Kennedy's Educator Resource Center Workshop Topics
Any subject area can be customized to meet the needs of educators and state standards. The topics below are a guide to the areas of study, not an all-inclusive list. For information on other subjects, call (321) 867-4090 or e-mail
the Kennedy Educator Resource Center.
Enabling a safer, more secure, efficient and environmentally friendly air transportation system.
- Principles of Flight/History (K-12) - What pilot, astronaut or aeronautical engineer didn't start out with a toy glider? How does an airplane fly? Learn about basic aeronautic concepts, study the history of aviation, explore the nature of flight, and experience some real-life applications of mathematics, science and technology.
- Principles of Rocketry (K-12) - Dreams of rocket flight to distant worlds fire the imaginations of children and adults. How does the flight of a rocket differ from the flight of an airplane? Learn the history of rocketry. Explore Newton's Three Laws of Motion to explain why rockets work, how to make them more efficient and launch rockets.
- History of Flight (5-12) - How has the invention of flight changed our world?
- Early Childhood Education - A workshop designed specifically for grades Pre-K-2. Use the theme of rocketry to teach patterning, geometric shapes, nonstandard measurement, data collection and graphing through a number of hands-on activities geared toward younger students.
Developing capabilities, and supporting research and technology that enables sustained and affordable human and robotic exploration. Includes the biological and physical research necessary to ensure the health and safety of crew members during long-duration spaceflight.
- Microgravity (5-12) - What are the biological and physical effects of spaceflight? Define microgravity and study how it affects humans. Experiment with the forces and processes that microgravity scientists are investigating today and examine their expectations for related research on the International Space Station.
- Living and Working in Space (K-12) - What challenges need to be overcome before humans can live and work in space?
- Spacesuits - Examine the characteristics of the space environment and the risks to the human body. Review the history of spacewalking and the evolution of the spacesuit.
- Toys in Space - Investigate the effects of gravity and microgravity on common items. Shadow the activities of astronauts as they demonstrate the behavior of selected toys in the microgravity environment of the space shuttle.
Extending the duration and boundaries of human spaceflight to create new opportunities for exploration and discovery.
- Mars Exploration - Experience NASA's past and present exploration of the Red Planet. Discover what NASA has learned about the planet's geology and potential support for life. Investigate the challenges of human travel to Mars.
- Robotics - Learn how NASA uses robotics. Engage in activities that simulate how robots assist astronauts in the exploration of space.
- Constellation Program: America's Fleet of Next-Generation Launch Vehicles - Learn about NASA's new design, testing and evaluation of hardware and related systems for the agency's crew launch vehicle -- the rocket that will carry a new generation of space explorers into orbit.
Studying the Earth, sun, solar system and the universe beyond.
- Lunar/Meteorite - Experience the geological approach to understanding the moon. Learn the history of the moon and the clues it provides scientists as they investigate the formation of the Earth and moon. Explore meteorites and how scientists use them to tell the story of the solar system, from the formation of planets to catastrophic impacts on Earth. Become certified to borrow NASA's lunar and meteorite samples.
- Solar System - Engage in activities that explore the relationship between the sun, Earth and planets in our solar system. Compare and contrast the characteristics of objects in the solar system, including asteroids and comets.
- Earth Science - Learn how remote sensing is being used to study Earth from the perspective of space. Explore the characteristics of Earth's atmosphere (air), geosphere (land), hydrosphere (water), biosphere (life) and cryosphere (ice).
- Mission Geography - Develop key geography skills, including remote sensing and map interpretation by using maps, aerial photographs, space shuttle photographs and satellite images.