Snow and Snowflakes:

• Snowflakes: Nano at its Coolest program
• Ready, Set, Self-Assemble group activity
• Exploring Fabrication - Self-Assembly program

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January

Predictions for the New Year (January 1) 

• Flying Cars stage presentation
• Exploring Nano & Society - Flying Cars activity
• Exploring Nano & Society - You Decide! activity
• Nano Around the World card game

National Bird Day (January 5)

• www.nationalbirdday.com website
• some bird feathers (such as peacock feathers) are iridescent due to nano-sized structures within the feathers; for more about iridescence check out:
  • Exploring Materials - Thin Films
  • Colors at the Nanoscale: Butterflies, Beetles and Opals program
  • Butterfly Blues video
  • Biomimicry: From Nature to Nanotech program
• explore this website by searching the topic: Life Sciences - Animals

National Static Electricity Day (January 9)

• NanoDays activity: Exploring Forces - Static Electricity
• Other electricity activities:
  • Frankenstein200 activity: Battery Stack
  • Frankenstein200 activity: Spark of Life
  • NanoDays activity: the Electric Squeeze

  • NanoDays activity: Exploring Materials - Graphene

  • more activities about electricity and magnetism

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February

Black History Month / African-American History Month (February) -  celebrate people in STEM

• www.africanamericanhistorymonth.gov
• NASA Modern Figures Toolkit
• African Americans in Science and Technology internet resources from the Library of Congress
• Black History Month resources from AAAS Science NetLinks

Valentine's Day (February 14) 

• Sweet Self-Assembly program
• What's Nano About Chocolate video
• What's Nano About Chocolate sign in Nano Museum Labels (Graphic Signs) 
• Exploring Fabrication - Gummy Capsules (NanoDays 12, 13) short activity
• Sweet Self-Assembly long activity
• Molecular Gastronomy Mr. O video
• explore this website by searching the topic: Societal Topics - Food and Cooking

National Engineers Week (February) 

• www.discovere.org website
• explore this website by searching the topic: Physical Sciences -  Materials Science
• explore this website by searching the topic: Engineering and Technology

Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day (February)

• www.discovere.org/our-programs/girl-day website
• explore this website by searching the topic: Engineering and Technology
• 60 Books to Inspire Science-Loving Mighty Girls from A Mighty Girl
• SciGirls Seven: How to Engage Girls in STEM 
• NASA Modern Figures Toolkit
• National Girls Collaborative Project publication: State of Girls and Women in STEM

Great Backyard Bird Count (mid-February)

• www.birdsource.org website
• some bird feathers (such as peacock feathers) are iridescent due to nano-sized structures within the feathers; for more about iridescence check out:
  • Exploring Materials - Thin Films
  • Colors at the Nanoscale: Butterflies, Beetles and Opals program
  • Butterfly Blues video
  • Biomimicry: From Nature to Nanotech program
• explore this website by searching the topic: Life Sciences - Animals​

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SPRING

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March

Women's History Month (March) - celebrate people in STEM

• National Women's History Project: http://www.nwhp.org
• womenshistorymonth.gov website
• Free posters for download from A Mighty Girl celebrating women role models in Science, Technology, and Math
• Free posters for download from NASA and the Chandra X-ray Center, at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory
• NASA resources 
• NASA Modern Figures Toolkit
• National Girls Collaborative Project publication: State of Girls and Women in STEM
• SciGirls Seven: How to Engage Girls in STEM 
• 60 Books to Inspire Science-Loving Mighty Girls from A Mighty Girl

NanoDays (last weekend in March - first weekend in April)

2017: March 25-April 2
2018: March 31-April 8
2019: March 30-April 7
2020: March 28-April 5

• NanoDays website: www.nisenet.org/nanodays
• explore this website by searching the topic: Engineering and Technology - Nanotechnology

Groundwater Awareness Week (second full week in March)

• www.ngwa.org website
• Cleaning Our Water with Nanotechnology program
• The Water Race: Hydrophopbic and Hydrophilic Surfaces
• What’s Nano About Water?
• DragonflyTV - Water Clean Up video
• explore this website by searching the topic: Earth and Space Science - Water and Oceans

Dr. Seuss Day (March 2) 

