NASA’s Space Station Science Challenge Winners Announced

Last week, NASA announced the winning students in their International Space Station (ISS) Science Challenge competition. The winning students were from North Tama Elementary in Traer, Iowa and from Madison Elementary in Massena, New York.

Created by Darcie Fregoe and Lisa Chizek, contributing teachers with NASA’s Endeavour Science Teaching Certificate Project, the program is part of the Interdisciplinary National Science Project Incorporating Research and Education Experience (INSPIRE). The goal aims to inspire students to learn more about the space station’s cutting-edge research by designing programs to teach others about specific experiments and what scientists are hoping to learn.

“I believe it is my responsibility as a middle school Earth science and astronomy teacher to educate students about the very valuable contributions ISS science has made in their lives,” Fregoe said. “I want them to get excited about NASA and the International Space Station, and I want them to start thinking about possible futures working for NASA.”

Under the program, students in grades 5 through 12 participated in the competition. After a review of current science investigations performed on the space station, the students focused on one to complete their research and then develop and submit a project to teach others about the investigation. To disseminate their information, the students used media including Web pages, slide presentations, audio or video podcasts, and written reports.

The areas of research focused on by the winners included areas of Earth and space science, biology and biotechnology, human research, physical science and technology. These investigations included cell culturing, diagnostic ultrasound, robotics, treadmill kinematics, soldering in microgravity, Earth observations, combustion and possible exercise countermeasures for bone and muscle loss.

“The ISS Science Challenge gives students the opportunity to learn about the research happening on the ISS in depth,” said Dynae Fullwood, Teaching From Space education specialist at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. “It develops the creative, cognitive and presentation skills of students while producing useful material for their peers and the public to understand the work of ISS research.”