1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:07,800 How would you like to try your hand at designing your own Mars Global Surveyor? 2 00:00:07,800 --> 00:00:12,160 Before introducing you to our featured Ed Tech activity in middle school, I want to 3 00:00:12,160 --> 00:00:15,260 give you a quick tour of Norbert's lab. 4 00:00:15,260 --> 00:00:16,260 You already know Norbert. 5 00:00:16,260 --> 00:00:20,280 He's that funny character that provides us with the cube cards and other learning activities 6 00:00:20,280 --> 00:00:25,100 and aids to help us understand the math, science and technology concepts presented in each 7 00:00:25,100 --> 00:00:27,260 of the NASA Connect programs. 8 00:00:27,260 --> 00:00:32,120 His lab is your interactive link to activities and resources on the web, so you'll get the 9 00:00:32,120 --> 00:00:34,160 most out of NASA Connect. 10 00:00:34,160 --> 00:00:38,040 Just click on the rooms to enter areas like Career Corner, where you'll meet some of our 11 00:00:38,040 --> 00:00:40,680 guests and members of our television team. 12 00:00:40,680 --> 00:00:45,120 There's a study room with terms and definitions related to the show, and a page with links 13 00:00:45,120 --> 00:00:47,040 to other cool sites. 14 00:00:47,040 --> 00:00:51,520 And this is where you'll get to the online activity, especially created in partnership 15 00:00:51,520 --> 00:00:54,020 with NASA's Learning Technologies team. 16 00:00:54,020 --> 00:00:58,920 To introduce us to the web activity for this show, let's pop in on a teacher and her students 17 00:00:58,920 --> 00:01:01,800 at Davis Middle School in Hampton, Virginia. 18 00:01:01,800 --> 00:01:02,800 Thanks, Jelly. 19 00:01:02,800 --> 00:01:06,760 My name is Vivian Carr, and I'm a math and science teacher here at Davis Middle School. 20 00:01:06,760 --> 00:01:09,300 My students love coming to the computer lab. 21 00:01:09,300 --> 00:01:15,080 They use it for reinforcement and enrichment of many skills in most of the content areas. 22 00:01:15,080 --> 00:01:17,800 Now I'd like to introduce you to Ruby Bruno. 23 00:01:17,800 --> 00:01:21,280 Ruby, tell us, how do you use technology? 24 00:01:21,280 --> 00:01:25,260 Technology is a tool that we use in several ways, for communication with others through 25 00:01:25,260 --> 00:01:31,180 email, for conducting research using the internet, for writing papers and preparing electronic 26 00:01:31,180 --> 00:01:36,460 presentations of our work, and for participating in problem-solving online projects such as 27 00:01:36,460 --> 00:01:40,060 NASA Connect to reinforce what we are learning in class. 28 00:01:40,060 --> 00:01:45,500 In the online component for this show, we're learning what goes into the design of a spacecraft 29 00:01:45,500 --> 00:01:47,820 used for planetary observation. 30 00:01:47,820 --> 00:01:53,320 To do this, we learn about different instruments used for observing planetary surfaces from 31 00:01:53,320 --> 00:01:54,320 space. 32 00:01:54,320 --> 00:01:55,920 One of these is a camera. 33 00:01:55,920 --> 00:02:01,520 We get to pick out what we think are the right batteries to use as well as the size of the 34 00:02:01,520 --> 00:02:04,320 solar panels required to run the spacecraft. 35 00:02:04,320 --> 00:02:10,160 We'll also have to consider the cost and weight of the vehicle as we try to put together the 36 00:02:10,160 --> 00:02:16,160 best possible planetary observer we can with all the variables given to us in the activity. 37 00:02:16,500 --> 00:02:20,020 Well Jennifer, the students here at Davis Middle School leave you and our viewers with 38 00:02:20,020 --> 00:02:25,460 the challenge to assemble and test their very own Mars Surveyor in a cost-effective way 39 00:02:25,460 --> 00:02:28,020 that produces the best results. 40 00:02:28,020 --> 00:02:32,100 Viewers can find that challenge in Norbitz Lab on the NASA Connect website. 41 00:02:32,100 --> 00:02:33,100 See you on the web.