Bring the excitement of NASA's Curiosity rover (scheduled to land on Mars on Aug. 5 at 10:31 PDT!) into your classroom with a new educator guide from Summer of Innovation that's all about Mars, rovers and Curiosity! Visit the
Summer Activities & Resources page for more information and links to all the included activities or simply
download a PDF of the guide, here.
› More Mars rover activities, videos, games and resources for teachers and students
What is it? NASA's Summer of Innovation initiative is a national program that provides educators with activities and resources designed to improve education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) over the summer. Each of the 10 NASA centers participates in the Summer of Innovation through various programs and approaches. At NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. the aim is to target underserved and underrepresented students in grades 4-9 throughout the greater Southern California area.
> Watch the video! › Learn more about NASA's Summer of Innovation program What's involved? Participants in the NASA/JPL Summer of Innovation program commit to teach a minimum of 30 hours of NASA STEM content in return for engaging and comprehensive NASA educational materials as well as support from NASA/JPL in the form of trainings, webinars and other resources. Additionally, participants agree to incorporate two NASA activities in their programs during the upcoming school year. As part of the program, educators will receive a handbook of NASA educational activities that addresses national science, technology and mathematics standards. The handbook contains activities designed around three themes: Go for Flight, Exploring the Solar System and Living in Space. Each theme fulfills 20 hours of STEM content.
New for 2012 is the 30-hour Explore Your Curiosity unit focusing on Mars Exploration and Earth Science. Who can participate? NASA/JPL is targeting educators and group leaders for underserved and underrepresented students throughout Southern California. Current and past participants include: African American Male Achievers Network (A-MAN), City of Ontario Parks and Recreation Department, City of Upland Parks and Recreation Department, Long Beach Unified School District Winners Reaching Amazing Potential (WRAP), Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation, Los Angeles County Office of Education, Ontario Think Together, Orange County Office of Education, San Bernardino City Schools Creative Before and After School Programs for Success, San Diego County Office of Education, University of California, Riverside, Academy of Learning through Partnerships for Higher Achievement.
Who do I contact? View the
NASA Precollege Education Contact page to find Summer of Innovation representatives near you.
Additional Resources:
› Sample activities from NASA/JPL's Summer of Innovation Handbook
See activities
