COSMIC COSMIC ADVENTUREADVENTURE

1. Unit overview 2. Activities 3. Supplemental Activities 4. Integrated Literacy and Other Academic Skills 5. References 6. Resources

o Astronomy Vocabulary Words o Objects in Space – Treasure Hunt Words o Cosmic Trivia o Food For Space Flight o Shuttle Food List o Flying Competition – Directions and Debriefing sheet o Experiments: Lunar Facts, Rocket Launcher, Making Moon Craters o Concept Web o Cosmic Mural Requirements

COSMIC ADVENTURECOSMIC ADVENTURE Objectives: To increase the participant’s understanding and respect for the cosmos including

Structures of the universe, planets and other space features Human’s exploration of space and flight

To exploration of self-identity through exploring horoscopes. To reinforce reading and writing descriptive, technical and scientific information. To reinforce research skills. Specific Reading Activities:

Reading books and handouts to gather information for the mural Reading directions for experiments and craft projects Reading the short essay on the foods in space Reading the horoscope information

Specific Writing Activities:

Writing the debriefing report for the glider experiment Writing the results of the experiments in the science journal Writing the menu for the astronaut feast Writing the horoscope for the friend Writing the creative story about life in the lunar settlement Writing the description of the cosmic object in the mural Writing the acrostic poem about the cosmic object in the mural

Culminating Events: Trip to one of the following: Planetarium or visit with someone in the community that has a high powered telescope Notes: At www.edhelper.com/SolarSystem.htm, there are word searches and crosswords related to astronomy and space travel. These can be used when the participants finish their homework.

The book Cosmic Science: Over 40 Gravity-Defying, Earth-Orbiting, Space-Cruising Activities for Kids by Jim Wiese, New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. has many great ideas for this unit.

ACTIVITIES Prep: 1. Gather together books, articles, websites, videos and other material about space

to have available throughout the unit. 2. Copy the student handouts that you will be using during the unit. 3. Gather the supplies for the experiments that you will be doing during the unit. 4. Make sure that each participant has a journal that they can use to take notes for

the mural during free time.

Remember: On the first or second day, hold a meeting with the yearbook committee that volunteered for the unit. Discuss what they will need to take pictures of and what stories they will write for the yearbook.

Activity One Unit Introduction 1. Introduce the activities that you will be doing during the unit and any special expectations for

behavior. Introduce the mural project and discuss how they will be working on it throughout the unit.

2. Have the participants complete the first two columns of a KWL Chart in their journal using the questions found in the following chart:

What do you know about

astronomy? What do you want to know? What have you learned?

or complete a prewrite activity with the following questions: (See Tool Kit Section)

Where would you like to go in space if you could get there quickly? What would you like to do in that place? Do you believe there is any life on other planets? If there are, what are they like?

3. Play word games with the vocabulary listed on the vocabulary sheet. You can do these games throughout the unit. Check out the types of word games you can play in the tool kit. At www.edhelper.com/SolarSystem.htm, there are word searches and crosswords related to astronomy and space travel. Note: If you want the participants to practice their decoding skills, have a contest between small groups to see which group can correctly pronounce the words on the list using the “Decoding Summary Sheet” and “Syllabication Rule Summary Sheet.” Make sure each person in the group can pronounce all the words independently before awarding the groups their points.

Axis: an imaginary line around which a body, such as a planet, rotates Celestial: Of or relating to the sky or the heavens Craters: a bowl-shaped formation on an body Density: a measure of how tightly mass is packed into a given space Diameter: the measurement of distance from one side to another side through a circle Galaxy: One of billions of systems, each a giant collection of gas, dust, and millions or

billions of stars. Gravity: force of attraction that exists between any two masses, any two bodies, or any

two particles. It is the attraction that exists between all objects. Light-year: The distance light can travel in one year, which is 9,500,000,000,000

kilometers Magnitude: size Mass: the amount of matter contained in a body Moons: a natural satellite orbiting a planet Orbit: the path of an object in space around another object in space Rotation: the process of spinning around a central axis Solar system: the sun with the celestial bodies that revolve around it in its gravitational

field Telescope: Any of various devices, sometimes made with an arrangement of lenses,

mirrors, or both, used to detect and observe distant objects Universe: the vast expanse of space which contains all of the matter and energy in

existence

4. Watch the movie ASTRONOMY (23 minutes) or PLANET and list vocabulary words that the participants heard, or read a story about space. Science fiction short stories also work very well for this activity. Many of the short stories by Ray Bradbury capture the sense of space. Check out The Summer Night or The Earth Men in The Martian Chronicle.

Activity Two Treasure Hunt 1. Break the group up into teams. 2. Have a treasure hunt to find a picture and some information about 10 different objects in

space. (See the suggested worksheet in this unit for suggested astronomical objects and the tool kit for ways of running treasure hunts.)

3. At the end of the treasure hunt have the teams decide on which object must interested them. They will use this object for their mural design. Any time doing the unit that the participants have free time they can find more information about their “object.” Encourage them to write what they find in their journals so they will be prepared for the end of the unit mural activity.

