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2000-2001 NASA CONNECT SERIES OVERVIEW

INTRODUCTION TO THE NASA CONNECT SERIES

NASA CONNECT is a series of 30-minute, instructional video programs for students in grades 5-8. Produced by the NASA Langley Research Center's Office of Education in Hampton, Virginia, the programs can be viewed live or taped for later use.

Endorsed by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), NASA CONNECT supports the national mathematics, science, and technology standards. Each NASA CONNECT program seeks to establish a "connection" between the mathematics, science, and technology concepts taught in the classroom and the mathematics, science, and technology used everyday by NASA researchers. By demonstrating the processes of creativity, critical thinking, and problem solving skills, NASA CONNECT enhances and enriches mathematics, science, and technology education. The NASA CONNECT series can be easily integrated into an existing curriculum or used to introduce or reinforce a curriculum topic, objective, or skill.

Each NASA CONNECT program is accompanied by a lesson guide describing a hands-on classroom activity and web-based activity which complement and extend the lesson.

NASA CONNECT is FREE to educators. NASA CONNECT is a U.S. Government product and is not subject to copyright. There are no fees or licensing agreements.

Endorsed by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), the 2000- 2001 NASA CONNECT series uses proportional reasoning as the "integrative thread" that "connects" mathematics topics in each program.

The 2000-2001 NASA CONNECT series uses aeronautics and space technology (A-ST) as its organizing theme. This theme forms the creative basis for a series of five programs that demonstrate the problem-solving focus of NASA A-ST research. NASA A-ST goals are grouped into three areas or "Three Pillars": Global Civil Aviation, Revolutionary Technology Leaps, and Access to Space. These three pillars reflect national priorities for the NASA Aero-Space Technology Enterprise and require taking risks and performing the long-term research and development programs needed to keep the United States the global leader in aeronautics and space exploration.

THE 2000-2001 NASA CONNECT SERIES

MEASUREMENT, RATIOS, AND GRAPHING: 3, 2, 1...Crash!
Thursday, October 19, 2000, 11:00 - 11:30 AM (EDT)
Crashing planes, skidding tires, and blasting water, NASA researchers work to improve airplane performance and safety.
Mathematics: measurement, ratios, graphing
Science: science and technology, science as inquiry, physical science Technology: productivity tools, communication tools, research tools NASA Research: Aircraft Landing Dynamics Facility (ALDF), Impact Dynamics Research Facility (IDRF)

GEOMETRY AND ALGEBRA: Glow with the Flow
Thursday, November 16, 2000, 11:00 - 11:30 AM (EST)
NASA aerospace researchers use models to see how air flows and why materials glow under wind tunnel conditions.
Mathematics: geometry, algebra
Science: physical science, science and technology, science in personal and social perspectives, science as inquiry
Technology: productivity tools, communication tools, research tools
NASA Research: Flow Visualization and Blended Wing Body (BWB)

PATTERNS, FUNCTIONS, AND ALGEBRA: Wired for Space
Thursday, February 15, 2001, 11:00 - 11:30 AM (EST)
NASA researchers develop new ways to propel a spacecraft already in orbit without the aid of fuel.
Mathematics: patterns, functions, algebra
Science: physical science, Earth and space science, science as inquiry Technology: productivity tools, communication tools, research tools NASA Research: Propulsive Small Expendable Deployer System (ProSEDS)

DATA ANALYSIS AND MEASUREMENT: Ahead, Above the Clouds
Thursday, March 15, 2001, 11:00 - 11:30 AM (EST)
Predicting severe weather, tracking clouds, and monitoring pollutants in the air, NASA scientists develop technologies to better understand our planet. Mathematics: data analysis, measurement
Science: Earth and space science, physical science, science as inquiry, science and technology, science in personal and social perspectives Technology: productivity tools, communication tools, research tools
NASA Research: Geostationary Imaging Fourier Transform Spectrometer (GIFTS)

FUNCTIONS AND STATISTICS: International Space Station (ISS): Up to Us
Thursday, April 19, 2001, 11:00 - 11:30 AM (EST)
Ground research + space research = true science as international researchers anticipate working together onboard the ISS.
Mathematics: functions, statistics
Science: science and technology, Earth and space science, physical science, science as inquiry
Technology: productivity tools, communication tools, research tools NASA Research: ISS

Go to the NASA Connect Website