U.S. Space & Rocket Center and Space Camp have partnered with Northrop Grumman and the Northrop Grumman Foundation to launch eight STEM and career online learning modules for teachers and families to use at no cost. The modules provide lesson concepts, activities and interviews with STEM professionals and will be available for teachers and students in the classroom and for families to use at home.
Built around key industry concepts like rockets, satellites, radar and cyber, the modules are designed to be easily incorporated into classrooms or used by families as a learning tool. Each module blends science, math and engineering concepts, and strategically includes 21st Century learning skills, such as clear communication and critical thinking. The modules were designed for fifth through eighth-grade learning environments.
Northrop Grumman has a longstanding corporate commitment of supporting both teachers and students to attend Space Camp. Teachers attending Space Academy for Educators on scholarships from the Northrop Grumman Foundation have worked with the curriculum modules and offered vital feedback as the Rocket Center prepared to offer the modules online.
In addition, these teachers support Northrop Grumman’s commitment to help increase math and science proficiency by providing professional development to middle school educators. By 2030, the teachers receiving Space Academy scholarships will have reached 350,000 students with these critical lessons.
“Northrop Grumman is committed to helping develop a diverse workforce for the future by increasing STEM opportunities for students globally,” said Erica Hopkins, STEM lead, Northrop Grumman. “Our partnership with USSRC focuses on engineering and technology-based initiatives that excite, engage and educate students.”
Dr. Kay Taylor, Vice President of Education at the Rocket Center, said the STEM modules will provide flexibility for teachers and families.
“Teachers can roll out the content in the way that best suits their classrooms. If they want to flip the classroom, they can assign activities for home and use class time for analysis and reflection,” said Dr. Taylor. “If teachers want to use the modules as part of an exploratory activity over the course of a semester, the modules lend themselves to that, too.”
“As there is no cost to use them, the modules are accessible to families or motivated students who want to seek out additional educational challenges on their own,” Taylor said. “There is a toolkit with short tutorials that apply across the modules. And the STEM career interviews included in the modules show how these concepts are applied in the real world.”
The eight modules include rockets, drones, cyber security, satellites, telescopes, radar, aerospace engineering and advanced manufacturing and are accessible through the Rocket Center’s website. To access the digital learning unit, click here.