Yes, I am one of those geeky people that stayed up late last night to watch Curiosity land on Mars. I did this because I clearly remember watching the first rover, Spirit, land and the excitement of it all. So why am I posting about it on my education blog? I think it's crucial that students understand that science is fun and interesting. They see sports championships and the great celebrations from them on television all the time. This is the scientific equivalent of an Olympic gold medal.
Back when Spirit landed, I showed my students the very next day the video of how the rover was to land, explaining to them the uncertainty of it all. Then I showed them the scientists in the control room as it was landing and the celebration. What better way to get kids excited about science? We had Spirit and Opportunity updates that school year and the kids ate it up. I'm hoping I can do the same thing with Curiosity this year.
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| First Image of Mars from Curiosity. Picture courtesy of NASA. |
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| Second Picture to come from Curiosity. You can see the rover's shadow. Picture courtesy of NASA. |
And finally, here's a link to NASA's multimedia page, which has all kinds of videos and explanations about the rover. NASA multimedia page.
Just a reminder that my Mirror, Mirror contest ends tomorrow evening, so get your ideas in quickly, maybe you'll win an Amazon gift card! I think it's going to be hard for me to pick a winner. I have some good ones already.
Joell
So cool!
ReplyDeleteMy daughter requested a prayer at church yesterday for a safe landing! The pastor had a beautiful prayer!! She's 21 and wants to work for NASA someday. Her name is...Mars! It is actually Margaret, but she hasn't answered to that name since she was three. It was an exciting time for us, too!
ReplyDeleteJenny
Owl Things First
Jenny, That's so cool about your daughter! I hope she gets to work for NASA. It was a great night.
DeleteJoell