IP Videoconferencing Directory

To see a complete list of all virtual field trip providers visit Project View directory. (Note: Orange County schools can only connect directly with IP providers. Providers with ISDN can be connected with, but arrangements must be made to connect through the Orange County Department of Education. Contact Laura Dellisanti (ldellisanti@ocde.us) to arrange a connection through the OCDE bridge. Additional line per minute line charges will be charged .)

Albany Institute of History & Art
http://www.albanyinstitute.org
Contact:  Pam Malcomb   518.463.4478
E-Mail:  education@albanyinstitute.org

About the Provider  The Albany Institute of History & Art is located in Albany,  New York.  Founded in 1791, the Albany Institute of History and Art [AIHA] is the second oldest museum in the United States. The AIHA houses a collection of more than 16,000 paintings, sculptures, decorative arts, and historic artifacts.
Videoconference Programs are available

Videoconference distance learning lessons at the Albany Institute are exciting and engaging, real-time interactions between schools and the museum's educators, using objects, images, and lively, inquiry-based teaching methods to offer students virtual field trips, focusing on the museum's strong collections in American and regional history, and art from Ancient Egypt to 21st-Century America.

Each lesson was co-written with K-12 teachers, and corresponds with NY State and National Standards.  Students are active participants in the lesson who are asked to observe, analyze, and verbally express their ideas about facsimile objects and images presented. The Institute's web site offers complementary materials for each of its lessons (see www.albanyinstitute.org, under Education, and Distance Learning). 

AIHA's videoconferencing is intended for individual classes or groups of 30 students or fewer. In addition to a main camera, a special, document camera, allows close inspection of individual objects.  Lessons run for 45-60 minutes.             

Availability: Monday through Friday, from 9:00am - 4:00pm (Eastern time).   

Fees 
Lessons are $100 each and teacher workshops are $50.00.  The school pays the connection fees for the videoconference call.  Payment is due within 60 days of the completion of the videoconference. 

To schedule a lesson: education@albanyinstitute.org  -----  All videoconference lessons and teacher workshops must be scheduled ahead of time.  Contact the Education Department at least one month in advance to schedule at: education@albanyinstitute.org.   Please suggest 3 choices of date and time for each lesson requested.  If telephone is preferred, please have your calendar with you and several dates in mind when you call: (518) 463-4478. 

For more information and pre-visit materials: www.albanyinstitute.org

Technology Requirements
We can connect via ISDN or IP, at speeds up to 384K.  Please contact your district's technology coordinator for further information.
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Programs  -  Distance Learning 

• America after the Civil War
  
  Through active examination of photographs, objects, and works of art from the late 19th Century, students explore key themes of this period, including the impact of the Civil War on Americans, manufacturing, transportation, expansion, urbanization, and the stratification of American society. Guided by a museum educator, students will analyze and interpret primary sources to gain a more powerful connection to this historical period. 
  7 - 12
  45 - 60 Minutes
  
  
• Artists and Nature: The Hudson River School
  
  A museum educator guides students in viewing paintings and drawings by artists such as Thomas Cole and Frederic Church. Students learn how these artists expressed their ideas and feelings in paintings, while also reflecting prevailing ideas about Americans' relationship to the rapidly transforming natural environment. Students explore artists' use of symbolism, processes and materials. For older students, connections to 19th-century literature, philosophy, history and environmentalism are made. Suitable for schools studying American history, art and environmentalism.  
  3 - 5
  9 - 12

(Two Programs)
45 - 60 Minutes

• Colonial Life In America
  
  Students explore colonial era artifacts and art to determine their function, manufacture, and the role they played in the history of colonial-era New York. Guided by a museum educator, they learn about the Dutch settlement of upstate New York and interaction with Native Americans and other regional colonial residents. Analyzing images of the area from different moments in time, students see visual evidence of the region's development, and discuss key themes such as the fur trade, agriculture, and commerce.  Suitable for schools studying New York State or American history during thecolonial era.   
  3 - 8
  45 - 60 Minutes
  
  
• Facing Portraits  
  
  Through interactive discussion and engaged looking, students explore the stories behind the portraits and how portraits hold visual messages about the subject, the artist, the time period or the event celebrated. Portraits used in this program include "grand style" (formal) oil portraits, commercial products, political campaign materials, and informal photographs. Suitable for schools studying the cultural and ethnic diversity of America and the interpretive skills of art history.   
  3 - 6
  7 - 12
  45 - 60 Minutes
  
  
• Mummies & Egypt
  
  Students examine the images of the museum's mummies and learn about the ancient culture in which they lived. Looking at images and art, they explore the influence of the environment on Egyptian beliefs and the meaning behind the style of Egyptian art.  Symbolism, hieroglyphics, and the process of mummification are highlighted.  Suitable for schools studying ancient Egypt culture and beliefs.    
  3 - 8
  45 - 60 Minutes
  
  
• Teacher Workshop 
  
  This 30-minute workshop for teachers will demonstrate the possibilities of videoconferencing and briefly review the content of the lessons described above. Conducted by a museum educator, the workshop is an excellent introduction to this exciting new way to connect with the "primary sources" of the museum. 
  Teachers
  30 Minute

Bronx Zoo
http://www.bronxzoo.org
Contact:  Erin Fitzgerald
E-Mail:  DistanceLearning@wcs.org
Phone:  718.220.6899

About the Provider  The Bronx Zoo is located in Bronx, New York.  This zoo is the largest metropolitan wildlife Conservation Park in the United States.  The zoo offers an array of videoconferencing programs for students in all grade levels.  Each of the programs are aligned with the New York State and National Science Education Standards.  All lessons include appearances by live animals.  Most of the lessons are under an hour and include teacher support materials.

Videoconference Programs are available

Fees
$125 per class
Maximum:  35 Students

Reservations for a Program Online:  Registration Form
Erin Fitzgerald (718) 220-5131  efitzgerald@wcs.org

Technical Requirements
Distance Learning Expeditions are broadcast via H.320 standard over ISDN lines at 384k and also via H.323 standard over Internet Protocol (IP). To receive an IP videoconference, you must have a broadband connection. Check with your district or building technology coordinator.

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Programs - Distance Learning

• America After the Civil War
  
  Through active examination of photographs, objects, and works of art from the late 19th Century, students explore key themes of this period, including the impact of the Civil War on Americans, manufacturing, transportation, expansion, urbanization, and the stratification of American society. Guided by a museum educator, students will analyze and interpret primary sources to gain a more powerful connection to this historical period. 
   7 - 12
  45 - 60 Minutes
  
  
• Awesome Adaptations
  
  In this program students will uncover the mystery of land animals' feet. Adaptation, a challenging yet essential concept, becomes clear in this program. Understanding how physical adaptations are related to the environment will lead students to additional insights, such as why an animal cannot survive when its habitat is destroyed. 
   5 - 8
  60 Minutes
  
  
• Food Webs
  
  Each individual species is concerned with obtaining energy - energy to  keep going, energy to grow, energy to reproduce, energy for survival. Starting with analyzing their own breakfast, students examine the flow of energy in living systems as represented in food chains and webs. Students discover the role of producers, consumers, herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores, as they build an actual food web.
  4 - 6
  60 Minutes
• Moves & Meals
  
  In this lesson students explore the many different ways animals move about in order to find their food and to avoid becoming someone else's food!
  K - 3
  45 Minutes
  
  
• Size & Shape
  
  Why is a ferret long and thin? Youngsters consider this and other questions about how an animal's size and shape are related to its way of life. By observing a variety of animals, students discover some fundamental concepts about how size and shape help an animal survive. Students also draw conclusions about where an animal lives and what it eats.
  K - 13
  45 Minutes

• Crystal Cove - Native Americans
  Units of Study

  Exploring Crystal Cove... Its Natural Resources and Its Earliest Inhabitants
  Subject - The Land and Early Peoples of California at Crystal Cove State Park, Orange County
  Grade Level - 4th Grade
  Time required - 5 class periods of 50 minutes each
  Contact - Winter Bonin (949) 947-7647  crystalcv@fea.net

  General Description - This unit focuses on the geography, natural resources, environmental concerns, and early indigenous peoples of California who inhabited the area know as Crystal Cove in Orange County. Following a unit of study in the 4th Grade Social Studies text focusing on California's four regions, their natural resources, and California's earliest inhabitants, students will use this knowledge to further discover and demonstrate their understanding of the geography of Crystal Cove State Park, its natural resources, and how the early Native Americans used the geography and its resources to live and survive in this area.

  Lesson One through Lesson Three will introduce the characteristics/physical environments and natural resources of Crystal Cove, including how physical environments and resources affect human activity. Lesson Four of this unit will be a videoconferen with Crystal Cove State Park. The park employee will visually show students the physical environment and natural resources of Crystal Cove (a virtual field trip). In Lesson 5, following the videoconference and using their knowledge of Crystal Cove's physical environment and natural resources, students will construct a model of a Native American village that might have been found prior to the Spanish explorers' contact with the early inhabitants of Crystal Cove.

• Building Bridges
  Units of Study

  Building Bridges
  Contact - Joe von Herrmann, California State Parks, jvonh@parks.ca.gov
  Subject - Earth Science
  Grade Level - 6th

• Time Required - Seven class periods of 50 minutes each. One four-hour field trip.

  General Description - Building Bridges creates a partnership between a class and a nearby State Park. Park rangers visit the class, the class visits the park, and teachers collaborate with rangers to teach earth science. The students produce two multimedia presentations that are delivered via videoconference to another classroom at a distant location. That other classroom will be working with rangers located near them. During the videoconferences, the students will teach each other about "their" state park and about themselves. The Digital California Project network is used for the videoconference.

• Elephant Seals - Evolution
  Año Nuevo State Reserve
   
  The PORTS unit of study concerning Año Nuevo and elephant seals is directed toward California seventh grade science classes. Specifically, content standard 3, Evolution and 5, Structure and Function in Living Systems. The lesson plans and other on-line materials for this unit are designed to supplement the video conference with park rangers and are currently being developed by teachers in Monterey County. When these materials are completed, they will be posted here in the same format as the other PORTS units of study. Until then, the following links will provide students and teachers with background material for the currently available Año Nuevo video conferencing lessons. Like all field trips, the students will get more out of this presentation if they are well prepared for the experience. For more information or to schedule a video conference lesson from  Año Nuevo, contact  Joe von Herrmann at jvonh@parks.ca.gov.
  
• State Capitol Museum
  Talkin' Trash -The Anti-Debris Act
  
  Subject - Multiple perspectives on the issue of hydraulic mining in the 1880s and its environmental and sociological effects, with comparisons to modern day issues.
  Grade Level - 8th Grade
  Time required - 12 class periods of 60-90 min. each
  Contact - Erin Renfree (916) 324-0312 ext. 256 erenf@parks.ca.govGeneral Description - This unit focuses on how an idea becomes a law, using the Federal Anti-Debris Act of 1882 as a starting point for viewing the relationships between local, state, and federal legislation. Students examine, analyze, and take a stand on the Anti-Debris Act. 
  
• Plein Air Painting
  
  Subject - Art, Plein Air Painting
  Grade Level - 9-12
  Time Required - 6 class periods of 50 minutes each
  Contact - Winter Bonin (949) 947-7647 crystalcv@fea.net
  General Description - After an explanation of Plein Air Painting, students will connect with an artist via videoconferencing and watch the artist create a plein air painting on location. Students will then create their own paintings and connect a second time with the artist to hold a discussion/critique of all the completed artwork.
  

• The Gingerbread Boy
  
  Students witness the classic tale of The Gingerbread Boy come to life with brilliantly colored shadow puppets.  The story is narrated & performed during the first part of the program.  Led by the program presenter, students make their own Gingerbread Boy Shadow Puppet during the second half of the program.
  PreK - 2
  40 Minutes
  
  
• Dinosaurs
  
  Students learn interesting facts about dinosaurs while building a Dinosaur Cup puppet.  Learning activities focus on the followig:  meat-eaters vs. plant eaters, ways that dinosaurs moved, & ways that dinosaurs protected themselves.
  K - 1
  45 Minutes
• 
  
• Butterflies
  
  Each student will construct a Butterfly Marionette while participating in learning activities about the lifecycle of the butterfly, what makes a butterfly an insect, & coloring & camouflage.  Video clips & photographs are included.
  K - 2
  45 - 50 Minutes
  
  
• Spiders
  
  The puppet & learning activities for this program can be modified to suit the participating age group.  Students build a Spider Marionette while participating in learning activities about how spiders & insects differ, web vs. wandering spiders, & the lifecycle.
  1 - 6
  60 Minutes
  
  
• Plants
  
  Students will construct a Pop-UP Plant puppet while learning about the various parts of a plant & their functions.  Students will discuss photosynthesis & plants as food.
  2 -3
  50 Minutes
• 
  
• Rainforest
  
  Students will construct a flying Tropical Bird Rod puppet.  They will participate in learning activities about the location of tropical rainforests & their relationship to the equator & tropic lines, various animals found in the rain forest & different layers of the rain forest.
  3 - 5
  60 Minutes
  
  
• Exploring Africa
  
  Students will build a Giraffe Rod Puppet while learning about Africa.  They will be led through a day in the life of a 10-year-old Malian boy & discuss similarities & differences between their cultures. 
  1 - 2
  60 Minutes
• 
  
  
• Africa
  
  Students build a Malian Rod Puppet & learn about Malian puppetry.  Students also learn characteristics about the continent of Africa & Mali itself.  They will be led through a day in the life of a 10-year-old boy & discuss similarities & differences between their cultures.
  3 - 8
  60 Minutes
• 
  
• Discovering Puppetry In Other Cultures
  
  Program format & content are adapted based on participating age group.  Students are introduced to other countries & cultures through puppetry.  Students learn about puppetry tradition of Mali, Japan & China with the aid of a Malian Water Spirit Rod Puppet, Japanese Bunraku Rod Puppet, & Chinese Hand & Shadow Puppets. 
  3 - 12
  60 Minutes
  
  
• Stage Design for Puppet Theater
  
  Bobby Box, the Center's Assoc. Prod. will lead students through concepts of stage design for puppet theater.  Students will look at stage models & video clips of various productions while Box discusses the artistic decision that led to each design.  Lighting, colors, props, scenery & the type of puppetry used will be explored.  Time is set aside for Q & A.
  9 - 12
  60 Minutes
• 
  
• Don Quixote, Faust, or A Midsummer Night's Dream
  
  Assoc. Prod Bobby Box takes students on a Behind-the-Scenes look of classic literature brought to life on the puppet stage.  Choose either Don Quixote, Faust or A Midsummer Night's Dream.  Students will discuss theme, point of view, characters, puppet design, stage design and performance techniques. 
  9 - 12
  60 Minutes
• 
  
• Edgar Allen Poe
  
  Assoc. Prod. Bobby Box takes students on a behind-the-scenes look of classic literature brought to life on the puppet stage.  Student engage in a dialogue with Box & discuss design concepts of the performance& how they were brought to life on the puppet stage. 
  8 - 12
  60 Minutes
  
  
• Hands On Teacher Workshop
  
  Teachers are led through a hands-on interactive workshop on the topic of their choice.  Teachers actively participate in activities that would be presented to their students in a regular program.  This introduces them to the technology of videoconferencing in the classroom & familiarizes them with the format of programming.
  TEACHERS
  15 - 45 Minutes
  
  
• Teacher Demo
  
  This program introduces teachers to programming formats & topics offered by the Center's Distance Learning program.  A Q&A session allows teachers to ask question about scheduling & the curriculum-based learning that is offered.
  TEACHERS
  15 - 45 Minutes

Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden
http://www.cincinnatizoo.org
Contact:    Ken Freeman     1.513.475.6130
E-Mail:  ken.freeman@cincinnatizoo.org

• Animal Adaptations
  Grades 3 - 8
  Adaptable for K-2 & 9-12

  Students will learn about physical and behavioral characteristics that help animals survive in their specific habitats. Students will meet animals that are adapted to different climates, eat different foods, and have different strategies for defending themselves. They will observe "up-close" the physical characteristics that help these animals meet their needs in differing environments, and they will create adaptations for a new animal, based on its climate, diet, and defense needs.

