Activity at a Glance

Purpose
To introduce the challenges of living in space by designing a facility that can provide everything required to support humans and can protect them from the harsh environment of space.

Overview
There are four activity options, depending on the time available. As one goes from Option 1 to Option 4, children get progressively more background information and detail, which is reflected in producing a more-detailed space colony model.

Option 1 — A librarian-centered activity where the librarian uses books and/or videos to introduce children to living in space.

Option 2 — Children work as individuals to design an entire space colony.

Option 3 — Children work as a group, with each child creating a part of the colony model.

Option 4 — Children brainstorm to come up with a list of things required for humans to live a comfortable life on Earth, noting how Earth provides them with each item in their daily lives. They then design and construct a complete space colony that can provide these requirements.

In Options 2–4, in which children design a colony, children label their drawings/models, denoting the function of each area. They present their modules and colonies to one another and create a display for the library.

Concepts

• Humans — and all organisms — have specific requirements to live.
• Space and the surfaces of the Moon and Mars are a harsh environments for humans. The average temperatures are well below 0°F; there are high levels of solar radiation, which can damage body tissues; there is little or no atmosphere; and there are no sources of food or water.
• Earth provides the conditions, resources, and systems to provide the requirements of life.
• Because human needs remain the same, a self-contained habitat, such as a space colony, must provide the same elements as Earth.
• Providing and maintaining the conditions, resources, and systems required to support human life in space is a complex, challenging task.
• Since the failure of a major system would be catastrophic for the astronauts, back-up systems and escape systems are an essential part of the design of a space habitat.

Appropriate Ages

• Options 1–3:  Ages 8–13
• Option 4:  Ages 10–13

Time

• Option 1: Introduction to Space Colonies (Timeframe — 30 minutes)
• Option 2: Designing a Simple Space Colony (Timeframe — 30–45 minutes)
• Option 3: Building a Space Colony as a Group (Timeframe — 30–60 minutes)
• Option 4: Building a Detailed Space Colony (Timeframe — 90 minutes to multiple days, depending on time available)

Materials

• Books about space colonies
• Chalkboard, dry erase board, easel or large piece of paper, with chalk or markers
• White paper
• Rulers
• Colored pencils/markers
• A large piece of cardboard painted red on one side and gray on the other
• Two large tables (one for construction covered with newspaper)
• Boxes for the "parts"

Examples of materials for constructing a space colony or habitat:

Correlations to National Science Standards

Physical Science — Content Standard B

Transfer of Energy

• Light interacts with matter by transmission (including refraction), absorption, or scattering (including reflection). To see an object, light from that object — emitted by or scattered from it — must enter the eye.

Life Science — Content Standard C

Regulation and Behavior

• All organisms must be able to obtain and use resources, grow, reproduce, and maintain stable internal conditions while living in a constantly changing external environment.

Earth and Space Science — Content Standard D

Earth in the Solar System

• Earth is the third planet from the Sun in a system that includes the Moon, the Sun, eight other planets and their moons, and smaller objects, such as asteroids and comets. The Sun, an average star, is the central and largest body in the solar system.
• Gravity alone holds us to Earth's surface and explains the phenomena of the tides.
• The Sun is the major source of energy for phenomena on Earth's surface, such as growth of plants, winds, ocean currents, and the water cycle.

Science and Technology — Content Standard E

Understandings About Science and Technology

• Scientific inquiry and technological design have similarities and differences. Scientists propose explanations for questions about the natural world, and engineers propose solutions relating to human problems, needs, and aspirations. Technological solutions are temporary; technologies can only exist within nature, and therefore cannot contravene physical or biological principles; technological solutions have side effects; and technologies cost, carry risks, and provide benefits.
• Perfectly designed solutions do not exist. All technological solutions have trade-offs, such as safety, cost, efficiency, and appearance. Engineers often build in back-up systems to provide safety. Risk is part of living in a highly technological world. Reducing risk often results in new technology.
• Technological designs have constraints. Some constraints are unavoidable, for example, properties of materials, or effects of weather and friction; other constraints limit choices in the design, for example, environmental protection, human safety, and aesthetics.
• Technological solutions have intended benefits and unintended consequences. Some consequences can be predicted, others cannot.

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Last updated
March 3, 2005