- Two astronauts are scheduled to launch in a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to the ISS on Weds, May 27. This is set to be the first flight in NASA’s Commercial Crew program, and if all goes well, will be the first time astronauts will travel to the ISS from American soil since the days of the space shuttles.
- The International Space Station continues to serve as a science lab in space. The ISS is the third brightest object in the night sky, and you can use https://spotthestation.nasa.gov/ to find out when to look for it.
- NASA is preparing its next Mars rover, Perseverance. They hope to launch it this July.
- The most powerful rocket ever made, the SLS, is going through testing. NASA will use it to send astronauts to the moon and Mars.
- Space agencies around the world continue to launch satellites and probes for research and commercial uses. DId you realize that you’re using satellites every time you use a GPS?
Visiting science lab remotely, our kindergarteners have been learning about the needs of living things, and made beautiful aquariums. First graders made string telephones to hear how sound travels. Second graders made models of flowers that show how water is pulled up in stems. Third graders made trees to show inherited and acquired traits, fourth graders used an Augmented Reality app to learn about rivers, Fifth Graders were shown how to make their own oobleck, and Sixth Graders made cotton ball launchers to demonstrate Newton’s Laws of Motion. Activities for grades 3-6 are now at https://sites.google.com/oradellschool.org/ops-specials/science-lab .
New - If you have younger students, I encourage them to visit my new read-alouds page at https://sites.google.com/oradellschool.org/ops-specials/science-lab/mrs-kuehners-read-alouds .