• Endangered Species I - The Hippo Dilemma
  Grades 4 - 12

  Students will learn the five main causes of the decline and endangerment of animal populations. The program is designed for grades 4 - 12, with the sophistication of discussion adapted according to grade level. Hands-on activities for younger students help them follow along and stay engaged. With older students, active discussion of tough environmental issues can lead to lively debate.

• Endangered Species II - The Elephant Solution 
  Grades 7 - 12
  Adaptable for Grades 5 -6

This sequel to the Endangered Species program presents the solutions to the problem of declining animal populations. Discussion builds upon the concepts presented in the Endangered Species program, and includes global and local strategies and action needed to protect species from extinction. (Endangered Species I strongly recommended as a prerequisite.)

• Nobody Likes Me
  Grades K - 5
  Adaptable for Grades 6 - 12

  Students will encounter amphibians, bats, and snakes. They will learn why these animals are important ecologically and what makes them interesting and beautiful. Students will have a chance to share their thoughts and emotions about these animals, and negative myths will be dispelled. As they watch, listen, and participate, older students will create an adopt-an-animal ad for each animal, to provide a hands-on, kinesthetic component to the program. Younger students will discuss what they might say in their ad and can complete the hands-on work as a follow-up.

• The Wonderful World of Bugs
  Grades K - 12
  
  Insects are the most numerous and diverse group of animals on earth. In this program, students will see a variety of insects and other arthropods (insect relatives) and learn about their important ecological roles, life cycles, as well as interesting and sometimes bizarre features. This program capitalizes on the Cincinnati Zoo∂s nationally renowned insectarium, which has one of the largest collections of exotic invertebrates in the country.
  
  
• Classification
  Grades 3 - 10
  

  Students will learn the hierarchy of the Linnean classification system and the key characteristics of either vertebrates or invertebrates at the class level. By participating in a "20-Questions"-style guessing game, students build an understanding of asking key questions in a particular order to determine to which group a specimen belongs. This sets the stage for using and creating dichotomous keys.

• Zoo Careers
  Grades 7 - 12
  

  The first part of this program allows students to become Zoo Directors and guides students in developing a blueprint for how their new Zoo would be designed. Students are also challenged to develop a mission statement to summarize what their Zoo represents. During the second half of the program, students will meet Cincinnati Zoo employees (via videotape) and hear what selected workers do each day, what education and skills are required to obtain their respective jobs, and how school subjects are applied in the workplace. This program does not include the use of live animals.

  
  

• Radiant Rainforests 
  Grades 6 - 12
  

  Students will learn about the remarkable biodiversity of two rainforest types -- tropical and temperate. Focusing on the tropical rainforests of South America and the temperate rainforest of the Pacific northwest, students will learn about the similarities and differences of these two rainforests in terms of climate, flora, and fauna. This program is also available (and recommended) as a two-part series. Concepts of biodiversity and rainforest layers are introduced first through exploration of the tropical rainforests, and the comparison with the temperate rainforest follows in Part II.

• Evolution & Revolution
  9 - 12
  45 - 50 Minutes

  A series of three videoconferences that addresses the process of change and how decisions are made in large systems. The French and Russian revolutions provide the content and context for this exploration of how governments and societies make change. Each videoconference requires one class period of preparation. Lesson plans, activities, and materials are provided.

• Unity and Diversity
  9 - 12
  45 - 50 Minutes

  An interdisciplinary unit involving music and language arts explores the following themes: 1) Common characteristics exist within and between various systems, 2) Variation is an important process in nature, art and literature, and 3) Sound is a fundamental element of life and communication.

• Jazz Age
  9 - 12
  

  The Jazz Age is an exploration of American music and culture from the early part of the 20th century. Ragtime, Blues and early Jazz music are examined through hands on and ears on activities. This session works best when it is utilized to complement the reading of The Great Gatsby or other American novels of the 1920's.

  $175 for one videoconference

• Science of Sound
  6 - 8
  45 - 50 Minutes

  Focuses on specific middle school level science skills, including sound waves, transformation of energy, and hearing protection. In a series of three video conferences, students explore sound through observing, recording data, predicting, hypothesizing and experimenting. Lab experiences and presentations completed outside the video conferences extend learning into the classroom and beyond. Materials are provided along with teacher's guides and student worksheets for all lab activities and video conferences.

• Evolution & Revolution
  9 - 12
  45 - 50 Minutes

  A series of three videoconferences that addresses the process of change and how decisions are made in large systems. The French and Russian revolutions provide the content and context for this exploration of how governments and societies make change. Each videoconference requires one class period of preparation. Lesson plans, activities, and materials are provided.

• Langston Hughes - A Legacy of Words
  8 - 10
  

  Langston Hughes is a significant figure in poetry, drama, and music. This program explores his sincere portrayal of black life in America as well as his stylistic influence on the literary and performing arts.

  $175 for one videoconference

Music Programs

• Let's Go To The Show!
  Grades Pre-K and Kindergarten

  Students experience the thrill of singing and dancing in a show as they learn some basic elements of music, musical theater and opera.
  
  $175 for one videoconference

• Introduction to Musical Instruments and Concepts
  Grades 3-5

  In a series of three videoconferences, musical instruments are introduced through faculty performances and student participation. Basic elements of musical form and style are explored through dynamic hands-on and ears-on activities. The series culminates in a student performance of their arrangement of music for a story.

  $525 for entire unit (3 videoconferences)

• Meet the Young Artists
  Grades 9-12

  Talented young artists present brief performances and talk about their motivation, inspiration, and how their intense musical training affects their teenage lives. Ample time is set aside for open dialogue between the young artists and students.

  $175 for one videoconference

• Music Theory Course
  Grades 9-12

  This course provides rigorous instruction in music theory skills, including keyboard harmony, part writing, ear training and sight singing. This program is available as either a single videoconference or a multi-session course.

  $175 per connection

• Welcome to the Opera
  Grades 9-12

  Welcome to the Opera provides an entertaining introduction to the operatic art. The presenter discusses singing styles, theatrical issues and the role of music.
  
  $175 for one videoconference

• Concert Band Coaching
  All Grades

  This session offers specialized music coaching for entire ensembles or various instrument sections. Musical interaction with skilled CIM faculty members help music ensembles prepare for contests and performances.
  
  $175 per connection

• Dalcroze Eurhythmics
  All Grades
  
  Eurhythmics provides training in the basic elements of music through movement, singing and music notation. This program is available as either a single videoconference or a multi-session course
  
  $175 per connection
  
  
• Jazz Band Coaching
  All Grades
  
  This session offers specialized music coaching for jazz bands, or individual jazz instrumental groupings. Musical interaction with skilled CIM faculty members help music ensembles prepare for contests and performances.
  
  $175 per connection
• 
  
• String Orchestra Coaching
  All Grades

  This session offers specialized music coaching for entire string orchestras or various instrument sections and chamber music ensembles. Musical interactions with skilled CIM faculty members help music ensembles prepare for performances and contests.

  $175 per connection
  

• A is for Apple A is for Art,
  Grades K - 1

  This highly interactive twenty-five minute lesson introduces kindergartners to three celebrated artists: Renoir, Picasso and Matisse. Using colorful paintings from the CMAs permanent collection, students find apples or other fruit in each painting. They then discover how artists use a variety of colors to convey the apples appearance. After examining a real apple under different lighting conditions students begin to see how light affects the apples form. A post-videoconference activity of drawing apples using highlights and shadows offers students a rewarding classroom exhibition of their own artwork.

• African Art: Secular and Supernatural
  Grades 7 - 12

  Compare ritual and royal objects from the Yoruba and Edo peoples of Nigeria to learn how their rulers maintain worldly authority with the assistance of supernatural forces. Students will delight in examining a colorful beaded crown which empowers a Yoruba ruler and a three hundred year old bronze sculpture which establishes legitimacy for an Edo king. These and other stunning objects introduce divination, mythology and communication with ancestors to your class.

  Ohio Proficiency Skills reinforced through this lesson and Teacher Information Packet teaching extensions: 9th and 12th grade reading and writing
   

• L'Art de L'Afrique
  Grades 9 - 12

  Former French colonies in Africa have a rich and complex history. Explore the traditional arts of selected countries such as Mali, The Democratic Republic of Congo and The Cote d'Ivoire in this lesson suitable for any class studying African culture and/or French.

• African Masks
  Grades 2 - 4

  Learn why African artists use animals as points of reference in mask making and how masks are used in ceremonies. Students compare the differences and similarities between African and American masks in terms of materials, and roles in life and seasonal cycles.
   

• Ancient American Art: The Aztec and their Ancestors
  Grade 7 - 12

  This lesson introduces the art of selected cultures in ancient Mesoamerica (today, Mexico, Guatemala and adjacent countries). Objects of ceramic, gold and stone (including jade) shed light on religion and rulership among the Aztec, Maya, and others in the centuries before European contact. An effort is made to provoke students to think critically as they help the instructor analyze art works and their meanings.

• Aztec, Maya and More!
  Grades 3 - 6

  This lesson introduces the arts, myths and writing systems of selected Mesoamerican cultures. Ceramic figures, objects made from cast gold, carved limestone and jade are used to glimpse life among the Aztec, Teotihuacan, Maya and Olmec peoples in centuries before European contact.

• America's Story Through Art Series
  Grades 9 - 12

  By examining American art and artifacts from the CMA's collection, this series promotes discussion on America's national character and heritage. All lessons, developed by teams of teachers, are accompanied by reinforcement materials specifically designed to foster critical thinking skills and the Ohio Proficiency Test Competencies. These programs may be scheduled individually. Topics for each lesson include:

• Lesson 1: America Emerging - 1700's

  Developing American identity, folk art, the influence of the Age of Reason, the effect of the mercantilist economy, and underlying causes of the Revolution.

• Lesson 2: America Expanding - 1801-1861

  Frontier life, the results and impact of westward expansion, landscape painting, Jacksonian democracy and genre art.

• Lesson 3: America Transforming - 1861-1913

  Momentous social changes brought about by urbanization, industrialization, immigration and technological inventions.

• Lesson 4: America Enduring - 1913 - 1945

  Unprecedented prosperity, The Great Depression, ensuing social and political change during the inter-war period, reaction to European influence: Regionalism.

• The Art of Adornment
  Grades 7 - 8

  In a program created especially for middle schoolers, students will explore ways in which various cultures throughout history have used adornment to establish personal and social identity. Body shaping, tattooing, piercing, scarification, cosmetic use and decorative arrangements of hair reflect diverse cultural values and also relate to issues of self-definition facing students today.

• Contemporary Art
  Grades 4 - 12

  Discover the stimulating and diverse art of the later twentieth century. Beginning with the mid century action painter Jackson Pollock, students will be introduced to styles ranging from Abstraction to Pop Art to variations of Realism. Painting and sculpture by artists represented in the collection of The Cleveland Museum of Art will be presented along with information about selected techniques used to create these works.

• Egyptomania Series
  Grades 2 - 6

  Discover the ingenuity of one of the world's earliest civilizations through this lively series of four videoconferences just for elementary students:

• 1. Introduction to Daily Life
  Through the use of art and artifacts from the CMA's collection, students are acquainted with Egypt's natural environment, as well as aspects of daily life such as food, clothing, shelter, and recreation.
• 2. Hieroglyphics
  Learn how to decipher some of the "sacred writing" of Egypt in this fascinating look at a 4,000+ year old writing system. Teaching extensions to the lesson provide instruction for writing like a scribe, and creating a personalized cartouche.
• 3. Mummies
  Find out how the Egyptian desire for an eternal afterlife contributed to the ritual of mummification. Watch a real mummy being examined with the latest scientific equipment. Time permitting, students will have the opportunity to plan an Egyptian funeral procession.
• 4. Animals
  Why were so many Egyptian gods part human - part animal? This lesson explores how ancient Egyptians observed animal behavior and ascribed animal characteristics to their gods. Students participate in a game to help them classify and link animals with their natural environment.

Programs may be scheduled individually or as the full four-program series. If registering for the full series, we recommend scheduling one program a week over a period of four weeks. Please submit all four registration forms for the four program dates requested at the same time.
 

• Gods and Heroes from Greece and Rome
  Grades 6 - 12

  Using bronze sculptures, coins, ceramic vessels and a carved marble sarcophagus from the collection of The Cleveland Museum of Art, we'll investigate the exploits of Herakles, Athena, Dionysus and others who vividly populated the imagination of the classical western world. This is one of a planned series of distance learning lessons which compares the myths of several cultures and character traits of their heroes, as well as their quests, and connections to the natural world. Grades 6-12

  Note: This is part of a three lesson series. Lessons can be booked individually or for the whole series. The series consists of these lessons.
  Gods and Heroes from Greece and Rome
  Gods and Heroes from the Maya People (available late Spring 2003)
  Gods and Heroes from India (available late Spring 2003)

  A complete Teacher Information Packet (TIP) is sent out 2 weeks prior to the lesson to prepare the students for the interactive videoconference. The TIP contains program objectives, Academic Content Standards (Ohio), Vocabulary, additional print and web resources and teaching extensions such as creating your own Pandora's Box. Each lesson contains copyable viewing guides that students fill out as they participate in the videoconference. This encourages greater retention of the material and an on-camera interactivity that helps promote discussion.

• Gods and Heroes of the Maya
  Grades 6 - 12

  The Maya Popol Vuh (Council Book) relates tales of the Hero Twins who make the world safe for the arrival of human beings. During this lesson students explore this creation myth and other aspects of the Maya culture by examining artifacts from The Cleveland Museum of Art. On-camera interactivities include filling out a viewing guide with personal interpretations of Maya mythology and beginning to write a story based on a princely scene from an ancient pottery vessel. Related discussion involves Maya hieroglyphs, notions of royalty, the sacred ball game and the natural resources of Mesoamerica. The teacher information packet which accompanies this lesson contains teaching extensions which promote such language arts skills as composing a narrative and developing characters.

• The Harlem Renaissance
  Grades 9 - 12

  Travel back in time to bustling New York City in the 1920s and discover the art, literature and music produced by African Americans living in Harlem during this period. Students will be introduced to artists such as Romare Bearden, Jacob Lawrence, and photographer James Van Der Zee, as well as to the poetry of Langston Hughes.

• Impressionism
  Grades 4 - 12

  Learn about the works of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist painters such as Monet, Degas, van Gogh and Cézanne whose experiments with the effects of different conditions of light and paint application created a new way of seeing the world. The world these artists shared had much in common with our own era of rapid technological change and rise in standard of living. Students will consider how such factors influenced Impressionism.

• Knights, Castles and Kings
  Grades 2 - 5

  Knights in shining armor, legendary queens, towering castles and fantastic beasts populate the pages of fairy tales and capture our imagination. But where does the fantasy merge with fact? In this program, students will be introduced to noble life in the Middle Ages through arms and armor, courtly and religious objects in the collection of The Cleveland Museum of Art. They will be asked to observe, comment on what they see, question, and draw conclusions about the role of castles, knights and kings in medieval society.

