I am a big fan of GPS or the Global Positioning System. I appreciate the guidance it provides for a directionally challenged individual. When you stop to think about it , it's amazing all of the processes that are occurring behind the scenes for that to happen. Many have gotten accustomed to asking Siri or Alexa how to get to their destination. While this is helpful, it's low level of difficulty makes it unlikely to be remembered. To prevent that from happening, or at least reduce the risk, we wanted to give students a more behind the scenes hands-on experience with this concept. Students had been exploring how light and sound waves travel and how this impacts us. The focus of our investigation was on how a GPS uses this to determine a location. The set-up consisted of six stations that students completed over two consecutive days. They were provided with several resources of different types to make sure they understood what a GPS was and how it worked. Students were able to take notes, answer questions and create sketchnotes to document their findings. Then, we put the kiddos in action on the Mars Map as GPS signals. Video ClipsA great NASA SpacePlace video narrated by a kid that explains GPS in a context kids will understand and be interested in...ordering pizza!
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Before unleashing the students, we prepped the satellites. We taped string to three different places around the room. We named each of the three satellites - Mercury, Gemini and Apollo respectively - and marked a set distance on each string. Each team was given a task card with a scenario and distance for each of the three satellite signals. With this information, students had 10 minutes to pinpoint an absolute location on Mars using a meter stick. We came up with 6 different scenarios, so no team was trying to find the same location. Note: Attaching the satellite signals to the wall and measuring was a lot more difficult that it sounds. We quickly found that the string we were using kept getting tangled. So, I would recommend using rope or at least a thicker string. Even though the word globe can refer to any spherical object, it is generally used to represent the Earth. The culmination of the investigation was for students to determine what a GPS used on Mars should be called. Would the title Global Positioning System fit for that purpose or not? I'll leave you to ponder that thought...
Peace, love and space exploration, CAPCOM Conrad
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It's been a while. So, make sure your spacesuits are on and you're properly strapped in your seats, we're going to Mars! To say, I was excited to receive the Giant Mars Map from the Buzz Aldrin Share Space Foundation, is an understatement! It arrived last May, so I wasn't able to do many activities with it being the end of the school year. I was really looking forward to the possibilities however. This year, it's definitely been to good use! I've discovered how amazing it is that a map can transform your learning environment and increase student excitement. Obviously this is not just any map. As the name suggests, it is a map of Mars and giant is not an understatement. There are few places in our school where we can lay it out and it usually takes at least two people to carry and unveil it. So, what does one do with a giant map of Mars? Well, I'm glad you asked. Here's what we've been up to with ours... *Note: This will be a four part series of activities! StationsIf you're an elementary school teacher, you've probably heard of or even taught the first 20 days of Readers or Writer's Workshop. It's a great way to introduce procedures and concepts to students as a base for the rest of the year. Well, that doesn't really exist for science, but we wanted to start the year by preparing students as scientists with tasks that involved technology tools and incorporated the science and engineering process standards. One of these focuses was on measurement practice. Telling someone to measure a line on a paper is pretty boring, so we decided to amp it up. Students went to six different measurement stations with a space theme. The Mars Map was the center of the activity and the two stations that students got most excited about. Each station involved a different type of measurement and scientific tool. As students travelled to the different stations, they filled in a lab packet . At the end, students completed a checkpoint in Google Forms that graded it. They were able to use their packets during the checkpoint. 1 -Mars Exploration (Distance) Students chose three different starting and ending locations on the map. They had to measurement the distance in meters. An extension for older students could be to convert the measurement into actually Martian distance. 2 - Rover Races (Time) Using the starting and ending points from Station 1, students timed how long it took to get from point A to point B. Students drove a Sphero and timed how long it took. 3- Moon (Weight) Using a spring scale, students weighed a variety of moon-themed objects. 4 - Moon (Mass) Using a triple beam balance, students calculated the mass of the objects from Station 3. 5- Alien life (Volume) Students had to determine the volume of irregularly shaped objects using the displacement method. Some of the items were metal and rusted in the graduated cylinders, so it definitely gave the illusion that they had been collected from Mars and contaminated with dust. 6 - Liquid Rainbow (Density) Students watched a video clip and filled in a chart and diagram to document their observations. Note: This could also be done as a live demonstration. The benefits of a video was that students could pause or re-watch, if necessary. This particular video is entertaining and the creator's accent is awesome! **If students finished their stations early, we had extensions available. - Absolute Location -> Determining the latitude and longitude of Rovers and Landing sites on the Mars map. - Velocity -> Using the data from stations 1 & 2. Teaching is like Martian exploration. You have to not only be willing to work with others, but make each other better in the process. It will be challenging. To do it well requires thoughtful preparation and is time-consuming. It doesn't always go as planned. Your discoveries may be unexpectedly amazing! I'm so thankful to have co-workers that challenge me, want to try new things, and are willing to co-teach. These activities are all truly a joint venture!
Peace, love and space exploration, - CAPCOM Conrad |
AuthorApollo 13 fan. Educator. Lifelong Learner. Third generation Boilermaker. Space Exploration Enthusiast. Collaborator. Click Subscribe to stay updated!Archives
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