Activity Three Astronomy Trivia Break the group into teams. Have the teams compete throughout the time of the unit to find the answers to the following trivia questions. (Participant handout found in resources)

What was the name of the man who discovered Neptune with his telescope in 1846? Johann Galle

What is the name of the largest moon in our solar system? Ganymede Which planet has the largest volcano and largest valley in the solar system? Mars What astronomer was the first to discover galaxies beyond the Milky Way? Edwin

Hubble The smaller, Earth-like planets are called 'terrestrial' planets. What are the larger planets

called? Jovian This unmanned space probe has visited all of the outer planets except Pluto. What was its

name? Voyager 2/Cassini What is the brightest star in the night sky? Sirius Portions of the constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor are also known as what? Big

Dipper and Little Dipper What is a “Blue Moon? When we have a second full moon within one month. Which of the constellations represents a goat? Capricornus

Activity Four Horoscopes – (There are many different “astrology” books on the market that the participants can use as inspiration to jumpstart this activity.) 1. Ask the participants to do a quick prewrite about what they know about the term “astrology”

and where do they think the term comes from. Ask them to think about the way the word begins, its prefix = Astro meaning star.

2. Introduce the concept of “horoscopes” Talk about how the origin of horoscopes come from the “signs of the Zodiac” which are based on the constellations that can be seen in the night sky near the horizon during the month of the “sign.”

3. Have the participants look at the characteristics of different astrological signs — see if they can guess other individuals “signs” without knowing their birthdays, based on their behavior.

4. Have the participants determine their astrological signs. 5. Write a horoscope for another individual that they think fits their personality. (Set some

strong ground rules for this activity before beginning that assures that there are no put-downs or other inappropriate comments.) See the skeleton format to support this writing.

Activity Five Cooking Check out the activities in the “Space Food and Nutrition” put out by NASA. It’s a great website. http://spacelink.nasa.gov/products/Space.Food.and.Nutrition/ Literacy Development friendly activities found at this site: Food Selection – if you include the exercise on the evaluation

Classifying Space Food Any of the activities such as Mold Growth if you make sure the participants keep a science

journal 1. Together, read the article, History of Eating in Space found in the resources. 2. Plan a menu that the participants will make the next day including only hydrated and

thermostablized food. Many of the foods on the list can be bought at normal grocery stores. Camping stores also have a large supply of rehydratable and thermostabilized food.

3. Have an astronaut feast based on the menu. Activity Six “Flying” Machine Challenge 1. Decide first what kind or kinds of flying machines the group as a whole is going to make.

Any of these links have great directions to make “flying machines.” You can also make simple paper airplanes.

757 Glider Kit: http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/aero/teachers/Kit.pdf Paper Whirlygigs: http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/aero/events/spin/whirlygig.html Loop Airplanes: http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/aero/teachers/ia3.html

2. Have the participants break up into teams or squadrons. (optional) Before undertaking the Flying Machine Challenge Events, have the “squadrons” develop a squadron cheer.

3. Have the team follow the directions on the Competition sheet found in the resources and hold the Flying Machine competition.

4. Describe how just like at NASA after all flights, they will need to file a debriefing report. 5. Have the teams debrief and write a report using the skeleton format provided in the

resources. 6. Have the participants report out. Make it as much role play like as possible – for example,

have some staff or other people come in and act as a government investigatory panel asking questions of the squadrons.

Activity Seven Experiments Have the participants do the various experiments and activities described in the resources. Remember to have them read the directions on their own and write short descriptions of their results. These activities include

a. Rocket Launcher b. Water Workout c. Making Moon Craters d. Bad Bones

Activity Eight Lunar Settlements 1. Divided the group into teams. Have building material such as plywood, Styrofoam cups,

plates etc, straws, boxes, plastic cups, clay, construction paper, plastic pipe etc. available. After reading the facts about conditions on the moon and what that would influence the type of construction they need to make have them build their settlements. (See the Resources for a fact sheet about the moon that might influence the way that construct their lunar settlement models.)

2. After completing the models, brainstorm words that describe the structures in the settlements i.e. domes, insulated, etc. (see tool section for ways to brainstorm vocabulary words)

3. Have the teams label their settlements. 4. Write a round robin short story about life in the dome. (See description of how to do a round

robin writing activity in the tools kit section) Start out with One day, my friend and I decide to go exploring the new section of out lunar settlement…

Activity Nine Mural Each team will choose a theme for their part of the mural. Provide the teams with the requirement sheet found in the resources. (The participants should have been thinking of something to put on the mural since the treasure hunt and spent some free time looking for information.) 1. The team will each be given butcher size paper 4 ft long. These sheets will be eventually put

side by side for the finished mural. Time will need to be allocated for the completing of the transitional space decorations.

2. Have the participants do a concept web for the planet or other heavenly body that they will draw on the mural. (See tool kit for ways to use concept maps)

3. Give the teams the requirements for the mural. A copy of these requirements is found in the resources.

4. After the mural is finished, invite school personnel and community members to join the participants in the celebration accompanying the mural hanging in a public area. Serve “space” food as part of the celebration.