• Math Connections in Art: Gridding
  Grades 7 - 10

  Students will be introduced to the work of American painter and printmaker Chuck Close and will also learn to apply math concepts and skills used by the artist to transfer photographic images to another working surface. Beginning with photos of themselves, students will measure, grid and reproduce their portrait into a painting or pencil rendering which may be finished later at home or in the classroom. Concepts such as ratio, percent, and area are reinforced. This is a four-part series consisting of an introduction to Chuck Close, two hands-on in-classroom sessions in which the CMA presenter guides students through gridding their photographs and producing self portraits, and a final session to discuss the students' artwork and assess comprehension of math concepts.

• Medieval Masterpieces
  Grades 7 - 12

  Rich intellectual and technical achievements distinguish the art of the Middle Ages. Throughout Europe manuscript illumination, architecture, sculpture and metal work flourished under the patronage of church and court. In this lesson students will encounter splendid liturgical objects such as a gold and porphyry altarpiece made for an 11th c. German countess, and a silver vessel for a holy relic obtained from a Byzantine emperor. Courtly items also featured in the lesson include a whimsical table fountain and Gothic style tapestries made for a chateau. Biblical subjects such as Daniel in the lion's den—seen on a medieval column capital—help make connections between art and religion for classes studying world religions, culture and/or European history.

• Modernism: Early 20th Century Art
  Grades 9 - 12

  Fauvism, Cubism, de Stijl, Surrealism and other selected movements in early 20th century art are introduced through the Museum's collection. Explore the visual innovations of artists such as Matisse, Picasso, Mondrian and Miro in a period marked by the primacy of personal expression over a realistic rendering of the world.

• Museum Careers
  Grades 9 - 12

  Take a behind-the-scenes look at one of the vital jobs at The Cleveland Museum of Art. Students will have the opportunity to discuss with a featured staff member the projects, career path, influences and aspirations which shaped that person's professional life. The selected staff member brings video clips of his/her working environment, information on relevant programs and an enthusiasm for lively interchange with your class. Past presenters have included the Curatorial Assistant of Ancient Art, the Coordinator of Film Programs and the Curator of the Musical Arts Department.

• Native Americans and Settlers
  Grades 4 - 6, 9 - 12
• Encounters in Early Ohio History
  Tools, documents, and paintings from the collections of the Western Reserve Historical Society (WRHS) in Cleveland and the Cleveland Museum of Art evoke the lives of Native Americans and settlers in Northeast Ohio. Educators from both the WRHS and the CMA guide students through an examination of the mutual perceptions between the Native Americans and settlers as well as the historical environment created by their encounters during the 18th and early 19th century. During this lesson upper elementary students participate in a bartering exercise to help them imagine transactions and issues of mutual dependence between the two groups. The high school version of the lesson features information and discussion based on primary documents at the WRHS such as Moses Cleaveland's Letter to the Six Nations (an association of Eastern Woodlands Native Americans in New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio). An in-classroom activity kit accompanies the lesson for upper elementary students.

  "Race" is a Four Letter Word
  Grades 7 - 12

  This lesson provides students with the opportunity to critically examine works of art from various time periods and consider not only ways that race and racial groups have been depicted in various societies, but also how those depictions might perpetuate stereotypes and biased thinking.

• Renaissance Painting: An Overview
  Grades 9 - 12

  Selected paintings from the CMA collection help acquaint students with the Renaissance, the transitional period of European history in which learning and the arts blossomed and medieval thought was gradually subjected to the beginnings of scientific scrutiny. Portraiture, early landscape elements, and contemporary details in these works show the artists' growing attention to the world around them. Specialized vocabulary words (e.g. perspective, patron, altarpiece, tondo) introduce basic concepts related to Renaissance painting.

  This lesson includes teaching extensions on one-point perspective in which students give flat shapes the appearance of three dimensional objects by drawing converging lines to a vanishing point. These same principles are used in a follow up project for drawing a room in 3-D. Further, a videoconference viewing guide on perspective adds an engaging interactivity to this distance learning lesson.

  Ohio Proficiency Skills reinforced through this lesson and Teacher Information Packet teaching extensions: 9th grade citizenship, math, reading, writing. National Visual Art Standards #1: Understanding and applying media, techniques, and processes. Content Standard #4: Understanding the visual arts in relation to history and cultures.

• Scary Art
  Grades 7 - 12

  Fun for Halloween or anytime -- a distance learning program featuring goblins, witches and dastardly doings! Explore otherwordly paintings and prints by Francisco Goya, Salvador Dali, Salvator Rosa and Albert Pinkham Ryder for an art journey to the other side.

• Spanish Art
  Grades 9 - 12

  This lesson features paintings by artists working from or born in Spain. Renaissance, Baroque and Modern Spanish art offer a varied stylistic range to students as well as information on the cultural and historical context of the works highlighted. Many of the artists—El Greco, Goya and Picasso, for example—are among the best known in western art history and may already be familiar to the students. Portions of this lesson can be presented in beginning, intermediate or advanced Spanish, making it suitable for all levels of foreign language studies.
  

Videoconferencing

• What's the Chance?: Grades 1-8
  Students explore probability or "chance" by observing the predictable and unpredictable outcomes associated with games of chance.

  Cost for each session is $170 plus line charges
  Purchase 30 sessions for $125 each plus line charges
  Purchase 60 sessions for $100 each plus line charges

  Price includes Class interaction kit for 30 students including:
  

• Teacher's Guide
  
• Module Outline
  
• Sample Hands-on Activities
  
• Interactive Group Exploration Materials
  
• Post-event Extension Activities
  
• References and Resources
• 
  

Faculty Interactive Distance Learning Q&A

These thirty-minute interactive sessions are designed to demonstrate distance learning technology possibilities to teachers, administrators and curriculum directors. These fun sessions highlight COSI Toledo's usage of IDL and challenge schools to exploit the "boundary-free" technology for learning. Cost per session is $60 plus line charges.

 

iSCI - Interactive Science

Have you ever looked to the stars and wondered what it is like to live in space? Would it be safe for teenagers to travel in space?

How would you design a habitat for a leatherback sea turtle? How would you monitor its health, diet, and environment?

The NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio and the John G. Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, Illinois are just two well respected science organizations that have partnered with COSI Toledo to explore these questions through the iSCI Project. Students have joined us for videoconferencing sessions connecting them directly to NASA and Shedd Aquarium scientists, researchers, and engineers.

Utilizing distance learning technology and project-based learning methodologies, this program connects students with scientists and the latest science, math and technology research. Students consult scientists from NASA, Shedd Aquarium, Fermi National Accelerator Lab and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute to gather research and solve real problems. A great interdisciplinary project for 7-12 grade classrooms! This is a FREE program offered to Ohio classrooms.
For more information, visit the web site at www.cositoledo.org/isci or please call Andy Campbell at 419.244.COSI, ext. 150.
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Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum
http://www.intrepidmuseum.org/education_vc.html
Contact:  Gene Carlucci
E-Mail:  gcarlucci@intrepidmuseum.org
212.245.0072
To book a Video Conference, call the reservations department at 212.957.3701

The Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum is one of the most unique attractions in New York City.  The museum sits on the Hudson River in Manhattan and  consists of sea, air and space exhibits. Through the museum's education program, students have an opportunity to step aboard the U.S.S. Intrepid and embark on scientific investigations and study principles such as buoyancy, microgravity and aviation.  The Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum offers video conferencing workshops & curricula which are adaptations of the on-site workshops.  All programs meet national and New York State learning standards.

All Techno Trips are interactive, allowing students to ask questions and receive immediate feedback from Museum Education Team Members. Within the curricula the students will be able to examine the many historically significant artifacts in the museum.

$150 per Session - A session consists of a single connection with a pre-chosen curricula and unlimited participants.

Connecting Getting connected is easy. Just choose IP for the type of connection and enter our IP address from below. Also download our VC supporting documents to aid in your preparation. Below we have provided several numbers courtesy of Polycom, Inc. to test your connection.

Teachers are encouraged to contact and work with our museum educators to discuss the exact topics they would like covered and to discuss the class activity the students will work on to receive the full benefit of the program. Afterwards they will be directed to our Reservations Center to book times and dates.
 is easy and we support all the current VC standards and technology.

Techno Trip Workshops
 

• Intro to Techno

  Use this 30 minute course for your class or a group of teachers as an introduction to the world of video conferencing. Learn the dos and don'ts and practice communicating. This also makes a great pre-visit if you are coming to the museum on a field trip.

• 3rd - 4th Geography

  Fly high on the Intrepid's virtual hot air balloon! Learn basic map skills and geography as your students navigate the Intrepid over the continental United States!

• 4th - 8th Planes

  Students will discover how planes fly by examining the different components of aircraft and designing their own paper airplanes.

• 4th - 8th Heroes

  Students learn about the sacrifices made by our heroes who fought for our country's freedom and those in the space program who have taken us to new frontiers.

• 9th - 12th WWII

  Students will explore WWII in the Pacific and America's involvement through the use of sea and air power.

The above video conferencing workshops & curricula are adaptations of our on-site workshops.
Our programs meet national and New York State learning standards.
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Library of Congress
http://www.loc.gov/
1.202.707.4158
E-Mail: ndlpedu@loc.gov

The Library of Congress, located in Washington D.C. is the largest library in the work.  The Library offers an array of educational and videoconferencing PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT programs.

The Library connection can be either ISDN or IP. ISDN is at 384 Kbps via Polycom ViewStation MP/512/V.35/DCP.
A compatibility check is ALWAYS required before a video conference occurs; please schedule this check at least a week prior to your intended conference. Before registering for any workshop(s), please review its description (including time requirements and intended audience), technology specifications, and the respective roles of the Library presenter and your local facilitator.

Frequently Asked Questions   ||    Reservation Inquiries

Library of Congress' Role:

• Tailor the program to meet your needs.
  
• Provide presenter(s) with expert knowledge.
  
• Provide handouts for the host site.
  
• Facilitate the event, with co-facilitation by the host site.

Host Site's Role:


• Provide the Library with all necessary information.
  
• Create resources and handouts per Library instruction.
  
• Schedule and conduct an equipment compatibility check at least a week prior to the event.
  
• Facilitate the presentation locally

Programs

Congress Present & Past: Searching THOMAS and the Early Congressional Documents
What issues are your legislators debating? What were they debating 200 years ago? What's changed? What's the same? Learn to navigate and search congressional materials in THOMAS and American Memory for answers to these questions and more!


• One hour presentation
  
• Two hour interactive workshop
  
• For teachers, media specialists, librarians and university instructors

Gathering Your Community's Stories
Oral histories provide a unique viewpoint into cultural and historical events and their effects on our lives. Learn how your students can conduct oral interviews using the process and techniques developed by the American Folklife Center, The Library of Congress.


• One hour presentation
  
• Two hour interactive workshop
  
• For teachers, media specialists, librarians and university instructors

Library of Congress ONLINE!
Try your hand at navigating and exploring the depth and breadth of the Library of Congress Web site including THOMAS, exhibitions, international materials, and more!


• One hour presentation
  
• Two hour interactive workshop
  
• For teachers, media specialists, librarians and university instructors

Make It and Take It!
Make the American Memory virtual collections REAL for your students. Learn to download and use images, texts, maps, sound recordings and films off-line. You will be amazed by what you can do to make history "come alive."


• Two or three hour interactive workshop
  
• Requires graphics software that can crop and resize images in .gif, .jpg, and .tif formats
  
• For teachers, media specialists, librarians and university instructors

The Spy Map and General Washington
Recreate the Battle of Trenton using a spy map and letters sent to the Commander-in-Chief. Analyze these documents to learn how intelligence gathering helped General Washington form his battle strategy during January 1777.


• One hour presentation
  
• Two hour interactive workshop
  
• For students and teachers, Gr. 5 - 12.

Treasure Hunting:
Search Strategies for the American Memory Historical Collections
Feeling a bit lost when trying to use the American Memory collections? Learn strategies and skills for effective searching, including keyword selection, finding aid shortcuts, and search tool selection and use.


• One hour presentation
  
• Two hour interactive workshop
  
• For teachers, media specialists, librarians and university instructors

Working with Primary Sources
Learn to use tools for analysis that will have your students actively engaged in their own process of historical discovery.


• Two hour interactive workshop
  
• For teachers, media specialists, librarians and university instructors
  

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Los Angeles County Museum of Art
http://www.lacma.org
Contact:  Mary Lenihan      1.323.857.6049
E-Mail:  mlenihan@lacma.org

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art houses more then 100,000 works of art.  The Permanent collections include American Art, Ancient and Islamic Art, Chinese and Korean Art, Costume and Textiles, Decorative Arts, European Painting and Sculpture, Japanese Art, Latin American Art, Modern and Contemporary Art, Photography, Prints and Drawings, South and Southeast Asian Art.

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art brings the museum to your classroom through distance learning.  The museum offers students and teachers an opportunity to experience the museums collection of art spanning ancient times to the present.  During each videoconference , participants will study the art and discuss works of art representing a variety of artistic movements and styles, gaining insight into the social, political, and cultural reasons behind the creation. 

Each real-time, interactive videoconference is led by a skilled museum educator whose aim is to broaden participants' interest in past and present human creativity. A number of programs are offered, each of which introduces participants to a different period in the history of art. 

Used in the classroom, program content enhances the curriculum and provides an introduction to the museum experience. Program length varies. Pre- and post-conference classroom activities accompany each program.

Distance learning programs are available upon request. It may be possible to create a program to meet the specific requirements of your group; please inquire.

Once your conference has been confirmed, you will receive a packet containing pre-conference guidelines, a detailed program description, and a post-conference evaluation form. Pre- and post-conference classroom activities accompany each program.

Tips for a successful program:

There is no limit to class size, but a group of 20-30 students is recommended.

Please prepare your students; let them know we will want to talk with them during the program. Enthusiastic interaction between museum educator and site participants will ensure an interesting program. 

It is the responsibility of the site facilitator to set and maintain standards for student behavior during each program.

Are you in California? You may be eligible to participate in free videoconferencing programs through the Windows on the World project. 
 

Programs

• The Building Blocks of Art:  Learning to Look at Paintings
  
  What are the basic elements of art?
  How does an artist use these elements to express a creative idea?
  By focusing on a wide variety of paintings in the collection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, The Building Blocks of Art: Learning to Look at Paintings introduces participants to the basic elements of art and the key concepts an artist considers during the creative process. The goal of this lesson is to provide participants with a looking strategy that can be used when viewing any type of art and when visiting any museum collection. This program is most appropriate for groups of middle school to high school students or community groups of adults and/or children.

  Program length is approximately 40-60 minutes. 

• 
  
• American History through Art at the Los Angeles County  Museum of Art 
  
  The Los Angeles County Museum of Art is home to an outstanding collection of American Art. Paintings and sculpture range from colonial-era portraits to modern works from the 1920s and 1930s, including works by such noted artists as John Singleton Copley, Winslow Homer, and Mary Cassatt. Each painting in the collection illustrates a significant moment in the development of the American artistic tradition. American artists often drew inspiration from social trends and historic events; by viewing and discussing these artists' works, audience members will participate in a visual tour of American history.American History through Art is most appropriate for groups of middle school to high school students or community groups of adults and/or children.

  Program length is approximately 40-60 minutes. 

• A Survey of European Art Painting from the Renaissance through the 19th Century
  
  The Los Angeles County Museum of Art is home to a large collection of art from various cultures and artistic periods, including a collection of European works spanning ancient times to the present. A Survey of European Art focuses on a selection of paintings by artists such as Titian, Jean-François Millet, and Claude Monet. The program creates an historic context for the art, and discussion will emphasize its evolution from the Renaissance into the 20th century.This is a two-part program. Each part can be scheduled separately, or as a series.

