From Earth to the Moon and to MARS!
Science 7 Space Project:
The idea for this project is to look at our science 7 curriculum through the lens of space exploration. In celebration of our Canadian astronaut, David Saint-Jacques going to the International Space Station in December 2018, we are planning a human space colony that could send people to live on the Moon or even Mars!
While most of this project was addressed in Science 7, some aspects were also enhanced in Science 9. You can read about our Science 9 Mars Colonies here.
Grade 7 Space Gardens:
Science 7 students have learned about how humans impact an ecosystem when they use land for agriculture. Part of this was exploring, through various activities, how Earth soil varies from Lunar and Martian simulated regolith samples. Students examined texture, porosity, structure and chemical composition of the samples and created a "story" about the struggles a plant might face if it was trying to grow in each medium.
After learning about how plants are used as crops, students were divided into groups and are researching a variety of different seeds to determine which ones would be good choices to bring on a space colonization mission. They will work in their groups and as a class to decide which plants we will grow in the various regolith and soil samples.
My favorite part was getting to gather crops - when we harvested our first round of potatoes, students shouted in delight each time we unearthed a potato. We made note of how many potatoes were harvested from each soil type and decided to see if we could harvest a second round using russet potatoes as seeds this time.
I also loved getting to cook up our harvested veggies - potatoes and green beans made for a tasty space breakfast one morning!
Having gardens in our classroom has been a fantastic learning opportunity! As students watched leaves and stems grow, flowers bloom and crops harvested, we had many discussions about what diet and nutrition might look like on a Space colony.
Coding Micro::bits with Sense and Response Systems:
Students will be using block-based coding to code simple micro::bits to sense and respond to different essential variables for their gardens and habitats. We welcomed Kids Code Jeunesse to our school in late November to introduce the basics of scratch coding and micro::bit capabilities. As we establish our space gardens and start to design habitats and greenhouses, students will determine which variables they want to sense and design a response system to using the engineering design process.
Update for this component - science 7 students will be coding micro:bits to sense temperature in their structures while science 9 students have had the freedom to design and build any type of automated response system!
Space Habitats:
Combining concepts from Structures and Forces and Heat and Temperature, students will be working together to design, build and test models for space habitats, greenhouses or space suits. They will be required to research and test various materials that suit the purpose of the structure and will need to design it in such a way that it maintains the necessary conditions for its purpose. A habitat, for example, will need to be insulated against heat loss, greenhouses will want to capture sunlight but maintain temperature, space suits might need to consider Carbon dioxide concentrations, etc.
We focused on one driving question:
How can we use the engineering design process to design and build a model space hab or greenhouse that will maintain an appropriate temperature?
Students explored the concepts of materials joining and stress testing through various labs and created blueprints for their designs.
Joining & Fastening Materials Labs
Student Blueprints:
Building and Phase 1 Testing:
Students used what they'd learned about materials and joining to build their first model of their space habs. They were given specific materials to choose from in class or they could bring in additional materials from home.
We tested for leaks by standing the structures over a fan and for thermal retention using an infrared camera.
Students then learn about thermal energy transfer and are given feedback on their structure by an engineer! They use this information to revise and make any changes to their structures before final tests and evaluations.
FEEDBACK DAY!
This was a fantastic addition to this project. Part of the engineering design project is to gather feedback and revise the design. We were fortunate to welcome engineer Jonathan Lay to our school for a morning. He visited every single group to look at their structures, speak with students about their rationale behind their designs and give them tips and feedback about their designs.
In addition to feedback from Mr. Lay, students were encouraged to circulate and look at each others' designs. Each group was provided with a feedback form at their tables for anyone to provide constructive comments. Students then used these comments for their revisions.
Once students had made adjustments to the structural design, they added insulation and tested their Habs' abilities to retain heat when heated inside and from outside. We took IR images to see where the heat leaked from the Habs and coded microbits to sense temperature and send the data to a second bit outside the structure.
We had one final mini-showcase where the public were invited to view and question students about the work they had done throughout the year.