8.8 KiB
8.8 KiB
Kindergarten (Easy)
Very Simple, why aren't there trees on the moon?
Objective: Introduce the kids to the idea that trees need certain things to grow, and the moon doesn’t provide them.
- Introduction (Simple, bold text with pictures):
- What do trees need to grow? (Big colorful images of the sun, soil, water, and air)
- Sun for warmth and light ☀️
- Air for breathing 🌬️
- Water for drinking 💧
- Soil for standing and food 🌱
- What do trees need to grow? (Big colorful images of the sun, soil, water, and air)
- What’s different on the Moon? (Visual comparison between Earth and Moon)
- No air (simple “X” over a cloud of air)
- No water (simple “X” over a water droplet)
- Too much sun with no protection (UV rays image)
- Different soil (moon dust vs. Earth soil image)
- Activity:
- Challenge: How can we help a tree grow on the Moon?
- Example solutions (visual): Build a bubble, bring soil, give the tree a space helmet.
- Cut and paste activity: Provide basic shapes (bubble, helmet, water droplet, etc.) for them to cut out and paste on their tree drawing.
- Challenge: How can we help a tree grow on the Moon?
Handout
What do trees need to grow?
Big pictures of trees, water, air, sun, and soil
What's different on the Moon?
Big x's over the water, air, sun, and soil
Activity: Help these trees grow on the moon!
They cut out different stuff and glue it onto a moon.
- perhaps a cloud or two
- some rain drops
- trees
- dirt
3rd Grade (Medium)
More In-Depth Problem-Solving
1. Introduction:
- What do trees need to grow?
- Sunlight 🌞 – Trees need light to make their own food through photosynthesis.
- Water 💧 – Water helps trees drink and grow.
- Air 🌬️ – Trees breathe air (specifically carbon dioxide).
- Soil 🌱 – Trees need soil to hold their roots and get nutrients.
- Include small pictures/icons next to each item to make it visual and engaging.
2. What’s different on the Moon?
- No air: The Moon has no atmosphere, so there is no air for trees to breathe.
- No water: There is no liquid water on the Moon.
- UV Rays: The Sun’s rays on the Moon are much stronger without Earth’s atmosphere to protect plants.
- Different soil: Moon soil, called “regolith,” is very dusty and doesn’t have the nutrients trees need.
3. Activity:
- Challenge: How can we help trees grow on the Moon?
- Provide a few prompts for them to think about:
- How will the tree get air?
- How will the tree get water?
- How can we protect the tree from the Sun’s strong UV rays?
- They should try to come up with their own solutions by thinking about:
- Building a special container to give the tree air and water.
- Designing a shield or using glass to protect the tree from UV rays.
- Mixing special soil to help the tree stand tall and grow.
- Provide a few prompts for them to think about:
4. Sketching Their Ideas:
- Provide a large box where they can draw their idea for how they would help the tree grow on the Moon.
- Encourage creativity: “Can you build a dome around the tree? Or give it space boots? Maybe it needs a special watering system?”
- Include fun ideas like bubbles or domes that could help them visualize.
5. Additional prompts (Optional):
- How would astronauts care for these trees?
- Have them think about how people living on the Moon could check on their trees and water them.
Handout
Trees on the Moon - Can you help?
What do trees need to grow?
- Sunlight 🌞 – Trees need light to make their own food through photosynthesis.
- Water 💧 – Water helps trees drink and grow.
- Air 🌬️ – Trees breathe air (specifically carbon dioxide).
- Soil 🌱 – Trees need soil to hold their roots and get nutrients.
What is different on the Moon?
- No Air: There is no air for trees to breath!
- No Water: There is little water on the Moon.
- Different Soil: The Moon is made of regolith. Regolith is dusty, and doesn't have the same nutrients as Earth's soil.
So how do we make the Moon a happy home for trees?
Make a design that addresses the following issues:
- Air - How will the tree get air?
- Water - How do we keep the tree from getting thirsty?
- Soil - How do we keep the tree well fed?
5th Grade (Hard)
Handout for 5th Grade (Engineering Design & Problem Solving)
1. Introduction:
- The problem: Trees need sunlight, air, water, and soil, but the Moon doesn’t have these things.
- Briefly recap each element:
- Air: The Moon has no air (it’s a vacuum).
- Water: No liquid water is available.
- Sunlight/UV Rays: The Moon has no atmosphere, so the Sun’s UV rays are too strong.
- Soil: Moon dust (regolith) is different from Earth soil—no nutrients for trees.
- Provide short, scientific explanations next to simple visuals.
- Briefly recap each element:
2. Engineering Challenge:
- Your Mission: You are an engineer designing a system to help trees grow on the Moon.
- Ask them to think about three main problems:
- Providing air – How can we make sure the tree has enough air to breathe?
- Providing water – How can we give the tree water in an environment where there is none?
- Protecting from UV rays – How can we protect the tree from the Sun’s strong rays?
- Ask them to think about three main problems:
3. Engineering Design Requirements:
- Introduce the idea of requirements and constraints:
- Requirements: Things the design must do. Example: The tree must be able to breathe air.
- Constraints: Limitations to the design. Example: It must use materials that astronauts can bring to the Moon.
4. Activity:
- Sketch Your Design:
- Provide a large space for them to draw their solution to the problem of growing trees on the Moon.
- Encourage them to think about:
- What materials would you use?
- How will the tree get water and air?
- Can you create a system to recycle air and water for the tree?
- Prompt them with ideas like a bubble dome, a watering system, or using solar panels to power the tree's environment.
5. Write About Your Solution:
- Add a small section where they can write 2-3 sentences about how their design works.
- Example questions to prompt them:
- “How does your tree get air?”
- “How does your system protect the tree from UV rays?”
- “What materials will you use to build your solution?”
- Example questions to prompt them:
6. Bonus:
- What if something breaks? (Optional prompt for advanced thinking)
- Ask them to think about how astronauts or engineers could fix the system if something stops working.
Handout
Design a Tree Habitat on the Moon
Our problem
| Trees Requirment: | Moon Issue |
|---|---|
| Air 🍃 | The Moon is a vacuum! The trees can't breathe on the moon as it is today. |
| Water 🌊 | There is little water on the Moon. How can keep the trees well hydrated? |
| Sunlight 🌞 | The sun is too strong with no air! The Earth's atmosphere limits damaging light from the sun called UV rays. These are what give you sunburn! With no atmosphere on the Moon, we must protect the trees from these UV rays! |
| Soil 🪴 | The moon's soil is called regolith. Regolith is not like Earth's soil. It is rocky, dusty, and sharp! |
Your mission:
You are an engineer! Your job is to design a system to help trees grow in these conditions.
Part 1: Requirements and Constraints:
Requirements
What must your design do to be successful? Example: The tree must have enough air to breath.
Constraints
What limits your design? Example: Astronauts have to be able to build this on the moon.
Part 2: Sketch / Create your Design
Using the materials provided, create a prototype of your design!
Part 3: Explain your Design
How does your design work?
Is there anything you wish you could do different?
What if something breaks?