Activity Ten Reflection Time 1. Participants will gather together and do an evaluation of the unit. (What went right and what

they would do differently next time?) If you did a KWL chart at the beginning of the unit, you can fill the last column as part of this activity. Check the tool kit for other ideas on how to process the unit.

2. Participants will decide what they will put in their “time capsule” from this club. i.e. pictures, materials, (crafts, visitor brochures, space food) and quietly place them in the capsule and close it.

3. Have the yearbook committee in charge of this club discuss what pictures and stories that had gathered for the yearbook.

SUPPLEMENTAL ACTIVITIES

1. Watch a movie with a space theme such as “Lost in Space” (Pg-13), “Last Star Fighter” “Space Camp” (PG) “Silent Running” (G) and then have them list what was realistic and not realistic based on what they think space would really be like.

2. Possible guest speakers and field trips. (Check out the suggestions in the tool box for suggestions on how to gain the greatest literacy development during field trips and visits from guest speakers.) Field Trips – planetariums, community member’s home with a telescope Guest Speakers – professional or amateur astronomer

INTEGRATED LITERACY SKILLS

Reading Vocabulary and Concept development Comprehension and Analysis of Grade-Level-Appropriate Text Comprehension Connect and clarify main ideas by identifying their relationships to other sources and related

topics Understand and explain the use of a simple/ complex mechanical devise by following

technical directions. Writing Strategies Organization and Focus Choose the form of writing (e.g., personal letter, letter to the editor, review, poem, report, narrative) that best suits the intended purpose. Create multiple-paragraph expository compositions Research and Technology Identify topics; ask and evaluate questions; and develop ideas leading to inquiry, investigation, and research. Writing Applications Write research reports Write persuasive compositions: a. State a clear position or perspective in support of a proposition or proposal. b. Describe the points in support of the proposition, employing well-articulated evidence. c. Anticipate and address reader concerns and counterarguments.

INTEGRATED SCIENCE SKILLS

Science Extension of vocabulary and experience in science area. Understanding that scientific progress is made by asking meaningful questions and

conducting careful investigations Earth Science and Ecology Students know organisms in ecosystems exchange energy and nutrients among themselves and with the environment Students know the natural origin of the materials used to make common objects. Life Science Structure and Function in Living Systems Students know the anatomy and physiology of plants and animals illustrate the complementary nature of structure and function Great Websites NASA Space Link: Great copyright free materials related to astronomy and space travel

http://spacelink.nasa.gov/Instructional.Materials/ At Home Astronomy: http://cse.ssl.berkeley.edu/AtHomeAstronomy/ Videos and DVDS Astronomy: (23 min.) The Really Big World of Astronomy Asteroids: Deadly Impact The New Solar System Inside the Space Station: A Fantastic First Step to Life Off Earth Books (There are many great books that you can use as resources for this unit. Here are just a few suggestions.) Heather Couper et al., How the Universe Works. Reader’s Digest, 1994. Science Explorer: Astronomy. Prentice Hall, 2000. Roy Gallant, National Geographic Atlas of Our Universe. National Geographic, 1980. Patrick Moore et al, Astronomy Encyclopedia. Oxford University Press, 2002. Robin Kerrod, The Way the Universe Works. DK Publishing Company, 2002. Robin Kerrod, Universe (Eyewitness Book). DK Publishing Company, 2003. Kristen Lippncott, Astronomy (Eyewitness Book). DK Publishing Company, 1999. Dinah Moche, Astronomy Today. Random House Children’s Books, 1982.

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ASTRONOMY VOCABULARY WORDS

1. Axis:

2. Celestial:

3. Craters:

4. Density:

5. Diameter:

6. Galaxy:

7. Gravity:

8. Light-year:

9. Magnitude:

10. Mass:

11. Moons:

12. Orbit:

13. Rotation:

14. Solar system:

15. Telescope:

16. Universe:

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OBJECTS IN SPACE

1. Milky Way

2. Aurora borealis

3. Europa

4. Comets

5. Asteroids

6. Constellations

7. Andromeda Galaxy

8. Quasars

9. Black Holes

10. Supernovae

11. Crab Nebula

12. Meteor showers

13. Blue giants

14. Any of the planets

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COSMIC TRIVIA

1. What was the name of the man who discovered Neptune with his telescope in 1846?

2. What is the name of the largest moon in our solar system?

3. Which planet has the largest volcano and largest valley in the solar system?

4. What astronomer was the first to discover galaxies beyond the Milky Way?

5. The smaller, Earth-like planets are called 'terrestrial' planets. What are the larger planets called?

6. This unmanned space probe has visited all of the outer planets except Pluto. What is its

name? 7. What is the brightest star in the night sky?

