Flory students link up with NASA for lesson

Six NASA Explorer Schools across America, including Flory Academy of Science and Technology in Moorpark, were invited to participate in a live videoconferencing event on Dec. 5 that linked four NASA Centers-JPL, Kennedy Space Center, Johnson Space Center and Marshall Space Flight Center- to talk about science in space.

The downlink included presentations from educators, astronauts and NASA-unique space scientists. Participants learned about the challenges of conducting science in space, the benefits from space exploration and where

NASA wants to explore in the future. Students were also able to ask an astronaut questions.

Kennedy Space Center presented "Rocket Science: Getting to Space." Marshall handled NASA spin-offs and the benefits of space exploration. Johnson Space Center discussed "Conducting Science in Space: An Astronauts Perspective." JPL presented Martian science.

Flory students will also take part in "Target Moon," a distance learningnetwork livesimulation conducted using videoconferencing through NASA.

Teams of students will work together as comet trackers, moon mappers, crisis managers and communicators to determine if, or when, a comet will strike the moon, how powerful the impact might be, and then assist Mission Control with evacuation plans for 30 astronauts on the moon.

Pre-mission lesson plans included calculating the area of a circle and the probabilities of danger to each lunar base, locating lunar bases using longitude and latitude, interpreting data from graphs, and using problem-solving skills for crisis management.

Mission Day, with 30 fifthgrade students, will take place today, Dec. 8, at 9 a.m. Students have attended seven pre-mission sessions to prepare them with the necessary skills for a successful mission.

Flory Academy is at 240 Flory Ave., Moorpark. For more information on school programs, call (805) 378-6303 or visit www.fls.mrpk.k12.ca.us.