Lesson Plan: Recreating A Mission

Lesson Plan

Before Exploring

Write the following scenario on the board: You need to fix an outdoor light. You take a ladder from the garage, walk it to the light, and prop it against the wall. You climb up and push hard on the fixture to loosen it, and then exert great force to turn the screw and unscrew the fixture. You go down the ladder and back to the garage to get the necessary new parts to fix the light. Finally, you climb up the ladder and do the repair. You take the ladder back to the garage.

Discuss how this job would be made much harder in space. Remind students of Newton's Third Law of action-reaction when moving in space (jetpacks). Suggest that the Canadarm can be used as a movable platform instead. Students can write a short story or several descriptive paragraphs describing how to make a repair to a part of a satellite that is on an external wall of the satellite.

Outline the Opportunity

Direct students to the topic Canadarm: A Technology Star on the CBC Radio Digital Archives website. Have students review the clips titled "What is this big arm?", "The Canadarm comes through", "Saving sick satellites", "Hubble trouble", and "A Canadian reaches the arm", taking notes on the launch, orbit, and activities aboard the shuttle.

Through class discussion, create a master list of the facts. Students can add to the list any information they may know about missions not mentioned in the clips.

In small groups, students will incorporate the facts into a simple script describing how the astronauts use Canadarm to bring a satellite into the payload bay for repairs. Students should select group members for various roles, which may include astronaut, NASA controller, and ground crew. Roles can also be assigned to inanimate objects such as the robot arm and a satellite. Allow students time to rehearse their role-plays.

Revisit and Reflect

Invite each group to present its dramatization to the class, using costumes, sound effects, sets, and so on, if students wish. Each student should be prepared to explain his or her role and tasks in the repair. In role, students can discuss the challenges and rewards of being involved in a Canadarm repair.

Each group presents their skit to the rest of the class. At the end of the presentations, have each student write a critical appraisal of the skits in terms of the amount of information presented and the quality of the performance.

Extension

Students can review the clips titled "A waste of space?" and "After the explosion" to generate a list of positives and negatives surrounding Canada's space program. Students respond to the following question in their journals or an opinion paper: Is Canadarm worth the money?