Blazing Galactic Trails.Space Day[SM] blasts off in 2004 with another series of exciting, inquiry-based projects that will help teachers spark students' interest and knowledge of science, technology, engineering, and math concepts while providing fun, hands-on learning. This year's Design Challenges, with the theme "Blazing Galactic ga·lac·tic adj. 1. Relating to milk. 2. Promoting the flow of milk. galactic 1. pertaining to milk. 2. galactagogue. Trails," honor the bicentennial bi·cen·ten·ni·al adj. 1. Happening once every 200 years. 2. Lasting for 200 years. 3. Relating to a 200th anniversary. n. A 200th anniversary or its celebration. Also called bicentenary. commemoration of the Lewis and Clark Expedition Lewis and Clark expedition, 1803–6, U.S. expedition that explored the territory of the Louisiana Purchase and the country beyond as far as the Pacific Ocean. . Teams of fourth- to eighth-grade students will take on the challenge of designing innovative space tools and vehicles and documenting their expeditions. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The three challenges are "Space Trek"--creating an electronic journal detailing a space-exploration mission; "Galactic Gear"--developing a multipurpose mul·ti·pur·pose adj. Designed or used for several purposes: a multipurpose room; multipurpose software. multipurpose Adjective tool for use in space; and "Extreme Explorer"--designing a working vehicle to explore the solar system solar system, the sun and the surrounding planets, natural satellites, dwarf planets, asteroids, meteoroids, and comets that are bound by its gravity. The sun is by far the most massive part of the solar system, containing almost 99.9% of the system's total mass. . The deadline for all projects is March 5, 2004. Selected "stellar" teams will be invited to the Space Day opening ceremony in Washington, D.C., on May 6, 2004. They will have an opportunity to meet pioneering astronaut Senator John Glenn, co-chair of Space Day, and other space luminaries. All teams who submit their projects by the deadline will receive a signed certificate from Glenn. "The Challenges promote team research, collaboration, and creativity better than any program I have ever used in the classroom," says fifth-grade teacher Teri Becker of Fredericksburg, Texas Fredericksburg is a city in Gillespie County, Texas, United States. The population was 8,911 at the 2000 census, and 10,432 in the 2005 census estimate. It is the county seat of Gillespie CountyGR6. , who has had several outstanding student teams honored on Space Day. Assessment tools, project time-lines, and online resources are available at www.spaceday.org [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] |
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