NASA Engineering Design Challenge Lunar Plant Growth Chamber Teacher Guide In the NASA Design Challenge, Lunar Plant Growth Chamber, students design, analyze, build and assess plant growth chambers that could be used on the moon. Students may grow any plant they would like for the challenge. If time is short, beans take root and grow rapidly. If necessary, cinnamon basil seed packets can be purchased from NASA CORE at http://corecatalog.nasa.gov/item.cfm?num=300.0-83c Background Information What is a plant growth chamber, and why is it of interest to NASA? Image to right: Participate in the NASA Engineering Design Challenge and design a lunar plant growth chamber that could sustain plants on the surface of the moon. Credit: NASA A plant growth chamber is a facility that allows plants to grow with controlled temperature, light, humidity, atmosphere (including carbon dioxide and oxygen concentrations), moisture and nutrient delivery. Plant growth chambers attempt to provide, in space, all of the things plants normally need to grow on Earth. NASA is interested in this type of facility because plants will play an extraordinarily important role in allowing humans to explore destinations like the moon and Mars. Plants will provide fresh food, oxygen and even reminders of home. Only plants can recycle atmospheric carbon dioxide (exhaled by astronauts when they breathe) back into useful oxygen. Astronauts could run out of oxygen on long-duration missions unless they have plants to regenerate their atmosphere. Image to left: Students of all ages may participate in the Lunar Plant Growth Challenge. Credit: ITEEA How do you grow plants on the moon? And how do you start a farm on the surface of the moon? The challenge faced by lunar farmers (e.g. astronauts) is that the moon has no atmosphere, no liquid water and no "normal" nutritional components in the soil. There is no enclosed shelter, such as a greenhouse. There is blinding sunlight during the moon's "day," with intense heat. The nights are extremely cold with temperatures well below freezing. The day and night cycles are longer, there is potential exposure to cosmic radiation, and only one-sixth the gravity of Earth. Under these inhospitable conditions, growing plants is a challenge. The answer to this challenge is to design and build a growth chamber -- a greenhouse on the moon -- that will provide the minimal necessities needed to grow healthy plants. The seeds must germinate and grow into normal, healthy plants to make more seeds and fruits to feed the moon pioneers and to generate fresh oxygen. Engineering will answer this challenge by providing a climate that is sufficiently suitable to keep plants and humans alive and prospering on the moon. NASA wants to put people on the moon, and having healthy plants is a critical part of that human venture.
Image to left: By designing and building a plant growth chamber students will become familiar with the engineering design process. Credit: ITEEA Are you ready for the challenge? Safety Safety is an important goal for all curricular areas of education. Safety issues are a special concern for STEM-based (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) activities and courses. Many national and state academic standards address the need for schools and subject areas to promote student development of knowledge and abilities in a safe learning environment. Teachers must be knowledgeable and diligent in providing a safe learning environment. Students should receive safety instructions relevant to the topics being taught. The teacher must properly supervise students while they are working. The teacher must inspect and maintain equipment and tools to ensure they are in proper working condition. The teacher should develop a safety checklist to assure safe conditions exist and procedures are being followed in the classroom and laboratory. Safety Rules: Below are examples of safety rules that may be used. Teachers should develop their own safety rules to fit the needs of their classroom. 1. Conduct yourself in a responsible and safe manner at all times. 2. Follow all written and verbal instructions carefully. If you do not understand a procedure or how to use a tool, ask your teacher before proceeding. 3. Keep your work area clean at all times. 4. Use proper safety protection, i.e., gloves, goggles, proper clothing. 5. Notify your teacher in an emergency. The Engineering Design Process The engineering design process involves a series of steps that lead to the development of a new product or system. In this design challenge, students are to complete each step and document their work as they develop their lunar plant growth chamber. The students should be able to do the following: STEP 1: Identify the Problem -- Students should state the challenge problem in their own words. Example: How can I design a that will? STEP 2: Identify Criteria and Constraints -- Students should specify the design requirements (criteria). Example: Our growth chamber must have a growing surface of 2 square feet and have a delivery volume of 1 cubic foot or less. Students should list the limits on the design due to available resources and the environment (constraints). Example: Our growth chamber must be accessible to astronauts without the need for leaving the spacecraft. STEP 3: Brainstorm Possible Solutions -- Each student in the group should sketch his or her own ideas as the group discusses ways to solve the problem. Labels and arrows should be included to identify parts and how they might move. These drawings should be quick and brief. STEP 4: Generate Ideas -- In this step, each student should develop two or three ideas more thoroughly. Students should create new drawings that are orthographic projections (multiple views showing the top, front and one side) and isometric drawings (three-dimensional depiction). These are to be drawn neatly, using rulers to draw straight lines and to make parts proportional. Parts and measurements should be labeled clearly. STEP 5: Explore Possibilities -- The developed ideas should be shared and discussed among the team members. Students should record pros and cons of each design idea directly on the paper next to the drawings.
