Introduction

What does it take to be an astronaut? Many kids may believe that all it takes to be an astronaut is to put on a space suit. Others may think that if you can fly an airplane you can be an astronaut. In reality, becoming an astronaut requires a great amount of time, skill, and commitment. In this site you will explore the many aspects of being an astronaut and present your findings in the form of a PowerPoint slide show for younger children.

The Task

NASA is developing a Mini Space Camp for younger children in kindergarten through second grade. You have been asked to help with the presentation. Your assignment is to work in groups of two to four, explore the experiences of astronauts, record your findings in journals, and develop a slide show presentation for this group of mini space camp participants.
 

The Process

Microgravity Space Food Puzzlemaker	Astronaut Space Food What kinds of  food do astronauts eat in space?  How do astronauts eat in space with everything floating around? Link to the space sites to find out more about microgravity and the special way astronaut foods are prepared.   Read about microgravity. Record in your research journal some of the adaptations needed to eat in space.  Define the terms frozen foods, fresh foods, refrigerated foods, natural form foods, irradiated foods, thermostabilized foods, rehydratable foods and intermediate moisture foods.  Use this information to create a Criss-Cross puzzle on the Puzzlemaker site.
Astronaut Food List Food Pyramid	Astronaut Menu NASA needs our help to create a new menu for the astronauts  Link to the space food site.  Look at all the food choices listed.   Research information about good nutrition using the USDA food pyramid site.  Record your researched information into your astronaut journal. Use Microsoft Publisher to make a menu for the astronauts including nutritious foods, written descriptions, illustrations and cost per item. Don't forget to make it look like a real restaurant menu.
Space Suit Information (pdf file) Space Suit Diagram Spacewear	Space Suits    What would you wear if you were in space?  Link to these sites to find information about space suits, and record the information in your journal.  As you read you will identify parts of the space suits and find out how they are used and why they are needed.  When you are done you will use Inspiration software to create a diagram about what you have learned.
Space flight Living NASA for Kids	Living in Space What is it like to live on a space shuttle?  Imagine what the living quarters would look like.  Link to these sites and find out how close the astronauts become when living in space.  As you research the astronauts' living quarters, create a mind map of all essential needs for human life (i.e. shelter, food, sleep,etc.). Reflect on how NASA has accommodated these needs in the living quarters of the astronauts.   Using KidPix, create a model or diagram of the shuttle with appropriate living quarters for three or four astronauts.  Make sure all parts are labeled and include a paragraph explaining your ideas.
Microgravity	Microgravity What is microgravity, and what effect does it have on the human body?  Link to this site and see what a "bad hair day" really is.  As you read this page record in your journal the effects of microgravity on the human body.  After you have read this article, draw a diagram of a human body on a poster or in the KidPix program;  then label your diagram with arrows pointing to the effected parts of the body with a brief explanation.
NASA Kids Home Page Shuttle Parts	Space Shuttle Research Your task is to use the Internet to access information about the Space Shuttle.  You will use the Internet to identify the four parts of the Space Shuttle and briefly describe the function of each part.  Be sure to take notes in your journal as you discover the four parts of the Space Shuttle and the job that each part is responsible for conducting.  When you have all of the information you need, use the information to create a graphic organizer using Inspiration software.
Space Shuttle Glider Edible Shuttle Activity	Constructing the Space Shuttle Are you ready to become a Space Shuttle engineer?  Now that you have the knowledge of the parts of the Space Shuttle and function of each part, you now have the opportunity to build your own Space Shuttle.  Use the following web site to access the pages you need to create your own Space Shuttle.  After creating your Space Shuttle, become a Science Engineer and complete one to three of the challenges to test the reliability of your Space Shuttle.

Evaluation for Slide show

Now that you have finished the WebQuest you are ready to work for NASA.  As Executive Trainers, you will use your research journal entries, projects, and pictures to to make a PowerPoint slideshow for the mini space camp participants. Below is an evaluation rubric that will help guide you through the NASA requirements. This evaluation rubric can be used as a guideline and a self-evaluation tool. Remember, you will be presenting to a junior astronaut in training.

                                                                                                                                TOTAL SCORE______________
 

Conclusion

You have just completed your first NASA mission.  In your exploration you have learned about some of the aspects involved in the life of an astronaut, and you have helped younger students learn about astronauts too. Hopefully this webquest will inspire you to go on more journeys of space exploration.
 

Credits & References

http://images.google.com/images?q=astronaut+food&num=20&hl=en&start=0&sa=N, November 4, 2001
space_sleep.jpg [Online Image] Available http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/living/spacesleep/, Oct. 28, 2001
coloredmenu.jpg [Online Image] Available http://images.google.com/images?q=food+menu&num=20&hl=en&start=0&sa=N, November 4, 2001