Family Space Day Overview - Health in Space

Family Space Day is a three hour event. The activities are set up so that children
and parents can select the order in which they undertake activities. Parents and
children are encouraged to learn, play, and explore together.

Objectives of the Day

Children will:

  • build an understanding of the unique conditions in space that result in
    challenges to staying healthy.
  • learn about common health challenges astronauts and children face.
  • learn strategies for staying healthy.
  • explore what it is like to live and work in space.

Activities

Station 1: Preparing for Space Travel
Parents and children identify what they have in common with astronauts
using interactive posters.

Station 2: Galley Game
What could be so different about eating in space? Children learn about
the considerations for bringing food into space and the challenges of
eating it!

Station 3: Beans in Space
In this model, children compare the mass of an object on Earth to the
mass of an object in space to understand why our muscles get more of a
workout on Earth, and why astronauts experience muscle atrophy.

Station 4: Bones of Contention
Children create models to compare bone loss in space to healthy, well
exercised bones on Earth. They discover what happens to bones without
proper exercise and nutrition!

Station 5: Measure Up
In microgravity conditions everything – including body fluids – floats! In a
simulation of how fluids shift in astronaut’s bodies, parents and children
measure each other’s ankle widths before and after lying on their backs
with their feet and legs propped against a wall.

Station 6: Sponge Spool Spine
Children simulate what happens to a human spine in space by making a
representation of a human spine on Earth, and then exposing it to
“microgravity conditions.”

Station 7: UV Man!
Children construct UV Man! (or woman!) and equip him with special
radiation detectors to investigate the source of ultraviolet radiation – our
Sun. They explore how we can protect UV Man! – and ourselves – from
being exposed to too much UV radiation.

Station 8: UV Man in Space!
Children investigate the importance of good nutrition, sleep, exercise, and
recreation for astronauts – and themselves! They discover the healthy
choice challenges they have in common with astronauts.

Station 9: The Astronaut in Me
Children investigate the importance of good nutrition, sleep, exercise, and
recreation for astronauts – and themselves! They discover the healthy
choice challenges they have in common with astronauts.

Station 10: Coloring Sheets and Games
Children can relax and color and play games related to the staying
healthy.

Station 11: Reading Room
Children and their parents can browse and read a selection of books
about living and working in space and staying healthy (refer to book list
for suggested reading).

Other Materials

Facilitator Information – Health in Space
Explore Human Health in Space – Book and Website References
All About Staying Healthy in Space – A Health in Space Fact Sheet

 

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