Credit: Lick Observatory/ESA/Hubble via NASA
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Welcome to Day 1!
Welcome to Day 1!
We are so happy you are joining us for our To the Moon & Beyond Summer Camp! Welcome to Day 1. We hope you are ready to have some cool experiences with science, technology, engineering, and math as we explore the history and possibilities of space travel!
Throughout the camp, you’ll learn a little about space and our planets, NASA missions to space, shelters, and equipment needed to travel safely, as well as technology that helped us explore the wonders beyond our world.
Today, we’ll explore:
Today, we’ll explore:
What you know and what you want to know about space exploration
Mission patches created by teams of astronauts
The size and scale of our solar system
First things first....
First things first....
Please take this short survey before you get started on any materials.
STEM@HOME: KWL Chart
STEM@HOME: KWL Chart
Before we get started, let’s explore what you know and want to know about space exploration.
In your camp notebook or on a piece of paper, create a KWL Chart like this:
Underneath the K column, tell us everything you know about space travel and exploration. Think about things like:
Our planets and solar system
Missions we’ve conducted
Equipment and technology used
Under the W column, write out all the things you hope to know at the end of the camp. What are the things you’re curious about and want to learn?
Leave the L column blank for now and we’ll return to it later.
STEM@HOME: Design a Crew Patch
STEM@HOME: Design a Crew Patch
Since 1965, every mission to space has had its own mission patch design created by the astronauts who made the trip. Before heading off to space, the crew works together to design a patch to represent themselves and the mission.
Our World: Mission Patches
Our World: Mission Patches
See how NASA astronauts design their mission patches to tell the story of each shuttle mission. The astronauts must choose pictures, colors, and symbols that explain the importance of the mission and represent each of the astronauts on the team.
Have you ever noticed the mission patches on an astronaut’s spacesuit? Here are a few examples:
Image reference: www.history.nasa.gov/mission_patches.html
Apollo 11
Skylab 3
STS-130
Gemini 11
What similarities do you see between these patches? What are the differences?
After NASA selects a crew for a mission, one of the first jobs of the new crew is to create a mission patch that represents themselves and the mission. So before we begin our journey, we have to create our own mission patch.
Things to consider including in your design:
Things to consider including in your design:
What shape would you like your patch to be?
The name of your mission -- To the Moon & Beyond! (Or, you can make up your own mission name!)
Your name or your family name (last name)
Pictures that represent you or your family
Any other images you’d like! What do they symbolize?
Get started:
Get started:
Use the templates below to help create your patch, or design your own shape.
Sketch your design using pencil.
Use your crayons to finish your design.
Sometimes crews make more than one patch --You can too!
Understanding Space: Relative Size and Distance
Understanding Space: Relative Size and Distance
These activities have been adapted from NASA’s activities on space: https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/classroom-activities
Credit: Rogelio Bernal Andreo/Stocktrek Images Stocktrek Images Getty Images
How big is the solar system? Watch this video to learn more
How big is the Solar System - Relative Size and Distance.mp4Humans have always been curious about our place in space and what lies beyond what we can see. Being able to travel to distant worlds beyond our own depends upon understanding the size, distance, and other characteristics of moons and planets in our solar system.
You’ll be creating models to help understand relative size and distances, and reflect on how scientists use models to construct explanations through the scientific process.
STEM@HOME: Earth, Earth’s Moon, Mars Balloon Model
STEM@HOME: Earth, Earth’s Moon, Mars Balloon Model
For this activity, students will construct a balloon scale model to understand the relative sizes of the Earth, Earth’s Moon and Mars in relation to each other and their relative distance to each other at this scale.
Introduction
Introduction
Join Dorinda Risenhoover, Education Coordinator at NASA Oklahoma Space Grant Consortium, as she discusses models and how to best prepare for the activity.
Materials Needed:
Materials Needed:
1 Blue Balloon* to represent Earth
1 Red Balloon* to represent Mars
1 White Balloon* to represent the Earth’s Moon
Cloth Tape Measure
Calculator
*If you don't have these colors, you could use any 3 different colors
Vocabulary:
Vocabulary:
Models - a simulation that helps explain natural and human-made systems and shows possible flaws
Prediction - the use of knowledge to identify and explain observations or changes in advance
Relative Distance - how far away objects are when compared to one another
Relative Size - how large objects are when compared to one another
Relationship - a connection among and between objects
Scale - a measurement that will represent a standard measurement for comparison among objects
Instructions:
Instructions:
In your notebook, draw your thoughts (predictions) of how large the Earth, Earth’s Moon, and Mars are by drawing a picture of the Earth, and then drawing a picture showing how big you think the Earth’s Moon and Mars are in comparison. Why do you think this is correct?
Take a look at the photo below. This is Earth and Earth’s Moon as seen from Mars in November 2016.
Does it look like the Earth and Earth’s Moon are the same size? Is this how they’re normally represented in books, charts, and other materials?
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Arizona
3. Next, you’ll need your blue balloon and measuring tape. When using the measuring tape, you’ll notice that it has two sides. One side uses inches and one side uses centimeters. The side with inches is printed in large numbers and the side with centimeters is printed in smaller numbers. Make sure you use the side showing centimetres for the next step!
