Local Teachers Visit Space Camp

★ by KATHY MCHANEY

WESTERN KENTUCKY TEACHERS “TRAVEL“ TO INFINITY AND BEYOND

IN EARLY JUNE, FOUR MEMBERS OF THE CHALLENGER LEARNING CENTER (CLC) staff, along with 24 teachers from the West Kentucky region, had the professional development trip of a lifetime when they visited NASA’s Space Camp at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama. This trip was part of a grant from NASA Kentucky and was organized by the CLC. “We are thrilled to be able to provide this learning opportunity for our area educators,” says CLC Director Mellisa Duncan. “Because of the NASA Kentucky grant, educators were able to participate in unique STEM activities that they will use to inspire their students for years to come.”

Space Camp offers participants a unique opportunity to train like astronauts while building knowledge in STEM fields. Teachers participate in activities that build teamwork, encourage critical thinking, and apply STEM problems in a real-world setting. The program was developed by Dr. Wernher von Braun, who was instrumental in the building of the Apollo-era rockets that took Americans to the moon, and Mr. Edward O. Buckbee, the first director of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center. Many Space Camp participants have gone on to become astronauts, engineers,

SPACECAMP

and scientists with the space program in the 40 years since it opened.

Brandy Roberts, Heath Middle School science teacher, was among the teachers in attendance this year. “I’ve been attending the CLC summer professional development for many years now,” she explains, “and they are hands-down the best professional development for teachers anywhere. Being able to bring back videos and pictures of this trip to my sixth graders is so exciting for me. I may not be able to bring every student here, but I can bring my experience back to every student.” The first day in Huntsville started with an afternoon of educational activities that would be applicable in their classrooms. The workshop included two hands- on lessons geared toward elementary and middle school-age students that coincide with NASA’s Artemis missions to the moon scheduled to begin this year. The teachers first learned an activity in designing and building a satellite made of an assortment of common classroom and craft supplies. The satellite would need to “orbit the moon” while carrying a combination of cameras, gravity probes, and heat sensors to navigate the moon’s surface. The effectiveness of their design would be tested with a one-meter drop. The second activity was to design and build a lunar buggy that would travel down a ramp powered by potential and kinetic energy (in this case, powered by a tightly wound rubber band), using a specific combination of supplied items. Both lessons involved a variety of science and engineering concepts—math, physics, mechanical and civil engineering—as well as teamwork, and may be adapted to different age and ability levels. For the next two days the group participated in activities and experiments at the Space Camp facilities. The teachers first visited the Intuitive Planetarium for a presentation on the solar system. They then experienced a multi-axis trainer—a device used to train astronauts how to deal with a tumble spin in space by simulating the feel of an “out of control” spin. Next up was a “one-sixth” trainer, which simulates walking in the 1/6th gravity on the moon’s surface, so they can experience how the original Apollo astronauts walked on the moon. They also took part in a workshop on how to program and use “Sphero” robots in their classroom and trained for a mission to outer space they would participate in later.

Building on their previous camp training, the teachers ultimately completed a mission to space, dividing into teams between mission control, “flying” the shuttle (an early training model of the Space Shuttle Endeavor), doing experiments in space, and building part of the International Space Station on a “spacewalk.” The final experience at Space Camp involved learning about the tiles used by spacecraft for re-entry through the Earth’s atmosphere. The high-temperature reusable surface insulation tiles are an essential part of

the spacecraft’s exterior, as they are what protect the astronauts inside from the extreme temperatures created by friction as the craft descends through the upper atmosphere. The teachers were given an assortment of supplies to choose from to create their “tiles.” The course instructor subjected their creations to a direct flame from a blowtorch to measure the effectiveness by how well a fresh egg (called an “eggs-tronaut”) on the protected side of the “tile” fared after being exposed to intense heat. The activity was a great example of the science, details, and testing that go into even the smallest part of each spacecraft launched by NASA and was a fun moment for the group as they prepared to head home.

As the teachers finished the three-day event, Murray Middle School math teacher Tamsyn Vertrees noted her excitement for taking these activities back to her students. “I love integrating space into math instruction,” she states, “so I can’t wait to take all this space information and infuse it in my lessons. Experiencing these activities first-hand is the best way to be able to bring it back to our kids in a vibrant and exciting way.”

“Experiencing these activities first-hand is the best way to be able to bring it back to our kids in a vibrant and exciting way.”

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