• Seussville reading resources
• Dr. Seuss STEM activity Ideas from Scholastic
• Oobleck - Exploring Materials - Oobleck

Brain Awareness Week (mid-March)

• http://www.dana.org/BAW/
• resources from the Society for Neuroscience
• explore this website by searching for topic: Life Sciences - Human Body 
• explore this website by searching for topic: Life Sciences - Health and Medicine

Pi Day (March 14)

• http://www.piday.org
• Celebrate math! there are one billion nanometers in a meter
• NASA Pi Day challenges
• explore 18 Ways NASA Uses Pi
• explore this website by searching for topic: Mathematics

National Learn about Butterflies Days (March 14)

• Zoom into a Blue Morpho Butterfly video 
• Butterfly Blues video
• Exploring Structures - Butterfly (NanoDays 2012) short activity
• Colors at the Nanoscale: Butterflies, Beetles and Opals long activity
• Zoom Into a Butterfly Wing poster 
• What's nano about butterflies Nano museum labels (graphic signs)
• Scientific Image - Blue Morpho Butterfly Wing (reflected light) 
• Scientific Image - Blue Morpho Butterfly Wing (non-reflected light) 
• Scientific Image - Blue Morpho Butterfly
• Scientific Image- Blue Morpho Butterfly Wing Ridges 
• Scientific Image - Blue Morpho Butterfly Wing Microribs 
• Scientific Image - Blue Morpho Butterfly Wing Scales 
• Scientific Image - Photonic Crystal
• Powers of Ten with the Blue Morpho Butterfly (Middle and High School curriculum lesson) 
• explore this website by searching the topic: Life Sciences - Animals

World Water Day (March 22)

• www.worldwaterday.org website
• Cleaning Our Water with Nanotechnology program
• The Water Race: Hydrophopbic and Hydrophilic Surfaces
• What’s Nano About Water?
• DragonflyTV - Water Clean Up video
• Oil Spill Clean Up Simulation hands on activity 
• explore this website by searching the topic: Earth and Space Science - Water and Oceans

Earth Hour (mid-March) (March 30, 2019)

• www.earthhour.org
• explore this website by searching the topic: Earth and Space Science
• explore this website by searching the topic: Societal Topics - Sustainability

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April

Global Astronomy Month (April) 
Astronomy Day (Spring) (April 21, 2018; May 11, 2019; May 2, 2020; May 15, 2021)
Astronomy Week (Spring) (April 16-30; 2018 May 6-12; 2019 April 27-May 3, 2020; May 10-16, 2021)

• Global Astronomy Day Month website  http://astronomerswithoutborders.org
• Astronomy Day website www.astroleague.org/al/astroday/astrodayform.html
• Exploring Nano & Society - Space Elevator (NanoDays 2013) short activity
• Aerogel short activity
• Exploring Nano & Society - Flying Cars short activity
• Flying Cars theater program
• Exploring Size - Memory Game (NanoDays 2011 and 2012) short activity
• Exploring Size - Powers of Ten Game (NanoDays 2011, 2012, and 2014) short activity
• Exploring Size - StretchAbility (NanoDays 2010) short activity
• Scale of the Universe Zoom
• Is That Robot Real? children's book and poster
• explore this website by searching the topic: Earth and Space Science

Mathematics and Statistics Awareness Month

• National Math Festival events 
• explore this website by searching for topic: Mathematics

World Health Day (April 7)

• World Health Day and WHO World Health Day
• Intro to Nanomedicine video
• Exploring Products - Sunblock activity
• Nanotech and Consumer Products
• Should We Engineer the Mosquito forum
• Nanomedicine in Healthcare forum
• Nanomedicine Explorer exhibit and software
• Cleaning Our Water with Nanotechnology program
• Disease Detectives middle school outreach program
• Nano Latch-n-Catch Nanomedicine Activity 
• explore this website by searching for topic: Life Sciences - Health and Medicine

National Robotics Week (second week in April) 

• www.nationalroboticsweek.org website
• Shrinking Robots! program 
• Is That Robot Real book and graphics
• Robots and People program
• explore this website by searching for topic: Engineering and Technology - Technology 

Yuri's Night (April 12)

