Energy Alabama NASA Training
Thursday 06/29/2017
9:00 am ET
FREE 3-hour Workshop
Educators in Grades 3-5

Energy Alabama and the NASA Educator Professional Development Collaborative at
Texas State University are providing a 3-hour workshop.

Participants will get an overview of Lesson Plans and activities developed in partnership between Energy Alabama and the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Academic Affairs Office.
  1. Apollo 13 - Students will understand that energy must be transformed from one form to another to do work. Students will understand the difference between power and energy. Students will understand the importance of energy conservation, especially in space
  2. Biomimicry and Energy - Students will learn about the way the human model systems after nature and how we take advantage of natural features for energy.
  3. Make Your Own Battery - Students will build their own batteries and use them to light LEDs in order to understand charge, energy storage, and energy capacity.
  4. Energy 101 (Water Bottles and Mining for Energy Game) - Students will play two games to simulate the process of 'finding' energy and understanding the sources of energy. The game teaches students about the relative abundance of the various sources of energy.


Discussion will include classroom modifications.


John Weis has been an Education Specialist with NASA for the last 10 years. He is currently stationed at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. In addition to providing online professional development for educators, John is responsible for educational outreach including professional development for pre-service and in-service teachers, community programs and liaising with state and local education agencies in the Marshall region of Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Alabama and Tennessee. John earned a BS in Science and Mathematics Teaching with an emphasis in Mathematics and Physics from the Florida State University and an MS in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Scranton. Before joining NASA education, he spent 10 years as a secondary science teacher in Volusia County, Florida. His areas of specialization include Mathematics, Physics, Earth/Space Science, and Astronomy.