8. What are the common names of the constellations of Ursa Major and Ursa Minor?

9. What is a “Blue Moon?

10. Which constellation represents a goat?

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FOOD FOR SPACE FLIGHT Credit: NASA Human Space Flight Fact Sheet

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/shuttle/reference/factsheets/food.html

The food that NASA’s early astronauts had to eat in space is a testament to their fortitude. John Glenn, America’s first man to eat anything in the near-weightless environment of Earth orbit, found the task of eating fairly easy, but found the menu to be limited. Other Mercury astronauts had to endure bite-sized cubes, freeze-dried powders, and semiliquids stuffed in aluminum tubes. Most agreed the foods were unappetizing and disliked squeezing the tubes. Moreover, freeze-dried foods were hard to rehydrate and crumbs had to be prevented from fouling instruments.

The astronauts complained and on the Gemini missions eating improved somewhat. The first things to go were the squeeze tubes. Bite-sized cubes were coated with gelatin to reduce crumbling, and the freeze-dried foods were encased in a special plastic container to make reconstituting easier. With improved packaging came improved food quality and menus. Gemini astronauts had such food choices as shrimp cocktail, chicken and vegetables, butterscotch pudding, and apple sauce, and were able to select meal combinations themselves.

By the time of the Apollo program, the quality and variety of food increased even further. Apollo astronauts were first to have hot water, which made rehydrating foods easier and improved the food’s taste. These astronauts were also the first to use the “spoon bowl,” a plastic container that could be opened and its contents eaten with a spoon.

The task of eating in space got a big boost in Skylab. Unlike previous space vehicles for astronauts, Skylab featured a large interior area where space was available for a dining room and table. Eating for Skylab’s three-member teams was a fairly normal operation: footholds allowed them to situate themselves around the table and “sit” to eat. Added to the conventional knife, fork, and spoon was a pair of scissors for cutting open plastic seals. Because Skylab was relatively large and had ample storage area, it could feature an extensive menu: 72 different food items. It also had a freezer and refrigerator, a convenience no other vehicle offered.

The Shuttle Food System

The kinds of foods the Space Shuttle astronauts eat are not mysterious concoctions, but foods prepared here on Earth, many commercially available on grocery store shelves. Diets are designed to supply each Shuttle crew member with all the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) of vitamins and minerals necessary to perform in the environment of space.

Shuttle astronauts have an astonishing array of food items to choose from. They may eat from a standard menu designed around a typical Shuttle mission of 7 days, or may substitute items to accommodate their own tastes. Astronauts may even design their own menus. But those astronaut-designed menus must be checked by a dietitian to ensure the astronauts consume a balanced supply of nutrients. The standard Shuttle menu repeats after 7 days. It supplies each crew member with three balanced meals, plus snacks. Each astronaut’s food is stored aboard the Shuttle and is identified by a colored dot affixed to each package.

Food Preparation

On the Space Shuttle, food is prepared at a galley installed on the orbiter’s mid-deck. The galley is a modular unit that contains a water dispenser and an oven. The water dispenser is used for rehydrating foods, and the galley oven is for warming foods to the proper serving temperature.

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Almost Like Eating At Home During a typical meal in space, a meal tray is used to hold the food containers. The tray

can be attached to an astronaut’s lap by a strap or attached to a wall. The meal tray becomes the astronaut’s dinner plate and enables him or her to choose from several foods at once, just like a meal at home. Without the tray, the contents of one container must be completely consumed before opening another. The tray also holds the food packages in place and keeps them from floating away in the microgravity of space.

Conventional eating utensils are used in space. Astronauts use knife, fork, and spoon. The only unusual eating utensil is a pair of scissors used for cutting open the packages. Following the meal, food containers are discarded in the trash compartment below the mid-deck floor. Eating utensils and food trays are cleaned at the hygiene station with pre-moistened towelettes.

Crews have reported that the Shuttle food system functions well in space. It consists of familiar, appetizing, well-accepted food items that can be prepared quickly and easily. A full meal for a crew of four can be set up in about 5 minutes. Reconstituting and heating the food takes an additional 20 to 30 minutes about the time it takes to fix a snack at home, and far less than it takes to cook a complete meal.

Pantry

A supplementary food supply that provides approximately 2100 Kilocalories per person for two extra days is stowed aboard the Shuttle for each flight. Pantry items are flown in addition to the menu in case the flight is unexpectedly extended because of bad weather at the landing site or some other unforeseen reason. During the flight, this food supply provides extra beverages and snacks. The pantry items also can be exchanged for menu items in flight, but all unused food packages are retained in the pantry so they will be available in case they are needed later.

Types of Foods

Weight and volume have always been primary design factors for every piece of hardware launched into space. The Shuttle is no exception. Weight allowed for food is limited to 3.8 pounds per person per day, which includes the 1 pound of packaging for each person each day. Foods are individually packaged and stowed for easy handling in the zero gravity of space. All food is precooked or processed so it requires no refrigeration and is either ready to eat or can be prepared simply by adding water or by heating. The only exceptions are the fresh fruit and vegetables stowed in the fresh food locker. Without refrigeration, the carrots and celery must be eaten within the first two days of the flight or they will spoil. Rehydratable ® Food

Rehydratable items include both foods and beverages. One way weight can be conserved during launch is to remove water in the food system. During the flight, water is added back to the food just before it is eaten. The Shuttle orbiter fuel cells, which produce electricity by combining hydrogen and oxygen, provide ample water for rehydrating foods as well as drinking and a host of other uses.

