Going for it!

Best.  Day.  Ever.

Here is the back story ...

Last year I made it my goal to meet Chris Hadfield and have him come and talk to my school.  I am a self-proclaimed space geek and love all things Hadfield.  With his new celebrity and best-seller book he is even more popular than ever so, even though I did get to briefly meet him, I have to set the second part of this goal aside.  For now.

I have made a new goal.  Connect with a current Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen, Skype, perhaps one day have a school visit, and eventually to be there to interact and support when the day comes for his own time in space.  So now I have achieved two of the four so far and am excited to see what the future may bring.

Last November I attended the ATA Science council conference and was delighted to find out that Canadian astronaut, Jeremy Hansen, would be a keynote speaker.  I read all I could and discovered so much about Hansen, Hadfield, and the CSA.  Through Twitter I interacted with Magalie Renaud from the Canadian Space Agency and was able to meet her and Jeremy face-to-face.  It was wonderful to ask him so many questions and pick Magalie's brain about what was out there for educators in regards to our Canadian Space Program.  She asked me if I had applied to have an astronaut speak to my class and, of course, I had.  A few months later I received an email from her letting me know that Jeremy was able to Skype with my class! 

  This past week and a half was busy getting the students and their questions ready and even doing a practice Skype with NASA.  We had heard that there was a possibility that the event would have to be rescheduled because the astronauts currently aboard the International Space Station were planning a space walk to repair a computer, and that our own Jeremy Hansen would be the Ground Intravehicular Officer.  It was explained to me that it would be like he is the conductor to the orchestra that is the symphony of space walking.  A pretty big deal!

Fortunately the space walk was scheduled for tomorrow so we were able to do our Skype after all.  (Please click HERE to watch the space walk live on April 23rd at 7:20am MST and listen for Jeremy's voice!).  All 80 kids and 5 teachers piled in to my classroom and the excitement was palpable.  What a great moment!

 Jeremy talked to us about his journey in becoming an astronaut including Air Cadets as a youth, being a CF-18 fighter pilot for the Canadian Air Force and finally being chosen to join the CSA as an astronaut.  He explained about the detailed training including going on caving expeditions, geology and research in the arctic, space walk simulations in space suits under water, and learning how to use the famous Canadarm.  He talked about his job and all of the experiences he has had so far with such joy and appreciation that I think it was very inspiring for my students who are starting to find and follow their own dreams.

Today is also Earth Day and he mentioned how aboard the ISS they have a really good view of our entire world and that it is important to care for it.  Wouldn't it be nice to see the world from way up there?  No borders or boundaries.  Just planet Earth.

 Jeremy talked about the future of the space program and how in our lifetime we will see a boom in scientific studies, commercial space flight, and new discoveries and technologies that these kids could very well be a part of.  He told them that no matter what their dreams are they need to find that thing they are passionate about and go for it with all that they have. 

He showed us two amazing videos that were distorted by our slow bandwidth.  I thought I'd re-post them for you all to see.

The last half was spent answering the plethora of questions the kids were itching to ask.  They wanted to know more details about his training, goals, challenges, and even fears.  I asked about his role in the space walk tomorrow, the role of social media in promoting specifically Canadian astronauts, and any photography tips he may have picked up.  Space selfie? 

I want to say a HUGE thank you to Jeremy for taking the time during such a busy and important week to talk to our class.  I know I found it very inspiring and know my students will never forget it.  I also want to thank the CSA and NASA for the continual educational support.  It is an exciting time to be a teacher!  Merci.  Thank you. 

La Nouvelle Beaumont News was there to cover the story.  They interviewed me and some of the kids for an article in an upcoming addition.  Keep an eye out!  Here is the picture they took.

What an adventure!  I am smiling so much my face hurts. 

Follow on Twitter and see more here

@AmandaGMerriman

@Astro_Jeremy

@CSA

@NASA

@BeaumontNews

NASA Calling!

We are really looking forward to Skyping with Canadian astronaut, Major Jeremy Hansen, on Tuesday April 22nd from 1:00-2:00pm.  See more about it here.

Today NASA called me at work!  The last thing I expected was to hear our lovely secretary say "Mme Merriman NASA is on line one."   I just about fell off my stool!  We did a quick practice Skype to make sure we are ready to go on Tuesday.  After that I was so distracted I couldn't even think straight.  The kids worked on their science projects while I giggled like a little kid.  I am such a space geek!

