Later this school year, students in the the district will have the unique opportunity to attempt a video and audio connection with the astronauts aboard the International Space Station. In preparation for this event, Discovery Day programs, held at Archer, Bayview, Giblyn, New Visions and Atkinson featured a slate of various activities related to astronomy and the mission of the International Space Station and incorporating the STEAM lessons taught in the classroom.
Students had many opportunities to immerse themselves in interactive lessons about topics such as the planets, stars, astronauts and spaceships. A wide-range of activities across the schools included: students listening to radio noise from planets and the sun, and writing song lyrics based on those sounds; using items such as soda bottles and rubber gloves to complete activities that present constraints similar to the ones astronauts face in space; creating stamp models that commemorate different aspects of space exploration; working together during a hazmat drill, such as moving an object using only a rope; using a telescope to study a series of pictures from the surface of the earth and attempt to match them up with the correct places on the earth; using ratios and proportions to calculate the weight in different locations of the solar system; participating in physical activities such as jump-rope and push-ups to train like an astronaut; creating and designing rocket ships; viewing the stars and planets in a "Sky Lab" planetarium setting; viewing educational videos featuring firsthand accounts of astronauts' experiences; and participating in an augmented reality scavenger hunt, among many more.
As part of the audio and video connection that will take place between January and May, students across the district will have 10 minutes to collectively ask 10 questions of the astronauts aboard the ISS. Discovery Day is one of several events planned throughout the district to prepare the students for this remarkable opportunity.