Foods packaged in rehydratable containers include soups like chicken consommé and cream of mushroom, casseroles like macaroni and cheese and chicken and rice, appetizers like shrimp cocktail, and breakfast foods like scrambled eggs and cereals. Breakfast cereals are prepared by packaging the cereal in a rehydratable package with nonfat dry milk and sugar, if needed. Water is added to the package just before the cereal is eaten.

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Thermostabalized Food Thermostabilized foods are heat processed to destroy deleterious microorganisms and

enzymes. Individual servings of thermostabilized foods are commercially available in aluminum or bimetallic cans, plastic cups, or in flexible retort pouches. Most of the fruits, and fish such as tuna and salmon, are thermostabilized in cans. The cans open with easy-open, full-panel, and pullout lids. Puddings are packaged in plastic cups. Most of the entrees are packaged in flexible retort pouches. This includes products such as beef tips with mushrooms, tomatoes and eggplant, chicken ala king, and ham. After the pouches are heated, they are cut open with scissors. The food is eaten directly from the containers with conventional eating utensils.

Intermediate (IM) Moisture Foods

Intermediate moisture foods are preserved by restricting the amount of water available for microbial growth, while retaining sufficient water to give the food a soft texture and let it be eaten without further preparation. Water is removed or its activity restricted with a water-binding substance such as sugar or salt. Intermediate moisture foods usually range from 15 to 30 percent moisture, but the water present is chemically bound with the sugar or salt and is not available to support microbial growth. Dried peaches, pears, and apricots, and dried beef are examples of this type of Shuttle food.

Natural Form (NF) Foods

Foods such as nuts, granola bars, and cookies are classified as natural form foods. They are ready to eat, packaged in flexible pouches, and require no further processing for consumption in flight. Both natural form and intermediate moisture foods are packaged in clear, flexible pouches that are cut open with scissors. Irradiated (I) Meat

Beef steak is the only irradiated product currently used on Shuttle. Steaks are cooked, packaged in flexible, foil-laminated pouches, and sterilized by exposure to ionizing radiation so they are stable at ambient temperature.

Condiments

Condiments include commercially packaged individual pouches of catsup, mustard, mayonnaise, taco sauce, and hot pepper sauce. Polyethylene dropper bottles contain bulk supplies of liquid pepper and liquid salt. The pepper is suspended in oil and the salt is dissolved in water.

Shelf Stable Tortillas

Flour tortillas are a favorite bread item of the Shuttle astronauts. Tortillas provide an easy and acceptable solution to the bread crumb and microgravity handling problem, and have been used on most Shuttle missions since 1985. However, mold is a problem with commercially packaged tortillas, especially with the longer missions on the orbiter, which has no refrigeration.

A shelf stable tortilla was developed for use on the Shuttle with extended mission lengths. The tortillas are stabilized by a combination of modified atmosphere packaging, pH (acidity), and water activity. Mold growth is inhibited by removing the oxygen from the package. This is accomplished by packaging in a high-barrier container in a nitrogen atmosphere with an oxygen scavenger. Water activity is reduced to less than 0.90 in the final product by dough formulation. This reduced water activity, along with a lower pH, inhibits growth of pathogenic

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clostridia, which could be a potential hazard in the anaerobic atmosphere created by the modified atmosphere.

Orbiter’s Food Lockers

Meals are stowed aboard the orbiter in locker trays with food packages arranged in the order they will be used. A label on the front of the locker tray lists the locker contents. A five-section net restraint keeps food packages from floating out of the locker in microgravity while still allowing items inside to be seen. Velcro strips secure sections of the net, making it easily opened and the food items readily accessible to the astronauts.

Food is packaged and stowed in the locker trays in Houston about a month before each launch. Stowed food lockers and shipping containers are kept under refrigeration. About 3 weeks before launch, the food lockers are shipped to Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. There they are refrigerated until they are installed in the Shuttle 2-3 days before launch. Besides the meal and pantry food lockers, a fresh food locker is packed at KSC and installed on the Shuttle 18 to 24 hours before launch. The fresh food locker contains tortillas, fresh bread, breakfast rolls, and fresh fruits and vegetables such as apples, bananas, oranges, and carrot and celery sticks. Daily Menu

Foods chosen for the daily menu were selected based on their commonality to everyday eating, the nutritional content and their applicability to use in space. The Daily Menu food supply is based on the use of frozen, refrigerated, and ambient foods. Frozen food includes most entrees, vegetable, and dessert items. Refrigerated food includes fresh and fresh treated fruits and vegetables, extended shelf-life refrigerated foods, and dairy products. Ambient food include thermostabilized, aseptic-fill, shelf-stable natural form foods, and re-hydratable beverages.

