It Came from Space
For as long as humanity has been able to think, they have wondered about space. The ancients wondered what mysterious forces moved in the heavens. More recently we have wondered is there more tangible life out there, and is there any chance of something coming down from the sky and changing life on Earth as we know it? Now that the International Space Station is completed, we also wonder what can come from a permanent human presence in space.
Activities:
- Identify and draw a constellation as seen in the night sky. Trace its path. How can this information be recorded?
- Design an experiment that can only be conducted under 0 gravity conditions. Describe 3 ways you can achieve zero gravity so your experiment can be completed successfully.
- So you want to be an astronaut? Prepare a 1-page summary of your suitability for the position. Include your social and communication skills, fitness level, diet (remember there is no fresh food in space), recreation likes and dislikes (consider lack of gravity, space and privacy), technical knowledge and abilities to perform science experiments.
- Use the Internet to find out who is currently in space. Just for fun write a horoscope for one of these astronauts.
- Draw the path of an orbiting space station. Design an experiment to explain how it maintains its path. What can cause an orbiting object to fall to earth? Could this happen to MIR or ISS?
- There are many craters around the world that are evidence of meteor hits. Locate at least three on a world map. Predict what you think the effect of a large meteor impact would be on a rainforest, a desert, a city and a country town.
- You have three hours until a large meteor hits earth with potentially devastating consequences. What preparations would you make? You have landed on Mars as part of the first colony. To your surprise there is a sophisticated life form present. Draw and describe their method of transport given the climate, terrain and available fuel sources.
- As we race to explore and colonise space we leave more space junk behind. Who is responsible for space junk? Suggest solutions for dealing with the present junk and provide suggestions for preventing future space junk problems. What lessons have we learned on Earth about pollution that could be applied to space?
- Space research laboratories have made many discoveries in their efforts to help man explore space. List these and describe how they are used in our everyday lives, e.g. Space Discovery - Teflon, Use - non-stick fry pans.
- What part has space played in the entertainment industry? Name 3 songs inspired by space. Are there any films or books about space advertised in The Mercury or Sunday Tasmanian? Write an exciting title and scenario.
- Draw a picture of what you think aliens might look like. Describe how conditions on their home planet affected their evolution.
- Write a story of an encounter with an alien and describe your attempts to communicate with it.
Websites
Seti@home
www.setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu
The Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence offers you a chance to be a part of their quest. Download the program and let your computer process data in the search for aliens whenever it switches to the screensaver.
Seti Institute
The mission of the SETI Institute is to explore, understand and explain the origin, nature, prevalence and distribution of life in the universe. As far as I know they do not have a fleet of humvees, and they do not send out men in black suits to make sure that aliens behave themselves and that people don't see more than they can cope with but the work that they actually do is very interesting and important.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
The official website of the world's foremost agency for space exploration. Find out about the ISS, meteor and asteroid research, and other developments in the exploration of space. There is a special site devoted to Asteroid and Comet Impact Hazards http://impact.arc.nasa.gov.
Starchild
http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/StarChild.html
Set up by NASA especially for children. There is lots of information for projects and plenty of fun space related stuff.
Australian Spaceguard Survey
www1.tpgi.com.au/users/tps-seti/spacegd.html
Spaceguard is the international association that is maintaining the vigil of the skies, and lobbying governments about funding a permanent a survey of the heavens to look for NEOs or near Earth objects- objects that pose a threat of impact with the Earth.
Area 51 Revealed
www.dreamlandresort.com/area51.html
Long believed to be the place where the bodies of aliens from the alleged crash of a flying saucer at Roswell are housed its real existence, as an experimental facility for new aircraft, is slightly more prosaic.
Books
Max Fax: Space
By Tracey Blezard
A well-illustrated fun book about space including some amazing facts as the title suggests. Hodder Wayland
Spinning Through Space: Comets and Asteroids
By Eva M. Hans
Part of a series exploring space through the Earth and the surrounding solar system. This book explores comets "visit" the Earth at regular, but slightly different times and explores the effects of an asteroid hitting the Earth. Other titles in the series include Space Mysteries and Space Travel by Dr Mike Goldsmith, The Solar System and The Moon by Time Furniss. Hodder Wayland
The International Space Station
By Franklyn Mansfield Branley
Explains the construction and purpose of the International Space Station and the life of the astronauts on board. HarperCollins
Life on other worlds
By Steven J. Dick
A look at the debate about life in space from the earliest times to recent controversies. Cambridge University Press
The Big Book of Space
By David Glover
Looks at all aspects of space, including the planets, space exploration, astronomy, constellations, the Space Station even telescopes. Well illustrated throughout. Two Can Publishing (Distributed by Franklin Watts Australia) Click here to order copies via email
Interfact: Space Travel
LA book and CD with information and activities on the subject of space travel. Two Can Publishing (Distributed by Franklin Watts Australia) Click here to order copies via email
XTL: Life in Space & How to Find It
By John Gribbin and Simon Goodwin
A look at how the world's experts are searching for life in space, and why they could be just around the corner from finding it. Illustrated with a range of photographs and state-of-the-art graphics, this book is about life itself. Cassell & Co
Aliens Amongst Us: a Beginner's Guide
Peter J. Morris
There has been a growing number of reports from around the world of sightings of strange and sometimes bizarre alien beings. If these reports prove accurate, then who are they and what do they want? This volume poses the question - are we the only intelligent lifeform living on planet Earth? : Hodder & Stoughton Educational
Space Exploration: Eyewitness Guides
Dorling Kindersley
Here is a spectacular & informative guide to the mysteries beyond Earth & its atmosphere. Original photography of spacecraft both before & after travelling in space & pictures of astronauts in space, offer a unique 'eyewitness' view of the history of space exploration & the daily life of astronauts. Dorling Kindersley
Spacebusters: Eyewitness Big Book
Dorling Kindersley
The USA pledged to send a man to the moon before the end of the 1960s. Here is the story of that race against time. This big book version of the Eyewitness Reader is ideal for shared reading during Literacy Hour. DK Big Books provide powerful demonstrations of what is involved in the reading process, such as cueing the text, locating information, understanding print conventions, & - most importantly - learning to enjoy books! Dorling Kindersley
Space Encyclopaedia
Dorling Kindersley
This is a comprehensive overview of the Universe as seen
from the perspective of the new Millennium. It contains accurate up-to-date
facts & figures on everything from the International Space Station to
fossil life on Mars, & the latest information from robot probes to the
planets, & much more. Dorling Kindersley