Look Up! Educator Network

December 30 - In 1905… The Wright brothers sign a contract for one million francs with Frenchman Arnold Fordyce for the sale of a powered flying machine capable of flying a nonstop distance of 31 mi. When contingent of French government officials come to Dayton in April 1906 to change the agreement by seeking exclusivity for one year, the idea is dropped; for their trouble, the Wrights received 25,000 francs (then about US $5,000), the first money they earn from flying.

Each week, we go through dozens (and sometimes hundreds) of reader-submitted photos and pick the very best to share with you on Thursday mornings.

"10 Ways to Get the Most Out of Technology - easy and (mostly) free. Altogether, they should take about two hours; one involves calling your cable or phone company, so that figure is elastic. If you do them, those two hours will pay off handsomely in both increased free time and diminished anxiety and frustration.

Sally Ride Science is focused on supporting and sustaining students' natural interests in science and technology. Our publications and out-of-school programs bring science to life and show kids that science is creative, collaborative, fascinating and fun.

Student Resources * ACE Academies * Kid's Corner * Scholarhsip & Grants * Schools & Universities

Lots of STEM courses from UC Berkeley

Education > * For Educators > * Find Teaching Materials"

The flying abilities of even the most prosaic bird put airplane maneuvers to shame, and experts here at the University of Montana Flight Laboratory are cognizant of that every day. "Birds can do some pretty spectacular things," said Kenneth P. Dial, a biologist who, in 1988, founded the lab at a field station near the University of Montana. "They can go from 40 miles an hour to zero and land on a branch that's moving, all in a couple of seconds. It's inspiring."

Conversations with adults and kids around the country have reiterated that the basics of the Build A Plane idea are viable and remain the same: * There is an overwhelming number of teenage kids in America who would be excited to join a Build A Plane project. * There is an overwhelming number of adults who are willing and capable of mentoring Build A Plane programs. * There is a huge supply of aircraft that are no longer flown or are not airworthy and would make great project planes. * There are hundreds of kit aircraft that are purchased, but never completed. * Owners who donate aircraft not only give a wonderful gift, but also may qualify for tax benefits from Uncle Sam.

Bye Energy, Inc., which is developing an electric Cessna 172, has signed an agreement with Panacis, a designer and manufacturer of advanced mobile power products. The companies are collaborating on the development, integration and manufacturing of battery storage systems for Bye Energy's electric and electric-hybrid propulsion system for general aviation aircraft.

Steam aircraft are aircraft that are propelled by steam engines. They were unusual devices because of the difficulty in producing a powerplant with a high enough power to weight ratio to be practical.

The Aerospace Education Services Project, or AESP, is presenting a free webcast on Thursday, Jan. 13, 2011, at 4:30 p.m. EST. During this hourlong webcast, Stennis Space Center aerospace education specialist Steve Culivan will discuss "mass" and "weight," two terms that differ in meaning and that often are used incorrectly. This webcast will integrate Newton's Laws of Motion and microgravity to explore these two terms and demonstrate their difference by focusing on education video filmed by astronauts on the International Space Station. NASA education resources and inquiry activities, developed from the space station video, will be used in this workshop. Come enjoy this "heavy duty" topic.

What is Mass vs. Weight? We often confuse the terms "mass" and "weight" and use them interchangeably even though they have very different meanings. We can measure weight here on Earth, but not in the microgravity environment on the International Space Station (ISS).

Middle school educators are invited to join NASA for the International Space Station EarthKAM Winter 2011 Mission from Jan. 18-21, 2011. Find out more about this exciting opportunity that allows students to take pictures of Earth from a digital camera aboard the International Space Station.

Develop your skills in designing and using project-based inquiry learning, or PBIL, to enhance conceptual understanding, critical thinking, scientific reasoning, and problem solving in standards-based classrooms. Experience and analyze two NASA-oriented PBIL projects firsthand; learn PBIL curriculum design strategies and methods; and design a PBIL unit for use in your classroom. Use e-PDN's suite of online tools to collaborate, connect and create with other course participants."

Speakers over the years have included Nobel-prize winners, members of the National Academy of Sciences, the first woman in history to discover a planet, an astrophysicist who is an award-winning science fiction writer, and many other well-known scientists explaining astronomical developments in everyday language.

The controversial "demotion" of Pluto was mainly the result of discoveries by a team of astronomers led by Michael Brown. In this talk, Dr. Brown will share the inside story of how he discovered "other Pluto's" out there beyond Neptune, including Eris, larger than Pluto,which he later named for the goddess of discord. Because, as he'll describe with his characteristic humor, its discovery resulted in a private and public controversy which led to the redefinition of what a planet is.

Includes links to educational resources such as Galileo Teacher Training Program, Astronomy Behind the Headlines

Whether you are an amateur astronomer, educator, or professional, we have a comprehensive list of websites we hope you will find useful in the world of astronomy.

Astronomy Photos and Images Astronomy Picture of the Day Hawaiian Astronomical Society Deepsky Atlas HubbleSite Gallery