Astronauts will choose 28 day flight menus approximately 120 days pre-launch. Additions, deletions, or substitutions to a standard Space Station menu will be made using a Space Station food list. The packaging system for the Daily Menu food is based on single service, disposable containers. Food items will be packaged as individual servings to facilitate in-flight changes and substitutions to pre-selected menus. Single service containers also eliminate the need for a dishwasher. A modular concept that maintains a constant width dimension is utilized in the package design. This design permits common interface of food packages with restraint mechanisms (stowage compartments, oven, etc.) and other food system hardware such as the meal tray. Five package sizes were designed to accommodate common serving sizes of entrees, salads, soups, and dessert items. Several fresh fruits, bread, and condiments will be provided in bulk packages. Meal preparation and consumption will involve a series of steps. A general meal scenario is as follows: Collect meal tray and utensils Display pre-selected meal on the computer Locate food using location display function Prepare food items for heating Place items to be heated in oven Enter cook control codes and press “start” Re-hydrate beverages Place beverages on meal tray Retrieve refrigerated foods Place refrigerated food in meal tray

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Retrieve items from oven Place heated foods in meal tray Eat Place used containers in trash compactor Clean and stow meal tray and utensils Astronaut Menu Selection Food evaluations are conducted approximately eight to nine months before the flight. During the food evaluation sessions, the astronaut is given the opportunity to sample a variety of foods and beverages available for flight. A pack of information is given to each astronaut to use in planning their personal preference menus. Included in the packet is a standard menu, training menu, past flight menus the astronaut has chosen, and the baseline shuttle food and beverage list. Astronauts select their menu approximately five months before flight. The menus are analyzed for nutritional content by the Shuttle Dietitian and recommendations are made to correct any nutrient deficiencies based on the Recommended Dietary Allowances

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SHUTTLE FOOD LIST Credit: “Food for Space Flight,”

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/shuttle/reference/factsheets/food.html

Abbreviations (A/S) – Artificial Sweetener (FF) – Fresh Food (IM) – Intermediate Moisture (I) – Irradiated

(NF) – Natural Form ® – Rehydratable (T) – Thermostabilized

Beef, Dried (IM) Beef Goulash (T) Beef Pattie ® Beef Steak (I) Beef Stroganoff w/Noodles ® Beef Tips w/Mushrooms (T) Bread (FF) Breakfast Roll (FF) Brownies (NF) Candy

Coated Chocolates (NF) Coated Peanuts (NF) Gum (NF) Life Savers (NF)

Cereal, Bran Chex ® Cornflakes ® Granola ® Granola w/Blueberries ® Granola w/Raisins ® Grits w/Butter ® Oatmeal w/Brown Sugar ® Oatmeal w/Raisins ® Rice Krispies ®

Cheddar Cheese Spread (T) Chicken,

Chicken ala King (T) Chicken Cacciatore (T) Chicken Pattie ® Chicken Salad Spread (T) Chicken, Sweet ‘n Sour ® Chicken, Sweet ‘n Sour (T) Chicken, Teriyakl ® Chunky Chicken Stew (T)

Cookies, Butter (NF) Chocolate Covered (NF) Shortbread (NF)

Crackers, Butter (NF) Graham (NF)

Eggs,

Scrambled ® Mexican Scrambled ® Seasoned Scrambled ®

Frankfurters (T) Fruit

Apple, Granny Smlth (FF) Apple, Red Delicious (FF) Applesauce (T) Apricots, Dried (IM) Banana (FF) Cocktail (T) Orange (FF) Peach Ambrosia ® Peaches, Diced (T) Peaches, Dried (IM) Pears, Diced (T) Pears, Dried (IM) Pineapple (T) Strawberries ® Trail Mix (IM)

Granola Bar (NF) Ham (T) Ham Salad Spread (T) Jelly

Apple (T) Grape (T)

Macaroni & Cheese ® Meatballs in Spicy Tomato Sauce (T) Noodles and Chicken ® Nuts

Almonds (NF) Cashews (NF)Macadamia (NF) Peanuts (NF) Trail Mix (IM)

Peanut Butter (T) Potatoes au Gratin ® Puddings,

Banana (T) Butterscotch (T)

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Chocolate (T) Tapioca (T)

Vanilla (T)

Rice and Chlcken ® Rice Pilaf ® Salmon (T) Sausage Pattle ® Shrimp Cocktail ® Soups

Chicken Consommé ® Mushroom ® Rice & Chicken ®

Spaghetti w/Meat Sauce ® Tortillas (FF) Tuna

Tuna (T) Tuna Creole (T) Tuna Salad Spread (T)

Turkey Turkey Salad Spread (T) Turkey Tetrazini ®

Vegetables Asparagus ®

Broccoli au Gratin ® Carrot Sticks (FF) Cauliflower w/Cheese ® Celery Sticks (FF) Green Beans & Broccoli ® Gr. Beans w/Mushrooms ® Italian ® Spinach, Creamed ® Tomatoes & Eggplant (T) Yogurt, Blueberry (T) Peach (T) Raspberry (T) Strawberry (T)

