GRC NEWS RELEASE 04-046 04-046 For Release: June 24, 2004 Sallie A. Keith Media Relations Office 216-433-5795 sallie.a.keith@nasa.gov NOTE TO EDITORS/NEWS DIRECTORS: EDUCATORS LEARN "MATHEMAGICAL" WAYS TO ENGAGE STUDENTS IN MATH Through hands-on and interactive group activities, twenty-five educators from middle schools across the country participated in a NASA Explorer Schools Program workshop, entitled The "Mathemagical" International Space Station, at NASA Glenn Research Center, Cleveland. During the workshop, held June 12-17, they learned about the International Space Station (ISS) with a "mathemagical" spin-integrating ISS science and research with mathematics. They also discovered exciting and creative ways to engage their students in math. Two of the workshop activities were The Mathematics of Space Rendezvous, which provided background material and classroom activities related to the basic mathematical operations of spacecraft rendezvous in Earth orbit, and Who Added the "Micro" to Gravity?, an introduction to microgravity with a hands-on activity and demonstration of the important role chemistry plays in microgravity research. The NASA Explorer Schools (NES) program is sponsored and funded by NASA and implemented through a contract with the National Science Teachers Association. NES is a 3-year partnership between NASA and the school and/or school district. It provides an opportunity for educators, administrators, students, and families to partner with NASA to improve student learning; participate in authentic experiences with NASA science and technology; apply NASA science, mathematics, and technology knowledge to real-word issues and problems; and participate in special events and other opportunities. Further information about the program is located at http://explorerschools.nasa.gov The teachers who participated in the workshop are listed below by their state and city of residence. California Riverside - Deborah L. Collins San Diego - Bill Freeman Santa Ana - Jaclyn Beck Florida Miami Gardens - Wylene Moore Miramar - Claudia Hessing Panama City - Marilyn Wallace Panama City - Betty Higuera Panama City - Becky Peltonen Pembroke Pines - Gloria Lerner Iowa Peterson - Lisa Stoner Sioux Rapids - Karen Stacy Minnesota Minneapolis - Joseph Chan Mississippi Brandon - Jennifer Colson Braxton - Stacy Everett Byram - Patti Lewis Florence - Stephanie Gatlin Florence - Faye Smith Gulfport - Sandi Parks Moss Point - Freda Davis Nevada Las Vegas - Jennifer Ritz New Mexico Las Cruces - Margo DiMatteo North Dakota Bismarck - Tammy Brown Oregon McMinnville - Scott Curtis South Carolina Saluda - Suzanne Smith Tennessee Bolivar - Kim Sain -end- -end-