  Part One: Renaissance to the Protestant Reformation, about 1360 to 1640

  Part Two: Establishment of the French Academy to Impressionism, about 1650 to 1880

  This program is most appropriate for groups of middle school to high school students or community groups of adults. 

  Program length is approximately  40-60 minutes. 

• Color, Light, and Modern Life:  Impressionist Works at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art

  The people of 19th-century Paris witnessed an era of great social and political change. Due to scientific and technological innovations brought on by the industrial revolution, traditional views of the world and humankind's place in it were shaken.

  As urbanization increased, more people moved from the countryside to seek employment and modern living spaces in the city, where a new leisure class formed and rose to prominence. In the midst of these changes was a group of artists who called themselves the Independents, now known as the Impressionists, whose goal was to record the face of a changing world in a style that overturned the long-established artistic tradition dictated by the French art academy. Their innovations in the use of color and drawing set in motion a progression of artistic development that ultimately changed the face of art forever. 

  Color, Light, and Modern Life will focus on works by artists including Claude Monet, Auguste Renoir, and Edgar Degas in order to illustrate how each artist made the Impressionist style his own. Discussion will also consider what effect social and political events of the day had on their artistic production.This program is most appropriate for groups of middle school to high school students or community groups of adults and/or children.

  Program length is approximately 40-60 minutes.


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Milwaukee Public Museum

Explore natural and cultural history in an exciting videoconference format. Mix live interaction between students and Museum educators with a detailed, content-rich curriculum that can't be found in textbooks. Students can see artifacts and collections unavailable to the public and ask questions during real-time learning sessions. Point-to-Point programs are available on-demand with a minimum of two weeks notice for scheduling.

Contact:Jason Dennison
Phone: 414-278-6148
Email: godennison@mpm.edu

Website: http://education.mpm.edu/schools_and_teachers/distance_education/

Session Cost: $75.00
Time: 45-60 minutes

Dinosaurs and Life Science

• The Way We Were: An Introduction to Human Evolution
  (Grades 6-Adult)

  Trace the story of human evolution that stretches back over four million years through the scientific discovery of our ancestors, from Neanderthals to Australopithecines. Explore the most up-to-date hypotheses concerning the origins of Humankind and examine detailed hominid and primate replicas.

• Dinosaurs: Unearthing the Facts
  (Grades K-Adult)

  Explore the connections between dinosaurs, reptiles and modern-day birds, and how new discoveries are changing scientists interpretations of dinosaurs. Examine the work of paleontologists and the work they do to help piece together a history more the 65-million years old.

• 
  
  
• Endangered Species: On the Verge (available after January 3, 2005)
  (Grades K-Adult)

  Hundreds of plants and animals go extinct every year, many of them without having ever been collected or studied by scientists. Follow the work of Milwaukee Public Museum scientists in North America, the rainforests of Costa Rica and the coral reefs of the South Pacific in an attempt to better understand the impact of habitat loss and how we can help protect these species from the verge of extinction.

• Exotic versus Indigenous Species: Impact on Wisconsin Ecosystems
  (Grades 6-Adult)

  Exotics, the term for organisms that have been introduced into habitats where they are not native, are considered to be among the most severe, world-wide agents of habitat alteration, degradation and loss of biological diversity throughout the world. Explore the work of Wisconsin scientists who are trying to protect species native to Wisconsin.

• 
  
  
• Pearls: Iridescent Irritant (available after January 3, 2005)
  (Grades 4-Adult)

  From a grain of sand to one of the most precious and rare gems of the world, a pearl grows inside a mollusk to dazzle humans with its beauty. Explore how a pearl is made naturally and through human intervention. Learn about the biology and chemistry of this resplendent gift of the natural world.

• 
  
  
• The Puelicher Butterfly Wing: Operation Lepidoptera
  (Grades K-8)

  Explore the life cycle, body structure, protection and the role of "ecological barometer" played by these butterflies and moths. Other topics highlighted include habitat, diversity, human impact and conservation.
  


People and Culture

• Base Ball: Birth of an American Classic
  (Grades K-Adult)

  Journey back in time to discover vintage base ball. Explore the origins of the national pastime, including how rules and attitudes have changed over time and in what ways this game has reflected changes in American society

• Ancient Egypt : Proportions, Symmetry and Size
  (Grades K-Adult)

  Mix math, geometry and history with ancient Egyptian intrigue! Investigate how ancient Egyptian art, for more than 3,500 years, was governed by strict mathematical rules called the Canon of Proportions that determined how figures could be drawn, and explore the tomb that unlocked the mysteries of these fascinating laws.

• A Tribute to Survival: Indian Beadwork
  (Grades 6-Adult)

  An overview of the history of quill and beadwork by North American Indians, including early uses of porcupine quills and other naturally occurring materials for adornment and ceremony. Participants will be able to investigate simple bead patterns and see beautiful examples from the Museum's collections. Wonderful for ART classes!
  

• 
  
• A Tribute to Survival: North American Indians
  (Grades 2-Adult)

  Explore the history of North American Indians, food and agriculture, the difficulty of adapting to life under European influence and ongoing attempts to preserve traditional culture.

• Egyptian Mummies: The Myth Unwrapped 
  (Grades K-Adult)

  Witness one example of the mummification process from ancient Egypt , including some of the mythology, ceremony and legends that surrounded death during the New Kingdom (1550 B.C. - 1070 B.C). Follow the preparations of Princess Nofret, our fictitious 18 th dynasty noble, for an eternity in the afterlife. 

• Pearls: Culture (available after January 3, 2005)
  (Grades 4-Adult)

  Discover the beautiful varieties that pearls are used to adorn common and royal people from around the world. From jewelry to clothing pearls are used to enhance and decorate. Examine famous jewelry pieces that include pearls and why they are valued by the people that owned them.

• Vestiges of Culture: Indigenous Peoples of the Southeastern United States
  (Grades 6-Adult)

  Examine the peoples and cultures that have existed for more than 10,000 years in the area we now call the Southeastern United States, from modern-day Texas, eastward to Florida and as far north as Ohio. Explore the significant impact of the Mississippi River, the Gulf of Mexico and other waterways on the early cultural development of the region.

• Vestiges of Culture: Pre-Columbian Panama
  (Grades 6-Adult)

  Explore the myths and religion of Pre-Columbian Panama through the ceramics and gold artifacts left behind by the cultures that inhabited the isthmus from 1000 - 1500 A.D. The symbolism and significance of the objects reflect the influence of the natural world.


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Mote Marine Laboratory
http://www.mote.org
Contact:  Elizabeth Metz    1.941.388.4441
E-Mail:  seatrek@seatrek.org

Mote Marine Laboratory is located in Sarasota, Florida.  Mote Marine Laboratory brings marine science right into your classroom via video-conferencing.

SeaTrek currently offers videoconference science programs geared for grades 4th-8th (students age 9-13 years). Free companion curricula are available for our science videoconference programs (click on images below). We can deliver videoconference programs via ISDN up to 384 Kbps (H.320) or via Internet2 up to 768 Kbps (H.323). Videoconference science programs typically last between 45-60 minutes and costs $145 USD.

Videoconferencing

Science Videoconference Programs

SHARKS: Devouring the Myths (V01)

Don't be afraid! See sharks up close and learn the truth about them! Find out why it's more dangerous to be at home than in the water with these fascinating creatures.
SHARKS program overview and curriculum, click here.
Running time: Approximately 50 minutes.
Program Fee: $145.00
Grade Level: 4th-8th grade (students age 9-13 years).
 

SEA TURTLES: Amazing Reptiles of the Sea (V02)

A lively gameshow format reveals why sea turtles are truly amazing! Also discover what a hatchling needs to survive in the open ocean and then take a tour of Mote's turtle exhibits.
SEA TURTLE program overview and curriculum, click here.
Running time: Approximately 50 minutes.
Program Fee: $145.00
Grade Level: 4th-8th grade (students age 9-13 years).
 

Mammals, Mammoths, MANATEES! (V03)

How do you train a 3000-pound relative of the elephant? Learn how Mote cares for Hugh and Buffett, our resident West Indian manatees, and find out how big and smart they are.
MANATEES program overview and curriculum, click here.
Running time: Approximately 50 minutes.
Program Fee: $145.00
Grade Level: 4th-8th grade (students age 9-13 years).
 

MISSION: See Deep, ROV (V04)

Explore how Remotely Operated Vehicles are used to enter the mysterious realms of the deep. Requires the use of a pocket tone-dialer.
ROVS program overview and curriculum, click here.
Running time: Approximately 50 minutes.
Program Fee: $145.00
Grade Level: 4th-8th grade (students age 9-13 years).
 

Coastal Habitats (V07)

Why are estuaries important? Discover the value of coastal habitats to wildlife and how important they are to people too.
COASTALS program overview and curriculum, click here
Running time: Approximately 50 minutes.
Program Fee: $145.00
Grade Level: 4th-8th grade (students age 9-13 years).
 

Other Distance Learning Programs

 

SeaTrek Demonstration (V05)

This videoconference is geared for an adult audiences (e.g., teachers and administrators) and offers an overview of our most popular SeaTrek science programs. It is a great way to demonstrate videoconferencing technology and a popular choice for Professional Development programs.
SEATREK DEMO program overview and brochure, click here
Running time: 30 minute overview, followed by up to 20 minutes of Q&A.
Program Fee: $75.00
Grade Level: Adults.

JASON Project (31)

Much more than a videoconference! Since 1989, Mote Marine Laboratory has made the JASON Project available to local students. Learn more about the JASON broadcasts at Mote. 
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Museum of Television and Radio
http://www.mtr.org
Contact:  Cid Pearlman      1.310.786.1099
E-Mail:  cpearlman@mtr.org

The Museum of Television and Radio is one museum with two locations.  The museum first opened in Manhattan in September 1991.  The second facility opened on March 18, 1996 in Los Angeles.  The Museum of Television and Radio is a non-profit organization funded to collect and preserve television and radio programs and to make these programs available to the public.

The museum has expanded the collection to include more than 100,000 programs, covering news, drama, public affairs, documentaries, performing arts, children's programming and advertising.

Videoconferencing with the Museum of Television & Radio allows you and your students access to the Museum's archive of more than 100,000 programs which span the history of radio and television and illuminate our nation's history and culture. The programs are available to visitors at our two Museum locations in New York and Los Angeles and, through the Education Department's videoconferencing program, to an extensive off-site audience of educators and students.

During each videoconference, a Museum Educator uses thematically linked collection clips to explore ideas and stimulate discussion with the off-site audience.

Schools can participate by connecting to the Museum via videoconference at 384 kbps (with three ISDN lines). If necessary, the program is also available at 128 kbps (with one ISDN line).

Program Overview: FREE

Technical Demonstration: FREE

60 minute field trip: $125

Custom classes: $200

Videoconference Programs

• Muppets and Puppets
  Grades K - 3
  This class opens a window to the delightful world of Jim Henson's Muppets and other puppets on television, exploring many aspects of puppetry and character development.
  
• Fractured Fairy Tales
  Grades K - 4
  Online Information and Printable Activities
  A humorous selection of Rocky and Bullwinkle clips from the Museum's collection provide a way to examine story structure and the elements common to all fairy tales.
• Around the World
  Grades K - 4
  Online Information and Printable Activities
  Students learn about the many different ways people live and work, comparing their own experiences to those of children from all over the world.
• Tooned In to Animation
  Grades 1 - 5
  Students learn about different techniques and styles of animation, and consider which stories are best told with this dynamic and creatively liberating process.
• Think Green
  Grades 2 - 5
  In this class students explore the complex relationship between the earth and its inhabitants. They learn about the media's advocacy role in protecting the environment and also how they themselves can work to preserve the planet.
• The Fine Art of Persuasion: Television & Advertising
  Grades 4 - 8 & 9 - 12
  Online Information and Printable Activities
  What is advertising and what are its methods? Through careful analysis, students discover how advertising has developed certain tools and techniques that capture viewer attention to promote a product, a person, or an idea.
• The Civil Rights Movement on Television
  Grades 5 - 12
  Television played a vital role in the civil rights movement, both as observer and participant. By watching significant television work from that era, students explore the role that television played in recording and shaping the struggle for equal rights in America.
• The Master of Suspense: Hitchcock on the Box
  Grades 5 - 12
  Alfred Hitchcock enlivened the suspense genre with tongue-in-cheek introductions, macabre humor, and twist endings. Students analyze Hitchcock's use of the ordinary to create exciting, even frightening, television drama.
• The Art of the Television Documentary
  Grades 6 - 12
  By examining a variety of documentaries from the Museum's collection, students learn how different techniques serve different visions and think about what types of stories are best suited to the documentary form.
• Animation: Not Just for Saturday Morning
  Grades 6 - 12
  By presenting rare and unusual examples of televised animation, this class helps to expand the definition of this popular technique and provides students with the critical vocabulary necessary to evaluate and discuss it.
• Presidential Campaign Ads
  Grades 7 - 12
  Students examine presidential campaign advertisements from the past fifty years to learn how candidates attempt to win the hearts, minds, and votes of the American people. Participants deconstruct ads to identify effective advertising styles and techniques.
• Raising the Curtain on the Cold War
  Grades 9 - 12
  Fears of war and the atomic bomb consumed America during the 1950s. By examining programs from this pivotal period, students learn how television reflected and perpetuated the paranoia and hysteria that were pervasive at that time.
  

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NASA Glenn Research Center
http://www.grc.nasa.gov/
Contact:  Ruth Peterson      1.216.433.9714
E-Mail:  Ruth.A.Peterson@grc.nasa.gov

The NASA Glenn Research Center is located at Lewis Field in Cleveland, Ohio.  This 350-acre site includes over 150 buildings.  The Center develops advanced technology for NASA and space missions.  The Center is focused on research for new aeropropulsion technologies, aerospace power, microgravity science, electric propulsion and communication technology. 

The NASA Glenn Research Center Learning Technologies Project (LTP) offers videoconferencing connections between teachers and students and NASA scientists, engineers, researchers, and education specialists. We have the capability to connect to most videoconferencing networks. NASA's ISDN videoconferencing system is compatible with the following video protocols: H.320 (most equipment meets this standard), H.CTX, H.CTXP, CTX, CTXP, and H.323. Conferences can be viewed with PictureTel, VTel, Poly Com, or CLI equipment.

Registration Information
 

• IP (H.323) and ISDN (H.320) videoconferences are booked on a first-come, first-served basis. There are limits to the number of videoconferences that can be delivered per month. Preference is given to NASA Explorer Schools and to consortiums with three sites participating.
• Check the teacher workshop schedule and student calendar for availability. If the session you would like to schedule is not available at a day and time that is convenient, you may request the addition of a session to the schedule.
• At least four weeks before the videoconference, complete the online registration form. On the form, you will be asked for permission to webcast the live videoconferencing session with your students.
• All events are subject to cancellation pending adequate registration. Official NASA programs may preempt the videoconferences.
• As of June 2004, NASA Glenn no longer charges a content provider fee for the workshops.
• A test connection with NASA Glenn is required for first-time participating sites at least two weeks in advance. After scheduling your first DLN videoconference with Glenn, call Melissa Mongalier at 216-433-5506 to schedule a test connection. Melissa will furnish additional information.
• You will not be expected to place the calls to establish the ISDN video connections to the NASA Glenn DLN Studio for the test or the presentation. Therefore, please make certain to furnish an up-to-date ISDN number.
• Participants are asked to complete an online evaluation form at the close of the videoconference. We are required to report feedback from no less than 25% of the student participants as well as feedback from one teacher. Please randomly select the students you ask to complete the evaluation. (Teachers | Students)

To register for a conference, please complete the online registration form. For additional information on scheduling additional sessions, contact Kathy Paulitzky at Kathy.Paulitzky@grc.nasa.gov or (216) 433-2680. For additional information on content or to make suggestions for new topics, contact Ruth Petersen at Ruth.A.Petersen@grc.nasa.gov or (216) 433-9714.