• https://yurisnight.net
• explore this website by searching the topic: Earth and Space Science

Citizen Science Day (mid April)

• http://citizenscience.org/events/citizen-science-day/
• NASA resources: https://science.nasa.gov/citizenscientists
• SciStarter database of projects: https://scistarter.com
• SciStarter citizen science day: https://scistarter.org/Citizen-Science-Day

• Globe Observer website - Clouds, Mosquitos, Land Cover, Trees

• Globe Observer app - Clouds, Mosquitos, Land Cover, Trees

• Exploring Earth: Investigating Clouds activity - connect to NASA GLOBE app

• Exploring Earth: Land Cover activity - connect to NASA GLOBE ap

Earth Day (April 22) 
National Environmental Education Week (week of Earth Day) (2020 is the 50th anniversary)

• www.earthday.org website
• www.eeweek.org website for National Environmental Education week 
• Chemists Celebrate Earth Week (CCEW)
• Tiny Solutions to Our Big Energy Problem stage presentation
• Energy Challenges, Nanotech Solutions forum
• Cleaning Our Water with Nanotechnology program
• Water Clean Up DragonflyTV episode
• Nanosilver DragonflyTV episode
• Nanosilver: Breakthrough or Biohazard? stage presentation
• Does Every Silver Lining Have a Cloud video
• DragonflyTV - Water Clean Up video
• Oil Spill Clean Up Simulation 
• SustainABLE kit activities
• Explore Science: Let's Do Chemistry activity  - Cleaning Oil Spills with Chemistry (longer program)
• Explore Science: Let's Do Chemistry activity  - What’s in the Water (longer program)
• Explore Science: Earth & Space toolkit activities
• NASA Earth Day resources
• explore this website by searching the topic: Earth and Space Science
• explore this website by searching the topic: Societal Topics - Sustainability

DNA Day (April 25)

• National DNA Day website 
• DNA Nanotechnology hands-on activity 
• Exploring Structures - DNA (NanoDays 2012) hands-on activity 
• Building with Biology Kit activities
• explore this website by searching the topic: life sciences 

National Poetry Month (April)

• www.poets.org/npm website
• nano-themed haiku at the end of each NISE Network NanoBiteNewsletter (2009-2013)

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May

National Physical Fitness and Sports Month (May)

• https://healthfinder.gov/nho/MayToolkit.aspx

May the Fourth be with you - Star Wars (May 4)

• NASA and Star Wars connections
• NASA Museum Alliance list of resources (login required) 
  https://informal.jpl.nasa.gov/museum/content/star-wars
• NASA and Star Trek list of resources (login required)
  https://informal.jpl.nasa.gov/museum/content/star-trek-and-nasa
• May the Fourth event example in 2019 online workshop (at 30 minute point of recording)
  http://www.nisenet.org/catalog/online-workshop-earth-space-science-early-learners-recorded
• Also please see Science Fiction section below

National Children’s Book Week (early May) 

• Children's Book Week website
• Shrinking Robots! book (for free download or to order)
• How Small is Nano? book (for free download or to order)
• Ailce in NanoLand book (for free download or to order)
• Selected books about nano

Caribbean Mosquito Awareness Week   (May)

• National Mosquito Control Awareness Week resources from American Mosquito Control Association (AMCA)
• Caribbean Mosquito Awareness Week resources from Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) World Health Organization (WHO) resources 
• "Should We Engineer the Mosquito?" Forum

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SUMMER

Summer Reading

• A Universe of Stories 219 Summer Learning Program
  http://www.starnetlibraries.org/universe-of-stories/

Sun and Sand

• Nano Ice Cream program
• Invisible Sunblock program
• Magic Sand/Nanosurfaces program
• Exploring Products - Sunblock program
• fun outdoor group activity:  Ready, Set, Self-Assemble group program
• Why are Seashells so Strong? program

Summer Camp

• Nanotechnology Summer Camp (Ages 8 - 10) framework
• High School Nanotechnology Summer Camp framework

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June

World Oceans Day (June 8)