I also received an email from the Canadian Space Agency letting us know that it is possible that we may have to reschedule.  Here is what they wrote:

"As mentioned in our confirmation email, astronauts’ schedules are subject to last minute changes and I’m afraid this could be one of those rare occasions. A computer problem was reported aboard the International Space Station last Friday and a contingency spacewalk is being planned for some time next week, possibly on the day of your Skype session. For the moment, your Skype session is still on the schedule for next Tuesday, but we may have to cancel at the very last minute.   

Jeremy has been named Ground Intravehicular (IV) Officer for the spacewalk. The role of the IV is to support the astronauts and help them with procedures while they are spacewalking outside of the station – a little bit like an orchestra conductor if you will. It’s the first time that this kind of assignment is given to a Canadian astronaut – and a rookie nonetheless – and we feel that it’s actually a strong statement of confidence in his skills.

The date/time of the spacewalk is still uncertain as the scheduling depends on several factors including the successful launch of a rocket this Friday carrying the SpaceX Dragon resupply capsule.  If we end up cancelling the session, we will be in touch early next week to reschedule the session for the end of May or mid-June.  

I understand that the students may be disappointed, but I also think that this can be turned into a fantastic learning opportunity. The spacewalk can be followed live on www.nasa.gov/ntv (exact day and time still TBD). Normally, the exchanges between Jeremy and the crew should be heard on air. Students can follow the spacewalk in class or at home and ask their questions about it to Jeremy during the Skype session.  

We will keep you posted as soon as we get more information. Thank you very much for your understanding and collaboration."

If you want to catch a fly over of the ISS as it zips across the sky here is the information for tonight if the clouds break and this terrible weather changes.
Time:Thu Apr 17 9:48 PM, Visible: 4 min, Max Height: 41 degrees, Appears: W, Disappears: SE

The SpaceEx launch is live tomorrow on NASA TV
April 18, Friday - EST - Eastern Standard Time 
9:30 a.m. - ISS Program Status and Spacewalk Preview Briefing - JSC/KSC (All Channels) 
12:45 p.m. - ISS Expedition 39 In-Flight Educational Event with the University of Connecticut, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the University of Houston, Clear Lake - JSC (All Channels) 
2:15 p.m. - Coverage of the SpaceX-3/Dragon Launch to the ISS (Launch scheduled at 3:25 p.m. ET) - KSC (All Channels)
5 p.m. - SpaceX-3/Dragon Post-Launch News Conference - KSC (All Channels) 

SKYPING WITH A CSA ASTRONAUT

I received and email from the Canadian Space Agency letting me know that we were chosen to Skype with one of our two active Canadian astronauts, Major Jeremy Hansen!  

I was lucky enough to meet Jeremy at the ATA Science Council Conference and he was a very interesting person with a unique perspective of our world.  He will be talking to our class about his journey and then a lucky few students will be able to ask him their questions.  See more about him and the CSA here.  Also see the CSA channel on YouTube.

Follow us live via Twitter during the event
@AmandaGMerriman 
@Astro_Jeremy
@csa_asc


And because I love it ... click HERE for all things Chris Hadfield!

 

From Sky to Space

       Geology and Jeremy Hansen

Canada's Future in Space!

Skype with Wolf Haven

Today we were lucky enough to Skype with Wolf Haven International.  I signed up for their Skype in the Classroom session a few weeks ago and have been anticipating the presentation ever since!  Here is what they put as their outline on Skype

Wolves of North America - back from the brink of extinction  Come learn about wolves in North America! Skype with a wolf expert and learn more about this often misunderstood animal.  Wolves once ranged throughout all of North America but due to habitat loss, aggressive predator control programs, and human attitudes about wolves, they were quickly eradicated from almost all of their former range. But what about today? Where can you find wolves? How do they live? And just what good are wolves anyway?  Topics of discussion can include life in the pack; what wolves eat and how they hunt; historic and current ranges; and their role as an apex predator in the ecosystem. Also learn about the critically endangered red wolf and Mexican gray wolf.

 I think it is so important to teach our kids about conservation and our impact on their environment and animal species.  SITC is a perfect way to bring these concepts to life without ever having to leave our classroom.  We learnt about adaptations and their population distribution as well as a variety of conservation initiatives. 

One of the questions we asked was "What can we do to help with wolf conservation?".  He said that education is key.  We need people to know wolves aren't fuzzy dog-like animals that we can befriend nor are they vicious predators ruining the ecosystem and preying relentlessly on livestock.  We need people to know the important role they play in the ecosystem and why we need them to be protected.  

