The JPL Space Foundation seeks to be adopted by any individual, class, school, or school system that would like their students to have a direct and active role in the development and direction of Mankinds last frontier - Space Exploration. Anyone involved in the education of children knows that the development of confidence and self-esteem is difficult. Students often feel that they are not able to do anything that really matters in the real world. Adopting the foundation can change this feeling because they can help support the foundation by raising money through their everyday activities. Most elementary school students and older are computer literate enough to search the web for information and this is how they can help.
If students visit our website at: http://www.jplspacefoundation.org and click on the banner at the top of the page, they will be taken to the GoodSearch home page where they can download the GoodSearch "search bar" or make GoodSearch their home page. When they use the search bar to look up information on the web, Yahoo will pay GoodSearch two cents, who will then pay the foundation one cent. They also have a GoodShop button, which when clicked will show a list of several hundred online stores from which parents can shop. Each store will then donate from 0.5 - 7.5% of the purchase price to the foundation. The cost of the items bought will be the same as it would have been if they had gone to the store directly. Students can keep up with the progress of donations by visiting the GoodSearch site and clicking the "Amount Raised" button. The number of searches are updated in real time and donations from shopping on a weekly basis.
Teachers may use the foundation wedsite as an educational resource for all matters related to space, space exploration and astronomy. The home page will always contain information about the current projects that we are supporting so that students can see where the money raised from their efforts will be spent. Presently, the home page deals with the Space Elevator with links to information that explains what the space elevator is, how it will work and the state of research in the development of the elevator. There is also a "Space and Astronomy Page" with links to almost everything related to space exploration, NASA missions, the Solar System and understanding the Universe.
Our mission involves not only supporting research but also supporting educational programs that promote greater understanding of Science, Space and Astronomy. The greatest educational benefit though will be derived by students who discover that their efforts can make a real difference in an area that is becoming increasingly important to mankind.
Sample Lesson Ideas:
1. Scavenger hunt for information about space exploration and astronomy.
Questions Like:
A. How Many planets are there and why there are no longer nine?
B. What is the Universe made of and in what percentages?
2. Essay question:
A. What do you think of the Kepler Space Mission to find Earth like planets around other stars?
Will they be common or rare? Voice your opinion at: http://www.namesinspace.seti.org .
Your statement, name, city, state and counrty will be burned on a DVD and sent into space
next Spring with the Kepler spacecraft.
