While it IS an excellent opportunity, it presents some extremely big challenges to students who are NOT necessarily familiar with the concept of: "--- experiment question, hypothesis, method and expected results".
Even though it sounds pretty basic to the field of science learning, if I were to borrow on the 'science' education of my era, these are pretty strange notions. Unfortunately in MOST of Assam's schools they still are. Who will change that? And how? On Oct 20, 2011, at 8:56 AM, Rajen Barua wrote: > > > This is a great opportunity for school students to compete internationally. > Students in NE between the age group of 14 to 18 are encouraged to > participate in the following program. > Closing date is Dec 7, 2011. There will be two winners each from Asia, Europe > and America. > All information are in the NASA website noted below. > If any student need any guidance, please ask. > Best Wishes. > Rajen Barua > FASS International > Houston > rajenba...@gmail.com > > http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/news/YouTube.html > > Student Scientists to Submit Space Station Experiments > > > > > > Expedition 29 Commander Mike Fossum encouraged students to participate in the > YouTube Space Lab contest via a broadcast from aboard the International Space > Station. (NASA) > View large image "Your experiment, 250 miles above Earth, for the whole world > to see." That is the promise made at the end of the video on the official > YouTube Space Lab contest Website. NASA has partnered with Space Adventures > to support this competition. Space Adventures is collaborating with YouTube > and Lenovo. Armed with initiative and imagination, students have the chance > to envision and design their own experiment with the ultimate prize -- flying > it on the International Space Station. > > The contest opened on Oct. 11, 2011, and will continue to accept submissions > in the form of a two-minute duration video through Dec. 7. Students age 14 to > 18 can become researchers in their own right by proposing up to three > separate original entries on the official YouTube Space Lab contest Website. > Participants can enter as either individuals or in teams of up to three > people. Entries must include an experiment question, hypothesis, method and > expected results. > > Part of the appeal of the contest is the prestigious panel of judges that are > lined up to select the finalists, including professor Stephen Hawking, NASA's > Leland Melvin, ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, JAXA astronaut Koichi > Wakata and Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberte, among others. The final > selection includes a public vote which will begin via YouTube on Jan. 3, > 2012. > > "The space station really is the greatest science classroom we have," said > Leland Melvin, associate administrator for education at NASA Headquarters in > Washington and YouTube Space Lab judge. "This contest will capitalize on > students' excitement for space exploration while engaging them in real-life > scientific research and experimentation." > > As an award, six regional finalists will get to travel to Washington, D.C., > to participate in a zero-g flight. On March 13, two global winners will be > announced. The global finalists will get to travel to either Russia, where > they can engage in an authentic astronaut training experience, or Japan to > watch their experiment blast off into space. They also receive the grand > prize of having their experiments performed on the space station and live > streamed for the public via YouTube. > > This competition aims to inspire students to look beyond their daily studies > and ask their own questions of the universe around them. Proposed experiments > will focus on either life sciences or physics with the hope that the entrants > will take their experiences with them as they continue in their education, > perhaps towards careers in math and science. NASA astronaut Mike Fossum > encouraged students to participate from aboard the space station via his own > YouTube video. > > "YouTube Space Lab is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for you to have your > experiment performed by astronauts like me in the space station," said > Fossum. "Imagine, you become the scientist! Your experiment is performed in > space and streamed back to Earth. The world watches as your scientific > investigation unfolds. What will you do from onboard the International Space > Station?" > > The official YouTube Space Lab Website asks some initial prompting questions, > such as can plants survive beyond the Earth and whether or not proteins grown > in space could reveal the mysteries of life. The real thrill, however, is the > unlimited potential opened up in the minds of students as they begin to ask > their own questions and seek real answers. With previous student experiments > in space having already led to new knowledge, there is no boundary to what > exciting possibilities this latest opportunity to probe young minds may > create. > > > > by Jessica Nimon > International Space Station Program Science Office > NASA's Johnson Space Center > > > > _______________________________________________ > assam mailing list > assam@assamnet.org > http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org _______________________________________________ assam mailing list assam@assamnet.org http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
