Sue Varner's love affair with the final frontier began in 1989, when she was a teacher in Florida.

That year, she was chosen to be part of a space camp offered by NASA, in Florida, during which she was given heat tiles and pieces of parachute from the Challenger and Discovery space shuttles.

"That was when I was bitten by the space bug," Varner said.

Since then, Varner, who now teaches fifth grade at Hollifield Station Elementary School, in Ellicott City, has included space exploration concepts in her lessons whenever possible.

Recently, she was given the opportunity to take her love of space and teaching to the next level.

Varner was one of three Howard County teachers who attended The Boeing Co.'s Space Camp July 7-12 in Huntsville, Ala.

She did so along with Jessica Michaelson, of Laurel Woods Elementary School, in North Laurel, and Sherri Morisco, of Folly Quarter Middle School, in Ellicott City.

Ninety-two teachers from 12 states and 11 countries attended the week-long camp to enhance their skills in presenting inspired math, science and technology lessons through using space exploration as a launching pad.

The teachers participated in mock space missions, astronaut training and lectures on rocketry, and received curriculum resources and lesson plans to use in the classroom.

Boeing, one of the world's largest defense contractors, identified specific schools and school systems to participate in the annual camp, said Lynn Farrow, a spokeswoman for Boeing.

Teachers from those schools or systems who applied were selected for the camp based on certain criteria, such as demonstrating leadership skills and creative ways of sharing knowledge with students, Farrow said.

Space gets in lesson plans

Michaelson, 28, of Baltimore, who will leave Laurel Woods to teach gifted and talented classes at Waterloo Elementary School, in Ellicott City, this fall, said she couldn't believe she was selected to attend the camp.

"I was so excited," she said.

Varner, 48, of Catonsville, said she most enjoyed the camp's simulated space missions, in which participants played the roles of personnel in mission control, in a space orbiter and in a space station.

"It allowed us to slip into a totally different world," she said. "It gave us a different perspective on a different life."

Varner said she plans to use some of what she learned at the camp in the rocketry club she started at Hollifield Station.

Michaelson said she will be teaching a space unit to fourth-graders, adding that she hopes to talk about space concepts when teaching other subject areas, such as math and creative writing.

"You can incorporate space into any topic you're doing," she added.

Varner said she hopes that teaching students about the space program will encourage them to pursue careers in math and the sciences.

"The space program is an ideal example of what we can achieve when we do work together," she said.

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