NASA Educational Event in Austin: A Homeschool Field Trip

One of the greatest advantages of homeschooling is the opportunity to take learning beyond the pages of a textbook. When NASA announced a free educational event for homeschool families in Austin, we signed up months in advance and eagerly counted down the days.

The event was limited to those with reservations, making it feel like a special opportunity for families interested in science, engineering, and space exploration.

Hands-On Learning

Throughout the exhibits we explored interactive science demonstrations covering topics such as air pressure, space travel, and life aboard the Space Shuttle. The children received a wonderful collection of educational materials including pencils, calendars, bookmarks, stickers, and science brochures to continue learning at home.

One display that especially caught our attention was the astronaut food. It reminded us very much of military MREs and sparked lots of discussion about what daily life must be like aboard a spacecraft.

Seeds That Traveled Into Space

One of the most memorable souvenirs from the event was a packet of Cinnamon Basil seeds.

These weren't ordinary seeds.

They had flown aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour during mission STS-118 in August 2007 before returning safely to Earth.

Needless to say, planting "space-flown" seeds made gardening even more exciting.

Pamela even had extra packets she hoped to share with family members so everyone could grow a little piece of space history.

Touching a Piece of the Moon

Perhaps the highlight of the day was seeing—and actually touching—a genuine moon rock.

It's difficult to describe the feeling of placing your hand on something that had traveled hundreds of thousands of miles through space before eventually finding its way into a science exhibit in Austin. Moments like that have a way of making astronomy feel wonderfully real.

Space Exploration Never Gets Old

Later that evening we happened to catch the live launch of NASA's Kepler Space Telescope on television.

Watching rockets leave Earth still gives me goosebumps.

Every countdown reminds me of the courage, dedication, and teamwork that make space exploration possible.

At the same time, I couldn't help but remember the tragic loss of Space Shuttle Columbia in 2003. My family was visiting relatives in Tyler, Texas, when we heard the sonic booms that morning. It's one of those moments I'll never forget.

Days like this remind me why I love combining travel, history, science, and homeschooling. Some lessons simply can't be duplicated inside a classroom.

NASA was in Austin today, offering free exhibits for home educators. The event was free, but limited to those who made reservations months earlier. We attended this morning and received a nice bag full of pencils, a NASA calendar, stickers, bookmarks, and lots of educational brochures.

We found the astronaut food interesting. Similar to military MRE's. Freeze-dried foods similar to those used on space missions.

Included in our complimentary bag were several packets of Cinnamon Basil seeds. These seeds were flown to space on mission STS-118 aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour, which launched Aug 8, 2007, and returned to earth on August 21, 2007.

Pamela has extra packets of unopened seeds and would be happy to mail some to her cousins if they're interested. She'll be planting hers, this Sunday.

On exhibit for touching, was 1 of the 8 rocks taken from the moon. One of the lunar rocks brought back during the Apollo program that visitors were allowed to touch.

We got a little side tracked on the scenery while touring the outdoor NASA booths.

What We Learned

• Air pressure demonstrations
• Space Shuttle missions
• Astronaut food
• Moon geology
• Space agriculture
• Rocket launches
• Space exploration
• Astronomy

Unfortunately, we didn't get to see the planetarium, due to the high winds. STILL, it was worth the visit. We learned a LOT about air pressure at the science booths.

Did you all catch the LIVE Kepler spacecraft launch tonight? We actually caught it by accident while flipping channels. To this day, I still hold my breath whenever I see live launches. Launched in 2009, the Kepler Space Telescope would go on to revolutionize astronomy by discovering thousands of planets orbiting distant stars. Its mission dramatically increased our understanding of how common planets are throughout the Milky Way.

I'll never forget the Space Shuttle Columbia blowing up over Texas 6 years ago. The kids and I were visiting my cousin in Tyler. We were just waking up when we felt the rumble.