AIAA Educator Academy: Enriching STEM Education for KAIAA Educator Academy: Enriching STEM Education for K--12 Students12 Students Elana Slagle, Edgar A. Bering, Benjamin W. Longmier, Elizabeth Henriquez, Tom Milnes, Paul Wiedorn

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About the AIAA Educator Academy

The AIAA Educator Academy is an outreach program designed to increase interaction among K-12 teachers, students, and AIAA

professional members. Comprised of student Curriculum Modules, a Teacher Training workshop, and a culminating Capstone Event,

students learn engineering-related concepts in fields such as aeronautics, astronautics and robotics (STEM). By working in teams with

an assigned mentor, students work collaboratively to solve real-world problems and build critical thinking skills.

STEM Impact

Fosters STEM Pipeline

Provides inquiry-based opportunities

Focuses on critical thinking skills , collaboration and problem solving skills

Targets students at key age-groups

Inspires students to pursue STEM careers through high-interest curriculum

Connects students with potential mentors who can provide guidance and support

Build STEM awareness in classrooms, schools, and communities

Educator Academy Benefits

For Students

Encourages innovative thinking rather than prescriptive learning

Teaches students to follow through on a goal oriented long-term project

Fosters leadership, teamwork, and communication as well as critical thinking and problem solving skills

Emphasizes science planning and engineering design principles (R & D) rather than production processes

Flexible curriculum is problem-based rather than discipline-bound, reflecting the true spirit of discovery and innovation

For K-12 Teachers

Low-cost format is inclusive rather than exclusive

Fosters inquiry-based learning principles

Offers mentor support from qualified STEM professionals to students and K-12 teachers

Provides resources for implementing Curriculum Modules in classrooms

Offers teacher training to learn and review curriculum concepts before introducing them to students

For The Community Builds an annual event for students and community members

Allows interaction between AIAA professional members and teachers and students

Provides qualified , local volunteers who share a passion for STEM education

Leverages the AIAA network locally, nationally, and internationally

Instructional Methodology

The AIAA Educator Academy is a K-12 STEM education program designed for use in both formal and/or informal

education settings. Each Curriculum Module is designed around high-impact topics that encourage the use of

higher level thinking skills such as evaluation, synthesis, analysis, and other critical thinking skills.

Each Curriculum Module is a flexible model that allows the teachers to choose lessons that are appropriate for

specific subjects, age groups, or topics. All Curriculum Modules have been field tested by K-12 teachers .

Feedback from instructors is used to further refine lesson content, curriculum standards, and instructional

methodology. Throughout the modules, students work in teams to design, develop, and test ideas that will they

will use to construct their final product. As a culminating event, student teams and their teachers are invited to

the regional capstone event to demonstrate their knowledge and interact with other students.

Each Curriculum Module focuses on:

Inquiry and standards based instruction

Development of 21st century skills such as problem solving, critical thinking skills, communication

Collaboration within teams and classrooms

AIAA professional members as student and teacher mentors

Community involvement in regional Capstone Events

AIAA Curriculum Modules

Electric Cargo Plane The Electric Cargo Plane Curriculum Module is a STEM curriculum enrichment program for grades 6-12 designed to inspire and encourage future pilots and

engineers. This program challenges students to use specific requirements to design and build an airplane as an introduction to physics and engineering.

The challenge reinforces many key concepts in elementary physics such as kinematics and dynamics while demonstrating how engineers combine science,

math, research, and experimentation to build a successful flying cargo plane. Each year, students attend the regional capstone events with their teams to

determine which cargo plane can carry the most weight.

Mars Rover Celebration The Mars Rover Celebration Curriculum Module is a STEM curriculum enrichment program for grades 3-8 designed to excite and motivate future engineers

and scientists. This program engages students in a flexible 6-week curriculum module that covers planetary science and aerospace engineering in a format

that provides a low-cost alternative to true robotics programs. The Mars Rover Celebration has brought thousands of students to regional capstone events

to spread the message about the importance of space education to thousands more. Each year, schools bring teams of elementary and middle school

students and their Mars rover models to compete in the annual capstone event.

Space Weather Balloon The Space Weather Balloon Curriculum Module is a STEM curriculum enrichment program for grades 9-12 designed to stimulate and motivate future

astronauts and scientists. AIAA and other partner organizations work with schools to launch high-altitude weather balloons to teach physics, experimental

research skills and to make space exploration accessible to students. Students attend the regional capstone events with their teams to collect and analyze

data after each team’s balloon ascends over two hours to a maximum altitude where it bursts, allowing the payload to slowly descend using a built-in

parachute.

AIAA Teacher Training

Teachers participate in a teacher training workshop aimed at building background knowledge on the specific Curriculum Module. Teachers also investigate the

curriculum and learn strategies for incorporating the curriculum into their classrooms. Through design challenges, teachers become familiar with the

Engineering Design Process and learn how to integrate student-driven inquiry into the traditional science curriculum.

Workshop provides curriculum materials and instructional methodology

Teachers participate in a hands-on investigation of the curriculum

Teachers receive Continuing Education Unit certificate for participation

AIAA Capstone Events

Capstone events are a way for students to demonstrate what they have learned throughout the specific Curriculum Module and meet with other students who

have been inspired by the same high-interest content. They also encourage community involvement from AIAA professional members as well as other local

organizations. Capstone events also:

Provide a necessary element of external incentive and recognition

Help in assessing adoption and impact rates.

Motivate students to pursue STEM careers

Mars Rover Celebration Curriculum Module Dr. Edgar A. Bering Professor of Physics University of Houston ebering@central.uh.edu

Electric Cargo Plane Curriculum Module Tom Milnes Navigation Modeling Section Supervisor Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab thomas.milnes@jhuapl.edu

Space Weather Balloon Curriculum Module Dr. Benjamin Longmier Assistant Professor University of Michigan longmier@umich.edu

For More Information Please Contact:

AIAA STEM K-12 Outreach Resources and Information www.AIAA.org

www.AIAASTEMeducation.org

Curriculum Module Resources and Information marsrover.org projectaether.org www.thebmi.org

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