INTRODUCTION TO SPACE EXPLORATION Creating a Time Capsule Grade Level: 5 - 8 Suggested TEKS Language Arts - 5.15 6.15 7.15 8.15 Social Studies - 5.18 6.20 7.20 8.20 Time Required: 30 - 45 minutes Art - 5.2 6.2 7.2 8.2 Computer - 5.2 6.2 7.2 8.2 Suggested SCANS Countdown: Writing paper Interpersonal. Interprets and Communicates Information National Science and Math Standards Pencils Science as Inquiry, Physical Science, Earth & Space Science, Science & Technology, History & Nature of Science, Measurement, Observing, Communicating Ignition: For decades, space colonies have been the creation of science fiction writers. However, with world population growing at an alarming rate, the concept of a second home in space could very likely become a stark reality. Already, a number of visionary scientists have drawn up plans for off-earth habitats. Biosphere II near Tucson, Arizona is an example. Additionally, NASA has future plans for a mission to Mars in the next 20 years. It certainly appears that earth will not always be our home. With this in mind, ask the students to consider the scenario suggested next in "Liftoff." Liftoff: You will have the opportunity to bury a time capsule, a sealed and durable box, which will be opened after one hundred years. Future discoverers of the box will be able to guess from the contents what your life was like 100 years before their time. Below are six different categories. For each category, choose an object that would best represent it. Keep in mind that you may choose items like photographs, scrapbooks, films or videos, books, newspapers, miniature models, and other favorite mementos. Describe your object in detail, and tell why you think it would be a good choice for a time capsule. The categories are yourself, your school, your city, your country, transportation, and communication. Once students have completed their lists, ask them to share their favorite items. Discuss the categories of transportation and communication. Compare and contrast today's means of transportation and communication with what could be possible in the future. Time Capsule Countdown: Photos, Newspaper, Miniature Models, Etc. Coffee Can or Box SpaceExplorers http://www.tsgc.utexas.edu/spaceexplorers/ 8 Space Exploration: Creating a Time Capsule Texas Space Grant Consortium http://www.tsgc.utexas.edu/ Texas Space Grant Consortium e-mail [email protected] Have students make their own "time capsules" with the items they collected to represent each category. Students may use additional items collected to "collage" the outside of the box or can. When completed, place on display. See if students can identify the owner of each time capsule. Word Processing and Internet or Library Research Students will research Biosphere II, Mission to Mars, or the International Space Station. Students will choose one of the following projects: ÿ write a three page report describing the project ÿ design a travel brochure to the chosen destination ÿ using computer graphics, draw the layout of the project selected ÿ write a persuasive paper about the project and whether it is feasible More Ideas… 1. Extend the list of categories to include the following: ® famous person ® important past event ® best movie ® favorite television program ® most widely read book ® funny comic strip ® favorite music ® most delicious food ® important invention ® most useful appliance ® favorite electronic equipment ® best-liked game or sport ® most interesting clothes or hair fashion 2. Discuss the variations and similarities in responses. 3. Talk about how the responses from this geographic area would vary from another geographic area and even another country. 4. E-mail someone from another state or country to get responses to the above categories. 5. Have each student contact their grandparents for responses to the above categories. 6. Discuss variations and similarities. 7. Research whether a time capsule has ever been found in your community? If so, how old was it? What was in it? SpaceExplorers http://www.tsgc.utexas.edu/spaceexplorers/ 9 Space Exploration: Creating a Time Capsule Texas Space Grant Consortium http://www.tsgc.utexas.edu/ Texas Space Grant Consortium e-mail [email protected] International Cooperation Grade Level: 5 - 8 Suggested TEKS Language Arts - 5.13 6.13 7.13 8.13 Social Studies - 6.20 7.20 8.20 Time Required: 2 or 3 classes Computer - 6.15 7.15 8.15 Suggested SCANS Interprets and Communicates Information Countdown: Internet Uses Computers to Process Information National Science and Math Standards Reference Material Science as Inquiry, Science in Personal and Social Perspectives, Physical Science, Science and Technology, History & Nature of Science Ignition: Many invaluable discoveries and contributions have been made by international figures in the exploration of Mars. They are described in the following brief history: 1) Humans have known of Mars since before recorded history. As long as 3,600 years ago, Babylonians wrote about Mars' looping motion across the sky and its changing brightness. 