Get Ready for STARBASE – Mandatory Call Sign Lesson Overview During this lesson, students will gain a brief introduction to STARBASE. STARBASE goals and expectations will be reviewed with students. Students will then brainstorm ideas for a call sign that will uniquely identify them during their five days at STARBASE Minnesota Duluth. Pilots and astronauts have call signs to signify themselves as unique individuals and to build team comradery. Call signs are used at STARBASE to allow students (and adults) to creatively express their personalities, build a sense of community, and see themselves in a new light. For example, “Allison” might feel that she is not “good at math” but “Galaxy” might see herself as a future Mars rover programmer. Objectives Students will be able to: - Brainstorm a variety of possible call sign names through guided personal research - Choose a call sign using their research and create a personalized nametag - Recall STARBASE goals, expectations, and consequences through guided class discussion - Identify how they will work as a team at STARBASE through a guided activity Materials - One reusable or five temporary name tags per student (ex. mailing labels) - Markers - List of categories students can use to brainstorm call signs (see attached) - Class registration list to record call signs Get ready for STARBASE in 10 steps! (25 minutes) Introduction 1. Explain the STARBASE program to students: “At STARBASE you will have the opportunity to experience science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) through a variety of experiments and challenges! Some activities include: coding robots, conducting chemistry experiments, solving engineering challenges, using CAD software to design you own creation, using innovative technology like virtual reality (VR) and 3D printing. 2. Distribute a copy of the “Welcome to STARBASE” letter to each student and talk with your students about the STARBASE goals, expectations, and consequences. Connect these rules to the ones in your own classroom and school. o Explain to students that teamwork will be very important at STARBASE. Talk with your students about what good teamwork looks like, how you have used teamwork in your class, and/or how they will be a good teammate at STARBASE. o Examples are: . Sharing equipment and responsibilities . Using kind and positive words with teammates . Taking turns o Have students fill in three “I will” statements on the Getting Ready for STARBASE worksheet that describe how they will be a good teammate. 3. Explain that the students will have call signs (nicknames) while they are at STARBASE for the week: “At STARBASE you will have a call sign just like real pilots and astronauts. You will need to do some brainstorming to come up with a call sign that describes who you are!” Brainstorm call sign options 4. Use the guide on the following page to provide some examples of categories (space, nature, science, technology, etc.), and have the students brainstorm possible call signs. 5. Encourage students to choose call signs that are positive, creative, and reflective of who they are as a person. Please assure the call sign is appropriate and based on good judgement. STARBASE reserves the right to reject any call signs that are inappropriate or derogatory. o Give students guidelines for choosing call signs: . Students must pick their own call sign. Please do not pick names for the Do not use call- students, as their call signs should be personal and meaningful to each signs: student. No repeats, each student’s call sign must be unique (Example: avoid “Phoenix”, “Cassini”, or repetition or variations of the same word such as “pixel1”and “pixel2” or “Juno” as they will “pixelcat” and “pixeldog”.) be used as team . Two words or less names at . Well-reasoned, student should be able to explain why they chose that STARBASE. call sign. Appropriate for age and for school. Share call signs and make nametags 6. After brainstorming, have students share their call signs and why they chose that call sign as a class. (They will also be doing this on the first day at STARBASE.) 7. Have students create a reusable name tag or five temporary name tags. Students should clearly write their call sign on the nametag(s) making sure it is easy to read and see from a distance. 8. Students can decorate their nametags as long as their call sign is visible. 9. Record student call signs to submit to STARBASE when you submit your student registration information. Possible Categories & Call Signs Nature Space Fox Cosmos Agate Supernova Owl Saturn Bear Nebula Science Technology Electron Pixel Brain Sparkplugs Beaker Ruby Newton Gigabyte What other call signs can you think of? .