The following article by Lindsay Clandfield is taken from the MacMillan Education on-line teaching resource site.
Exploring the final frontier
This year the US space agency Nasa turned 50, which could explain why there have been more space stories in the news than usual. The latest were prompted by Nasa' claim that the survival of human kind will depend on space exploration. We've done so much damage to this planet, it's time to move on and find another one.
The whole area of space exploration is a great starting point for activities to get younger learners talking. First is a variation on the "desert island" activity. Students imagine they are going to live on a space station for three months. They can each take four things with them from home, apart from clothes. What will they take? Once students have made their lists, put them in pairs and tell them they are going to the space station together, but they have to reduce their eight items to five. Can they agree what they will give up?
There is also the classic speaking activity, "saving-humanity-by -sending-people-to-start-over-on-a-new-planet situation". Prepare a list of 12 people, each with different jobs and interesting, but potentially controversial characteristics. For example a police officer with a gun, a doctor with a drinking problem, a soldier with excellent survival skills bu a bad temper, a 65-year old science teacher, a pregnant shop assistant ...
Following an environmental disaster, these people have arrived at Nasa and will be sent into space to inhabit a new planet. The problem is that the space ship only has room for nine people and the pilot. The students have to decide which people will go and which stay. Push them to produce more by asking them to give reasons and then counter-reasons(eg "Are you sure you want the doctor? What if he/she starts drinking again?").
There are lots of other "space lessons" you can do. Create a quiz on the solar system. Ask students to make a list of their own top five science fiction films. Bring in a text on the first moon landing, or the first space tourist. Hold a design competition for a new spacesuit and ask students to present their ideas.
The sky's the limit.