Videoconference Programs

• Aeronautics
  Length:  45-60 Minutes
  Grade Level:  K-12
  Aeronautics has been and will remain a key focus in NASA's research and development into the 21st century. This workshop utilizes a hands-on, minds-on approach to the topic of aeronautics and how technology has influenced our society. History and principles of flight, as well as new advances in aeronautics, are discussed and illustrated. In the workshop, aeronautical maps are used to teach math skills and geography. Participants access NASA Internet resources or watch as the resources are demonstrated, then work as teams to produce effective products. 
  

  The presentation can be geared to certain grade levels. 

• Aircraft Safety and Icing Research
  Length:  30 - 45 Minutes
  Grade Level:   8 - 12
  In an effort to improve aircraft safety by reducing the number of in-flight icing events, NASA Glenn conducts flight tests using their icing research aircraft. This workshop debriefs the audience on the results from one such program, the NASA/FAA Tailplane Icing Program. The presenter engages the audience in discussions of basic aircraft flight mechanics and the function of the horizontal tailplane, as well as the effect of ice on airfoil (wing or tail) surfaces. A brief video of actual flight footage is shown. The video illustrates the flow at the tailplane with and without an ice shape and provides a view of the pilot's actions/reactions and the horizon.
  

  The presentation can be geared to certain grade levels.

• Out of Control
  Length:   45- 60 Minutes
  Grade Level:  6 - 8
  The Wright Brothers' first powered flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, on December 17, 1903, was the culmination of years of hard work, experimentation, and research.  The Wright Brothers developed a system modeled after the flight of birds called wing warping to solve their greatest hurdle--controlling the aircraft once it was airborne.  Learn how the Wright Brothers' innovations led to the modern aircraft surface control systems of today using rudders, ailerons, and elevators. Their research paved the way for the first 100 years of powered flight and is also being used in the development of control surfaces for future aircraft.

  Listed below are the objectives of the session:
  
  Students will demonstrate an understanding of basic aerodynamic forces.
  Students will gain an understanding of the Wright Brothers' flight control principles.
  Students will demonstrate a knowledge of modern flight control surfaces.
  Students will be able to identify similarities and differences between the Wright Brothers' flight control surfaces and modern flight control.
  Students will gain an insight into the future of control surfaces.

  Questions from participants are encouraged throughout the session.
  

• High Speed Flight
  Length:  45 Minutes
  Grade Level:  K - 12
  When people think of supersonic flight, they think "really fast"! This workshop presents the history of flight and how an airplane and its engine "work." Emphasis is on "high speed" flight, including the difference between subsonic (or what everyone knows as today's airplanes) to supersonic and hypersonic flight. The presentation includes a short video called "Super Plane" and a brief history of the United States' supersonic programs, ending with the current High Speed Research Program at NASA Glenn Research Center.
  

  The presentation can be geared to certain grade levels. 

• History of Humans in Space
  Length:  30 - 60 Minutes
  Grade Level:  4-12
  This presentation traces the human exploration of space beginning with the single orbit flight of Yuri Gagarin in 1961. Problems to be overcome during launch, orbit, space walking, rendezvous docking, and reentry are discussed. American's Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Skylab, and Space Shuttle programs are described, as well as the Russian Vostok, Voskhod, Soyuz, Salyut, and Mir programs. Current plans for the International Space Station are included. Video clips and scale models of the spacecraft and boosters are used in the presentation to provide a sense of scale.
  

The presentation can be geared to certain grade levels. 


• History of Rocketry
  Length:  45- 90 Minutes
  Grade Level:    4- 12
  This presentation focuses on the early history, development, and future of rocket propulsion. It covers rocket propulsion from the development of rocketry in China over 1000 years ago to the future of human exploration of the outer Solar System.
  

  The interactive and high energy presentation is augmented with photographs of historical, current, and future space vehicles, their past and proposed space missions, and their inventors. The presentation also includes:
  the use of illustrative scale models of rocket vehicles, such as the Space Shuttle.
  demonstrations of rocket construction, using small paper rockets launched from soda straws and antacid powered rockets.

  The presentation can be geared to certain grade levels.

• The Incredible Lever
  Length:  45 Minutes
  Grade Level:  K - 12
  The workshop supports the Simple Machine, history, and mathematics curriculum areas. It includes a discussion and demonstration of the four forces that act upon an aircraft and the concept of mass vs. weight.
  

  This is an interactive workshop with the students constructing a paper airplane at the conclusion. A motivational element that requires an addition fifteen minutes can be added.

   The presentation can be geared to certain grade levels. 
  

• Topics In Aerodynamics, Propulsion, and Model Rockets
  Length:  45 - 60 Minutes
  Grade Level:  5 - 12
  The presentations demonstrate real world applications of math and physics principles as applied to aerodynamics, propulsion, and model rockets. They show participants why they "have to learn" graphing, problem-solving using fractions or decimals, scientific notation, trigonometry, rate problems, geometry, algebra, and vectors. Newton's Laws of Motion, forces, moments, center of gravity and the basic thermodynamics principles of energy, work, and power are also demonstrated. Presentations are geared to the specific grade level of the requesting teacher.
  

  Meet a NASA Employee Involved in Aerospace Research
  Length:  45 - 60 Minutes
  Grade Level:   7 - 12
  What is it really like to work on a NASA aerospace project? Who works on aerospace projects for NASA? What is their background and how did they become qualified for their jobs? These and other questions are answered during this presentation for students. Selected NASA aeronautical engineers, scientists, and project managers are available for this career exploration session.

• Propulsion
  Length:  50 Minutes
  Grade level:  4 - 6
  The concepts introduced in this presentation are Newton's Third Law of Motion; creating and using graphs to analyze information; basic rocket propulsion; and the aerodynamics of propellers.
  

  This hands-on interactive session will step teachers or students through a lab on the basic concepts of propulsion. Newton's Third Law of Motion is presented as the governing physics concept of all propulsion systems. Participants will use balloons, string, and tape measures to conduct an experiment that demonstrates rocket propulsion. The air in the balloon will represent fuel for a rocket propulsion system, and the relationship between volume of fuel and distance will be examined. Participants will create a graph in order to depict this relationship. The aerodynamics propeller will also be described, and a handheld propeller will be used to demonstrate the concept of lift.

• Topics in Aerodynamics, Propulsion, and Model Rockets
  Length:  45 - 60 Minutes
  Grade Level:   5- 12
  The presentations demonstrate real world applications of math and physics principles as applied to aerodynamics, propulsion, and model rockets. They show participants why they "have to learn" graphing, problem-solving using fractions or decimals, scientific notation, trigonometry, rate problems, geometry, algebra, and vectors. Newton's Laws of Motion, forces, moments, center of gravity and the basic thermodynamics principles of energy, work, and power are also demonstrated. Presentations are geared to the specific grade level of the requesting teacher.
  
• Tours of NASA Glenn Research Center Facilities:  Icing Reserach Tunnel and 8x6'/9x15' Wind Tunnels
  Length:  30 - 60 Minutes
  Grade Level:  5 - 12
  The presentations explore research facilities at the NASA Glenn Research Center, including the history of the facility, how the facility works, the research conducted in the facility, and why the research is important. Each presentation consists of a 10-minute videotape about the facility followed by a 20-minute, question-and-answer session with the facility manager.
  
• Wilbur Wright Discusses the Invention of the Airplane
  Length:  45 - 60 Minutes
  Grade Level:  5 - 12
  The Wright brothers are being recognized during 2003 as the inventors of the airplane. But the story of the invention of the airplane is not generally known. The events of December 17, 1903, were only one step along the path leading to the invention of the first practical, heavier than air, piloted vehicle. Along the way the Wright Brothers also invented the methods used by aeronautical engineers to this day:

  They designed their vehicles based on mathematical and scientific principles.
  They built and tested models of their aircraft components.
  They conducted flight tests and recorded data from the tests which they compared with pre-flight performance predictions.
  Based on the test results, they modified their designs until they achieved success.

  The story of the first aeronautical engineers is told by a modern day aeronautical engineer dressed in period costume and using photographs produced by the Brothers between 1900 and 1905.
  

• Advanced Space Propulsion Concepts
  Length:  45 Minutes
  Grade Level:  9 - 12
  The presentation outlines the basic space propulsion system requirements for concepts enabling human exploration of the outer solar system. The rationale for quick trips between planets is discussed, principal engine parameters are identified, and prospective missions are proposed. Propulsion concepts are primarily nuclear fusion based, though matter-antimatter annihilation and similar concepts can be addressed. 
   
  
• Exploring Mars:  Parts 1 -5
  Length:  30 - 90 Minutes
  Grade Level:   5-12; Lifelong Learners
  The Exploring Mars series focuses on Mars in human history, with special emphasis on recent missions, including Mars Pathfinder. Each part may be requested as a stand-alone presentation, or the parts may be requested as a series. Please note that actual sessions are run in a question and answer format, using the information from the PowerPoint presentations to respond to individual questions. In this way, the needs and level of individual classes are best met.
  
• Human Exploration and Development of Space
  Length:  45 Minutes
  Grade Level:  K-12
  This workshop allows participants to become aware of the problems to be overcome in putting humans in space. Participants learn about the history of spaceflight and the significance of the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo missions. Participants learn what it is like to live in space--the joys, the hardships, and the challenges--and about future missions. Participants are presented with a variety of activities to illustrate various elements of training humans for space.
  

  The presentation can be geared to certain grade levels.

• Apollo Moon Landings - Fact, Not Fiction
  Length:  45 - 90 Minutes
  Grade Level:  2-12; Lifelong Learners
  Since the airing of a program on national television called "Conspiracy Theory: Did We Land on the Moon?" many questions about the legitimacy of the Apollo Moon landings between 1969 and 1972 have resurfaced. The Science@NASA Web site responded immediately by posting an excellent Web page outlining in detail the evidence that Apollo was exactly what NASA said it was.
  

  One subject not raised at all in the program was the more than 800 pounds of lunar rocks that astronauts brought back to Earth. Geologists have been examining these samples for 30 years, and from them we have learned much about the formation of the moon. An in-depth discussion of the analysis of Apollo lunar samples is available from the Lunar and Planetary Institute Web site.

  This videoconferencing session gives participants an opportunity to discuss their questions about the landings on the Moon with a panel of NASA researchers. The presentation can be geared to all grade levels.
  

• Humans to Mars
  Length:  45 Minutes
  Grade Level:  4 - 12
  The presentation is an overview of NASA's 1987-92 Space Exploration Initiative study, as well as current plans to send humans to the planet Mars. The objectives of the program, mission overview, Earth-Mars transit space propulsion systems (nuclear thermal and nuclear electric), space environment concerns, how people would live on the Martian surface, and initial colonization plans are covered. Current status of the ongoing robotic mission (Global Surveyor) and the role of the NASA Glenn Research Center during this effort are explained. Brief videotape footage is included.
  

  The presentation can be geared to certain grade levels. 
  

• Mission to Planet Earth (MTPE)
  Length:  45 Minutes
  Grade Level:  K-12
  Taking care of our environment will take on new meaning and relevance to participants as they participate in the NASA Mission to Planet Earth (MTPE) activities. The workshop allows participants to become aware of the factors that control the quality of air we breathe and some of the aspects we have come to understand as weather. Pictures of Earth taken from space illustrate different types of weather, and participants are able to relate this information to their everyday lives. Activities and models explain concepts related to weather and atmospheric pollution, as well as the process by which we transmit weather-related images.
  

  The presentation can be geared to certain grade levels
  

• Volcanoes on Earth and Mars:  A Comparative Study
  Length:  60 Minutes
  Grade Level:  6 - 16
  The unknown becomes understandable by comparison with the known. This statement is the very basis for the all of the comparative sciences. Medical students and forensic scientists study comparative anatomy. Comparative planetology, the study of the planetary geologies, atmospheres, and other characteristics, is important in our understanding of the evolution of the Earth, the basis of life on Earth, the exploration of other planets, and the discovery of life "outside" Earth. By studying planets and other large bodies in the solar system, we learn about the history and possible future of our own.
  

  The numerous beautiful worlds that make up our solar system possess features that are both novel and unique. Many have only recently been seen for the first time as a result of an astonishing half century of groundbreaking NASA space technology. "Our eyes have seen wonders!" (Sir A. Conan Doyle, The Lost World). And yet, even at first glance, these worlds are not entirely strange; they also have many things in common. By using Earth as a guide for evaluating other worlds, we have begun to glimpse some of the tantalizing secrets hidden from us throughout all previous human history.

  To the searching robotic eyes of NASA, Mars has revealed many volcanoes scattered across the latitudes, including four of the largest volcanoes ever seen anywhere in the solar system. The very largest of these covers a land area greater than the State of Arizona! Olympus Mons is a vast shield volcano whose summit reaches more than 17 miles above the planet's surface, but can be compared to the much smaller line volcanoes that comprise the Hawaiian Island chain on Earth. The Mars Global Surveyor, a NASA Mars-orbiter that first arrived at Mars late in 1997 and is still functioning, has returned abundant data showing Mars to have been much more Earthlike than anything formerly imagined. There is even evidence for plate tectonics having occurred on Mars ages ago!

  Students will be introduced to terrestrial volcanology and continental drift, then apply these sciences to Mars to produce some fascinating new perspectives. Not only will students learn about Mars as a world through this study, they will also gain an understanding of the methods of modern science

• Asteroids
  Length:  45 Minutes
  Grade Level:   7 - 12
  Asteroids present a beautiful, ancient, and potentially Earth damaging element of our Solar System. Many formed during the beginnings of our Solar System 4.5 billion years ago, and all of them have very different, and sometimes eccentric, egg-shaped orbits. Occasionally, these orbits do cross the orbit of the Earth, and at times they have entered the atmosphere and either landed or burned up. Larger asteroids may have created large features on the Earth, such as craters and water basins.
  

  Current and future NASA missions to study asteroids are discussed, and Internet resources are demonstrated. The presentation can be geared to specific grade levels. 

• Cassini Mission to Saturn
  Length:  45 Minutes
  Grade Level:  4-12
  The presentation is an overview of the Cassini mission, an unmanned interplanetary probe of the planet Saturn, which was launched in October 1997. The scientific objectives of the mission, preparations for launch, and an overview of the events that will take place when the spacecraft arrives at the planet are covered. The roles of the NASA Glenn Research Center and the presenter during the mission are discussed. 
  

  The presentation can be geared to certain grade levels. 
  

• Comets
  Length:  45 Minutes
  Grade Level:  5 - 8
  Comets have fascinated people throughout the ages. But only in recent times have we come to understand and appreciate the significance of comets. This presentation focuses on the history of thought about comets, the exploration of comets with the advent of the space age, and current models for a comet. Participants are shown how to make a model comet.
  

  Current and future NASA missions to study comets are discussed, and Internet resources are demonstrated. The presentation can be geared to specific grade levels. 

• Comets:  Visitors from the Unknown!
  Length:   30 - 90 Minutes
  Grade Levels:  K-12; Lifelong Learners
  This interactive lesson focuses on what happened to all of the debris that was left behind after the initial formation of our solar system. Students are guided into discovering that rocky debris fell onto the newly formed planets, causing craters in solid surfaces, while icy debris was swept out of the solar system by the solar wind. The icy debris orbits our sun in an enormous cloud midway between our sun and the next closest stars! These condensed clots of ice, stone, and dust (dirty snowballs) are comets, according to the theoretical work of Jan Oort. We see comets when they fall inward toward the sun.
  

