Science in D-Lab
5th Grade Science: Designing Space Suits
Inspiration: Mr. Carrales' Science solar system unit.
Challenge: "How might we design a space suit to best support astronauts in future missions?"
Students designed space suits for astronauts that could withstand heat, collision, and allow for the mobility to successfully accomplish missions that call for physically challenging exploration and making mechanical repairs.
Process:
- Day 1: choose 5 material layer combinations and submit them to the Space Suit Layer TestingSpace Suit Layer Testing, a falling, weighted screwdriver simulating micrometeoroids in space debris that are a real risk to astronauts servicing the exteriors of their aircrafts.
- Day 2: choose 5 material layer combinations and submit them to the heat test, using heat lamps and thermometers.
- Day 3 & 4: Based on most successful results from the collision and heat test, design and fabric a stuffed-animal suit prototype that allows for movement astronauts need to successfully fulfill their assignments.
6th Grade Science: Spelunking for Future Cave Expeditions
The Scenario:
You work as an engineer for an engineering design company. Your boss has received a job proposal from Deep Caverns Incorporated asking for a solution to their upcoming cave expedition. Your boss has offered the Deep Caverns Inc. account to the engineer with the best cave equipment solution, and this means an increase in the salary of the engineer who lands the account.
Your Assignment:
Deep Caverns Inc. currently implements all caving strategies that you will research during this unit. The final product for the job proposal needs to include a general caving problem and your engineered 3D solution. Include the following in your proposal:
- Fully outfit caver for the chosen cave based on needs.
- Design one 3D equipment solution to the caving problem. The cave equipment solution must be something new, unique, and creative .
