Jul 11 2009
Space Camp-Why isn’t School More Like This?
Science Girl Em & I are back from her week at Space Camp at the Kansas Cosmosphere in Hutchinson, KS. Yesterday was parents day, and I followed her and cousin Andrew around with the video camera. While I watched them perform their Lunar Base Mission, all I could think about was
Why isn’t school more like this?
The lunar base mission was performed by the kids in several tents interconnected by a series of tunnels. Cameras were placed inside of each tent so parents could view what was happening inside during the mission. Control panels with working switches and lights were placed in each tent, and each camper was assigned a role; Emily was the base botanist (highly appropriate because she & I often work together in the garden.)
The kids are given a mission checklist to follow, which includes a script to follow for communications with each other and the teacher acting as CAPCOM (Capsule Communicator) using handheld radios.
In my weird brain, I began to envision an entire school year taught inside of little play tents. These kids were learning teamwork as well as working on communication and literacy skills. There’s no reason a teacher couldn’t come up with all sorts of math & science activities to do inside the tents. They could learn all about life sciences; what does it take to survive & thrive independent of any outside assistance? Everything from growing food to recycling could be covered.
I think a really creative teacher could do the entire curriculum in this environment. Social studies, music, literature could all be incorporated into the lunar base experience. After all, if astronauts were actually living an extended stay on a lunar base, they would live complete lives, it’s not only work. They would need entertainment and mental stimulation. The kids could research what the ISS astronauts do for entertainment during down time.
Yep, I think I would have liked school a lot more as a kid if I could have went to a “lunar base” once in a while. Congratulations to the Cosmophere on an outstanding learning experience.
2 responses so far
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Getting ready to tweet a link to your blog Em. Good job at space camp. May you fly even higher than the birds! ^.^
I find this video of space camp very interesting because it helps students to explore their talents and learn new information. Now, i have the same question like you.