The Human Satellite
Summary:
Students design, build, and create a satellite with a specific mission and a special
instrument.
Grade Level
Group Size
All sizes (however the number of
students increases the cost of
the activity)
2-5
Time Required:
Setup
5 minutes
Lesson
20 minutes
Activity
50 minutes
Students Present
10 minutes
Cleanup
5 minutes
Total Time
1.5 hours
Objective:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Students learn about the basic parts of a satellite and how they work.
Students understand what satellites are used for.
Students create their own satellite mission.
Students use imagination and engineering to design and build their own minisatellite.
Colorado Standards:
Science:
1. Students understand the processes of scientific investigation and design,
conduct, communicate about, and evaluate such investigations.
3. Students know and understand the characteristics and structure of living things,
the processes of life, and how living things interact with each other and their
environment.
3.3 Students know and understand how the human body functions, factors
that influence its structures and functions, and how these structures and
functions compare with those of other organisms.
4. Students know and understand the processes and interactions of Earth’s
systems and the structure and dynamics of Earth and other objects in space.
a. Students know the structure of the solar system, composition and
interactions of objects in the universe, and how space is explored.
5. Students know and understand interrelationships among science, technology,
and human activity and how they can affect the world.
6. Students understand that science involves a particular way of knowing and
understand common connections among scientific disciplines.
Math:
English:
Materials:
Plates
Bowls
Small cups
Yarn
Marshmallows
Popsicle sticks
Large cups
Pipe cleaners
Crayons
Gumdrops
Scissors
Stickers (country flags)
Foil
Tape
Toothpicks
Background information:
A satellite is a small object, natural or artificial, that orbits a larger object. In this case
we are talking about artificial satellites. On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union
successfully launched Sputnik I, the world'
s first artificial satellite.
Since then satellites have been sent into space to study Earth
(remote sensing), for telecommunication, to help with navigation
(GPS), and to study the universe. Satellites are scientists,
photographers, surveyors, and telephone operators.
If satellites perform the same task as a human being, why don’t
we send the human into space? A human being would die in
space because of temperature changes, pressure changes,
microgravity, and many other factors. We build satellites to be
strong and light so not only can we launch them into space
safely, but they can also survive the elements of space that
human beings cannot survive.
A satellite is composed of many different parts each part relies on
the other parts to function. Much like the human body relies on
different organs to function. By comparing a satellite to the
human body, we can relate the basic parts of a satellite to parts of a human based on
their function. For example, the satellite’s main computer tells the satellite what to do.
It relays commands to other parts of the satellite. Without the computer the satellite
could not function properly. The human brain also keeps the body functioning, it sends
messages to the heart and to the lungs, it interprets what the eyes see and what the
ears hear. Below is a chart of the different parts of a satellite that relate to the parts of a
human.
Satellite Parts
Antenna
Battery
Camera
Computer
Isogrid Structure
Radio
Special Instrument
Solar Panels
Human Parts
Ears
Heart
Eyes
Brain
Skeleton (bones)
Mouth
Nose (other)
Stomach
Vocabulary:
Antenna: A device for transmitting and receiving radio waves.
Battery: A device that converts chemical energy into electrical energy, producing an
electric current when connected in a circuit.
Camera: a device for recording images.
Computer: a device that uses digital technology to process and manipulate information,
such as word processing or numerical computations. Computers can perform complex
and repetitive procedures quickly, precisely and reliably and can quickly store and
retrieve large amounts of data.
Isogrid: a strong light weight structure that has a honeycomb pattern.
Orbit: The path followed by a body moving
around another body. For example, our Moon is
in orbit around the Earth, and the Earth is in orbit
around the Sun.
Radio: an electric device that uses radio waves
to communicate with other devices.
Satellite: A satellite is a natural or artificial body
having a regular orbit around a larger body.
Satellites can be earth-orbiting devices used for
receiving and transmitting signals or even
celestial bodies, such as the moon, orbiting a
larger body.
Solar Panels: Solar panels are devices that convert light into electricity. The solar cells
are sometimes called photovoltaic cells, photovoltaic literally "light-electricity".
Key questions:
1. What is a satellite?
a. An object, natural or manmade, that orbits a larger object
2. What does a satellite do?
a. Satellites are used for weather observation, telecommunications (TV,
radio, cell phones), surveillance, GPS, and scientific research.
3. What are the functions of the different satellite parts?
Satellite Part
Function of Satellite Part
Antenna
Receives information
Battery
Keeps the satellite running
Camera
Takes pictures
Computer
Controls the satellites functions
Isogrid
Provides support, keeps satellite intact
Radio
Sends information
Special Instrument
Scientific research, collecting samples, probe
Solar Panels
Converts heat/light into energy for the satellite
4. How are those functions similar to the functions of our different body parts?
Satellite Part
Similar to
Function of Body Part
Antenna
Ears
Hearing
Battery
Heart
Keeps the blood flowing, body working
Camera
Eyes
Vision
Computer
Brian
Controls the body functions
Isogrid
Skeleton
Provides support, keeps human body intact
Radio
Mouth
Speech
Special Instrument
Nose
Smelling
Solar Panels
Stomach
Digests food and converts it to energy
5. Why do we send a satellite into space to perform research instead of a human
being?
a. Satellites are cheaper to launch than a human mission, they can stay in
orbit for years (humans cannot), and they require less maintenance once
they are in space than a human crew would.
6. What do satellites do for me in my everyday life?
a. Satellites monitor weather, transmit television and radio shows, track
packages, etc.
Demonstrations:
•
Show a film that demonstrates a working satellite or rover (ex: mars rover). Have
the students pay attention to the different satellite components and how they
work. Ask the students to be thinking about what human body parts these
components resemble while watching the movie.
•
Fill out a diagram of the human body with the students, relating the parts of a
human to the parts of a satellite based on their functions.
Procedure:
1. Hand out the Satellite Engineering worksheet to students.
2. Have students create a mission for their satellite. Have them include a special
instrument (of their invention) that pertains
to the mission that their satellite will
embark upon.
3. Using cups, plates, and other materials
have students begin to build their satellite.
Students can use the checklist to make
sure they have all of their satellite systems
and parts.
4. Once the satellites are complete, students
can come up and talk about their satellite.
Have students point out their satellite parts
and explain to the class the mission and special instrument of their satellite.
Notes:
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/video/movies/RoverAnimAll.mov
Mars Rover Video
Sources:
http://science.howstuffworks.com/satellite.htm
How Stuff Works website