  Throughout time, the solar system seems to have undergone periods of unusually heavy meteoric bombardment followed by long periods of quiet. Fossil records show that periodic mass extinctions occurred every several hundred million years or so on earth. The meteoric material may have come from great showers of comets that periodically made group excursions toward the sun. The reason for this periodic behavior is an important question in modern science. Students are challenged to arrive at the conclusion that our sun may actually have a dark companion star that passes into and out of the Oort Cloud, causing major disruptions, and sending large numbers of comets falling toward the sun.

  Next, the students explore the appearance of comets in our skies and identify various cometary features. A comet is followed along its journey from deep space, around the sun, and back out to deep space again, showing changes that occur in its structure and appearance. The students are then challenged to recognize the connection between periodic meteor showers and the orbits of periodic comets.

  Finally, the Age of Dinosaurs is revisited at about 65 million years ago, when a massive object struck the Yucatan Peninsula and caused the most recent mass extinction. Louis and Walter Alvarez are introduced, and their ground-breaking work with the Yucatan object is briefly discussed. (Students who have seen or read "Jurassic Park" will be familiar with the KT boundary.)

  Questions and comments are an essential part of the session. The students thereby direct the speaker's comments to a level suitable to their own understanding. Pre- and post-conference activities are provided for purposes of preparation.

• Elements of Space
  Length:  45 - 60 Minutes
  Grade Level:  K-12
  Space is what most people perceive NASA is all about. The exploration of space has been the stuff of dreams for countless generations. This presentation addresses the elements that make up space. It includes:

  the history of space exploration
  where space begins
  what space is like in terms of microgravity
  weather in space
  fabulous views from space.

  Participants will also be shown NASA Internet resources that assist in the understanding of space. The presentation can be geared to specific grade levels.

• Energy From the Sun
  Length:  30 - 90 Minutes
  Grade Level:  9-12; Lifelong Learners
  This presentation focuses on the sun as a source of energy. The solar constant is introduced, and the audience is led through a series of calculations that demonstrate the sun's energy output.
  

  The discussion includes:
  harnessing the sun's energy
  the solar cell as an energy transducer
  basics of solar cell science
  materials used in manufacturing solar cells
  macroscopic characteristics such as efficiency
  load lines
  a basic pictoral explanation of how to solve a simple circuit with a nonlinear power-producing element
  the wide ranging use of solar cells on Earth and in space.

  The session is necessarily interactive. Mr. Kolecki relies on comments and questions from the class to direct his remarks at a level most suitable to its understanding. Pre- and post-conference activities are provided for purposes of preparation. This presentation can be geared to specific grade levels and individual levels of understanding.

  Mr. Kolecki has worked with NASA for over 30 years, during which he has studied Earth orbital space, the Moon, and the Martian surface. He was a participating scientist in the recent Pathfinder mission. Currently, he is a member of the Learning Technologies Project at NASA Glenn where he hopes to reach out to audiences everywhere with a story of hope for the future and a call to reflect back upon our own basic humanity in an unprecedented time of technological growth.
  

• Exploration of the Solar System
  Length:  45 Minutes
  Grade Level:  4 - 6
  The workshop covers the history of space exploration with descriptions of the spacecraft and pictures of the planets taken by the spacecraft. The pictures show the evolution of our understanding of the Solar System.
  

  The presentation can be geared to certain grade levels. 

• Galileo Mission to Jupiter
  Length:  45 Minutes
  Grade Level:  4-12
  The presentation is an overview of the recently completed Galileo mission, an unmanned interplanetary probe of the planet Jupiter. The accomplishments of the mission, preparations for launch, current spacecraft status, and an overview of the extended mission at Jupiter are covered. The roles of the NASA Glenn Research Center and the presenter during the mission are discussed.
  

  The presentation can be geared to certain grade levels. 

• Mars
  Length:  45 Minutes
  Grade Level:  K-12
  This workshop allows participants to become aware of the conditions that exist on Mars. It also allows participants to demonstrate/work with the scientific method in exobiology as it pertains to Mars.

  The presentation can be geared to certain grade levels.

• The Moon
  Length:  45 - 60 Minutes
  Grade Level:  K-12
  The Moon videoconference provides participants the chance to become aware of the outcomes of the Apollo program and the processes that come into play to create the surface we see when we view the Moon. Participants are presented with activities to explain geological processes that shaped the Moon's surface. 

  Lunar materials are available for classroom use. The presentation can be geared to certain grade levels. 

• Scaling the Cosmos
  Length:  30 - 90 Minutes
  Grade Level:  K-12; Lifelong Learners
  This presentation takes the audience on an interactive voyage through cosmic space and time and seeks to reveal the vast extent of the cosmos through scaling. The emphasis is on numerical model building, how it can help our understanding, and how it can reveal limitations in our ability to ever truly grasp things on a cosmic scale. Four episodes are included:
  the Earth-Moon system
  the solar system
  the cosmos
  geological time.

  The session is necessarily interactive. The audience is challenged to make remarks, ask questions, and perform actual calculations for the models presented. The author and class then discuss their solutions. The presentation can be geared to specific grade levels.

  Mr. Kolecki has worked with NASA for over 30 years, during which he has studied Earth orbital space, the Moon, and the Martian surface. He was a participating scientist in the recent Pathfinder mission. Currently, he is a member of the Learning Technologies Project at NASA Glenn where he hopes to reach out to audiences everywhere with a story of hope for the future and a call to reflect back upon our own basic humanity in an unprecedented time of technological growth.

• Space Questions
  Length:  45 Minutes
  Grade Level:  4 - 6
  The workshop is an open question-and-answer session on space that revolves completely around questions from the student audience. Canned questions are used, if needed, to stimulate audience questions. 

  The presentation can be geared to certain grade levels. 

• Space Science
  Length:  45 Minutes
  Grade Level:  K-12
  The Space Science workshop allows participants to become aware of the exciting discoveries made through space exploration and research. Teams develop products in hands-on, minds-on activities related to Space Science. When possible, participants use the Internet to access NASA's online resources related to Space Science or they watch demonstrations on how to access NASA's Internet resources. The presentation can be geared to certain grade levels.
• Space and the Solar System
  Length:  30-90 Minutes
  Grade Levels:  K-16; Lifelong Learners

  The PowerPoint presentation begins in our cosmic back year, then gradually expands outward to include the solar system, the galaxy, and finally, deep space. Photographs from NASA missions comprise the bulk of the visual information available. The text accompanying each slide provides a brief but thorough explanation of the material on the slide. Please note that the session does not necessarily follow the PowerPoint presentation but, rather, relies on the students making comments and asking questions. Students should have their comments and questions ready before the session begins. This approach allows Mr. Kolecki to assess in real time the needs of each individual class and their level of learning. The presentation can be geared to all grade levels, K-16.

  Mr. Kolecki has worked with NASA for over 30 years, during which he has studied Earth orbital space, the Moon, and the Martian surface. He was a participating scientist in the recent Pathfinder mission. Currently, he is a member of the Learning Technologies Project at NASA Glenn where he hopes to reach out to audiences everywhere with a story of hope for the future and a call to reflect back upon our own basic humanity in an unprecedented time of technological growth.

• Science Through Arts
  Length:  45 - 90 Minutes
  Grade Level:   7 - 12 
  The STAR (Science Through ARts) Project is sponsored by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in collaboration with the Holy Cross School, UK. We would be delighted to have you participate in this exciting new adventure!
  

  During our time together, you will learn about the planet Mars, our solar system neighbor next out from the sun. You will be challenged to develop questions about what you have learned and to imagine experimental means for acquiring answers. In some cases, you may even perform basic experiments in the laboratory. Your objective will be to put together a mission to Mars, based on today's scientific knowledge and outfitted to acquire new information from the planet.
  You will then turn to art to make your mission come to life. Writing, drawing, music, acting, and more could become part of this enriching experience. Within the guidelines that you have been given and the compass of the mission that you have developed, you will ask what might happen if something goes wrong or the unexpected occurs. You will choose the unexpected element, keeping in mind that it must seem realistic and possible. You will then work through the combined media of science and art toward a likely (or unlikely) outcome.
  

  Members of NASA's Learning Technologies Project Team will interface with you via interactive television to provide guidance and to answer questions. You will also be encouraged to collaborate with students in other schools who are taking part in STAR. We are certain that there will be plenty of fun and learning for all!

• The World of Robots
  Length:  45-60 Minutes
  Grade Level:  K-12
  The presentation describes different types of robots and includes four working samples. The fields discussed are humanoid robots, industrial robots, telerobotics, and autonomous robots. The tele-robot is driven by radio control and has a camera that transmits a video picture to any TV. This robot has a pair of electric squirt guns, which are demonstrated. The autonomous robot uses infrared light to detect and avoid obstacles while walking. There is also a small robot that the audience can move by clapping their hands. The presentation may include a short video on robot competitions.

  The presentation can be geared to certain grade levels. 

• Fermi's Piano Tuner-Making Estimates in Physics
  Length:  60 - 90 Minutes
  Grade Level:  9 - 12; Lifelong Learners

  Sometimes in our work at NASA, we must attempt to estimate important scientific and/or engineering values based on scanty information. Experimental science seeks its answers from Nature. But before an experiment can be designed, some idea/estimate of the parameter space must be known. Often we must make an initial guess. How should we proceed?

  Enrico Fermi, the Italian physicist of Manhattan Project fame, knew only too well that physicists are often confronted by situations in which they are forced to reason from minimal information. He, therefore, taught his students how to think in such a world by using a strange type of problem, one designed to demonstrate how everyday knowledge can be used to answer surprisingly difficult questions.

  As a lecturer, Enrico Fermi challenged his physics classes with problems that, at first glance, seemed impossible. Fermi's Piano Tuner is an example of this type of mathematical problem:

  "If 3,000,000 people live in Chicago, then how many of them are piano tuners?"

  When the class returned a blank stare, Fermi would proceed in a methodical way to show how we can draw information from everyday life to make up for what we lack in real data.

  The session is necessarily interactive. The audience is challenged to make remarks, ask questions, and perform actual calculations while inventing their own solution to Dr. Fermi's famous inquiry. Mr. Kolecki and the students then discuss their solutions.

  Mr. Kolecki has worked with NASA for over 30 years, during which he has studied Earth orbital space, the moon, and the Martian surface. He was a participating scientist in the recent Pathfinder mission. Currently, he is a member of the Learning Technologies Project at NASA Glenn, where he hopes to reach out to audiences everywhere with a story of hope for the future and a call to reflect back upon our own basic humanity in an unprecedented time of technological growth.

• Have You Looked at Your Calendar Lately?
  Length:  30 - 90 Minutes
  Grade Level:   9 - 12; Lifelong Learners

  Have you ever taken a careful look at your pocket calendar? You might be amazed at just how much history, mythology, mathematics, and astronomy you would find there! For example: the day names derive from Norse and Teutonic sources. The month names derive from Ancient Rome! Mars plays a significant and somewhat surprising role in calendar etymology. Astronomically, the calendar was long in coming in the Western world. Acquiring an accurate measure for the length of the tropical year by observation was no mean task and involved at least two major reforms over the millennia.

  From Ancient Rome, through Julius Caesar and Pope Gregory, and into modern time, Mr. Kolecki sketches the story of the calendar in an easy to understand semi-cartoon format. He then returns to antiquity, and traces out the necessary numerical calculations to enable the student to grasp the subtleties and to appreciate the marvel, which is the calendar, so easily taken for granted in these times of high tech devices and inventions. With Y2K in the news, the problem of time keeping is at the front of many people's thoughts, making this presentation especially timely for classrooms or adult groups.

  Mr. Kolecki first wrote the mathematical section as a set of personal notes many years ago, after a "casual" dialogue with his esteemed late colleague, Dr. Ira Myers, who, in his customary manner, simply spun the calculations off the top of his head. Because of the influence that Dr. Myers had on Mr. Kolecki over the years, he has chosen, respectfully, to dedicate this small piece to his memory.

  This session is interactive. Students are required to make comments and ask questions. They are also asked to make actual calendrical calculations with Mr. Kolecki. Paper, pencils, and calculators are essential for the activity.

  Mr. Kolecki has worked with NASA for over 30 years, during which he has studied Earth orbital space, the moon, and the Martian surface. He was a participating scientist in the recent Pathfinder mission. Currently, he is a member of the Learning Technologies Project at NASA Glenn, where he hopes to reach out to audiences everywhere with a story of hope for the future and a call to reflect back upon our own basic humanity in an unprecedented time of technological growth.

• Mathematics:  Science of Numbers
  Length:  30 - 90 Mintues
  Grade Level:  9 - 12; Lifelong Learners

  At NASA we are required to solve theoretical problems and to interpret the results. The solving of problems involves TECHNIQUE. The INTERPRETATION of results involves CONCEPT, a type of understanding similar to that required for interpreting a language. This lesson focuses on concept and interpretation. It begins with comments on the nature of mathematics and the reasons why interpreting results is important in research and science. Practice in interpretation of results includes understanding the concept of the magnitude of light speed.

  Mathematics is presented as a science of numbers, a body of knowledge that represents 1) what we know about numbers and the operations between them; 2) the various properties of numbers; 3) the inherent means for adding new knowledge; and 4) a system of concepts that allows for interpretation.

  We learn TECHNIQUE in school. Technique is the "know-how" for writing and solving equations. Concept and interpretation are also taught, but take much longer to develop in a person's mind. Concept is necessary for interpretation, and interpretation is necessary for putting mathematics to the best possible use. When we use mathematics in research and design, interpreting our results is vital. Solving an equation but not being able to interpret the result is like writing a grammatically correct statement without knowing what you mean!

  The session is interactive. Students are required to ask questions, to suggest approaches for solving problems, and to do actual calculations from which conclusions are drawn.

  Mr. Kolecki has worked with NASA for over 30 years, during which he has studied Earth orbital space, the moon, and the Martian surface. He was a participating scientist in the recent Pathfinder mission. Currently, he is a member of the Learning Technologies Project at NASA Glenn, where he hopes to reach out to audiences everywhere with a story of hope for the future and a call to reflect back upon our own basic humanity in an unprecedented time of technological growth.


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NASA Johnson Space Center
http://learningoutpost.jsc.nasa.gov
Contact:  Event Coordinator     1.281.244.7325

NASA Johnson Space Center located in Houston, Texas was established in 1961 as the Manned Spacecraft Center.  The Center was renamed in honor of the late President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1973.  JSC leads NASA in human space exploration and currently serves as the lead NASA center for the International Space Station.  The center's Mission Control Center (MCC) has been the operational hub of every American human space mission since Gemini IV.    JSC is also responsible for training astronauts from the U.S. and out Space Station partners.


The NASA Johnson Space Center Digital Learning & Education project is pleased to offer a wide selection of Digital Learning Expeditions via live interactive video teleconference. Each product has been designed using sound instructional principles and satisfies national education standards.

Programs

• A Place in Space
  (Space Station History) Grades K-12
  Go back to the future to learn about the dreams and efforts by humans to build a presence off our planet and into space. Become an Engineer, design the next generation of space stations in your classroom and present your ideas to NASA's Digital Learning Network.
  
• BIO: Bodies In Orbit Expedition
  (Effects of Space on the Human Body) Grades K-12
  The human body is designed for and functions best in the presence of Earth's gravity. In space, astronauts enter an environment we call microgravity, which affects the body in many ways, including changes to the cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, and neurovestibular systems. As humans explore further into space, it is vitally important that we understand the effects of spaceflight on the human body and prevent or mitigate the adverse effects so that astronauts can spend longer periods of time in space.
  
