Nova Scotia Students Connect With Space Station Crew
A lucky group of Nova Scotia students will get a science lesson that is out of this world today, Oct. 28, when they learn about space from astronauts floating 340 kilometres above the Earth in the International Space Station.
Sixteen grade 9, 10 and 11 students will have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to ask questions in real time to Canadian Space Agency scientist and astronaut Robert Thirsk and the rest of the six-person crew on board the space station using a satellite downlink at Mount Saint Vincent University.
Students across the province will be able to view the downlink over the coming week. The event will be rebroadcast in its entirety on cable channel 333 during school hours at 2 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 30, Wednesday, Nov. 4, and Friday, Nov. 6. Online playback will also be available at www.ednet.ns.ca/stay_informed/ .
"This is a wonderful moment for our students, who will get a rare opportunity to experience first hand one of the world's greatest, ongoing science projects," said Education Minister Marilyn More. "It is important for our students to see science and technology being put to work in the real world, whether it's here on Earth or in a floating space lab hundreds of kilometres above our heads in space.
"On behalf of all Nova Scotians, I want to thank the Canadian Space Agency, NASA and the crew of the International Space Station for letting us share in this."
Students across the province were asked to come up with questions for the astronauts earlier this month. Students who came up with the most intriguing questions related to space or the space station's mission were selected to participate.
Questions will range from the risk of catching diseases in space to sleeping in a weightless environment to whether astronauts can see the ozone-eroding effects of global warming on the planet from space.
"I am very, very excited," said Kyle MacLeod, an air cadet and Grade 9 student at George D. Lewis School in Louisbourg. "I've loved planes and flying ever since I was little. Space flight is probably the ultimate; it's definitely a step higher."
In preparation for the downlink, teachers provided students with lessons on mission-related science and the almost 100 experiments Mr. Thirsk is doing onboard the space station.
April Butler is excited for her students. Astronomy is a passion of the West Kings Rural High School physics teacher. Six of her students will be participating in the extra-terrestrial chat.
"This is a great opportunity for my students to realize what happens when you dream big," she said. "You know we talk about a lot of things in science, and a lot of it is old stuff -- it's 300 years old, like Newtonian mechanics; this is something that is changing as we speak, minute to minute, day to day. This is the latest and the greatest and it is something that Canada is a major player in and therefore it gives us all a sense of pride."
Space is studied throughout the science curriculum where connections may be made to all aspects of space exploration, including technology, careers, development of products and communications. Science 6 and Science 9 have units on space.
Nova Scotia is developing a memorandum of understanding with the Canadian Space Agency that will provide a framework for science and technology research, teaching and learning activities for grades primary to 12 and professional development for teachers.
The Canadian Space Agency has been invited to speak with teachers and students throughout the province and has supplied resources for the Science 6 program.