Level
4
Space
Hall
Plants in Space
Space Hall Exploration
Answer Sheet
Name of Exhibit
pg. 1
Find the following space exhibits and answer
the questions.
Future Space Food
What it’s about: Astronauts on long space mission will need to grow their food.
What to do: Observe how plants grow in different light.
1.
Earth Moon Sun Model
List four (4) gardening challenges in space:
1. (no soil)
2. (no sunlight)
3. (cramped quarters)
4. (no gravity)
Earth Moon Sun
What it’s about: This exhibit shows the moon orbiting around the Earth as the
Earth orbits the Sun.
What to do: Listen to the Audio and answer the questions.
1.
Count the number of times the Moon circles the Earth in a one-year period? Your
answer. (13 times --The Moon makes a complete orbit of the Earth every 28 days)
2.
Watch the Earth as it spins. How long does it take the Earth to spin once in real life?
(24 hours)
3. What causes the seasons on Earth? (The Earth’s tilt on its axis causes unequal heating
on various parts of the Earth’s surface.)
4. Watch the Moon. How many times does the Earth spin during the time it takes the
Moon to complete one orbit? (Approximately 28 times)
Space Junk
5.
Watch closely and you will see eclipses. What happens during a solar eclipse? (The
Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun casting a shadow on the Earth.)
6.
What happens during a lunar eclipse? (The Moon passes through the Earth’s
shadow)
What’s Overhead
What it’s about: There are thousands of pieces of space junk orbiting the Earth.
This presents a hazard to space missions and the astronauts.
What to do: Read the information and answer the questions.
What is the weirdest stuff in space? (Wrench, toothbrush, a camera, a glove, shaving
1.
2.
cream, spatula)
Where did the junk come from? (old satellites)
Where to go:
Space Hall (Level 4)
Moon Phases
Name of Exhibit
pg. 2
The Moon
What it’s about: The changing shape of the lit part of the Moon is called the
phases. The phases of the Moon depend on its position in relation to the Sun and
Earth.
What to do: Take the Moon Quiz and test your knowledge. Answer the
questions:
Hovering On Air
1.
When can you see a full Moon? (When the Moon is furthest from the Sun.)
2.
Where does the faint Moon glow come from? (This is called Earthshine, a soft, faint
glow on the dark side of the Moon caused when sunlight is reflected off the surface
of the Earth.)
Rocket Chair
What it’s about: The rocket chair glides on a friction-free cushion of air. The effect
is like moving in space – once you start in a particular direction, nothing slows you
down. Learn how it feels to move in space.
What to do:
1.
What happens when the chair starts to move? (The chair keeps moving until it hits a barrier.)
2. To make the chair move forward, in what direction should the air jets blow? (The air
jets should be pointed backwards of the chair)
Let Gravity Assist You
3.
Why is it important for an astronaut to be attached to a spacecraft? (If the astronaut
starts to move, he or she could travel beyond the reach of the spacecraft.)
4.
How could astronauts move in space? (They could use portable jet packs. Shooting
gas in a particular direction makes the astronaut move in the opposite direction.
Gravity Surfer: Launch a Spacecraft to Saturn
What it’s about: What if you could throw something so hard it would end up
in space. Then using the gravity of a planet or moon, change the path and
speed of a spacecraft. This technique known as “gravity assist” is used to
save time, money and fuel.
What to do:
1.
Test your skills. See how accurately you can launch the Cassini spacecraft to
Saturn.
2. What are some of the challenges you had?
• Launching too early or too late
• Predicting where the spacecraft will be at launch
• Both objects are travelling at different speeds
Where to go:
Space Hall (Level 4)
Space Rocks
Name of Exhibit
pg. 3
Moon, Mars and Meteorites
What it’s about: Inside the display cases are real rock samples from the Moon,
Mars and other parts of the Solar System.
What to do:
1. Find and observe the Moon rock.
2. Find and observe the Mars rock.
3.
Touch a real Meteorite.
4. Take the quiz: Meteorite or Meteorwrong?
5.
Gravity Funnel
Name one feature you observed about space rocks: (blackened outer crust known
as fusion crust, shallow finger depressions, some shiny or metallic spots, could be
stony)
Black Holes
What it’s about:: A black hole can be compared to a steep funnel. This exhibit
simulates how an object would fall into a black hole. This exhibit also shows more
simple ideas – such as the closer something gets to the centre, the faster it goes.
This relates back to the solar system model, where the inner planets have faster
orbits around the Sun than the outer planets
What to do: Press a button to release up to 5 metal balls at a time into the funnel.
1. Watch the metal balls roll into the funnel. When do the balls travel slower? When the
2.
3.
4.
Solar System Model
balls are furthest from the funnel they move slower.
When do the balls travel faster? As the balls get closer to the funnel they move faster.
Is the cycle of each ball exactly the same each time? No the path it takes gets smaller
with each rotation.)
What eventually happens to the balls? Due to friction the balls eventually fall into the
hole of the funnel.)
Solar System Orray
What it’s about: This exhibit allows students to watch the planets of our solar
system orbit around the Sun. Each planet follows its own cycle, some shorter,
some longer. One cycle of Earth around the Sun is about 365 days, or one year
What to do:
1.
How many different cycles can you count in this exhibit? (Each planet has its own
cycle.)
2.
Where are the cycles shorter? (The planets nearer the middle have faster cycles)
3.
When are the cycles longer? (The planets farther out have longer cycles.)
4.
The big thing in the centre of the model is the Sun. Where is our planet Earth? (The
3rd planet out.)
5.
How does Earth’s cycle compare to some of the other planet cycles? (e.g. in the
middle – not as fast as the 2 inner planets, not as slow as the outer planets.)
6.
How many things can you think of that happen in one Earth cycle around the Sun?
(e.g. My birthday, Hallowe’en and other holidays, 12 months, 365 days, spring,
summer, fall, winter, etc.)