Classroom Kit / Pre-launch: Astronauts Wanted!
Download: www.principiaspacediary.org/lessons/pre-launch
CLASSROOM KIT
FOR TEACHERS, PARENT AND CARERS
ABOUT THIS CHAPTER
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This is the introductory chapter, Pre-Launch: Astronauts Wanted.
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Timing: Complete prior to Tim’s launch on 15 December
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Number of activities: 4
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Themes and STEM Linkages: Literacy, design and technology, health living, healthy eating,
science, physical education, scientific inquiry, research and reporting.
This is the introduction to the Principia Mission Space Diary, designed to show you how Tim Peake will
prepare for his journey to the International Space Station. It covers how he will train, what he will wear,
what he will eat, and what will happen to his body in space. In this chapter we prepare our young space
apprentices to get ready for their mission too! We recommend completing this chapter prior to Tim’s
launch on the 15th to get the children ready for the mission and generate some excitement! If you don’t
have printed copies yet, or are running only the DIY Online course, download and print the chapter
from: http://principiaspacediary.org/lessons/pre-launch/.
RUNNING THE ACTIVITIES
These activities are active and creative so don’t be afraid to be adventurous! You could run them as part
of your physical education lessons, as part of a themed morning or why not do the astronaut workout in
your next school assembly. Don’t forget to utilise your school library and/or your local library – they are
full of books, which is only a good thing, but they are also full of inspiration and ideas to prompt great
results from the creative exercises in this chapter.
SHARING YOUR WORK
We’d love to see what you and your kids come up with. You can share your work online by:
1. Using the hashtag #spacediary on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. When you do this you’ll
appear on the Space Diary Mission Feed: http://principiaspacediary.org/mission-feed/
2. Sending us pictures of completed pages from the book for us to post and add to the Mission
Feed. Please do not include pictures that might need permission clearances from
parents/guardians as we won’t be able to use those.
3. Write a 300 word blog post for the UK Space Agency’s Principia Mission website, or for the
Curved House Kids website. We would love to hear your stories and give you a platform online
to share your work.
QUESTIONS?
Feel free to email the publishing team at Curved House Kids: Kristen, Lucie or Alice. We are here to
help! [email protected]
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Classroom Kit / Pre-launch: Astronauts Wanted!
Download: www.principiaspacediary.org/lessons/pre-launch
ACTIVITY 1: ASTRONAUT WORKOUT!
Astronauts need to be fit and healthy before they fly to
space. They exercise regularly so that they are at peak
fitness when they take flight. They take part in a range of
different exercises: aerobic, anaerobic, co-ordination,
weight bearing and balance activities.
Activity 1 is designed to be physically energetic but
students also need to count, measure and document their
results in their Space Diary.
Float: Student can imagine they are floating around inside
the ISS while stretching their arms out wide and strengthening their core.
Jump: On Earth, humans experience the effects of gravity as a constant force pulling on the human
body. By jumping you are trying to defy gravity. Jumping activities are weight bearing activities that
help build strong bones.
Balance: Develop core muscles and posture. This is important for astronauts like Tim because the Soyuz
capsule that will take Tim from Earth to the ISS is very small and the journey is gruelling. Tim needs
strong core muscles.
Stretch: The human body actually stretches in space as there is no gravity to keep the bones
compressed. Students can work as a team to measure each other.
Breathe: Lots of things can go wrong in space, so it is critical that astronauts have strong, calm minds.
They need to be able to deal with problems in a calm and efficient way. This mindful exercise gets the
kids to focus their minds so they, too, can tackle any problem.
For children with disabilities that make it difficult to participate in some of these physical activities, we
encourage you to ask them to invent their own astronaut exercise, based on their own abilities or
needs, and have the other children complete that one too.
QUESTIONS FOR THE CLASS
HELPFUL LINKS TO RESOURCES
* Why do astronauts need to be healthy?
Mission X Train Like An Astronaut: This programme
* Why do you need to be healthy?
provides a range of heath and fitness activities for kids.
* What exercises do you do to stay healthy?
Each activity focuses on a different aspect of fitness.
http://trainlikeanastronaut.org/mission-data
* What parts of the body are you using as you exercise?
Space to Earth Challenge: Create a ‘Space Tri’ so your
students can collectively stride/spin/swim the 400 km
distance from the ISS to Earth.
http://www.spacetoearthchallenge.org.uk/create-a-space-tri/
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Classroom Kit / Pre-launch: Astronauts Wanted!
