NASA Invites Educators to Webcasts Supporting National Lab Day

HAMPTON, Va. - In preparation for National Lab Day on May 12, NASA
will host a series of weekly live webcasts during the month of April
through the agency's Digital Learning Network. The series is aimed at
equipping teachers to promote hands-on science education in their
classrooms.

"The professional development of educators in the area of science,
technology, engineering and math is a critical component in getting
students interested in these fields early in their schooling," said
Caryn Long, manager of the Digital Learning Network at NASA's Langley
Research Center in Hampton, Va.

Although many activities are focused on May 12, National Lab Day is
more than just one day. It is a nationwide initiative that gets
volunteers, university students, scientists and engineers to work
together with educators to bring discovery-based science experiments
to students in kindergarten through 12th grades.

NASA's National Lab Day webcasts are (all times EDT):

What Does it Matter? April 8, 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Join Rudo Kashiri, coordinator of NASA's Langley Explorer Schools, as
she answers: "What does it matter?" Kashiri will share fun, hands-on
activities to help educators teach students about matter, density and
weight. Teachers will learn how to get their students to love
discovering "mind over matter." This webcast targets teachers of
grades 5-8.

Electricity and Magnetism, April 15, 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Join Langley engineer William Young as he shares activities that will
engage and teach students about electricity and magnetism. Young
offers an array of activities that will electrify students'
scientific knowledge. This webcast targets teachers of grades 4-8.

Global Warming, April 22, 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Thomas Charlock, a scientist at Langley, will give classroom
demonstrations about global warming and atmospheric science. Learn
how scientists measure the temperature of Earth and explain the
effects of global warming. This webcast targets teachers of grades
3-12.

The Moon, April 29, 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Aerospace Education Specialist Brandon Hargis from Langley will
demonstrate how to teach students to become moon engineers. Students
will design and build a solar hot water heater. This lesson will
require student to "feel the heat" of science. This webcast targets
teachers of grades 6-12.

NASA's Digital Learning Network allows the next generation of
explorers to connect with scientists, engineers and researchers
without leaving the classroom. Through interactive videoconferencing
available across the agency at all 10 NASA field centers, the network
provides distance-learning events designed to educate through
demonstrations and real time interactions with NASA experts.

For more information about the Digital Learning Network and to watch
the live webcasts, visit:

http://dln.nasa.gov/dln

For more information on research at NASA education, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/education

Source: NASA