Explore and Soar: Rahm’s Readers Summer Challenge & Moon Rocks!
I have done some pretty cool and awesome STEM presentations, workshops, and activities over the years. This summer it was super awesome as I connected with the Chicago Public Library’s Explore and Soar: Rahm’s Readers Summer Challenge. The library branches that I have visited and presented so far this summer have all been incredible and I had an extra special presentation to share with the young people and their parents, NASA Lunar samples!
The Lunar samples (Moon Rocks) have been a big hit and a huge draw. When was the last time you could tell someone, “I held rocks and soil samples from the Moon!” They are encased in a thick piece of Lucite however there are also two Earth rock samples, Basalt and Anorthosite, two igneous (volcanic) rocks that allow you to hold, examine, and then compare rock samples from Earth to those found on the Moon by NASA astronauts. When I talk about careers in STEM, I cover engineering, astrophysics, astronomy, scientists, mathematicians, robotics, coding, and a host of others but next to astronomy, geology is by far one of my favorite subjects.
Careers options for geologists at NASA and many other institutions and organizations that look at geological processes, land formation, and topographical studies, and others rely on people who know their rocks and the job possibilities are wide open. During my library presentations, I talk about rocks and allow the audience to make their own hypotheses as to how the samples brought back from the Moon are the same as the samples found on Earth. The Lunar samples have allowed us to take previous hypotheses we had about what the moon was made of to concrete factual evidence. Yes, the Moon is a large Earth rock!
Read more about the event that broke off a piece of the Earth and created our Moon as well as how NASA is looking at ways to help us learn more about the similarities of rocks on the Moon and here on Earth.The summer reading challenge has opened up space as a career possibility for all the young people who have participated in the reading challenge and the activities that have been hosted at various Chicago Public Library branches throughout the summer that have enriched their opportunities to learn about space, space exploration, and STEM topics. The Explore More, extension of the summer program into August, has given me the opportunity to spread my love for space and all things NASA across the City of Chicago with so many wonderful young people and their parents.
I have four more presentations in the summer Explore More August series at branches across Chicago. If you can, bring the family, come out, meet me and the Lunar samples. Much thanks to NASA’s Johnson Space Center for allowing me the opportunity to bring these truly special samples to the public in Chicago!
For more information, visit chipublib.org. Pam Greyer—The NASA Lady—will be presenting her program at the following branch locations:
Tuesday, August 18 at 10:30 AM
Thurgood Marshall Branch
7506 S. Racine Ave.
Wednesday, August 19 at 6:15 PM
Beverly Branch
1962 W. 95th St.
Monday, August 24 at 1:00 PM
Dunning Branch
7455 W. Cornelia Ave.
Tuesday, August 25 at 11:00 AM
Rogers Park Branch
6907 N Clark St.