association for Biomedical Research is sponsoring a middle school essay contest for students in Washington, Oregon, Montana, and Idaho. Essays can explore the process of biomedical research and the relevance of biomedical breakthroughs to themselves, their family, friends, or pets.
Essays are due March 9, 2012. Participants are asked to file an "intent to participate" notice by January 10 so the group can estimate the number of judges needed. For more information, see
The 2012 Thacher Environmental Research Contest, sponsored by the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, challenges high school students to conduct innovative research on our changing planet using the latest geospatial tools and data.
Entries can be submitted by individuals or teams. The best projects will receive cash awards in the amount of $2,000 for first place, $1,000 for second place and $500 for third place. Teachers or adult coaches of the winning students will receive a $200 Amazon gift card. Entry deadline is April 16, 2012.
For more information, go to
NASA's 21st Century Explorer activities are standards-based lessons designed for students in grades 3-5. The series uses the Internet, animation and video to introduce science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and space exploration concepts.
Each exploration topic includes a 30-second newsbreak video clip, background information, a hands-on activity guide based on national education standards, an online glossary and a quiz. The modules are also available in Spanish.
To access the materials, visit
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