Contents

1 - FREE DIGITIAL CLASSROOM ASSETS NOW AVAILABLE ON THE WEB
2 - MARS: THE RED PLANET -- UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL
3 - NEW RESOURCES ON THE ORIGINS WEBSITE
4 - PLAYING GAMES WITH MEMORY
5 - FEATURED PATHWAY: STRENGTH AND STABILITY
6 - ASTRONOMY TREASURES FROM K-12 INSTRUCTIONAL MEDIA CENTER

1 - FREE DIGITIAL CLASSROOM ASSETS NOW AVAILABLE ON THE WEB
http://sagan.exploratorium.edu/Cumulus5/ed/
Over 2000 digital photographs, QuickTime movies, PDF and Word files selected for educators are now available through a Web-based interface at <http://sagan.exploratorium.edu/Cumulus5/ed/>

The Exploratorium Educator community is invited to participate in the Exploratorium Digital Asset Management Project (EDAM), funded by the Institute for Library and Museum Services. For the past two years, we have been collecting and digitizing museum materials related to interactive exhibits and scientific phenomena, including images, educational activities, and other exhibit-related resources. The primary goal of the project is to increase educator access to science education resources by creating an efficient means of distributing relevant digital assets.

2 - MARS: THE RED PLANET -- UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL
http://www.exploratorium.edu/mars/index.html
What were you doing at midnight on August 27?

We stayed up with Exploratorium scientist Ron Hipschman at the Lick Observatory in San Jose, California, for the best view we've had of Mars in a long, long time. At midnight PDT on August 27, Earth and Mars passed closer to one another than they have in 60,000 years. Astronomers were on hand to tell us all about our nearest neighbor, its geography, orbit, and why both NASA and the European Space Agency have chosen this time to launch robotic missions to Mars.

Watch 8 minutes of gorgeous Mars footage, browse the webcast photo gallery, and check out many Mars links.

3 - NEW RESOURCES ON THE ORIGINS WEBSITE
http://www.exploratorium.edu/origins
Looking at the sky, you might wonder how life arose and evolved. Where did everything come from, and what is it made of? How did the smallest pieces of matter came together to make up all that we see in the vast universe?

The Origins project -- our window into the study of matter, the universe, and life -- is constantly growing and offering new information and resources. The Web site represents four years of collaboration with over 200 scientists and support staff at eight locations to date. Our final project on Astrobiology -- looking at the possibilities of life elsewhere in the universe -- launches in November.

4 - PLAYING GAMES WITH MEMORY
http://www.exploratorium.edu/memory/dont_forget/index.html
You get to school and realize you forgot your lunch. You take a test and can't remember half the answers. You see the new kid who just joined your class and can't think of his name. Some days, it seems like your brain is taking a holiday -- you can't remember anything!

This online resource is filled with activities to test your memory, and offers some interesting ways to help improve your recall, as well.
-- Memory Solitaire
-- Tell Yourself a Story
-- Wander Around Your House
-- Memory Party Game

5 - FEATURED PATHWAY: STRENGTH AND STABILITY
http://www.exploratorium.edu/pathways/guided/structures_teacher.html
What makes a structure stand up? Why doesn't it fall down? What about the way we're structured? How come WE don't just fall down every time we try to walk? This Pathway looks at some of the ways in which some objects stay put, or stay in one piece!

Pathways are collections of support and assessment materials for teachers who bring their students to the Exploratorium. However, the principles in the Pathways can also be used with our Online Snacks, scaled-down versions of our museum exhibits. Each Pathway has two versions: one for teachers and one for students. The teacher version includes links to state science standards and provides additional support materials as well as sample answers to the worksheet questions.

6 - ASTRONOMY TREASURES FROM K-12 INSTRUCTIONAL MEDIA CENTER
http://www.k12imc.org/pg3121.cf
The field of astronomy has blossomed on the Web. NASA has dedicated its resources <http://www.k12imc.org/pg3122.cfm> towards development of an enormous amount of curricula for secondary students, and students can tag along "virtually" on its missions. Follow a panoramic view of the changing earth at night, just like an astronaut. View Jupiter from Mars (thanks to NASA and the Web).

Pathways are collections of support and assessment materials for teachers who bring their students to the Exploratorium. However, the principles in the Pathways can also be used with our Online Snacks, scaled-down versions of our museum exhibits. Each Pathway has two versions: one for teachers and one for students. The teacher version includes links to state science standards and provides additional support materials as well as sample answers to the worksheet questions.