NEWS RELEASE

Office of External Communications

Houston, TX 77204-5017 Fax: 713.743.8199

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 29, 2006

Contact: Lisa Merkl
713.743.8192 (office)
713.605.1757 (pager)
lkmerkl@uh.edu

Noelle Heinze
713.743.3254 (office)
281.262.0966 (pager)
nheinze@uh.edu
CALLING ALL TEACHERS FOR MARS ROVER MODEL WORKSHOP AT UH
Deadline Approaching This Week to Register for Sept. 9 Training Day

HOUSTON, Aug. 29, 2006 – The University of Houston’s annual Mars Rover Model Celebration and Exhibition is here again, and the Sept. 1 deadline to sign up for the preparatory teacher workshop is fast approaching.

This workshop, held 9 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Sept. 9 at UH, will train teachers who are considering entering their students in the 2006-07 UH Mars Rover Celebration and Exhibition.

As part of a six-week fall semester classroom-learning and homework project on Mars research, teachers will guide primary (grades 3-5) and middle (grades 6-8) school students in the design and construction of a Mars Rover model to carry out a specific scientific mission on the surface of the Red Planet. The model will be mostly a mock-up, constructed at a minimal cost of about $10 to $25 that consists of mostly found objects and simple art supplies. If desired, teachers may supply students with a low-cost ($10), solar-powered car kit or designated remote-control car to serve as the chassis.

The teacher workshop will cover details of the celebration and exhibition, the accompanying curricula and methodologies for introducing and supervising the projects. Teachers participating in the workshop will be provided with a set of curriculum materials in both paper and electronic format, one solar model kit and Web site addresses for obtaining more information.

Advanced registration is required to receive a model kit. Interested teachers should fill out and mail in the registration form, along with a $15 check payable to Physics Department, University of Houston. For registration forms, visit http://marsrover.phys.uh.edu/documents.php.

This competition is part of the education and public outreach component of the World Space Congress, made up of the world’s space community to chart new directions for humanity’s next decade in space. The citywide finals will be held noon to 5 p.m., Jan. 27, 2007, in the Houston Room of the University Center at UH.

For questions, contact UH Professor of Physics and Electrical and Computer Engineering Edgar Bering at ebering@mail.uh.edu. For more information about the Mars Rover Celebration, visit http://marsrover.phys.uh.edu/.

WHAT: Mars Rover Model Celebration and Exhibition Teacher Workshop
WHO: Houston-area Primary and Middle School Teachers
WHEN: 9 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Sept. 9
(Registration deadline: Friday, Sept. 1)
WHERE: University of Houston
Science and Research Building 1, Room 140
Off Cullen Boulevard, Entrance 14
Parking available in lot 15F


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