In the model you will create, the Earth is 63 centimeters in circumference (measuring around the outside). In real life, the Earth is over 40,000 kilometers in circumference!
Take your blue balloon (Earth) and blow it up until it is 63 centimeters in circumference. It may be helpful to have another person or adult help you hold the tape measure as you blow up your balloon. Tie off the balloon and set it aside.
4. Now that you know the circumference of Earth on our scale, what size do you think you should you inflate the red balloon (Mars) and white balloon (Earth’s Moon) to?
5. You probably know that the planets and moons are not as small as the balloons, but because we calculated them using a scale, the sizes represent the bodies in relationship to each other. Therefore, the Earth can be estimated as twice as big as Mars, and 4 times bigger than Earth’s Moon. So let’s do the math….
If Earth’s size is about 2 times the size of Mars, we should be able to divide Earth’s size by 2 to get the size of Mars.
Practice: 63 cm ➗ 2 =
If Earth’s size is about 4 times the size of Earth’s Moon, then we should be able to determine how big to make the Moon by dividing Earth’s size by 4.
Practice: 63 cm ➗ 4 =
6. Now, let’s blow up the other two balloons in our model. Fill the red balloon (Mars) to 31.5cm and the white balloon (Earth’s Moon) to 15.75cm.
7. Look back at your notebook where you drew your predictions of the size of the Earth, Earth’s Moon, and Mars. Was your prediction correct? (It’s OK if your prediction was not correct! Scientists make predictions all the time, and then collect and analyze data to determine whether their predictions were correct or not.)
8. Next, use the space around you to set your balloons on the ground and predict their relative distance. How far apart do you think the Earth, Earth’s Moon, and Mars are from one another?
9. After you’ve predicted the relative distances for each of the bodies, this is a great moment to mention that the distance to the Moon is approximately 600cm or 0.6m from the Earth. Go ahead and measure out this distance and place the Earth and Earth’s Moon accordingly.
10. The distance of Mars is so great that, if we were to place it correctly according to this scale, it would actually be ¾ of a mile or 1.21km away. For context, this is approximately the length of 13 football fields. Or, you could lay out your cloth measuring tape end-to-end approximately 1,038 times to get your Mars balloon far enough away.
11. If it takes 2-3 days to reach Earth’s Moon using a rocket-powered vessel, how long do you think it would take to reach Mars?
Answer
Answer
It takes between 6 and 11 months to reach Mars.
STEM Challenge: Solar System Scale
STEM Challenge: Solar System Scale
Let’s make another model and explore the size of our solar system further!
Let’s make another model and explore the size of our solar system further!
Introduction
Introduction
Learn how to construct a model of the universe with Dorinda Risenhoover, Education Coordinator for the NASA Oklahoma Space Grant Consortium (OSGC).
Materials Needed:
Materials Needed:
Pony Beads
Yellow (Sun)
Dark Red (Mercury)
White (Venus)
Green (Earth)
Light Red (Mars)
Black (Asteroid belt)
Orange (Jupiter)
Gray (Saturn)
Dark Blue (Uranus)
Light Blue (Neptune)
Brown (Pluto - dwarf planet)
15 feet of string
Measuring Tape
Calculator
Credit: Distancesinspace.weebly.com
Vocabulary:
Vocabulary:
Astronomical Unit (AU) - a standard measurement used within the solar system; Earth is 1 AU from the Sun
Planet - a sphere moving in orbit around a star (e.g., Earth moving around the sun)
System - an organized group of related objects or components that form a whole
Solar System - our solar system has 8 planets moving in orbit around the sun, along with dwarf planets (such as Pluto), comets, asteroids, and moons; some other stars, like the Sun, have solar systems (planets and other bodies orbiting them) too
Our Solar System:
Our Solar System:
Credit: NASA
Getting Started:
Getting Started:
In your camp notebook, let’s start with your predictions of how far apart each planet or other body from Earth by drawing relative distances.
Introduction:
Introduction:
We think about planets revolving around the Sun, but do not usually think about how far each planet is from the Sun. Astronomers use the distance from the Sun to the Earth as an “Astronomical Unit,” or AU. This unit gives us an easy way to calculate the distances of the other planets from the Sun.
Astronomical Unit: 1 AU = ~150 million kilometers (93 million miles)
Instructions:
Instructions:
You will construct a distance model of the Solar System to scale, using colored beads as planets.
For this activity 1 AU = 10 cm
Complete the chart by multiplying each AU distance by our scale factor of 10 cm per AU. This procedure will give you the measurement of each planet in cm for your model. You can use the bead colors suggested earlier, or reassign them based on your preference. Just be sure to record it on the chart so you don’t forget!
Example: Mercury is 0.4 AU from the Sun -- 10cm x 0.4 = 4cm. So you would tie the Sun bead on one end of your string and then approximately 4cm away, you would tie your Mercury bead.
2. Use the new distance (in cm) to construct a scale model of our Solar System.
Use the distances you have calculated in the chart to measure the distance from the Sun on the string to the appropriate planet and tie the colored bead in place. We recommend using a pen or marker to mark the location of each bead, then go back and tie the beads in place. A double knot will ensure they don’t move once they’re in place!
Here’s a graphic to give you an idea of how far each planet is from the sun:
Credit: MooMoo Math and Science
Reflection
Reflection
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