ATTN: CALENDAR, NEWSROOM, OR PSA EDITOR

CONTACT: Rich Heuermann
CONTACT: 314-935-4614 (work)

"Building A Colony On The Moon – The View From The Second Grade", a lecture by Christine Nobbe, of Rockwood Schools’ Center For Creative Learning, will be featured at the September meeting of the Saint Louis Astronomical Society. The meeting will begin at 7:30 pm Friday, September 16, in McDonnell Hall, Room 162, on the Washington University campus, Saint Louis, MO 63130. McDonnell Hall is accessible from Forsyth Boulevard via Tolman Way. The presentation, cosponsored by NASA's Missouri Space Grant Consortium, is open to the public free of charge.

The last day a fresh human footprint was left in the lunar dust was December 14, 1972. Since then, Moon enthusiasts have lobbied for a return to the Moon - this time to establish a permanent settlement. Finally, there is now some political support for making this happen. Second graders at the Center For Creative Learning are already working on the problems. They grapple with the questions "How can we build a colony on the Moon that will shield its citizens from the harsh lunar environment?" and "Why do we want to do this?". Ms. Nobbe leads her students on a journey where imagination and determination are more important than physics. She will take a look at some of the problems to be solved, and some of the solutions her students have proposed.

Christine Nobbe is a teacher at the Center For Creative Learning and an adjunct professor in the School of Education at Webster University. Her exceptional work with gifted children has been recognized by several awards, including the NASA Teacher Award in 2000, the Eleanor Roosevelt Teacher Fellowship in 2001, and the Missouri Science Teacher award in 2004.

The St. Louis Astronomical Society is an organization for individuals interested in astronomy and telescopes. The public is invited to attend its meetings, telescope observing sessions, and special events. For information about Astronomical Society events, please visit their website, or call (314) 935-4614.

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