163 lines
8.1 KiB
Markdown
163 lines
8.1 KiB
Markdown
# 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.
|
||
|
||
1. **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 🌱
|
||
2. **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)
|
||
3. **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.
|
||
|
||
## 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.
|
||
1. perhaps a cloud or two
|
||
2. some rain drops
|
||
3. trees
|
||
4. 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.
|
||
|
||
**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:
|
||
1. Air - How will the tree get air?
|
||
2. Water - How do we keep the tree from getting thirsty?
|
||
3. 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.
|
||
|
||
**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**:
|
||
1. **Providing air** – How can we make sure the tree has enough air to breathe?
|
||
2. **Providing water** – How can we give the tree water in an environment where there is none?
|
||
3. **Protecting from UV rays** – How can we protect the tree from the Sun’s strong rays?
|
||
|
||
**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?”
|
||
|
||
**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! |
|
||
| Water 🌊 | There is little water on the Moon. |
|
||
| Sunlight 🌞 | The sun is too strong with no air! The sun's UV rays will give the trees a sunburn. |
|
||
| 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? |