• Caution: Falling EVERYTHING!
  (Microgravity Expedition) Grades K-12
  Join us on an expedition to the world of microgravity. Often misperceived as weightlessness or zero gravity, microgravity is the unique gravitational environment astronauts experience on a spacecraft orbiting the earth. It is a condition that challenges humans who work and live in space, and that benefits many types of scientific research by freeing it from restrictions imposed by Earth's gravity for thousands of years.
  
• Earth According to WORF Expedition
  (Imagery from Space) Grades K-12
  Many of us have seen photos of the Earth taken from the Space Shuttle and have marveled at their beautiful vistas. Such imagery will continue to be collected as the International Space Station becomes operational, providing a permanent platform for remote sensing. At NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, Earth scientists study images of Earth from geographic and scientific points of view, and their investigations reveal telling facts about our planet and its processes. Data acquired by astronauts and made available on the internet by NASA help the general public, city officials, etc. to make decisions about where to live, how to vote, where to build our communities, how to plan our future and much, much more.


Other

• Our Solar Neighborhood Expedition
  (Astronomy) Grades K-8
  Our solar system is comprised of nine distinctive planets orbiting one massive star, our sun. We hope that you will join us for a journey of discovery about our unique solar system. If you are up for the challenge you will learn the qualities of each planet that set it apart from the others, along with the relationship they all share. Join us and let the discovery begin!
  
• Showcase Educators
  The NASA Johnson Space Center's Digital Learning Network opens virtual doors for remote instruction and interaction between NASA experts and students and is pleased to offer a wide selection of Digital Learning Expeditions & Challenges. Primarily a video teleconference-based project, the DLN provides national standards-based educational modules relating to space exploration. We hope you will join us soon! We look forward to working with you and your students in the near future!
  Unique Characteristics:

Events are presented LIVE from unique NASA Johnson Space Center facilities (e.g., Neutral Buoyancy Lab and the Space Vehicle Mockup Facilities).
Students at all levels have the unique opportunity to interact directly with NASA representatives, experts, and even astronauts to gain new appreciation for the importance of science and education.

Program Duration:
Live, high-energy, interactive 50-minute educational events (a limited amount of tailoring is available)


• Space Basics 101
  Grades 4-12
  You have been accepted into NASA's Astronaut Training Program! Be prepared to share some of your unique qualifications, attend a preview of your training and flight expectations, and propose an experiment to be flown aboard the shuttle or ISS before you arrive at the home of the Astronaut Corps in Houston, Texas!
  
• Space Farming Expedition
  Grades K-12
  Plants are an important component for space-based and extraterrestrial life support systems. Just as they do on Earth, plants in a regenerative life support system can take carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and produce breathable oxygen through a process called photosynthesis. Of course, plants are also a source of food. So, in theory, plants could provide two essential elements needed for humans to live in space: oxygen to breathe and food to eat. Before plants can deliver these essentials, however, NASA must learn how to grow plants in space, and how to incorporate them and other biological components into life support system research facilities, here on Earth.
  
• Space Food
  Grades K-12
  Everyone knows that people on Earth need food in order to stay alive. If we are in space, does that requirement change? The answer is no. Astronauts need food in order to live in space just as when they are on Earth. The trick is that they cannot run to the grocery store before launch because there are several requirements the food must meet to make it aboard the Space Shuttle.
  
• SpaceBots Expedition
  (Robotics) Grades K-12
  We've all seen robots in movies, on television, and in science fiction magazines, performing tasks that range from the mundane to the extraordinary. We often fail to recognize how robots and automated systems are already doing work for us and helping make our lives more convenient if not easier. NASA already uses robotics technology to great extent in its exploration of space and students and teachers can learn about NASA's use of robots from professionals who are designing and building the robotic systems that will help humans explore the universe. Learn how NASA defines robotics, see how robotic systems are already widely used in the space program and what plans there are for future robotic applications.
  
• X-Flights Expedition
  (Aeronautics Experimental Spacecraft) Grades 3-12
  We've all seen robots in movies, on television, and in science fiction magazines, performing tasks that range from the mundane to the extraordinary. We often fail to recognize how robots and automated systems are already doing work for us and helping make our lives more convenient if not easier. NASA already uses robotics technology to great extent in its exploration of space and students and teachers can learn about NASA's use of robots from professionals who are designing and building the robotic systems that will help humans explore the universe. Learn how NASA defines robotics, see how robotic systems are already widely used in the space program and what plans there are for future robotic applications.

Each Expedition module should be used in its entirety for students to experience its full value. As with expeditions of any kind, preparation is essential. Preparatory requirements are clearly stated in the module descriptions. For the best learning experience, be sure students are properly prepared before conducting a video conference.


Technical Requirements 

Electronic events with NASA's Digital Learning Network are made possible through the use of interactive two-way videoconferencing technology using ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) H.320 standard or IP (Internet Protocol) H.323 standard videoconference equipment.

TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS
A. Access to one or more ISDN/BRI lines. A typical videoconference uses three ISDN lines (384 kbps), but from one (128 kbps) to six (768 kbps) ISDN lines can be used. This is the recommended mode of connection. (You need either A. or B. or both)
B. Access to IP videoconference connectivity. A typical IP videoconference (H.323 Standard) will be connected at 384 kbps. (You need either A. or B. or both)
C. An H.320 or H.323 compatible videoconferencing system.
D. NASA DLN receives ISDN or IP calls initiated by the customer. Your school or sponsoring organization initiates and funds the call to the Johnson Space Center. There are no other charges for the event.
E. Videoconferencing is bi-directional (two way) audio and video connectivity - you see and hear us and we see and hear you. The quality of your equipment hardware and connectivity mode have a direct impact on the quality of your expedition (program) - both video and audio.
F. We have designed our expeditions to make full use of the bi-directional videoconference medium with frequent interaction during the event. We also normally provide time for questions during the later part and other times during the event.
G. Our interaction during events means that it is just as important for us to be able to hear your students as it is for you to hear our presenters. Please keep this in mind regarding room technical set up. Know your equipment and how it can work to give you the best possible performance.
H. We have increased our technical capabilities for the 2003/2004 school year and now often connect to two or three locations on one event. The quality of an individual school's connection can impact the other schools on the event.

Points of Interest:

Videoconferencing has taken giant leaps technologically in recent years. H.323 Standard (Internet Protocol or IP) Videoconferencing in particular has experienced an enormous growth of late. The most successful H.323 Standard Videoconferencing is occurring over dedicated data lines or through 3rd party providers that offer QOS (Quality of Service) dedicated lines. DLN currently has no affiliation with a QOS provider. Our experience with H.323 videoconferencing over the general internet (no QOS) has met with some less satisfactory results. When currently comparing our success with H.320 (ISDN) versus H.323 (IP General Internet) connections, we still highly recommend the ISDN connections. Certainly there are many factors to consider when deciding which method of connectivity to choose (or which to add) and these questions must be answered comparing cost and quality. We offer both methods of connectivity to meet as many of our customer's needs as possible.


TEST CALL CONNECTIONS / CONNECTIVITY CHECKS

What is the difference between a test call and a connectivity check?

We refer to a Test Call Connection as a recommended test connection from your location to our equipment after we have confirmed your event with us.

We refer to a Connectivity Check as a test call connection before you register for an event to determine if you are able to connect with us - normally only needed when you are not as experienced with videoconferencing as some regular users or you have made changes or added new equipment to your location.

For both a Test Call Connection and a Connectivity Check…

We suggest that the connection be set up just like it will be for the event so that we can check both the success and quality of the connection as well as the ability to interact with the classroom for the event. We do not require a classroom full of students for a test call, but normally can determine this with the assistance of the technical operator of your classroom system. A test call connection can take anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes depending on a number of factors. The more preparation your site gives to readiness for the test call and understanding of your equipment can make the test go more smoothly. Our expectations would be for the operator of the classroom system (what we refer to in our Registration Questionaire as the Technical Contact) to know the basic operation of the equipment including, but not limited to:
1. How to initiate a videoconference call and how to answer a videoconference call. What mode of connection you utilize (ISDN or IP) and the calling rates.
2. How to move the position of the cameras - moving left and right, up and down, and zooming in and out.
3. How to best utilize the microphone(s) - where to position the microphone(s), how to mute (turn on and off) the microphone(s).
4. How to perform a re-set of the videoconference equipment (sometimes referred to as a CODEC re-boot or a CODEC power re-set).

Connectivity Check
A Connectivity Check can be requested for instances as noted above. It should only be requested if you have not yet registered for an event. We ask that you verify several days before your connectivity check that your videoconference equipment is working properly by connecting to another site outside of any internal network of which you may be a part. If you have any problems with that connection(s), we ask that you correct those problems before your Connectivity Check with the DLN.

To schedule a Connectivity Check contact our Technical Director via e-mail at the address below. In the Subject line of your e-mail, include the words Connectivity Check. In the body of the e-mail, give several options for dates and times you are available for your connectivity check. Our connectivity checks are normally scheduled at the same time as test calls at 7:40 am, 2:40pm, and 3:10pm (Central Time Zone).
EXAMPLE of e-mail "Subject" line - "Subject: Connectivity Check"

Test Call Connection
A Test Call Connection can be completed with the DLN for your event. It is suggested that the test call be requested 2-3 weeks before an event. For multi-site connections (from your location), we strongly recommend that the test call involve each of your participating end locations.
We ask that you verify several days before your test call that your videoconference equipment is working properly by connecting to another site outside of any internal network of which you may be a part. If you have any problems with that connection(s), we ask that you correct those problems before your Test Call with the DLN.

To schedule a Test Call Connection contact our Technical Director via e-mail at the address below. In the Subject line of your e-mail, include the Event Reference Number and Registration ID Number (that we provided in our Registration Receipt e-mail), along with the date and time of your scheduled event. In the body of the e-mail, give several options for dates and times you are available for your test call. Our test calls are normally scheduled at 7:40 am, 2:40pm, and 3:10pm (Central Time Zone). Some additional times during the day may also be available.
EXAMPLE of e-mail "Subject" line - "Subject: 0411-027, ID132, 11/24/2003 9:00am TEST Call Request"

Test Call Connection or Connectivity Check - e-mail us at link below
dlntech@jsc.nasa.gov
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National Aviary
http://www.aviary.org/
Contact:  Steve Carbol
Phone:  412.323.7235
Fax:  412.321.4364
E-Mail:  raven@aviary.org

About the Provider  The National Aviary is America's only independent indoor non-profit bird zoo.  Located in historic Northside's West Park, the Aviary is home to 600 plus birds of more than 200 species.

Videoconference Program are available
ALL NEW, UNIQUE Distance-Learning Programming, using mobile video-conferencing technology to allow students and instructors to hear, see and interact with each other from remote locations.

Fees:
$125 per session
45 - 60 minutes in length

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Programs - Distance Learning

• Brave New World

From the Amazon Basin to our own backyards, the New World contains a dazzling array of habitats and bird species.  Tiny chickadees, long-legged flamingoes, and mysterious Spectacled Owls are just some of the birds we may encounter as we wind our way through Costa Rican rainforests, subtropical wetlands, and suburban backyards.  We'll cover topics like habitat loss, endangered species conservation, and attracting wildlife your own garden as we visit with birds from North and South America and the islands of the Caribbean.

• Old World Walkabout

Visit the Old World as we wander through some of the most historic exhibits at the National Aviary.  Steamy jungles, African deserts, and tropical Pacific islands are all on the itinerary for our Old World Walkabout. Discover increasingly rare Great Indian Hornbills, elfin Pearl-spotted Owlets, and beautiful Victoria Crowned Pigeons, the world's largest living pigeon species. Mystery and discovery await as we discuss avian adaptations, convergent evolution, and some of the world's most unusual nesting behavior.

• Bill of Fare

Herons, and spoonbills, and ducks, oh my!  It's feeding time a the National Aviary and the birds are hungry.  We insure that every bird gets his or her fair share at the Aviary, but how do these birds avoid  competition in the wild?  Visit the Wetlands of the Americas as we examine ibis, cormorants, terns, and many other wetland birds.  Pull up a chair and see what's on the menu.  Learn how all these birds find a place at a crowded dinner table, and how we humans have tools of our own that parallel the "natural utensils' of these amazing wetland birds.

• Vanishing Wings

It's too late to save the Passenger Pigeon, Carolina Parakeet, Dodo, and numerous other extinct species. Unfortunately, there are still many other existing birds in peril that face a number of human-created problems. We've had to learn a hard lesson about extinction, but it is possible to save what we have left. The National Aviary is working to preserve such critically endangered species such as Bald Eagles, Red-Crowned Cranes, and Thick-billed Parrots. Learn about extinct and endangered species, the birds of the Species Survival Plan, what humans have done to impact rare birds, and what is being done to bring them back from the brink of extinction.  

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National Baseball Hall of Fame
http://baseballhalloffame.org
Contact:  Pat LaFond      607.547.0362
E-Mail:  plafond@baseballhalloffame.org

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, located in beautiful Cooperstown, New York opened during the summer of 1939.  This world-re-known sports shrine houses over 30,000 objects that represent all facets of this American past time including baseballs, bats, uniforms, player equipment, ball park artifacts, awards, textiles, tickets, collectibles and assorted memorabilia. The approximately 2.6 million items archived  include photography, books, magazines, news clippings, films, video and audio tapes. 

The museum is a non-profit institution that is open year round.  Annual attendance approaches 350,000 regularly.  The biggest day of the year is Hall of Fame Day as new members are inducted into the Hall of Fame. 

Videoconference Information: The EBBETS Field Trip Series

The next best thing to visiting the Hall of Fame is participating in a videoconference. The EBBETS Field Trip Series (Electronically Bringing Baseball Education To Students) transports the wonders of Cooperstown to your very own classroom. Choose any of our 10 thematic units and participate in a live, interactive lesson with a Museum educator. Learning objectives and artifacts abound in this hour long visit to one of America's premier education destinations. 

Schools with videoconference equipment should be able to connect via either IP (Internet Protocol) or ISDN lines (phone lines through which you would connect via a bridge.) Fees: $100 per videoconference plus any connection fees. Connecting via IP requires no additional charge, however, connecting via ISDN would result in additional line charges.

Planning a Videoconference? Use this helpful videoconference checklist to assist you.

The discount advantage received by becoming a Friends of the Hall of Fame educator member is 25 percent off the $100 rate.

• American History:   A Stitch In Time 
  Wear your team colors proudly in this chronological look back at history through the button hole of a baseball jersey. Using textiles and clothing styles, students will learn about many social and technological changes since the early 1900s. Here is an exciting unit that connects each decade of the last century by highlighting major milestones as reflected in the ever-evolving baseball uniform. From benchmarks to the batter's box, fashion trends lead the way to a dyed-in-the-wool study of how the fabric of American society has changed one stitch at a time.
  
• Communication Arts:  Going, Going, Gone!
  The electrifying crack of the bat, the pop of the ball, the roar of the crowd - it's going, going, gone! Experience the drama of recreating a moment in baseball history through the simulation of an old-time radio broadcast. Students of all ages are there for an unforgettable moment in baseball history by reliving the roles of announcers, commentators, spectators and sound effect producers just as broadcasters did in an earlier era when the National Pastime was, as Phil Hirsch of the Chicago Tribune said, "the only game you could see on radio."
  
• Character Education:  Lou Gehrig — The Iron Horse
  Do you want to help your class develop the characteristics they need to be successful in life and an asset to society? Would you like to introduce your students to Lou Gehrig, man of true integrity and a great role model? More than statistics, the essence of a Hall of Famer are his personal qualities. In this thematic unit focused on character education, attributes such as perseverance, courage, humility, grace, selflessness, respect, self-discipline, leadership, sportsmanship, honesty, loyalty and citizenship are highlighted by Gehrig's life and the careers of many other Hall of Famers.
  
