Genesis Mission project manager to share science lessons with Littleton,
Colorado fifth graders
April 18, 2005
Aurora, Colo. — On Tuesday, April 19, Don Sweetnam, project manager for NASA's Genesis Mission, will provide fifth graders from Lois Lenski Elementary School in Littleton, Colo. with an update on the Genesis mission and what scientists hope to learn from the information the probe brought back from outer space last September..
NASA launched the Genesis mission in 2001 to study samples of solar wind in order to gain a better understanding of the formation of our solar system. In September 2004, the Genesis spacecraft made a hard landing in the Utah desert after its parachute failed to deploy properly. Fortunately, NASA scientists were able to recover solar wind information from the satellite, which they are now beginning to study.
Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL), an Aurora, Colo.-based nonprofit education organization devoted using research to improve education for all students, has provided education and public outreach for the mission, including updating and hosting the Web site at http://genesismission.jpl.nasa.gov/ and developing materials that help K-12 educators teach science related to the Genesis mission in their classrooms.
Sweetnam will be at Lois Lenski Elementary School, which is located at 6350 South Fairfax Way in Littleton, Colo., from 9:15-10:15 am. Members of the media who wish to cover this event are asked to contact the school in advance at (303) 347-4575.
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McREL is a nationally recognized, private, nonprofit organization
located in Aurora, Colo., dedicated to improving education for
all students through applied research, product development and
service. Its staff of highly respected educators and researchers
focuses on providing educators and policymakers with the highest
quality, field-tested, research-based products and services available
in PreK–16 education.
