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District 11 Teachers Fly Weightless

From the D11 Communicator

Weiner, science teacher and program director for West Middle School’s Space and Technology Studies (STS), has been accepted into the Weightless Flights of Discovery program sponsored by the Northrop Grumman Foundation.

Science teachers Lois Vavra from Russell, and Misty Garland from Doherty are on the same flight team as Ranganath. Science teachers Delores Higgins, Wasson, and John MacFarlane, Palmer, are also participating. Weightless Flights of Discovery is an innovative science and engineering education program that incorporates zero gravity flight experiences for teachers and university students planning careers as teachers. The program utilizes hands-on science workshops and Zero Gravity (ZERO-G) Corporation’s unique weightless flights to help educators share with students the fun and excitement of science, technology, engineering and math.

The program will prepare teachers to lead students in topics that relate to 30 National Science Standards. During the workshops, teachers and students receive instruction in science and engineering concepts, pre-flight training in weightlessness and tips on experiment design and demonstration to learn how to work in lunar, Martian and zero gravity environments. They also learn how to relate those experiments to science, engineering, technology and mathematics curriculum development.

The teacher and student flights will include approximately 15 parabolas ranging from low-gravity environments typical of the moon (1/6 G) and Mars (1/3 G) to complete weightlessness. At the end of each weightless period, which lasts approximately 30 seconds, the aircraft is gradually pulled out of the descent, reestablishing a more normal gravity environment inside the plane. The Northrop Grumman Foundation is primarily focused on supporting diverse and sustainable programs that improve the educational experience for students, especially in the subjects of literacy, math, science and technology. Please visit www.northropgrumman.com.

You can read how a state of zero gravity was attained by going here. But, if you really want to experience zero gravity yourself then you can sign-up here...be sure to bring back some photos!