Space Public Outreach Team (SPOT)
The Space Public Outreach Team (SPOT) provides FREE presentations about current NASA missions and research to Montana schools, youth programs, and community groups. This year's presentation is called "Black Holes: Monsters of the Universe".
Click here to request a SPOT presentation
SPOT Information
The focus of the program is professional training for higher education student presenters with mentoring by STEM graduate student managers. Through this program, higher education students utilize unique NASA content to become inspirational STEM role models for K-12 students and teachers.
The interactive SPOT presentations utilize slides, videos, animations, and an inquisitive approach to relay the excitement of new discoveries in space science. NASA research and careers here in Montana are highlighted in each show. Presentations can be done in a classroom or assembly setting, as long as a screen or blank wall and an electrical outlet are available. Each show lasts approximately 45 minutes.
Participating teachers will receive NASA related activities, brochures and other materials they can use in their classrooms.
Interested in being a SPOT presenter? Email us!
Example of a SPOT Presentation
The video below shows a SPOT presentation from the year 2020. The presentation was entitled "The Dark Side of the Universe" and explored the nature of dark matter in the universe.
Teachers: if you watch this video with your students, please send an email to spot.montana@gmail.com and include where you teach and the size of your class. Thank you!
Students: if you have questions about any of the content in the video, you can send them to spot.montana@gmail.com and we'll send you answers!
Comprehension questions:
- What kind of light do doctors use to take pictures of your bones?
- How different does Jupiter look in different types of light?
- What force keeps our solar system together?
- What is more dense, a rock the size of your hand or a pillow?
- Will our sun become a black hole one day?
- Which is heavier, a spoonful of our sun or a spoonful of a neutron star?
- True or false: we can detect gravitational waves from colliding black holes?
- Montana State University helped discover gravitational waves using what instrument?
- True or false: we can see most of the matter in the universe.
- What do galaxies need to keep from flying apart?
- What is your favorite thing you learned from the video?