David McBride, an earth science teacher at East Pennsboro Area Senior High School, applied for and received a protective thermal tile from one of NASA’s space shuttles.
The tile is one of more than 23,000 tiles used to protect the shuttle from wear and tear, allowing it to withstand temperatures of up to 3,000 during re-entry.
McBride also requested a collection of moon rocks, which will be delivered in time for next school year.
He hopes to create lesson plans around the moon rocks and the thermal tile, to provide hands-on learning experiences for students during the astronomy section next fall.
McBride found out about these opportunities through Penn State University’s Space Grant Consortium, a partnership between NASA and Penn State. The consortium presents science workshops for educators, which he participates in each summer.