4) Space biology, long flight survival
WILF:
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Lesson ideas
Appreciate the interdependence of animals & plants
Resources needed for life, particularly water
The effect of gravity on the growth of plants.
Activity resources
What is photosynthesis? How does the
bean get to be the lump of wood?
Where does the mass come from?
What is mass?
Demo processes of photosynthesis, use
model for photosynthesis.
Set up cress seeds in petri dishes.
How do they germinate & grow
Demo:
1) Pea or bean + large lump of wood.
2) Processes of photosynthesis using a
balloon of O2, and one of CO2, large bottle
of water, bag of sugar, large green leaf
shaped, sugar paper tablecloth, lamp (=light).
Pupil volunteer arranges the items into the
correct order to show equation components.
Demo process of respiration.
Photosynthesis/respiration balance in
a closed system, ie spacecraft,
resource.
Water purification
Summarise importance of gravity to
living organisms. Link mass and gravity.
Speculate how gravity could be set up
on a space station.
Research antigravity.
Research and make a presentation on
ageing and how control of this may
benefit space travel.
How does gravity affect the anatomy
of animals/plants: elephants’ trunks,
giraffes’ necks.
Examine cress seedlings. Why do they
grow upwards, & roots downwards?
Gathering data. Look for anomalies. Is
Earth as a life supporting planet, an
anomaly?!
Respiring yeast with balloon.
Spaceship Earth ppt.
Space eco travel resource.
What do we need to keep us alive? Ppt
Water purification ppt and activity.
Eyeballs in and eyeballs out literary exercise.
Demo: 50cm thread, a rubber, same sized
piece of polystyrene. Try to whirl them both.
Why is it so hard to whirl the polystyrene?
(ans: low mass)
Ageing starter doc.
Why we cannot live without plants.
How insects and plants have evolved
extraordinarily close relationships.
Internet research
Cress seedlings. Pupils collect data.
Possibilities include Number of seeds
germinated, length of shoots, increase in
mass.