AMS Stem Students

Students AMS STEM LEARN ABOUT:

Info and photos provided by Mrs. Brenda Williams and Mrs. Kate Nelson

Astronaut Anne McClain, a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army who serves as both an engineer and NASA astronaut, spoke to a STEM class at AMS. Astronaut McClain flew to the International Space Station (ISS) in December 2018 and returned to Earth in June 2019. On December 9th, 2020, McClain was announced as one of NASA's Artemis astronauts. The goal of the Artemis program is to land "the first woman and the next man" on the moon, specifically at the lunar south pole region, by 2024.

Anne McClain spoke to Mrs. Williams’ • What was the toughest part of your first period STEM class, which is made astronaut journey, and what made you up of 7th- and 8th-grade students. keep going? Mrs. Williams recorded the virtual chat, • How much training do you need to allowing all of her STEM students to become an astronaut and go to the ISS? watch the presentation. • Were you nervous about going to

So how did an Astronaut for NASA get space for the first time? How did connected with a STEM class at Argyle you feel when you strapped into the Middle School? Kate Nelson, a mom of rocket the first time? one of Mrs. Williams’ students, Mary • What effects did microgravity have on Nelson, informed Mrs. Williams that Anne your body while you were in space, and McClain was a family friend and that she how did it feel to get back to Earth and would be interested in doing a virtual live with gravity? How long did it take to chat with the AMS STEM students. The re-adjust to gravity on Earth? Nelson family has known Anne for quite • What is your favorite thing to eat on some time as she and Ryan Nelson, Mary’s the ISS, and do things taste different dad, both served in the Army together. when you're in space? (Things do They flew the same helicopter and were taste different in space). classmates at the U.S. Naval Test Pilot Anne McClain was very thorough School, Class 143. when answering the students’ questions.

After receiving this information, Mrs. Anne used analogies to bring her space Williams contacted a NASA representative experiences to life for the students. She who set up the virtual chat with Astronaut also included pictures from her journey to Anne McClain. the ISS. When setting up the presentation

The students asked several questions. with the NASA representative, Mrs. Williams Some of the questions were: provided specific information regarding the • Why did you choose to become an Flight and Space curriculum that had been astronaut, and how old were you when recently taught in STEM class. The students you decided to become an astronaut? had learned about the Oxygen/Carbon Dioxide System and the Water Recycling System aboard the ISS. Anne McClain expanded on these topics and provided diagrams to explain the systems.

Mary Nelson’s mom, Kate, said that Mary was super excited to see Anne in her virtual class and listen to her share her experience of being on the International Space Station! “I think all the kids really enjoyed listening to her experience, how things work on the ISS, the experiments she performed, and what it is like being in space,” said Mrs. Kate Nelson.

“We are keeping our fingers crossed that Anne is chosen as the first woman to walk on the Moon,” said Mrs. Williams.