Download: www.principiaspacediary.org/lessons/pre-launch
ACTIVITY 2: YOUR BODY IN SPACE
Astronauts need to be sure that they do not have any
colds or infections that they could take into the
International Space Station. They also need flight
surgeons to make sure they do not have any medical
conditions that would require treatment so far away
from home. There is some medical equipment on
board but astronauts would need to be flown home if
they had a major health issue.
In microgravity, astronauts float around and therefore
don’t load their body. Astronauts’ bones and muscles
decondition and they need to exercise for two hours a
day on the space station to counteract the effects of space. They are also prone to motion sickness,
kidney stones and eyesight problems. Their sleep is often disturbed as the circadian rhythms are
disrupted. Fluid shifts mean that they feel as if they have a head cold and this also affects their sense of
smell and taste. Astronaut Strength, Conditioning and Rehabilitation Specialists (ASCR) help prescribe
exercise programmes for each individual astronaut. Tim Peake will be training for two hours per day on
the ISS and on board he will be preparing to take part in the London Marathon. Tim could grow by up
to two inches while he is in space because the lack of gravity means his spine will expand and relax
more easily. On return, Tim will have a flight surgeon follow him around for three months because he
may be prone to dizziness.
ANSWERS TO ‘YOUR BODY IN SPACE’ - THESE ARE ALL TRUE:
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You don’t know which way is up! This can make you feel sick.
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Your face gets puffy.
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Your bones start to break down.
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You get taller!
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It’s hard to sleep well.
QUESTIONS FOR THE CLASS
HELPFUL LINKS TO RESOURCES
* Think about your own body in space. Do you wear
What space does to the human body: News clip about
glasses or hearing devices? What would happen to them in
astronaut Chris Hadfield and the physical effects of being
space?
in space. This clip covers many of the points raised in
Activity 2.
* How would your hair look at zero gravity?
* Do you, or does anyone you know, use a wheelchair or
mobility device? What would happen if you took them up
to space with you? Do you even need them at zero
gravity? (Tim Peake and Stephen Hawking think not!
(see links)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsZWVBmpj18
Running in Space: NASA astronaut Karen Nyberg
demonstrates how astronauts run aboard the ISS.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ikouWcXhd0
Tim Peake inspires a disabled student
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-wiltshire-33323870)
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Classroom Kit / Pre-launch: Astronauts Wanted!
Download: www.principiaspacediary.org/lessons/pre-launch
ACTIVITY 3: SPACE DINNER
Astronauts need to consume sufficient energy (calories) in
space to work effectively and maintain good
health. Calcium and vitamin D are vital with their beneficial
effect on bone, as a low-gravity environment can lead to
poor bone health. Many astronauts simply do not consume
enough calories because of lack of time and their
demanding work schedules. Fluid shifts mean that
astronauts get a ‘stuffy head’ and they feel like they have a
cold. This means that food tastes blander in space than on
Earth. Tim Peake will taste a variety of foods and six
months of balanced nutritional menus will be prepared for him.
Meals are frequently made of dehydrated and tinned food and fresh fruit is a luxury. The foods need to
be easily and safely stored and must not create crumbs that could get into the special equipment on
board the ISS. Watch the fabulous video of ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti preparing a meal in
space (see helpful links below).
This year the UK Space Dinner competition has been getting children from across the UK to help Tim
choose some special menus that will be prepared by celebrity chef, Heston Blumenthal.
Dried strawberries from breakfast cereals, coffee granules, coated chocolate, foil carton drinks are all
examples of foods that have been in space. What else? What the video with your class, of Tim Peake
and Heston Blumenthal discussing Tim’s space menu (see helpful links below).
QUESTIONS FOR THE CLASS
HELPFUL LINKS TO RESOURCES
* What kind of food do astronauts eat?
The UK Space Dinner competition with Tim Peake and
* What happens if you eat food that goes off?
Heston Blumenthal:
* How would you make bland food taste more exciting?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDiEmEgWn_g
* What happens if you don’t eat enough?
Heston describes how cooking with astronauts is different
* What sorts of foods help your bone strength?
* What would happen if you tried to make a cup of tea in
space?
