[ECP] Educational CyberPlayGround K-12 Newsletter

**************************************************************
-- Educational CyberPlayGround Community
http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/

-- Subscribe - Unsubscribe - Set Preferences
http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Community/index.html

-- Subscribe to the Blog
http://blog.edu-cyberpg.com/

-- K12 Newsletters Mailing List
http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Community/K12Newsletters.html

-- Advertise on K12 Mailing List
http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Community/Subguidelines.html
**************************************************************

Surprises from Mercury
NASA Science News for January 30, 2008
NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft has beamed back some surprising new data from the planet Mercury.
Highlights include a weird crater nicknamed "the Spider," a planetary tail of hydrogen atoms, and
measurements that show giant Caloris basin is even bigger than researchers imagined.
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2008/30jan_mercurysurprise.htm?list111411


Plant Growth Chamber Image Gallery and Video Available on NASA.gov
Two new multimedia items have been added to the NASA.gov Web site. These resources can
be used to supplement your class's participation in the Engineering Design Challenge: Lunar Plant Growth Chamber.

Plant Growth Chamber Photo Gallery
Follow the growth of cinnamon basil seeds on the International Space Station with a gallery of
images documenting the experiment from its very beginning. The gallery features images of
astronaut Clayton Anderson's 20-day in-orbit experiment, including close-up views of the plants'
growth. Students participating in the NASA Engineering Design Challenge: Lunar Plant Growth
Chamber can compare the growth of the plants on the space station with the growth of plants in their own growth chambers.
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/plant-growth-gallery-index.html
 

Growing the Future: Plants in Space Video
Watch as the crew of space shuttle mission STS-118 explains plant growth chambers they are delivering
to the International Space Station. To help NASA, the astronauts invite students to participate in the plant
growth chamber experiment. In the U.S. lab of the International Space Station, Expedition 15 Flight Engineer
Clayton Anderson prepares the plant growth chambers for a 20-day plant growth experiment. Viewers observe
how the tiny plants grew before the experiments were returned to Earth on shuttle mission STS-120.
Registration is still open for NASA's Engineering Design Challenge: Lunar Plant Growth Chamber. For additional
information and to sign up to receive space-flown basil seeds, please visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/education/plantchallenge .

NOVA Presents "The Mummy Who Would Be King"
Broadcast: Tuesday, February 5, 2008
http://www.pbs.org/nova/mummy
(NOVA airs on PBS at 8 p.m. ET/PT. Check your local listings as
broadcast dates and times may vary. This program can be used up to
one year after it is recorded off the air.)

     Undiscovered Tombs
     http://www.pbs.org/nova/mummy/tombs.html
     Find out what the chances are of discovering more tombs in
     Egypt's fabled Valley of the Kings. (Grades 6-8, 9-12)

     Who Was Rameses I?
     http://www.pbs.org/nova/mummy/rameses.html
     Learn more about the first ruler of one of Egypt's most
     illustrious ancient dynasties. (Grades 9-12)

     Making Mummies
     http://www.pbs.org/nova/mummy/making.html
     Discover the techniques for classic mummification in this
     six-segment audio slide show narrated by Egyptologist Salima
     Ikram. (Note: This feature contains graphic photos of mummies and
     information about removal of body parts. Please preview for its
     appropriateness for your classroom.) Total running time: 8
     minutes 19 seconds. (Flash plug-in required.) (Grades 6-8, 9-12)

     The Afterlife
     http://www.pbs.org/nova/mummy/ikram.html
     Read why ancient Egyptians practiced mummification, what they
     thought the afterlife would be like, what can be learned from
     mummies, and more in this interview with Egyptologist Salima
     Ikram. (Grades 6-8, 9-12)

     Teacher's Guide
     http://www.pbs.org/nova/teachers/programs/3301_mummy.html
     In this classroom activity, students determine the culture and
     method of mummification of various mummies by using descriptive
     clues. (Grades 6-8)

     Program Transcript
     http://www.pbs.org/nova/transcripts/3301_mummy.html
     The site includes a complete narration for this program.