Enthusiastic teachers from around the
country recently gathered at NASA's
Dryden Aircraft Operations Facility in
Palmdale, California to participate in
NASA's Airborne Research Experiences for
Educators and Students or AREES.
 
For two weeks the educators focused on NASA's
Earth Science programs and flight research missions.
In the first week a dozen elementary and high school
teachers discovered how to find NASA
educational resources,
learned about aircraft used for earth observation
and data collection and discovered how
engineers integrate specialized science
instruments into aircraft for observing
and monitoring terrestrial changes.
An additional 14 educators from NASA's
Explorer Schools program joined the ARESS
participants during the second week,
to participate in a simulated NASA ER-2
earth science mission.
 
The teachers compared imagery and data collected by
science instruments from previous airborne missions
to ground data and imagery obtained during a field site
visit in central California.
And we're able to actually look at abstract ideas
and concepts that are normally on paper
and we actually had the opportunity to
travel to different sites,
actually conduct some research and do some
hands-on experimentation.
Aktutay expressed confidence that the training,
speakers, materials and hands-on activities
will give ARESS attendees the
tools to create effective education
action plans.
For more information about the ARESS program visit:
www.nasa.gov/education/aress
