No Subject

["Deborah J. Stafford" <stafford@EMAIL.WIESBADEN.ARMY.MIL>]

My first B6 with one 5th grade class concerned projects on anything that
might be found in space. I did the intro banana split and paralleled the
space project. We used Barbara's assignment organizer and the data chart.
The final project was a postcard from space. "Dear Mom, Today we landed
on Venus...."  You can see where this is heading. Students had to put a
specific number of facts about their space place/person/object on the
postcard.

Following up on Barbara's problem-based assignments it might be an idea
to start the project with a problem ,,,perhaps the students
could be NASA employees who have to justify their budget to a committee.
overpopulation and making a plan to settle people out in space might work.

Space exploration is my thing.  Students could research animals in space,
people in space and spaceprobes in space.  What were the problems and
solutions discevered by each one?  What are the advantages/disadvantages
of sending machines instead of man.  What about Mars?  Should man or
machine go?  Why or why not?  I have a mentor with NASA at JPL in
California, she is involved with Cassini going to Saturn.  I am sure that
she could write your students or maybe even talk to them on the phone as
a culminating activity.

        I am a NEWEST teacher, NASA Educational Workshop for Elementary
School Teachers.  I stayed at Stennis Space Center for two weeks a couple
of summers ago.  There is also NEWMAST for secondary teachers.  Let me
know if I can help.