Real World Connections for Real World Math

Real World Connections for Real World Math
An Internet Hotlist on NASA Math Resources

created by Becky Jaramillo
National Institute of Aerospace

Introduction
Research shows us that 21st century learners must be able to use digital technologies to manage, integrate, evaluate and create information and must be able to apply academic content to relevant real world contexts. Here are some resources to help you get started.

The Internet Resources

Understanding Today's Learners

Did You Know? - Learn about the incredible progression of information technology in the next few years in this short video.
Pay Attention Video Clip - Who are the Millenials? This video segment helps define the needs and talents of this group.

Real World Applications

Exploring Space Through Algebra - Use algebra skills to solve real world NASA problems.
Moon Math - Students complete algebra and geometry activities related to moon craters.
NASA Portal - Homepage for NASA resources. Includes the ability to customize the web page for individual needs using the MyNASA feature.
NASA S'COOL - Analyze clouds from the ground up, while satellites analyze clouds from the sky down.
NASA eClips -- NASA Portal - NASA Portal site with NASA eClips, short video segments available to teachers on demand to support STEM curriculum. Educator resources are also found at this site.
NASA eClips -- YouTube site - YouTube site with NASA eClips.
Smart Skies - Solve distance/rate/time problems utilized by air traffic controllers in this interactive web site.
Space Math @ NASA - Learn about astronomy and space science by using mathematics and real world problems.
Star Count - Join citizen scientists around the world as they count stars.

Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

Exploration: Then and Now - Educator resources comparing challenges the Jamestown settlers faced 400 years ago to challenges NASA will face returning to the Moon.
Hampton Roads Modsim Wiki - Find directions for making your own Wiki and links to assorted math and science models and simulations for students.
History of Winter - Work beside researchers as they study snow and ice at Lake Placid. What can we learn about Earth through the study of snow and ice?
Landsat Images - For 34 years, the Landsat program has collected spectral information from Earth’s surface, creating a historical archive unmatched in quality, detail, coverage, and length.
Mars Activities - A collection of hands-on activities related to Mars, including edible rovers and number games.
My NASA DATA - Use microsets of weather data to look for weather trends.
NASA CONNECT - A collection of educator guides that showcase activities focusing on the correlation between science and math for middle school students.
NASA Fit Explorer - Help your students train like an astronaut while maintaining physical fitness.
NASA Kid's Science News Network - Explore these short video clips and accompanying educator materials to answer commonly asked questions posed by kids about science and math.
Plane Math - Learn how to apply basic math skills to solve aeronautics problems.
Space Weather Action Center - Monitor the progress of an entire solar storm with a space weather action center in your classroom.

Information, Media and Technology Skills

Animoto - Create your own 30-second videos from digital images.
Federal Resources for Educational Excellence - Browse this library of free math resources including virtual manipulatives, journal articles and parent tips.
Google Mars - Travel over the surface of Mars with the help of Google Mars maps.
Google Moon - You'll find combined Moon maps and Apollo information at Google Moon.
Math Modeling with Excelets - Use Excel spreadsheets in a unique way to model mathematical concepts.
NASA ISS EarthKAM - ISS EarthKAM is a NASA sponsored program that provides stunning, high quality photographs of our planet taken from the Space Shuttle and International Space Station.
NASA Images - Browse this extensive collection of NASA images that may be used for educational purposes. The site is sponsored by Internet Archives.
NASA World Wind - Leverage NASA satellite imagery to view locations on Earth in 3-D. Uses low bandwidth.
NASA's Eyes on Earth: Climate Model - Use this interactive model to explore the complex process of climate change.
NASA@Home and NASA City - Discover how space exploration impacts your daily life.
No Boundaries - Students expolore future careers in STEM through project-based learning and team competition; sponsored by USA Today.
Sight/Insight - High School students explore human ingenuity and STEM careers by solving problems on the Hubble Space Telescope.
Visuwords - Help students visualize what they are saying with these unique word maps using synonyms and antonyms.
Wiggio - Use Wiggio to post folders, documents, videos, and share comments in a threaded discussion. Participants must be invited to join the group.
Wordle - Fun way to summarize using word maps and word clouds.

21st Century Professional Development

21 st Century Teacher - Join this on-line course to increase your technology skills and practice utlizing best practices for today's learners.
Filamentality - Lessons, webquests, tools for 21st Century teaching.
Nortel Learnit - If you can only choose one site to help you integrate technology into your curriculum, this is the site to choose.
Revised Bloom's Taxonomy Interactive - This interactive revised Bloom's Taxonomy offers suggestions of ways to integrate technology tools into each level of Bloom.
Route 21; A 21st Century Framework - Explore the knowledge, skills, and expertise students should master to succeed in work and life in the 21st century. Registered members have access to resources reflecting best practices.

Content by Becky Jaramillo, rebecca.jaramillo@nianet.org
http://www.kn.att.com/wired/fil/pages/listnasamatbj.html
Last revised Wed Nov 18 16:34:52 US/Pacific 2009