Welcome to Gifted & Talented 2023 - 2024

Let’s Explore
All About Space
& Engineering!

Gifted instruction for the 2023-2024 school year will bring the wonder of the various aspects of Space to the Gifted & Talented Classroom! All students enrolled in the G&T program will experience the extensive reaches of all things space through various media and STEAM-based learning experiences. 


The Rationale for the Study:

NASA’S VISION: Exploring the secrets of the universe for the benefit of all. Mission: NASA explores the unknown in air and space, innovates for the benefit of humanity, and inspires the world through discovery (May 30, 2023).
There is so much about space that remains to be seen and discoveredThis topic is constantly evolving and changing as we learn more and more about our universe
Engineers are responsible for space travelMechanical engineers design materials and components for space conditionsBiomedical engineers design ways to care for astronauts’ health while traveling in space. 
From designing flight plans, trajectories, and spacecraft to get us to the Moon safely, to ingenious tools and technologies that will someday enable humans to live on the Moon, engineers play a vital role in space travel and discovery.
NASA states that the solar system has been a topic of study from the beginning of history. For nearly all that time, people have had to rely on long-range and indirect measurements of objects. For all of human history and pre-history, observations were based on visible light. Then in the 20th century, people discovered how to use additional parts of the spectrum. Radio waves, received here on Earth, have been used since 1931 to investigate celestial objects. Starting with the emergence of space flight in 1957, instruments operating above Earth's obscuring atmosphere could take advantage not only of light and radio but virtually the whole spectrum.  
At last, with interplanetary travel, instruments can be carried to many solar system objects, to measure their physical properties and dynamics directly and at very close range. In the 21st century, knowledge of the solar system is advancing at an unprecedented rate.
I have contacted NASA and applied to join their NASA SPARX program. This will be an amazing opportunity for our students to get the latest information on our space study as well as have group contact with representatives from NASA virtually. I am very excited to bring this to my students. I will be updating this page once I hear back from NASA!


The Preface for this Study:

In the 2022 – 2023 school year, we began our study of the different aspects of engineering. We learned about the occupations and career opportunities that are associated with those areas. An engineering degree offers our students a lot of freedom in finding their dream jobsIt can be a launching pad for jobs in business, design, medicine, law, and governmentTo employers or graduate schools, an engineering degree reflects a well-educated individual who has been taught ways of analyzing and solving problems that can lead to success in all kinds of fields.

Our gifted students overwhelmingly chose the space topic through their Trimester 3 essaysThe topic of space and the universe was a favorite topic to exploreWe will continue with the area of engineering as we explore and discover with our space curriculum this school yearWe will study Aerospace Engineering, Astrophysics, Mechanical Engineering, and much more. 


The Curriculum Structure for 2023 - 2024
Units of Instruction Focus:


Students will explore the Moon, the Sun and the Stars, the Planets, the Galaxy, and Space Travel to name a few.
 

Aerospace Engineering 

These engineers are responsible for creating rockets, satellites, rover robots, space stations, astronaut suits, and many other itemsAerospace engineering is the primary field of engineering concerned with the design, development, testing, and production of aircraft, spacecraft, and related systems and equipment. The field has traditionally focused on problems related to atmospheric and space flight, with two major and overlapping branches: aeronautical engineering and astronautical engineering. 

Aerospace engineers develop leading-edge technologies and integrate them into aerospace vehicle systems used for transportation, communications, exploration, and defense applications. This involves the design and manufacturing of aircraft, spacecraft, propulsion systems, satellites, and missiles, as well as the design and testing of aircraft and aerospace products, components, and subassemblies. 

Successful aerospace engineers possess in-depth skills in, and an understanding of, aerodynamics, materials and structures, propulsion, vehicle dynamics and control, and software.
 

Astrophysics/Astrophysicists 

The study of Astrophysics -- understanding the universe in which we live -- has been an exciting field of exploration for centuries. How big is the UniverseHow did it start and what is its fateWhat's out there in deep spaceWhat are the stars and galaxies made ofWhat makes them shineHow many planets orbit other stars, and what are their propertiesThese fundamental questions have occupied peoples' thoughts for generations in an attempt to uncover the mysteries of the UniverseRemarkable discoveries have been made in astrophysics in recent times ranging from the Big Bang and the early Universe to the Cosmic Microwave Background and its fluctuation spectrum, to measurements of the large-scale structure in the Universe, the existence of Dark Matter and Dark Energy, the discovery of Supermassive Black Holes, and the discovery of planets around other stars.
 

NASA 

NASA stands for National Aeronautics and Space Administration. NASA is a United States government agency that is responsible for science and technology related to air and space.  The Space Age started in 1957 with the launch of the Soviet satellite Sputnik. NASA was created in 1958. The agency was created to oversee U.S. space exploration and aeronautics research.
 

NASA hires 20 different types of engineers; the most common fields are aerospace, general, and computer engineers. And we place an emphasis on engineers who can take a holistic, systems view to solve complex challenges (May 30, 2023). 

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