Other Space and Science-Based Activities:

1. Space Disorientation Activity (Barany Chair) (60 mins. in length, all ages).

To help students gain a better understanding of how astronauts can have their perceptions and sense of motion affected by living and working in microgravity in space, students first participate in a demonstration using Vision-Shift goggles. This allows them to see how the brain adjusts when the senses are altered. Then students participate in a demonstration using our Barany Chair, received through a NASA education grant. Students are seated in the chair and outfitted with vision- and hearing-restricting goggles and earphones. They are then spun in the chair to see how their bodies perceive illusions of movement in the "wrong direction" when the sense of motion is the dominant sensory input.

2. Space Station Assembly Activity (70-80 mins. in length, all ages)

Experience the fun and excitement of assembling the three modules of our special Space Station. We guide your students as they work in teams to assemble each individual module. The teams then work together to connect all three units. To simulate construction in space, workers are tethered to each other and the modules as they are built. Dropped parts are "lost in space" and can't be recovered! Assembly requires 3-4 groups of 5 to 8 "construction workers" each and a room at least 30 feet by 20 feet in size. The Space Station modules are constructed of plastic pipes and connectors, with enhancements. (Can be done off-site)

3. Air Rocket Construction and Launch Activity (50-60 minutes, all ages)

Students build a rocket out of thick stock paper, taking into account principles of aerodynamics and flight. Then the group goes outside where a CLC staff member operates an air compressor and the students launch their rockets with our air-powered rocket launchers. Each group observes the previous group's launch result and makes adjustments to the launch angle for height, wind direction, etc. Groups compete for distance and accuracy (a bull's-eye target in the field next to our building). Many safety measures are in place to ensure a safe and fun activity. (Can be done off-site)

4. Choose the Crew Activity (45 mins., middle school & older)

Students are given information about ten anonymous astronaut candidates for a potential crew for a manned Mars mission. They read the history and personality characteristics of the candidates and then select their top four choices. The CLC staff then leads a guided discussion about what characteristics are desirable for a Mars Crew. At the end, it is revealed that the candidate profiles are based on well-known people (John Glenn, Marie Curie, etc.). (Can be done off-site)

5. Marsbound Activity (60-70 mins., middle school & older)

This is a card-based activity developed by the NASA Jet Propulsion Lab and Arizona State Univ. Students are broken into teams of 4 each. Each team is designing a Mars Rover or Lander. The team can choose from "trading cards" representing different systems of the rover or lander such as booster rocket, power systems, communications systems, CPU, etc. They are given constraints such as safety, reliability, budget, size & weight. The cards are placed on a design board. Here is a description of the activity from the Teacher Guide: "This activity uses the excitement of Mars exploration as the 'hook' to get students interested in the process of design, engineering and technology." (Can be done off-site)

6. Additional Space Activities for Younger Students (15-30 mins. ea., elementary school)

Additional activities for younger students include the Egg Drop, Newton's Third Law (with balloons), Build a Space Station out of Household Items, Space Jingo, and many more!

7. Additonal Space- and Science-Related Activities (15-20 mins. each, all ages)

Additional activities incluce themes such as Eating In Space, Sleeping in Space, Fire In Space, etc. An example of one of these activity blocks involves considering how the body undergoes various chemical and physical changes in space. To examine one type of change, students carefully fill beakers with water to the brim. Then they slowly add teaspoons of salt until the water spills over the brim. It is possible to get several spoonfuls of salt into the water before there is a spill. They also fill out a worksheet where they go down a list of different types of changes (car crash, wood burning, ice melting, etc.) and must identify each change by type (chemical, physical, or nuclear).

Call (210) 534-8398 for pricing, scheduling, or additional information on any activities..

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