Click here to learn more about Wolf Haven International and even adopt a wolf!

 

What a great morning!!

Skyping with Iowa

Today we started Skyping with a classroom from Southeast Polk in Pleasant Hill (near Des Moines) Iowa, USA.  They are studying Canada and want to learn more about us.  I thought it would be a good way for us to learn about them as well.  We are studying ecosystems right now  in our science class and it would be great to know about another part of the continent, their natural resources, and anything else we can think of.

http://www.southeastpolk.org/

See them on Google Maps HERE

See their teacher, Mr. Redmon, HERE

EDUCATORS - Please see Skype in the Classroom to learn more about signing up to Skype with other classes, professionals and guest speakers.  All free!!

They asked us about the weather and we told them all about our long and cold winters and tried to show them a photo of what it is like outside today.  We even showed them a bucket of snow!  It is -17C (about 2F) today and they thought that was so cold!  I guess we Canucks are pretty tough ... or crazy!  We also added about how much sunlight we get in the summer and that it gets quite hot here too.  No igloos or dog sleds here though.

The view outside my classroom today.  Sunny but cold.

They asked us about our school and we explained how we are a public school (with optional religion) with both English and French immersion programs.  We have second language options available to kids from elementary school on and our community is quite bilingual and even out street signs are in both languages.  It was interesting to see that they live near "Des Moins" which is a French term for for under, less, lower, or even "of Moins" but they don't have a French community like we do.  I forgot to tell them that Beaumont (Beau Mont) is French for Beautiful Hill because our town is built on a hill with our big church on top.

 

They also asked about our local crops and our kids explained that wheat and canola are common.  They crow a lot of corn and beans and even have apple orchards, although they are less common.

My daughter in a field of canola

They also asked about amusement parks and if we have any.  We told them to look up West Edmonton Mall as it is quite impressive to have all of that fun and shopping under one roof.  

WEM pirate ship and submarine/aquarium

WEM Waterpark

WEM Galaxy Land (amusement park)

We will be Skyping with them a few times a month and I am looking forward to what we can learn from each other.

Fun day of tricks and treats!

We had a great Halloween!

First we read from Chris Hadfield's "An Astronaut's Guide To Life On Earth" and the kids loved hearing all about how dreams do come true.  It is so important for the kids to know that they can be anything but that they have to work very hard to build their skills, surround themselves with people who will support their dreams, to keep on it on matter how hard things get, and to make sure that with every decision they make to keep their goals in mind.  

What would an astronaut do?

Next we were able to Skype with the North Carolina Aquarium about sea turtles. Through Skype in the Classroom we were able to connect for FREE to the NCA where one of their naturalists, Samantha, talked to our kids all about reptiles, sea turtles and their adaptations, and conserving ecosystems and the environment.  They went above and beyond what I expected and even researched our limited turtle species here in Canada.  It was wonderful to see the photos they had to share and the variety of turtle skulls so that we could compare the species.  I loved being able to see just how small their jelly-bean sized brains are!  The piece de resistance was being able to see a real live sea turtle on screen!  She held up a beautiful young turtle who wiggled and flapped live for us to see!  The kids loved it!  I was impressed with some of the great questions the kids had and the concise answers given.  It was an amazing opportunity to bring a bit of the ocean to our land-locked province.   I will absolutely do something like this again in the future!  

For more information please click on the links:

- Skyping with the North Carolina Aquariums

- About the North Carolina Aquarium

- More about sea turtles and conservation

- About Skype In the Classroom

Here are the details from the skype lesson website

Sea Turtles are truly amazing creatures. They are some of the oldest, most intriguing, and fascinating reptiles on the planet. Unfortunately, it's estimated that only 1 in every 1,000-10,000 hatchlings will survive to adulthood. 
The North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores Outreach team will discuss the amazing journey a sea turtle takes. Explore the life history and adaptations of these threatened and endangered species. Find out where hatchlings go during their time at sea, and what brings turtles back to the same North Carolina beaches where they hatched. You will also get a chance to take a closer look at a live Loggerhead or Green Sea Turtle!

You will learn:
-What makes a sea turtle a reptile
-The 5 different species of sea turtles that can be found off the coast of North Carolina
-The journey of a sea turtle
-Conservation: what you can do to help protect sea turtles!

Finally we rocked the school's Halloween party all afternoon. It was great to see all the costumes and have some fun together.   We enjoyed the drama tableau production, the costume parade, and then headed back to our class for some treats and a movie together.  A very nice way to spend Halloween!