From: Jan Wee <weejan@mail.holmen.k12.wi.us>
Subject: Web Chat feedback/highlights of LFM Program #5
Date: Wed, 19 Nov 1997 07:12:56 -0600
Dear discuss-lfm members,
It would be interesting to hear from those of you participating
in yesterday's (or earlier) web chat with members of the Mars
Team! Participants could share...
How did you prepare for the chat?
What was your physical setup -- did you use a single
computer station or use the computer lab or?
What did you learn from the guest expert?
Is it easy to participate? Any hints for new "chatters".
Other comments?
If you missed Program 5 "Today on Mars" some of the highlights
included:
Interactions with members of the Mars Team included
Glenn Cunningham (NASA JPL), Donna Shirley (at NASA
JPL in the "sandbox" where they test the Rover), Wayne Lee (at
NASA JPL), Henry Moore, Wes Ward, and Phil Christensen
who is the Thermal Emission Spectrometer principal investigator
for Mars Global Surveyor.
Mission update including segment explaining how the Mars Team
turned a near crisis into a bonanza by slowing down the
aerobraking process (original plan 4 months to maneuver
into orbit now will take 1 year but much more science data
coming).
Seeing how the science behind how the TES analyzes the composition
of rocks using spectra analysis (several participating LFM schools
sent rocks from their region to be used on the program!)
Seeing how Tim McCollum's class conducted the Activity 1.2. See:
http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/mars/teachers/tg/program1/Act1.2.html
to map unknown surfaces and took it another step further by
using spreadsheets and a visual display program easily accessible
and produced 3-D images. (This was an extension of an activity
the Charlie Lindgren of MA did with his students using NIH
imaging -- see the Kid's Corner link on the LFM web site for
more details!)
Seeing many of the students of the discuss-lfm forum working on
the Weather Worlds collaborative activities -- brainstorming,
problem solving, building and testing weather instruments.
Classes included Lucy Marske's (Iowa), Ginny Dexter's (northern
California), David Glaser's (California) and others! (sorry
I didn't catch all of them!)
Hearing explanations and seeing real images and graphs explaining
data collected thus far from the Mars Missions. Several experts
explained the new data and new findings.
There was a wide variety of student questions on topics from
volcanism to powering MGS when on the dark side of Mars to
dating craters and the sample return missions.
What the future will bring in Mars exploration -- we heard from Norm
Hayes
about the upcoming Surveyor '98 missions and those that follow and the
future of manned missions. A glimpse of The "Vomit Comet" a K-135 plane
used for testing spacesuit dynamics (simulates weak gravity conditions)
gave us an idea of just how rigorous the testing is!).
And the finale focused on the people of the Mars Missions featured
throughout the LFM experience - a brief update on their lives
and the new challenges they are undertaking. It was neat to
hear that Rob Manning now has a new reason to stay up late...
a new baby!
If you missed "Today on Mars" and did not receive a copy of Sunday's
posting on how to access this program, please email me!
Have a good week!
Jan Wee, moderator of discuss-lfm
Passport to Knowledge
Live From Mars
http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/mars