* Do any of your classmates, friends or siblings have special
dietary requirements or customs, and can you plan a meal
that you could enjoy with them in space?
from living on earth:
http://www.nationalstemcentre.org.uk/elibrary/resource/1
1239/cooking-with-astronauts
Sample astronaut menus are available on
http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/shuttle/support/processing/sp
acefood/menus.html
Cooking in space: ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti
shows us how she prepares dinner in space.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4exaXdPKS3Y
Classroom resources on healthy eating are available at
Food: A Fact of Life: http://www.foodafactoflife.org.uk/
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Classroom Kit / Pre-launch: Astronauts Wanted!
Download: www.principiaspacediary.org/lessons/pre-launch
ACTIVITY 4: DESIGN YOUR OWN SPACE SUIT
A space suit isn’t just a uniform that astronauts put on to go to work. In
fact, it’s like a personalised, human shaped spacecraft – it’s designed
to keep astronauts safe and alive while they travel in space.
The white space suits that astronauts wear on space walks have lots of
different jobs to do. They provide the astronaut with air to breathe,
keep him or her warm or cool, protect from debris flying through
space, allow the astronaut to move fairly freely around and even have
rocket boosters in case the astronaut gets into trouble! The suits are
heavy on Earth but zero gravity in space makes them feel light.
But Tim Peake’s space suit for travelling to the International Space
Station is different to the ones used for space walks, or EVAs as they
are also called. Tim will be wearing a SOKOL suit, the same type of suit
that has been worn by all astronauts travelling to the International
Space Station via the Russian Soyuz transport. ‘Sokol’ means ‘falcon’ in Russian, and is a rescue suit.
This is the same design as the one that Helen Sharman wore when she went to the Mir Space Station.
Her space suit is on display at the Science Museum.
The main features of this type of space suit are:
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Two layers: the inner one is rubberised and the outer one is made of white nylon.
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Boots that are built into the suit and space gloves attached at the wrists by special aluminium
fastenings. The suit is like a giant onesie, which is important to help with pressurisation.
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A helmet that is also part of the suit. To put the suit on you have to squeeze your head through
a neck seal into the helmet, which has a visor on a hinge (so you can open it). The reason for the
seal at the neck is so that you could float in water on landing and open your visor without your
whole suit flooding!
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An air valve. Also, the suit is attached oxygen supply that is activated in case of
depressurisation.
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A radio and microphone to communicate.
QUESTIONS FOR THE CLASS
HELPFUL LINKS TO RESOURCES
* What are the different parts of the space suit?
How do space suits work? James May explains what the
* Why is the space suit made like a onesie?
different features of a space suit do. This clip covers many
* How heavy will the space suit feel in space?
of the questions for the class:
* How do you go to the toilet when you are in the space
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHbBiJCrNTI
suit?
Dallas Campbell talks to Helen Sharman about her
Spacesuit at the Science Museum:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CzNNvoTqR0
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Classroom Kit / Pre-launch: Astronauts Wanted!
Download: www.principiaspacediary.org/lessons/pre-launch
YOUR NOTES
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Classroom Kit / Pre-launch: Astronauts Wanted!
Download: www.principiaspacediary.org/lessons/pre-launch
ABOUT THE SPACE DIARY PROJECT
The Principia Mission Space Diary is a STEM-literacy project published by Curved House Kids. The
content has been developed by author Lucy Hawking and publisher Kristen Harrison at Curved House
Kids with research and puzzle creation from Peter McOwan at the Centre of Public Engagement, Queen
Mary University of London. Ben Hawkes, illustrator extraordinaire, has brough this book to life with his
wonderful illustrations.
This supported learning programme runs for six months and is designed to strengthen literacy and
visual literacy skills, while engaging children in STEM learning. Monthly teaching notes provide a
flexible framework for teachers to develop their own lesson plans.
CAN WE HELP YOU MAKE THE MOST OF THE PRINCIPIA MISSION?
Is there anything we can do to help you make the most of Tim Peake’s Mission? Are there
improvements we can make to these teaching notes to help you plan your lessons?
Please get in touch with [email protected] if you have any feedback, comments or need a
little support with your project. We are here to help and so are the Principia team over at
principia.org.uk, the ESERO UK network of Space Ambassadors and all of the other Principia Mission
education projects that you will find here: https://principia.org.uk/get-involved/#activities.
From us and Astronaut Tim, thank you for being part of this historical mission.
THIS PROJECT IS PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY:
#spacediary
www.principiaspacediary.org
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