Beverages ®

Apple Cider Cherry Drink w/A/S Cocoa Coffee

Black w/A/S w/Cream w/Cream & A/S w/Cream & Sugar w/Sugar

Coffee (Decaffeinated), Black w/A/S

w/Cream w/Cream & A/S w/Cream & Sugar w/Sugar

Coffee (Kona),

• Black • w/A/S • w/Cream • w/Cream & A/S • w/Cream & Sugar • w/Sugar

Grape Drink Grape Drink w/A/S Grapefruit Drink Instant Breakfast,

Chocolate Strawberry Vanilla

Lemonade w/A/S Lemon-Lime Drinkrange Drink Orange Drink w/A/S Orange Juice Orange-Grapefruit Drink Orange-Mango Drink Orange-Pineapple Drink Peach-Apricot Drink Pineapple Drink Strawberry Drink Tea,

Plain w/A/S w/Cream w/Lemon w/Lemon & A/S w/Lemon & Sugar w/Sugar

Tropical Punch Tropical Punch w/A/S Condiments Catsup (T) Mayonnaise (T) Mustard (T) Pepper (Liquid) Salt (Liquid) Tabasco Sauce (T) Taco Sauce (T)

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Horoscope for ____________ (Astrological sign)

Dear __________________________ (name of the sign), today is

going to be _________________________ (Describe the kind of day the person

could have). Today you are ________________. Relax ____________, (name of

sign) because you ___________________________ (characteristic of the

personality) you can ___________________________________.

For example,

Dear Cancer, today is going to be a stormy day. Today, people are going to want

you to do things you don’t want to do. Relax, Cancer, because you know how to

pull back into your shell you can pretend they aren’t there and get on with your

life.

FLYING COMPETITION Distance:

1. Clearly mark the fly zone for the competition. You can use tape, field chalk or cones to delineate the field.

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2. Each squadron member will take turns flying their machine down the fly zone and

measure the distance of the flight. The number of flight attempts per squadron will be pre-determined by all groups before the squadrons begin flying.

3. The team distance will be equal to the average distance of all flights made by the

squadron. 4. The winning squadron will be determined by the average distance of all flights

completed by the squadron. 5. Adjustments to the flying machines can be made between flight attempts. However,

these adjustments must be noted in the debriefing report. Accuracy:

1. Squadron members of all teams will select and clearly mark various targets varying in distances and size.

2. The squadrons will take turns flying their machines to each of the targets. The distance

from the various targets will be measured and the average distance from each target for all flights completed by the squadron will be the bases for analysis. For example, if there are four targets, each team will have four accuracy scores based on the average distance away from that target reached by the flying machine.

3. The squadron that has the lowest average score for each target will be considered the

winner for that target. 4. Adjustments to the flying machines can be made between flight attempts. However,

these adjustments must be noted in the debriefing report.

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FLIGHT COMPETITION DEBRIEFING REPORT

On ________________ (date), the flight squadron consisting of ________

______________________, __________________, ____________, (name of

squadron) tested, _________________ (name of Flying Machine). The

following are the findings of that test:

1. Description of the Flying machine:

2. Results of the Test:

3. Strong Features of the Glider:

4. Features that need Improvement:

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LUNAR FACTS

Comparison with Earth

Moon Earth

Mass .07349 5.9736 Surface Gravity 1.62 9.80 Length of Day 27.3 days 8 hours Day Temperature 273 o (summer) 70o – 90o

Night Temperature -244 o (winter) 0 o -32 o Rotation Time 10 mph 100 mph Weight 16.6 lbs 100 lbs 1. There is no breathable air on the moon.

2. Water is found only in the form of ice. 3. It takes 60 to 70 hours to get to the moon by rocket. 4. The widest crater is 140 miles in diameter. 5. Only about 59% of the moon surface is visible from the earth.

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ROCKET LAUNCHER

Adapted from NASA WebQuest: Balloon Staging http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/space/teachers/rockets/act7.html

Learn about how gravity and inertia works by launching a rocket Materials:

• 2 Long party balloons • Nylon monofilament fishing line (any weight) • 2 Plastic straws (milkshake size) • Styrofoam coffee cup • Masking tape • Scissors • 2 Spring clothespins

Procedure:

1. Thread the fishing line through the two straws. Stretch the fishing line snugly across a room and secure its ends. Make sure the line is just high enough for people to pass safely underneath.

2. Cut the coffee cup in half so that the lip of the cup forms a continuous ring. 3. Stretch the balloons by pre-inflating them. Inflate the first balloon about three-fourths full of

air and squeeze its nozzle tight. Pull the nozzle through the ring. Twist the nozzle and hold it shut with a spring clothespin. Inflate the second balloon. While doing so, make sure the front end of the second balloon extends through the ring a short distance. As the second balloon inflates, it will press against the nozzle of the first balloon and take over the clip's job of holding it shut. It may take a bit of practice to achieve this. Clip the nozzle of the second balloon shut also.

4. Take the balloons to one end of the fishing line and tape each balloon to a straw with masking tape. The balloons should point parallel to the fishing line.

5. Remove the clip from the first balloon and untwist the nozzle. Remove the nozzle from the second balloon as well, but continue holding it shut with your fingers.

6. If you wish, have a rocket countdown as you release the balloon you are holding. The escaping gas will propel both balloons along the fishing line. When the first balloon released runs out of air, it will release the other balloon to continue the trip.