2) In ancient India, Mars appeared like a fire in the sky and, in ancient Greece, the “red wanderer” Mars symbolized the god of war “Ares”. After the Romans conquered Greece, they adopted this symbolism and named the planet for their god of war, “Mars”. 3) During the Middle Ages, astrologers studied Mars' motions to help them predict the future. If Mars moved unfavorably, then wars would be lost. They attempted to predict Mars' motion accurately by using the theory of Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus (1543) stating that the planets orbit in circles around the sun. Finally, German Johannes Kepler discovered in 1609 that Mars orbits the sun in an ellipse, rather than a circle. 4) Meanwhile, Italian Galileo Galilei gave the world its first viewing of Mars. In 1609, he viewed Mars through his newly invented telescope. It revealed that Mars was a large sphere, a world like the Earth. More advanced telescopes showed polar icecaps, color patterns on the surface of Mars, clouds, and hazes. Speculations arose that Mars could actually be a habitable planet. 5) The idea of living Martians continued to flourish when Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli, in 1877, observed thin dark lines crossing Mars' bright “continents” and called them “canali” (channels in Italian). In the United States, Percival Lowell mistakenly seized upon the idea of “canals” as being proof of a Martian civilization, with water and other resources necessary to sustain life. 6) Beginning in 1965, the United States launched several missions to Mars, as detailed in the table below. SpaceExplorers http://www.tsgc.utexas.edu/spaceexplorers/ 10 Space Exploration: International Cooperation Texas Space Grant Consortium http://www.tsgc.utexas.edu/ Texas Space Grant Consortium e-mail [email protected] U.S. MARS MISSIONS - SUCCESSFUL MISSION LAUNCH ARRIVAL HIGHLIGHTS 22 black and white images of desolate, Mariner 4 Nov. 28, July 14, 1965 cratered southern hemisphere. No canals or Flyby 1964 signs of life. Water front seas. Proof that Mars' atnisogere us very thin 75 and 126 black and white images of Mariner 6 and 7 Feb, 24 and July 31 and equatorial regions, southern hemisphere, Flybys Mar. 27, 1969 Aug. 5, 1969 and south polar ice. Measured Mars' mass and density. 7329 images, many in color. Global maps Mariner 9 May 30, 1971 Orbit: Nov. 14, of elevation, temperature. First views of Orbiter 1971 large volcanos of Tharsis, chasms of Valles Marimera, water-cut channels, Mars' moons. Orbiter gives > 30,000 images of surface, Viking 1 Aug. 20, Orbit: June 19, many in color. Global maps of temperature, Orbiter 1975 1976 atmosphere water content, surface Lander Landing: July 20, properties. Lander gives first images from 1976 Mars' surface dark rocks, red dust, pink sky. Tests soil for life and finds some. Records Mars weather. Like Viking 1, Orbiter gives >20,000 Viking 2 Sept. 9, Orbit: Aug. 7, images of surface. Lander finds no life, Orbiter 1975 1976 again dark rocks, red dust, pink sky. Lander Landing:Sept. 3, Records Mars weather. 1976 Global weather imagery, surface topography Mars Global Nov. 7, Sept. 1997 and temperatures. Surveyor 1996 Orbiter Landing in area valleys: engineering tests, Mars Pathfinder Dec. 4, July 4, 1997 imaging and chemical investigations. Lander 1996 Global imagery, atmospheric temperature Mars Surveyor Dec. 11, profiles. Orbiter 1998 1998 First landing near Martian poles. Mars Surveyor Jan. 3, Lander 1998 1999 SpaceExplorers http://www.tsgc.utexas.edu/spaceexplorers/ 11 Space Exploration: International Cooperation Texas Space Grant Consortium http://www.tsgc.utexas.edu/ Texas Space Grant Consortium e-mail [email protected] 7) In January 1989, the Russian spacecraft Phobos 2 entered Mars' orbit and took images of Mars and its moon in infrared light. However, in March, Phobos 2 lost contact with the Earth. 8) Launched in 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope, with its Near-Infrared Camera, Multi-Object Spectrometer, and Imaging Spectograph, provides invaluable information about the global temperatures, weather, seasons, and color changes of Mars. Students should conclude that our knowledge of Mars can be attributed not to just one individual or nation, but rather to a host of individuals and nations -- thus, the concept of international cooperation. Liftoff: Students will research another long-term international mission,the MIR Space Station. Although launched by Russia, cosmonauts and astronauts from dozens of nations have lived on the station, conducted many experiments cooperatively, and made many important contributions. (http://www.maximov.com/Mir/index.html). Additionally, the film Mission to Mir would provide students with a visual opportunity to experience life aboard MIR. Questions to be answered include the history of MIR, the current status, the importance of MIR, and who cooperated on this venture. More Ideas. 1. Research the International Space Station (ISS). 2. Find the latest information about the Hubble Space Telescope.