Students Talking to Space

Apr 14th, 2003

Summary
The Gulf Coast Exploreum Science Center is providing 15 southern Alabama students and their teachers with an inquiry-centered, in-depth educational experience focused on the International Space Station and culminating with a 20-minute live interaction with ISS Expedition 6 Crew Members.

Program Description
Fifteen middle school students were selected from Science Olympiad teams in Mobile, Baldwin, and Escambia Counties in mid-March. Once the students were chosen, they began their ISS training and preparation for their live interaction with the ISS Expedition 6 Crew. Participants' teachers attended a one-day workshop to learn more about the ISS to bring the experience to their Science Olympiad teams and the classes they teach.

Student Training:

• 2 4-hour weekend sessions at the Exploreum and the University of South Alabama learning about the operation of the ISS and the science being performed by the Expedition 6 Crew. These sessions used the exhibit International Space Station: The Earth Tour and the IMAX® Film Space Station as focal points for hands-on experience of the ISS.


• A 4-hour field trip to the Stennis Space Center on April 13th to more fully understand NASA operations and to participate in an intense Question and Answer session with NASA personnel.


• Coaching on development of questions to ask the Expedition 6 Crew and on preparing presentations for their schools on the ISS and their experience in the program.

The Teacher Workshop consisted of a one-day immersive training that includes:

• Materials and techniques for using ISS: The Earth Tour as a teaching tool on a school field trip.


• Inquiry-centered science activities and techniques for bringing those activities to their classes.


• An intense Question and Answer session with NASA personnel.


• Guidelines and techniques for assisting their student participants in the development of a multimedia presentation for their classmates.

International Space Station Link Event
The ISS link will occur most likely on Tuesday, April 22, during the 9:00 - 12:00 window. The Exploreum will be notified of the exact date and time no later than one week prior to the event, according to the NASA schedule.

Student Participation
Program participants will ask their questions of the crew members according to the NASA schedule at the predetermined time through a connection established between the Exploreum and the Johnson Space Center. In addition, all students on Science Olympiad Division B teams (approximately 120) from Mobile, Baldwin, and Escambia Counties will be invited to the Exploreum free of charge on the day of the event to view the live interaction with the Expedition 6 crew, experience ISS: The Earth Tour, and view Space Station in the IMAX® Dome Theater.

Media Participation and Outreach
Comcast will broadcast the event live and taped on cable television, which could attract an audience of nearly 100,000 additional students in school. The event will also be broadcast worldwide on NASA Satellite TV.

Dissemination, Evaluation, and Follow-up
Participating students will prepare presentations to give to their classmates about what they have learned through their participation in the program. In addition, participating teachers will be given resources and materials for use with their Science Olympiad Teams and their classes immediately upon completion of their one-day session.

As a follow-up to their participation, students and teachers will be interviewed separately two weeks after the live event. These follow-up meetings will address any questions that participants have and provide suggestions for further involvement with the ISS program.

The Evaluation plan includes survey data collected from student and teacher participants, as well as structured interviews with participants. Passive participants (those students who view the event without asking questions) will also be surveyed about the event and what they learned from it.


Partners

Mobile County Public School System NASA's Johnson Space Center
Baldwin County Public School System NASA's Stennis Space Center
Escambia County Public School System Comcast of Mobile
Mobile Archdiocese of Catholic Schools WPMI NBC-15
Alabama Science Olympiad (ASO)