Forty years ago Monday, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin took "one small step for man and one giant leap for mankind."
Armstrong descended from the lunar module shortly before 10 p.m. local time on July 20, 1969, the first person to set foot on the moon. The event captivated the world. Families were glued to their television sets to watch history in the making.
It highlighted America's innovation and technical expertise .
To math and science teachers, the moon landing means something different. It inspired a new generation to love numbers and the world around --- and above --- them.
Without math and science, space exploration wouldn't be possible. As an 8-year-old watching the moon walk on his family's black-and-white Zenith television, Jeff Weld remembers feeling inspired.
Today, he's the director of Iowa's Mathematics and Science Education Partnership at the University of Northern Iowa.
"It launched a wave of interest in science and engineering," said Weld, something he said was lacking at the time and is today. "It was like tossing a stone in the pond --- it launched a ripple effect."
In 1958, Life Magazine put out a special issue on America's ailing educational system.
Renewed interest in science, technology, engineering and math courses due to the '60s space race with the Soviet Union helped propel the nation forward, he said.
Advances in computers, medicine, food and public safety equipment, among other things, all came about due to President John F. Kennedy's pledge to put an American on the moon before 1970, a government report on the space industry said. Miniaturizing surgical equipment, kidney dialysis machines, water purification systems, infrared cameras for firefighters and enriched baby food are all examples.
Weld is hoping another historic moment revitalizes science education again. That is a must if Iowa wants to be a leader in bio-based technology, he said.
"Will we answer the call like last time? Now would be a wonderful time to reinvigorate (science) education," Weld said.
Tom Hockey was 10 when he heard Armstrong's famous "small step" quote. He rushed home from performing in the play "Oliver" to watch the landing.
Already wearing glasses, he figured being a pilot and astronaut was out. Today he teaches astronomy at UNI.
"I knew I didn't fit the physical model, but it was my way to explore space," Hockey said.
He believes the first and five subsequent moon landings spurred learning.
"It was a stimulus for math and science education in America. ... It was almost unavoidable," Hockey said.
The first moon landing was a landmark event. Most people old enough can remember exactly where they were when the Eagle landed.
Craig Cunningham of Waterloo was 13 and visiting family in Naperville, Ill. He was at a baseball game, but it got over just in time to watch Armstrong touch the moon on TV.
Cunningham believes he has the largest collection of space memorabilia in Waterloo. Newspaper clippings, autographed pictures of astronauts, books --- just about anything dealing with space.
The moon landing didn't influence the Hy-Vee employee's career choice, but he understands how important it was to the country.
"Kennedy talked about going to the moon in rockets not built yet or metals perfected," Cunningham said. "We had to buckle down to get it done in eight years."
SHARE YOUR STORY BY ADDING A COMMENT BELOW. WHERE WERE YOU WHEN THE FIRST MAN WALKED ON THE MOON?
Armstrong descended from the lunar module shortly before 10 p.m. local time on July 20, 1969, the first person to set foot on the moon. The event captivated the world. Families were glued to their television sets to watch history in the making.
It highlighted America's innovation and technical expertise .
To math and science teachers, the moon landing means something different. It inspired a new generation to love numbers and the world around --- and above --- them.
Without math and science, space exploration wouldn't be possible. As an 8-year-old watching the moon walk on his family's black-and-white Zenith television, Jeff Weld remembers feeling inspired.
Today, he's the director of Iowa's Mathematics and Science Education Partnership at the University of Northern Iowa.
"It launched a wave of interest in science and engineering," said Weld, something he said was lacking at the time and is today. "It was like tossing a stone in the pond --- it launched a ripple effect."
In 1958, Life Magazine put out a special issue on America's ailing educational system.
Renewed interest in science, technology, engineering and math courses due to the '60s space race with the Soviet Union helped propel the nation forward, he said.
Advances in computers, medicine, food and public safety equipment, among other things, all came about due to President John F. Kennedy's pledge to put an American on the moon before 1970, a government report on the space industry said. Miniaturizing surgical equipment, kidney dialysis machines, water purification systems, infrared cameras for firefighters and enriched baby food are all examples.
Weld is hoping another historic moment revitalizes science education again. That is a must if Iowa wants to be a leader in bio-based technology, he said.
"Will we answer the call like last time? Now would be a wonderful time to reinvigorate (science) education," Weld said.
Tom Hockey was 10 when he heard Armstrong's famous "small step" quote. He rushed home from performing in the play "Oliver" to watch the landing.
Already wearing glasses, he figured being a pilot and astronaut was out. Today he teaches astronomy at UNI.
"I knew I didn't fit the physical model, but it was my way to explore space," Hockey said.
He believes the first and five subsequent moon landings spurred learning.
"It was a stimulus for math and science education in America. ... It was almost unavoidable," Hockey said.
The first moon landing was a landmark event. Most people old enough can remember exactly where they were when the Eagle landed.
Craig Cunningham of Waterloo was 13 and visiting family in Naperville, Ill. He was at a baseball game, but it got over just in time to watch Armstrong touch the moon on TV.
Cunningham believes he has the largest collection of space memorabilia in Waterloo. Newspaper clippings, autographed pictures of astronauts, books --- just about anything dealing with space.
The moon landing didn't influence the Hy-Vee employee's career choice, but he understands how important it was to the country.
"Kennedy talked about going to the moon in rockets not built yet or metals perfected," Cunningham said. "We had to buckle down to get it done in eight years."
SHARE YOUR STORY BY ADDING A COMMENT BELOW. WHERE WERE YOU WHEN THE FIRST MAN WALKED ON THE MOON?
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