Draw the design of your rocket launcher. Label the parts. Write a description of what work and what areas you would improve on your multistage rocket.

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MAKING MOON CRATERS Activity Credit: NASA JPL Educator’s Material: Educator’s Guide to Impact Craters

Material: A box, lined with a trash bag, with sides at least 4 inches high. i.e. the

lid to photocopier paper box flour (3 to 4 inches deep with at least an inch of clearance to the box rim) dry (powdered) tempera paint (red or blue), marbles. Directions: 1. Place the flour in the box and smooth and firmly pack it (experiment with different

firmnesses). 2. Place a dusting of the paint powder over the flour 3. Use the marbles to bombard the surface (one at a time). 4. Look for classical cratering features: basin, raised rim, ejecta blanket and rays (See the

definitions below. 5. Draw pictures and describe the consequence of resulting from

different size projectiles (different size projectiles should be dropped from measured heights so that they will have common velocities)

different velocities different angles of impact

Vocabulary Central Peak

A mountain found in the center of large craters. It is formed by a "rebound" of the rock at the impact site (the marble will be sitting there in this activity).

Crater A (usually) circular depression in a surface caused by an impact.

Ejecta Material tossed out of the crater.

Ejecta Blanket Ejecta tossed out at low speed. The material lies like a blanket around the crater.

Floor The interior of the crater. It is flat in large craters (the marble will be there in this activity).

Rays Ejecta tossed out of the crater at high speed. The material forms long lines pointing directly away from the crater.

Rim The raised edge of the crater. It is formed by the outwards and upwards compression of the crater walls, not ejecta.

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BAD BONES

Astronauts who’ve spent long periods of time in space have found that once back on Earth, they’re weak and even have a hard time standing. Explore the sensation. Materials Bone from a cooked chicken ( a drumstick works best) Glass jar White vinegar Tap water Procedure:

1. Remove as much of the meat off the bone as possible from the chicken bone and clean the bone when finished.

2. Try to bend the cleaned bone. Can you do it? 3. Place the chicken bone in the jar. Pour enough vinegar in the jar to complete

cover the bone. (Don’t put a lid on the jar.) Set the jar aside for 2 days. 4. Pour out the vinegar in the jar and replace it with the same amount of fresh

vinegar. Set the jar aside for 2 more days. Repeat the process every 2 days for a total of 8 days.

5. Pour out the vinegar from the jar. Rinse the bone with water. Observe the chicken bone. Try to bend it. Can you bend it know?

Why: You should be able to bend the chicken bone after it has soaked in the vinegar for 8 days. Vinegar is an acid. The vinegar reacts chemically with a substance in the bone called calcium. Calcium is an important mineral in the body that makes bones strong. The vinegar dissolves the calcium, removing it from the bone. The bone is no longer strong. Activity using your body ensures that calcium stays in your bones. When the body isn’t active, bones begin to lose calcium. The delicate balances in the human body are upset by the zero-gravity environment in space travel. Without gravity to work against, bones lose mass and calcium during long time periods in space. Human bones in space would never lose all their calcium like the chicken bone. However, several Russian cosmonauts who spent many months in space returned to Earth only to find that their bones were barely strong enough to hold up their bodies in Earth’s gravity. This effect eventually was reversed after the cosmonauts were back on Earth for a time. Today, cosmonauts and astronauts exercise every day in space to help ensure that their bones don’t weaken. ADAPTED from Cosmic Science: Over 40 Gravity-Defying, Earth-Orbiting, Space-Cruising Activities for Kids by Jim Wiese, New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Page 59

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WATER WORK OUT

Exploring what it would feel like to work in space where there is no gravity and where you have to wear a space suit because there is no oxygen. MATERIALS Several coins Nut and bolt Screwdriver Plastic basin Rubber gloves Procedure:

1. Place the coins, nut and bolt, and screwdriver on a table. Pick up each object. Did you have any problems picking them up?

2. Fill the basin with water. Place the objects in the water.

3. Put on the rubber gloves and try to pick up each object. Can you pick them

up as easily as before?

4. Try to put the nut on the bolt underwater. Can you do it? ADAPTED from Cosmic Science: Over 40 Gravity-Defying, Earth-Orbiting, Space-Cruising Activities for Kids by Jim Wiese, New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Page 59

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OBJECT NAME

Brainstorm ideas for each circle. Write down one or two words on each line.

Physical Characteristics

Four interesting facts about the

object

How you feel when you think

about them

Where in space they are located

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COSMIC MURAL REQUIREMENTS

Your team will complete a space scene on a 4 ft x 36 inch piece of paper that will include the following: 1. A picture of something from space (for example: a supernova,

Mars, a comet or a nebula cluster) 2. An appropriate background scene for the picture 3. Labeling of all of the objects in the picture and the

background 4. A short descriptive paragraph of what is going on in your

section of the mural. 5. An acrostic poem that describes the object in your section of

the mural. 6. And the most important thing of all, YOUR NAMES.

Remember your part of the mural will be connected to all the other sections that other teams are working on to make

one large mural that will be displayed in the school.

Photo credit: NASA