• worldoceansday.org
• Cleaning Oil Spills with Chemistry longer program
• Cleaning Our Water with Nanotechnology program
• The Water Race: Hydrophopbic and Hydrophilic Surfaces
• What’s Nano About Water?
• DragonflyTV - Water Clean Up video
• Why are Seashells so Strong? program
• Oil Spill Clean Up Simulation hands on activity
• explore this website by searching the topic: Earth and Space Science - Water and Oceans

National Week of Making (end of June)

• https://www.weekofmaking.org
• National of Makers resource library https://nationofmakers.us/resources.html
• Frankenstein200 kit of activities 

National Mosquito Control Awareness Week  - Fight the Bite (week of June 26)

• National Mosquito Control Awareness Week resources from American Mosquito Control Association (AMCA)
• Caribbean Mosquito Awareness Week resources from Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) World Health Organization (WHO) resources 
• "Should We Engineer the Mosquito?" Forum

Asteroid Day (June 30)

• https://asteroidday.org/
• explore this website by searching the topic: Earth and Space Science

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July

Pride in STEM Day (July)

• http://prideinstem.org/lgbtstemday/

World Brain Day (mid-July)

• World Federation of Neurology Brain day 
• resources from the Society for Neuroscience
• explore this website by searching for topic: Life Sciences - Human Body 
• explore this website by searching for topic: Life Sciences - Health and Medicine

Moon Landing - anniversary of Apollo 11 first step on the Moon July 20, 1969

• NISE Network list of resources: http://www.nisenet.org/moon50
• NASA Apollo 11 Moonwalk Montage
• NASA logos for 50th anniversary in 2019
• NASA Apollo 11 resources
• NASA Moon resources
• NASA moon 
• NASA Museum Alliance list of many more resources - login required

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August

National Aviation Day (August 19)

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Aviation_Day
• NASA suggestions for National Aviation Day

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FALL

Back to School 

• K-12 lesson plans 
• collaboration with K-12 class on Nanoparticle Stained Glass project
• Theater High School Program videos
• pencils and writing with graphite - Forms of Carbon
• Exploring Materials - Graphene program (related to pencils, graphite, and tape)
• Nobel Winning Experiment Mr. O video (related to pencils, graphite, and tape)
• Material Marvels with Ainissa Ramirez video - Graphene (related to pencils and graphite)
• After School Framework

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September

National Aerospace Week (second week in September)

• https://nationalaerospaceweek.org

National Pollution Prevention Week (P2 Week) (third week in September)

• www.p2.org/p2-week/
• explore the website by searching the topic: Earth and Space Science - Water and Oceans

Worldwide Day of Play (WWDoP) (September 29, 2018)

• http://www.worldwidedayofplay.com
• Nickelodeon's 2018 Worldwide Day of Play Playbook 

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October

Astronomy Day (Fall) (September 30, 2017; October 13, 2018; October 5, 2019; September 26, 2020; October 9, 2021)
Astronomy Week (Fall) (September 25-October 1, 2017; October 8-14, 2018; September 30-October 6, 2019; September 21-27, 2020; October 4-10, 2021)

• Astronomy Day website www.astroleague.org/al/astroday/astrodayform.html 

World Space Week (October 4-10)

• http://www.worldspaceweek.org

National Nano Day (October 9th)
National Nanotechnology Day (#NationalNanoDay) is an annual celebration and pays homage to the nanometer scale, 10^–9 meters.

• https://www.nano.gov/nationalnanoday
• NanoDays website for hands-on activities and resources: www.nisenet.org/nanodays

Metric Day (October 10th)

• How Small is Nano? book and poster
• How Small is Nano? video
• Scale Ladder Diagrams
• Sizing Things Down
• Exploring Size - Measure Yourself
• Exploring Size - Powers of Ten card game 
• explore this website by searching for topic: Mathematics - Measurement 

Campus Sustainability Month (October)

• http://www.aashe.org/campus-sustainability-month/ website
• explore this website by searching the topic: Societal Topics - Sustainability 

Earth Science Week (second full week in October)
(October 14-20, 2018); October 13-19, 2019; October 11-17, 2020; October 10-16, 20210

