This is a project submission for the NASA Hackathon - Space Apps Challenge solution for the "Near Space, Near You" Challenge to design a lesson plan about low-cost balloons for reaching near space.
This challenge is exciting because it allows students to become motivated to further explore science, engineering, mathematics and design concepts by engaging in project based learning with relatively few or minimal costs. Similarly, this project could be taken on by a group of parents, mentors, or older students who wish to energize younger students and encourage the love of learning at any age.
The idea of using a balloon to perform experiments in near-space conditions can be used as a springboard for discussions on what it means to design and conduct an experiment in space. If we wanted to send up an experiment to space, for example, wouldn't that require a sizable budget, and access to a space shuttle, not to mention convincing someone that our experiment was worthwhile to take aboard a space mission? Instead, scientists and students can use weather balloons to perform experiments in near space conditions as an approximation of sorts at a fraction of the cost as a way to learn more about the atmosphere. With the recent popularity of citizen science and near-space flight, this can be one way to stimulate discussion and leverage the media buzz to ignite learning.
The lesson ideas can be extended into multiple directions as some examples illustrate. For instance, before discussing how a balloon is made or how to predict a flight plan, the group may wish to engage in a discussion of what powers such a balloon in the first place, i.e. Helium, and what exactly is this gas? How is it made? Is it scarce or abundant on Earth? Where does it come from? And so on. One discussion that may emerge is that certain gasses actually take many years to be formed, and are not unlimited in quantity, that is there is a scarcity factor to consider. This tangent can be extended to other related topics such as concepts related to sustainability, for example.
We believe that by engaging students at an early age in hands-on applied activities that combine both theory and practice such as project based learning, hackathons, exploratory museum visits, and so on, students begin to develop an interest for these kinds of activities. By facilitating these experiences we not only pass on the love of learning, the fun and importance of learning as well.
Ana Sagalovitch