Teachers are encouraged to let you know what we are doing for Space Week and I would like to share what we have recently done. In honor of Space Week, my students invited 18 speakers who have careers that relate to space to come and talk to our 300 students in our sixth grade. In addition, we performed two important hands on labs. The first was to help assemble part of the Project Starshine satellite that is to be launched on STS-108 this month! The satellite contains a cd-rolm in the center of it with all of our students names on it. It will orbit earth for 6 months and collect important atmospheric data. The 2nd lab we did was to grow protein crystals for Marshall Space Flight Center (NASA) in cooperation with Greg Jenkins and his staff. This type of experiment was the first to be done on the ISS. It will help find answers to find cures for diseases like cancer, HIV-Aids, etc.  Because we wanted to share this symposium with schools in our district (Arlington Public Schools) Arlington, VA, we made a five minute video and was able to broadcast it on our local cable TV access channel to more than 83,000 homes and subscribers. It was a great hit.

  We have been designing payload vehicles that could be used on Mars or the Moon. We have also been building bottle rockets that we are trying to explore different fuel possibilities.

  The kids are very excited to be working on the Best Buy Web Page design and we hope to have that entry submitted shortly.

  I have been busy helping teachers in our district to become more comfortable and aware of space education. Infact, I have been asked to present October 18 and 9 at Virginia's Association of Science Teachers. Having gone to Space Camp for teachers, received my Lunar and Meterorite training at Goddard Space Center (NASA) I am excited to help get students, parents, teachers and curriculum specialists hooked on Space!!!

Carrie Strasburger
Sixth Grade Science
WIlliamsburg Middle School
Arlington, VA 22207

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