STEP 6: Select an Approach -- Students should work in teams and identify the design that appears to solve the problem the best. Students should write a statement that describes why they chose the solution. This should include some reference to the criteria and constraints identified above. STEP 7: Build a Model or Prototype -- Students will construct a full-size or scale model based on their drawings. The teacher will help identify and acquire appropriate modeling materials and tools. See the design brief for a sample list. STEP 8: Refine the Design -- Students will examine and evaluate their prototypes or designs based on the criteria and constraints. Groups may enlist students from other groups to review the solution and help identify changes that need to be made. Based on criteria and constraints, teams must identify any problems and proposed solutions.
Lesson Plan NOTE: Lesson from NASA Green Education for University Settlement Camp, NASA Glenn Research Center, Educational Programs Office, June 2012 Lunar Plant Growth Chamber Unit Outline 1. Science of Gardening Planting Seeds 2. Designing Your Plant Growth Chamber 3. Recycling and Your Plant Growth Chamber 4. Documenting Your Results 5. Design a Mission Patch 6. Documenting Your Results 7. Follow-up Activity / Closing Event The Focus Plant Growth Chamber Students, in groups of 4, will create a model plant growth chamber that could be used to grow food on the moon or in space. Students will need to consider Lack of atmosphere Reduced or no gravitational effect (watering) Different day/night (1 moon day = 28 Earth days) Access to plants while protecting them from space Lunar Plant Growth Chamber Unit 1. Science of Gardening Planting Seeds What is needed for successful plant growth? Soil, Water, Carbon Dioxide (CO2), Sunlight What problems exist with planting food in space? Poor soil, limited water, no CO2, Different sun cycles Introduce Plant Growth Chamber Challenge Design a plant growth chamber for the moon Construct it out of recycled materials Add plants to the chamber and record their growth Determine what worked and what did not Plant Seeds in starter pots Sweet Basil seeds chosen for quick growth for the Materials International Space Station Experiment (MISSE) STS-118 mission Reminder: Students may grow any plant they would like for the challenge. If time is short, beans take root and grow rapidly. If necessary, cinnamon basil seed packets can be purchased from NASA CORE at http://corecatalog.nasa.gov/item.cfm?num=300.0-83c Design Individual Plan for Growth Chamber on Paper
2. Designing Your Plant Growth Chamber Divide into groups of 4 Share design ideas, make one agreeable plan for group Must hold all 4 students plants Must be durable Must be able to water them without exposing them to space Must be able to measure each plant s height without opening chamber Design Plant Growth Chamber on Paper What is needed? What should go where? What recycled materials will you use to build the chamber? 3. Recycling and Your Plant Growth Chamber Discussion about Recycling Select recyclable materials to construct design. Transplant plants into Plant Growth Chamber Take initial measurements of plants (if any growth yet) Seal Plants in Chamber Water according to group s plan Explain to students that plants were watered according to Earth recommendations for the last 3 weeks (60 ml per week to keep soil moist). They may or may not want to change. Frequency Daily? Every two days? Once a week? Volume 5 milliliters? 10? 50? 4. Documenting Your Results Take pictures of each chamber with plants visible Measure each plant Soil level to tallest leaf Should be measurable without opening chamber Note any oddities (leaves falling off, disease, browning) 5. Designing a Mission Patch Follow-up activity: Give your group a team name and name your team s Growth Chamber Design a mission patch to be placed on/beside your growth chamber 6 Documenting Your Results Take pictures of each chamber with plants visible Measure each plant Soil level to tallest leaf Should be measurable without opening chamber Note any oddities (leaves falling off, disease, browning) 7. Follow-up activity/closing event Prepare presentation board (similar to science fair style) to display your work and your results Growth Chambers and results from students will be on display during the classroom closing event Each student receives a ballot to vote for his/her favorite growth chamber Votes will be tallied and the Growth Chamber receiving the most votes from each group will be recognized and will be selected to submit their Growth Chamber and Mission Patch to the contest
MORE RESOURCES: Visit the NES Virtual Campus for access to professional development videos that show a classroom teacher and students in action. These videos can give you some additional ideas about engaging your students in this creative activity. Remember to register with NES, or your students entries will be ineligible for the contest. Go to explorerschools.nasa.gov where you will find complete registration instructions.