• Cultural Diversity:  Before You Could Say "Jackie Robinson"
  Want to motivate your students to learn about segregation and the importance of cultural diversity? Here is a colorful unit, designed for grades four through eight, that illustrates how baseball reflected and led critical social shifts in American history from the Civil War to the modern-day Civil Rights movement. Beginning with the origin of the Negro leagues to Jackie Robinson's integration of Major League Baseball in 1947, untold stories of honor, courage, and perseverance are brought to life through interactive multicultural lessons spanning several subject areas.
  
• Economics: The Business of Baseball
  "You mean a hot dog only cost 10-cents in 1929, and a World Series ticket was just $5.50 in 1940?" The varying worth of money is the basis of this lesson for teaching students how baseball history reflects American economics since the early 20th century. Hands-on math applications and factors of trade and industry - such as labor, transportation, materials, energy and the concept of supply and demand - are illustrated through primary source documents from baseball's olden days and modern age to help students analyze the ever-changing value of a dollar.
  
• Fine Arts: Painting the Corners
  Art is window into history and vision into the future. Artists throughout history have interpreted historical moments through prints, painting, drawing, sculpture and photography. In baseball art, the artist specifically tells a story of a significant moment in American history that can be analyzed and interpreted by the viewer. By examining artwork students will become investigators of life through the history of baseball. By using knowledge of history, art and baseball students will discover clues left by artists to tell the story of baseball as it relates to American culture.
  
• Geography: Baseball Coast To Coast
  Have a hot dog at the home park and some cotton candy at the coliseum as you take your students on this interactive road trip that teaches geography concepts of direction, scale, landforms, regions and population. From the Green Monster at Fenway to a "Mile High" in Denver, students in grades four through eight will journey to famous baseball stadiums in this barnstorming study of how technological advances, transportation and westward migration have shaped American history in every decade since the 1890s
  
• Math: Batter Up!
  It's the final day of the 1941 season and Ted Williams' batting average is .39955. What will he do? Sit this one out and guarantee an historic .400 season or take a chance and aim for mathematic immortality? Find the answer to this and other exciting stories in a dugout full of whole numbers, fractions and decimals, percentages, proportions and problem solving. Fun for fifth-graders and above, this thematic unit teaches fundamental concepts that connect the calculator and the clubhouse while learning, using and interpreting the statistics of famous ballplayers. Computation is the key in determining batting averages and slugging percentages. Will it be a single, double, triple or home run? It all depends on the hitter's math skills in this interactive game where long division and the long ball are one and the same. Batter up!
  
• Technology: Baseball Grows Up
  Bottom of the ninth, two men on, two out, the score is tied. With the crack of the bat and the soft thud of a hardball settling into a leather glove, the game goes to extra innings - just as the story of equipment never ends. Have you ever tried catching a baseball without a glove or hitting a pitch with a flat bat? How about standing in against a flame-throwing pitcher without the protection of a batting helmet? The equipment makes the game and mirrors important developments in history and industry. As baseball grew up, safety, technology, available resources and a desire for greater effectiveness have led to invention, change and standardization of equipment. Students in grades four through eight can slide home in this engaging unit that encourages observation, estimation and reasoning.
  
• Women's History: Dirt On Their Skirts
  If your students believe baseball is only for boys, they should think again. Rich with the history of women who broke barriers to play the National Pastime, this thematic unit covers 150 years of striving for equity and diversity on the diamond. Meet the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League of the World War II era, as well as the young ladies of the 19th century who played the game long before they even had the right to vote. What do skirts and strawberries, charm school and chaperones have to do with baseball? Each teaches an important lesson in the story of gals who gave their all so that boys and girls can play side-by-side today.
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National Science Center

The National Science Center's (NSC's) VTC program is connected to Georgia's Statewide Academic & Medical System (GSAMS). As one of the world's largest two-way interactive video and audio networks, GSAMS enables the NSC to provide educational programs statewide, nationally and internationally without the restrictions of time or distance.  Programming is provided at no cost to Georgia sites.  Nominal fees are now required for out-of-state sites.

If you are interested in utilizing our VTC educational programming, you are in the right place. Here are some things to keep in mind when looking at our  educational programming.
Over 21 program selections from which to make your selection 10 separate science topics offered up to 2 times during the school year at distinct grade levels (3-12)
National standards shown under program description are at the middle school level Participants are exposed to fun, interactive, inquiry-based demonstrations and many times can participate with the demonstrator

Our VTC programs are designed to support instruction in your school and classroom.  We are always striving to improve the quality of both the content and presentation of our programs. Input from educators in the schools is invaluable in this process; we encourage your input. If you have questions, please feel free to contact our Distance Learning Coordinator at any time.

Chip Schuster
One 7th Street
Augusta, GA  30901
Phone:  (706)821-0200 ext. 5539 or
             (800)325-5445 ext. 5539
Fax:  706.821.0250
Email:  schuster@nscdiscovery.org

$140 per program

Amazing Sound
Sound production is demonstrated using a
variety of non-conventional media.


Colors of Chemistry
In chemistry, color changes reveal the status of
a system. This lesson includes a wide variety
of pH and titration experiments and more.


I'm all Charged up!
Discuss, investigate and explore principles of
electricity.


Kitchen Cabinet Science
Join us in science demonstrations using
everyday materials.


Magic of Air
Can you feel the pressure exerted on your body
as you read this? Learn about the effects of air
pressure on common items.


Magnetism: A Strong Attraction
Investigate, demonstrate and discuss concepts
and principles of magnetism.


Nitrogen: The Earth's Most Abundant Gas
Students observe changes between the solid,
liquid and gas states of matter.


Physics Balancing Act
Learn about center of mass,
gravity, velocity, torque,
rotational inertia and more.

The Simpler, The Better
Explore and experiment with several of six
simple machines. Some machines don't have
motors.

Vision, Light and Color
We demonstrate, illustrate and discuss aspects,
theories and properties of light and color using
classroom and studio objects.

For more information about availability and teacher resource materials, go to the Center's website.
Website: www.nationalsciencecenter.org
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Ocean Institute
http://www.ocean-institute.org
Contact:  Kelli Lewis     949.496.2274  Ext. 313
E-Mail:  klewis@ocean-institute.org

The Ocean Institute is a laboratory for the creation, testing, and dissemination of new ideas, strategies, and technologies for teaching and learning.  The Institute is a leader, serving as a resource to museums, school districts, teachers, and others who seek to enhance and strengthen an educational program. 

The Ocean Institute offers unique videoconferencing programs for your school.  The videoconferencing programs are conducted over both an ISDN based Zydracron system and a T-1 based RoseTel system. 

How to Schedule a Videoconference Program with the Ocean Institute
If you would like to schedule a program, you may do so over the phone or via e-mail.

Call: 1-949-496-2274 ex.211 or e-mail: tsiplivy@ocean-institute.org

Please provide the following information:
1. Several dates and times that you could do. Please indicate time zone.
2. The name of the program you would like.
3. The grade level and # of students.
4. Your phone number and billing address.
5. Name of school, teachers name and phone.

You will receive confirmation by email after receiving your registration form. Programs may be scheduled 7:30-4:00 PST, M-F, year round. In order to get the day and time you like, please schedule early, scheduling is subject to availability. We recommend that a test-call be made at least two days prior to your videoconference program.

Programs are 50 min. long and the cost is $150 per class (no multi-conferences) . Payment is due in full upon receipt of our invoice, which you will receive by mail shortly after your confirmation notice. Recipients are responsible for dialing the Ocean Institute and any associated long distance charges. Please note that cancellation notices must be received 48 hours prior to your videoconference to avoid billing.

The Ocean Institute conducts videoconferences over a ISDN-based Zydacron system

Zydracron Equipment Profile

H.320 Standards Capability: Yes
Maximum Transmission Speed: 384

Video Equipment Manufacturer: Zydacron
Model: Z 220

Video Codec Rev: Zydapp 2.00
Audio Information: Mode: G.728 Full Duplex

Video Equipment Number: 949-443-0503
Long Distance Carrier: A T & T

The Ocean Institute is located in the Pacific Time Zone.

An Octopus is Amazing! Videoconference
Grades K-3 50 Minutes One Class $200.00
What underwater creature can change its color and texture, eats with a beak, and can disappear in a cloud of ink? During this interactive videoconference, students develop their skills in observing and comparing as they study the amazing anatomy and behavior of an octopus.

Safari into the Intertidal Zone Videoconference
Grades 1-1250 Minutes One Class $200.00
Join us for an "Intertidal Safari"! During this videoconference, students take a "virtual walk" through the tidepools and use their observation skills to define this unique and rugged ocean ecosystem. Younger students discover what makes a tidepool and learn about the animals that inhabit them. Older students define the abiotic and biotic components of a tidepool, use a field guide to identify animals, hypothesize about their survival strategies, and carry out a population survey of the intertidal zone.

Mysterious Whales Videoconference
Grades 1-1250 Minutes One Class $200.00
There are few animals in the ocean that fascinate humans more than whales. From graceful humpbacks to awe-inspiring blue whales, students experience how field biologists study these mysterious creatures. Younger students observe the differences between whales and fish as well as identify different types of whales. After identifying different species of whales, older students record whale behaviors and study vocal patterns just as if they were aboard a research vessel.
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Smithsonian American Art Museum
http://nmaa-ryder.si.edu/
Contact:  Woody Dowling      1.202.633.8062
E-Mail:  sdowling@nmaa.si.edu

The Smithsonian American Art Museum located in the historic Old Patent Office Building in Washington, D.C. is home to the largest collection of American Art in the world.  The collection includes over 37,500 works which reflect our nation's ethnic, geographical, cultural and religious diversity.

The American Art Museum offers videoconference sessions from 30 minutes to one hour in duration.  The programs are designed to engage students in exploring the country's history and culture through looking at important works of art from the collection.  The virtual field trips can be tailored to meet curricular needs or teachers have the option of selecting a program from one of the ten trips offered by the museum. 
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Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
http://www.serc.si.edu/
Contact:  Dottie Klugel
E-Mail:  klugel@serc.si.edu

The Smithsonian Environmental Research Center is located on the Chesapeake Bay.
SERC is the leading national research center for understanding environmental issues in the coastal zone especially where the land meets the sea and is committed to the education and studies of  the biological and physical processes that sustain life on earth. 

SERC offers informative, interactive videoconference programs which run from thirty to sixty minutes in duration.  Throughout the videoconference, students interact with SERC education staff and scientists.  A variety of topics are available.

Each informative videoconference lasts between thirty and sixty minutes, during which time conduct hands-on science demonstrations and interact with SERC staff. Before the videoconference, you will receive curriculum aligned with Maryland Science Content Standards to use in the classroom before, during, and after the videoconference.

Technology
SERC can connect with you using ISDN or T1 lines and we can work with you to meet the technological requirements of the broadcast. To learn more about the technology used in the videoconferences, you can download a PDF article a SERC's Distance Learning Program.

Costs
The fee for the videoconference depends on the curriculum materials you choose. Prices start at $100 per videoconference. Please contact SERC for more pricing details.

Contact Information and Signing Up  If you're ready to sign up, please use the online registration form. You can also print a
Registration From (pdf) and fax it to SERC at 301-261-3415.

If you have any questions about the programs or signing up, please contact Dottie Klugel, SERC's Distance Learning Coordinator at klugeld@si.edu.

Videoconferencing Programs

Go behind the scenes of science with SERC's interactive videoconferences, offered on a variety of topics related to our research:

• Birds of a Feather
  Grades K - 7
  All birds have feathers, and birds are the only organisms to have them. What can be learned about birds from their feathers?

This videoconference emphasizes the importance of adaptation in organisms. Examine the structure of several types of feathers and identify the differences. This will help students recognize how to look for adaptations and determine why they are important. In addition, other bird adaptations may be discussed (beaks, feet, etc.) as well as the research methods used at SERC to track the migratory routes of birds.

This videoconference can be extended by a component involving life birds, during which students can compare and contrast the feeding habits of two different raptors. Owls feed at night, and what they eat can be determined from their pellets. Hawks feed during the day. Because this demonstration involves life birds, please inform Dottie Klugel, the distance learning coordinator, of your interest in this additional component.  Sign up for this videoconference.

• Timeless Turtles: Turtles, Tortoises, and Terrapins
  Grades K - 8
  These animals have been around since the time of dinosaurs and survived when they didn't. Turtles are closely connected to both the land and water; sea turtles and diamondback terrapins for example live in water but return to the land to lay their eggs.

Everybody recognizes a turtle when they see one, but what exactly are their defining characteristics? Explore the unique characteristics that make turtles turtles, and the differences among turtles, tortoises, and terrapins. Meet the diamondback terrapin and box turtle, both Bay residents. Also learn about the sea turtles that visit the Bay when traveling along their migratory route.  Sign up for this videoconference.

• The Chesapeake Bay
  Grades  2 - 12
  An introduction to and overview of the Chesapeake Bay, its watershed, and the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC). Explore the unique characteristics of the nation's largest estuary and learn about some of its inhabitants. This videoconference is a great first introduction to estuaries and Chesapeake Bay ecology.   Sign up for this videoconference.
  
• Salinity Solution
  Grades 3 - 7
  Observe a demonstration of salinity and how brackish water is formed. Then participants will create their own "salinity solution" by mixing unknown samples and meet a resident of the Chesapeake Bay known for its tolerance to salt, the blue crab.  Sign up for this videoconference.
  
• Aquatic Ecosystems: Putting the Parts Together
  Grades 4 - 9 
  What are the parts of aquatic ecosystems, and how do these parts come together to make an ecosystem unique?

Examine some living and non-living components in various aquatic ecosystems, with particular attention on the effects of a salinity gradient. Students are encouraged to build aquatic ecosystems in the classroom and share observations with SERC staff during a videoconference. Comparisons will be made to the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem, with examples of its specific living and non-living components.  Sign up for this videoconference.

• Blue Crab Biology
  Grades 4 - 12
  Examine the fascinating life and role of the blue crab, an important link in the Chesapeake Bay food web. The video conference will focus on blue crab research conducted in the Bay, and what this research tells us about the state of the Bay and its watershed.  Sign up for this videoconference.
  
• A Walk Through the Woods: Forest Canopies
  Grades 5 - 12
  Learn about forest structure, in particular how the forest canopy affects the forest all the way from the tree tops to the forest floor.

Find out how scientists study the tops of trees, and what this research tells us about the health of forests in the watershed.  Sign up for this videoconference.

• Science in Action: Research at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
  Grades 5 - 12
  Located outside Washington, DC, along the Chesapeake Bay is the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC). The scientists and educators here explore the biological and physical processes that sustain life on Earth. Since 1965, SERC scientists have researched the aquatic, terrestrial, and atmospheric components of complex ecosystems and applied this knowledge for the improved stewardship of the biosphere. Explore these processes and components by exploring the science laboratories of SERC. Interactive demonstrations recreate SERC science in the classroom. Students will also discover potential careers in science.   Sign up for this videoconference.
  
• Investigating Global Warming: Clues to a Changing Climate
  The global climate is changing. Learn about the greenhouse effect, the cause of increased levels of carbon dioxide, and what complex role plants play in taking up this greenhouse gas.
  
• SERC IN SCHOOLS - Adults/Teacher Training
  This thirty-minute program demonstrates SERC's videoconference programs that are available to teachers and school districts. Find out what programs exist, what they entail, and how to receive and register. This program is great to schedule for staff development or training. Sign up for this videoconference.

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