Curriculum Brief Explanation
1. Mission Patches - Mission Patch activity is a fun, interactive, and cooperative way for
students to learn about not only space travel, but also about teamwork and time
management skills. Children will learn to make decisions as a team and determine and
achieve group goals.
***The proposed schedule below is optional***
Week 1 – 30 minute Videoconference (Expert’s Presentation)
Week 2 – 45 minute Club Activity
Week 3 – 45 minute Club Activity
Week 4 – 30 minute Videoconference (Student’s Presentation)
2. Toys in Space - Students play the role as scientists and engineers and try to
understand more about physics, engineering, space science, and microgravity by
examining simple toys and they way they behave on-board the International Space
Station. After observing they will try to answer a couple of thought-provoking questions:
Will this toy work in microgravity? Also... How could the toy be modified or engineered
to perform better in the microgravity environment in space? The toys the students will
be investigating are: Boomerang, Jump Rope, Kendama, and Soccer Ball.
Toys in Space allow for children to explore scientific principles and how they
differ from Earth and onboard the International Space Station. This is designed to give
children a better understanding about Microgravity and further their knowledge about
Scientific laws and principles, by having them compare how things work and differ in
outer space.
Week 1 – 30 minute Videoconference (Expert’s Presentation)
Week 2 – 45 minute Club Activity
Week 3 – 45 minute Club Activity
Week 4 – 30 minute Videoconference (Student’s Presentation)
3. Solar System Vacation - Have you ever wanted to take a vacation throughout our solar
system? Have you ever wondered if it will someday be possible to travel to the other
planets? Amazingly, researchers at NASA are continuously observing our incredibly
active and dynamic solar system through satellites using the latest and sophisticated
technology
Project Based Learning model is recommended. It focuses on the central
concepts and principles of a discipline, involves students in problem-solving and other
meaningful tasks, allows students to work autonomously and to construct and become
knowledgeable through inquiry, and culminates in a realistic hands-on project.
Week 1 – 30 minute Videoconference (Expert’s Presentation)
Week 2 – 45 minute Club Activity
Week 3 – 45 minute Club Activity
Week 4 – 30 minute Videoconference (Student’s Presentation)
USA: GFTSE, 756 Chapala Drive, California, U.S.A. 90272 Phone: +1 917-597-3916
Turkey: Space Camp Turkey /Aegean Free Zone 35410 Gaziemir, Izmir, Turkey Phone: +90 232 252-0749 Fax: +90 232 252-3600
http://www.gftse.org
4. Living and Working in Space - You have just been selected as one of the first
Astronauts for a new long-duration space habitat mission. You are excited to go, but
there is a lot of work to do. Your class will be divided into four crews, each with
Astronauts (Presenters), Engineers (Builders), and Scientists (Creative Writers) that will
all work to discover ways to overcome the daily challenges that living and working in
space creates.
Each crew will choose one of the following four challenge areas to overcome and
address in their new habitat – Transport/Communication, Life Support Systems, Day-toDay Life in Space, and New Era Space Habitat.
Each of these has unique characteristics and challenges controlled by the harsh
environment of space, but all require a basic understanding of all of the others. This
aspect requires a lot o f teamwork and understanding between the four different teams
to make your new space habitat work and thrive.
Week 1 – 30 minute Videoconference (Expert’s Presentation)
Week 2 – 45 minute Club Activity
Week 3 – 45 minute Club Activity
Week 4 – 30 minute Videoconference (Student’s Presentation)
5. Humans to Mars - Mars is the most suitable planet for sustaining human life in our
Solar System - this is because of 3 Main Factors: Likely availability of water on the
surface (polar ice caps and underground frozen water), substantial gravity (38% Earth's
Gravity), and existence of an atmosphere (although thin - could be built up over time
with terraforming methods).
The setting for the activity is the year 2050. At this point there have been many
human missions to Mars over the past 20 years, with many great discoveries and
advances in technologies. Unfortunately NASA and other space agencies are still
having problems finding and taking water from Mars, dealing with living with such a
small amount of gravity, and ideas and methods for terraforming the planet. Your
classroom will be split into 3 different groups to help NASA deal with these issues Geologists (finding and getting water on Mars), Engineers (dealing with gravity issues
on Mars), and Biologists (working on terraforming Mars).
Each team of scientists and engineers will be developing new ideas and
technologies to assist NASA and help to establish the first fully functioning, independent
human settlement away from Earth.
Once finished with brainstorming, and implementing their plans and designs.
Each team will prepare a presentation and representation of their work (poster,
model, or skit etc.). This presentation should be no longer than 5 minutes to also
give the other groups a chance to present their work to the Space Expert and the other
groups.
Week 1 – 30 minute Videoconference (Expert’s Presentation)
Week 2 – 45 minute Club Activity
Week 3 – 45 minute Club Activity
Week 4 – 30 minute Videoconference (Student’s Presentation)
USA: GFTSE, 756 Chapala Drive, California, U.S.A. 90272 Phone: +1 917-597-3916
Turkey: Space Camp Turkey /Aegean Free Zone 35410 Gaziemir, Izmir, Turkey Phone: +90 232 252-0749 Fax: +90 232 252-3600
http://www.gftse.org
6. Planet Hunters (Optional) - This is a very unique and fun activity to stretch student's
imagination and understanding about the Universe outside of our Solar System. Pushing
the boundaries of the children's understanding of the world around them, the students
build on prior knowledge to gain a new perspective and appreciation for life on Earth.
This will help to open their minds to the possibility of interstellar travel by humans in the
future and eventually finding life elsewhere in the Universe.
The Kepler Space Telescope has been discovering hundreds of new Exoplanets
since its launch in 2009. The activity is working with four different actual Exoplanets that
have been discovered in the "Habitable Zone" of their planetary systems - Kepler 22b;
Kepler 62f; Kepler 186f; and Kepler 452b.
After investigating the life-forms on the Exoplanets, you will give a report of your
expedition's discoveries to the "Virtual-Zoo Keeper" (Space Expert - During
Videoconference). The Zoo Keeper will then store all of the information in our imaginary
Virtual-Zoo's supercomputers, so there can be an accurate display and representation of
that Exoplanet and its indigenous life-forms. This is the largest and most extensive zoo
in the Universe, but it is humane and safe because there is no actual animals in this zoo,
just realistic 3-D holograms of both life-form and Exoplanet.
Week 1 – 30 minute Videoconference (Expert’s Presentation)
Week 2 – 45 minute Club Activity
Week 3 – 45 minute Club Activity
Week 4 – 30 minute Videoconference (Student’s Presentation)
7. Mysterious Messengers (Optional) - This activity examines three types of small
bodies found in the solar system: Asteroids, Comets, and Meteoroids. Students learn
important terminology and examine factors such as the size, origin, and composition of
each. They also study the part these objects play in the formation of craters on larger
bodies in the solar system. Students apply their knowledge in a hands-on activity that
determines the factors affecting the appearance of impact craters. During the
videoconference they will learn more about the small bodies as well as the missions
related with them.
Week 1 – 30 minute Videoconference (Expert’s Presentation)
Week 2 – 45 minute Club Activity
Week 3 – 45 minute Club Activity
Week 4 – 30 minute Videoconference (Student’s Presentation)
USA: GFTSE, 756 Chapala Drive, California, U.S.A. 90272 Phone: +1 917-597-3916
Turkey: Space Camp Turkey /Aegean Free Zone 35410 Gaziemir, Izmir, Turkey Phone: +90 232 252-0749 Fax: +90 232 252-3600
http://www.gftse.org