Date:  February 21, 2003
Contact: Irene Cromer
(703) 791-8720

 Frank Gregorio, science teacher at Osbourn Park High School, has been invited to join NASA’s educational website team.  Gregorio will write a series of middle and high school Astronomy lesson plans for the NASA website.  The astronomy lesson plans will utilize a particular piece of software called Celestia, which Gregorio began using in his classroom months ago.  He has since joined its cyberspace development team and created a detailed lesson plan for students that give them a tour of the solar system using Celestia.  That lesson plan was published on the web some time ago and has been a popular download, Gregorio said.  
 “Apparently, NASA has discovered it also, and has copied it to their website.  They loved its ease of use and style, and have asked me to write several more, for direct posting on the NASA educational website,” said Gregorio.  “I'm very honored, since the NASA site is extensively visited by people from all over the world.  Perhaps our School of Excellence distinction will spread worldwide,” says Gregorio.

Gregorio teaches earth science and advanced earth science for freshman and for students enrolled in the Center for Environmental and Biological Sciences Program at Osbourn Park High School.