1_17 Finding a new house for humans in the outer space

1.17
Finding a new house for humans in the outer space
Prof. Mihaela Garabet - SIVECO ROMÂNIA
Short Description:
The students will make research into The Solar System for trying to find an appropriate
planet for building a new house for humans by using the World Wide Telescope and some
links on internet:
http://www.pil-network.com/Resources/Tools/Details/cadbf11b
network.com/Resources/Tools/Details/cadbf11b-d260-4322
4322-8f8527f369ee76f9
http://space-facts.com/mars/
facts.com/mars/
http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/programmissions/missions/log/
http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/odyssey/
rs.jpl.nasa.gov/odyssey/
Aims:
The main goal of this learning activity is that students will have to imagine a way for finding
an appropriate place in the Solar System for colonization of outer space.
Aims:
1.
Imaging a project for colonization of outer space because planet Earth will not be
able to support and feed us in the next hundred years.
2.
Documenting and exploring the Solar System by using the World Wide Telescope
3.
Evaluating the obtained scientific information
4.
Presenting the main ideas
ide of every team’s project.
Fostered Skills:
Problem solving
Handling information
Investigation
Presentation
Connection to the curriculum:
Universe representations. Solar system model
Implementation of the Demonstrator:
The didactical approach is a blend of project-based learning and scientific inquiry in order to
give students the enjoyment of finding out for themselves and initiates appreciation of the
nature of scientific activity and of the power and the limitations of science.. The educational
activity will benefit of e-learning tools like WWT, digital educational content, web resources.
Because the students will have to solve a real problem of the humankind they will have a
learning excursion in order to meet the astronomers.
The final product of the teams of students will be the presentation of a slide show.
1st learning activity: Humans, we are having problems here!
Mother Earth still has secrets! Its composition, its atmosphere and the processes occurring
within them shape the Earth’s surface and its climate.
On the other side, we are too many human beings, we need food, air and homes for living…
In this activity the students will find out why Earth is still able to support life. They will study
greenhouse effect and global warming with all the climate changes which are affecting the
humans now.
2nd learning activity
Why should we have to find new houses for humans in the outer space? Identify the reasons
for this!
The Earth is not immortal. Here, the students will have to reflect about increasing
population, about the need to feed people, about the limited capacity of Gaia to offer more
resources. It is also time to think of the existent nuclear potential.
3rd learning activity
Which planet of the Solar System is the most similar to Earth, in order to send there a space
bubble?
After the study of the planets of the Solar System by using World Wide Telescope, the
students will have a learning excursion to the Observatory for speaking with the
astronomers. After that they will choose the most appropriate planet to be colonized.
For example, Exploring Mars (adapted from
http://www.pil-network.com/Resources/Tools/Details/cadbf11b-d260-4322-8f8527f369ee76f9
• What are the most interesting surface features on Mars? Save their images to a new
tour named Mars tour WWT.
• Where is the oldest part of Mars? [Hint: Look for a basin in the heavily cratered part
of Mars.]
• Where do you think the youngest part of Mars is?
• Did you find similarities between Earth and Venus?
http://www.windows2universe.org/mars/mars.html
Exploring Venus
•
Compare the dimensions of Venus and Earth. Save their images to a new tour named
•
•
Mars tour WWT.
What do you think about Venus’ atmosphere?
Did you find similarities between Earth and Venus?
http://www.universetoday.com/15570/colonizing-venus-with-floating-cities/
http://www.windows2universe.org/venus/venus.html
4th learning activity
Present your ideas regarding the way to gain a new house for humans!
The students are ready to prepare a slide show by using a new tour in WWT and to present
their ideas in front of the others.
Finally, they will present the results of their self assessment.
Domain:
Big Idea of
Science:
Age group:
Time needed:
Integrated
Science
5,6, 11, 12
15-18
Three weeks per all, 3 hours of
Teaching and Learning in the
classroom
Languages
available:
Equipment
needed
Involved actors
Used eTool and link:
English
At least 15
computers for
teams of two
students, internet
access, etc.
Science teachers,
astronomers from
the Bucharest
Observatory
World Wide Telescope
http://www.worldwidetelescope.org/
Download/
Quality Characteristics of the Demonstrator
Characteristic I
how Demonstrator follows an inquiry based approach
The inquiry based approach consists of finding the real problems of living on this beautiful
planet, Mother Earth or Gaia, in order to start searching another house for humans on
another planet.
Characteristic II
how Demonstrator integrates eLearning element
Students will use some simulations in order to discover what happens with Earth’s
atmosphere, regarding the climate changes.
They will also use World Wide Telescope for exploring the planets of the Solar System and
for preparing the slide show.
Characteristic III
how Demonstrator follows a Big Idea of Science
Which planet of the Solar System is the most similar to Earth, in order to send there a space
bubble?
At least for the beginning we will remain in the Solar System, but it is possible to go further
one day.
Students will have to make research regarding the composition of the Earth and its
atmosphere and the processes occurring within them shape the Earth’s surface and its
climate. Even the solar system is a very small part of one of millions of galaxies in the
Universe. They will find out that the knowledge produced by science is used in some
technologies to create products that will serve human ends.
Characteristic IV
how Demonstrator is connected to a real world problem
Present your ideas regarding the way to gain a new house for humans abroad Earth! What
planet would you choose from the Solar System?
We, the humans, will have problems here regarding the increasing population and the need
to feed them, first of all. After the need for food we will face the need to possess territories
on Earth surface. And so on… the history could repeat again but on another scale.
It will be necessary to find new houses for humans in the outer space.
Experiences with the Demonstrator?
Not yet.