• www.earthsciweek.org website
• Energy Challenges, Nanotech Solutions forum
• Cleaning Our Water with Nanotechnology program
• Water Clean Up DragonflyTV episode
• Nanosilver DragonflyTV episode
• Nanosilver: Breakthrough or Biohazard? stage presentation
• Does Every Silver Lining Have a Cloud video
• Tiny Solutions to Our Big Energy Problem stage presentation
• Oil Spill Clean Up Simulation hands on activity
• educational products on nisenet.org topics related to water 
• explore this website by searching the topic: Societal Topics - Sustainability 
• explore this website by searching the topic: Earth and space Science 

International Observe the Moon Night (October 20, 2018; October 5, 2019, September 25, 2020)

• http://observethemoonnight.org/
• https://moon.nasa.gov/observe
• explore this website by searching the topic: Earth and Space Science -  Earth, Moon and Sun

National Chemistry Week (third full week in October)
Mole Day (October 23) commemorates Avogadro's Number (6.02 x 10²³), which is a measuring unit in chemistry.

• American Chemical Society's National Chemistry Week website
• NISE Network National Chemistry Week page www.nisenet.org/national-chemistry-week for a complete list of activities
• Explore Science: Let's Do Chemistry kit
• Sweet Self-Assembly
• Exploring Size - Scented Balloons
• Exploring Materials - Liquid Crystals 
• explore this website by searching the topic: Physical Science - Chemistry

Nuclear Science Week (NSW) (third week in October)

• www.nuclearscienceweek.org
• activities on size and scale, atoms and molecules 
• explore this website by searching the topic: Physical Science 
• explore this website by searching for topic: Mathematics - Measurement 

Halloween (October 31)

• Frankenstein 200 kit activities - celebrating the anniversary of the publication of Mary Shelley's novel
• Chemistry activiites - see National Chemistry Week resources
• Chemistry activities see Explore Science: Let's Do Chemistry kit activities including dry ice sublimation activity
• Nano Dreams and Nano Nightmares puppetry play
• Attack of the nanoscientist stage presentation
• Intro to Nano video for costume ideas
• What’s Nano About Chocolate? video
• Exploring Fabrication - Gummy Capsules (NanoDays 12, 13) short activity
• Sweet Self-Assembly long activity
• Ideas for activities, costumes, and pumpkins from the American Chemical Society (ACS) for Halloween chemistry

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November

International Science Center and Science Museum Day (November 10)

• http://www.iscsmd.org/about/

America Recycles Day (November 15)

• https://americarecyclesday.org/
• explore this website by searching the topic: Societal Topics - Sustainability

Thanksgiving (November)

• Turkey breast feathers are iridescent due to nano-sized structures within the feathers: for more about iridescence check out:
  • Exploring Materials - Thin Films program
  • Colors at the Nanoscale: Butterflies, Beetles and Opals program
  • Butterfly Blues video
  • Biomimicry: From Nature to Nanotech program

• Would You Buy That stage presentation (related to shopping and Black Friday)

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December

Computer Science Education Week (CSEdWeek) and Hour of Code (2nd week in December)

• CS Ed Week: www.csedweek.org 
• Hour of Code: http://hourofcode.com/us 
• Accessible Hour of Code: https://quorumlanguage.com/selection.html
• Computer Science Collaboration Project: www.cscproject.org
• Code.org's intro to computer science: https://code.org/educate/curriculum/accelerated-course
• Code.org's educational resources: https://code.org/educate

• Computer Science Is for Everyone toolkit to increase diversity from the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT)

• Computer Science Online: Resources, Degrees, and Careers: www.computerscienceonline.org

• Zoom into a computer chip poster
• Zoom into a microchip video
• The Future of Computing stage presentation
• Exploring Products - Computer Hard Drives (NanoDays 13, 14) 
• explore this website by searching the topic: Engineering and Technology - Computing

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OTHER SPECIAL EVENTS

Super Hero activities

2014 - year-long events

International Year of Crystallography: 2014

• www.iycr2014.org website for background, activities, and how to participate
• Self-Assembly in Crystals program demo
• the Electric Squeeze program demo
• Exploring Products – Liquid Crystal Displays (NanoDays 2013) activity
• Exploring Materials – Liquid Crystals (NanoDays 08, 09, 10) activity
• Nano Ice Cream activity program
• Online Brown-Bag: Nano in Food (Recorded) for background information on ice cream crystals

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2015 - year-long events