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Redecorate Your Classroom
Imagine your classroom becoming a space habitat—doors and hallways are transformed into hatches and airlocks. Equipment racks line the walls. Imagine the impact. Experience the fun!
Add the magic of Challenger Center's dynamic learning environments to your classroom with a creative art activity. Whether done with a Challenger Center program or your own space activities, the classroom Artpack will add a fun dimension to your students' learning experience.
Activity: Trading Space
Transforming a Classroom into a Space Habitat
Preparation
Download and print selected artwork. Take the prints to a local copier facility-one that has the ability to copy onto large format paper. To decorate a standard size classroom of approximately 30 students, we recommend that you use:- 5 spacesuits
- 3 control panels
- 1 equipment rack
- 1 viewport
- 1 flight status monitor
- At least 1 airlock
Procedures
Allow your students to become engineers and to use this artwork to transform their classroom into a space habitat. Explain that thousands of engineers must work together to create a space habitat. Cooperation among all of the builders is very important.
On a space station there is no real ceiling or floor because in orbit there is no real up or down, so student engineers can use every wall surface. To add to the "in orbit" effect, display your classroom images on the walls and the ceiling—even the floor if it won't get damaged.
A ceiling with an equipment rack, airlock door, and spacesuits looks really neat!
Reflection & Discussion
How would living in space be different from living on Earth?
What happens to objects in orbit that are not attached to something?
Downloads
Spacesuits (
148 KB)
Spacesuits are an essential part of any human excursion into space. They supply life support to astronauts and protect them from the harsh environment of space.
Each student has the opportunity to develop their own spacesuit and decorate it with patches to reflect their interests and expertise.
ExtensionHave teams of students design a patch that represents their "mission." The spacesuits can also be used with different writing prompts for language arts activities.
Removable Equipment Rack ( 64 KB)
Space stations and future space habitats will use a series of removable equipment racks. When the racks need to be fixed or replenished, they are simply unhooked from the wall and sent back to Earth.
The removable equipment racks are used for food preparation, hygiene, storage, and scientific experiments. This could be a science rack or even a food preparation rack.
ExtensionLet students decide what function they would like their rack to serve and have them explain its importance. For instance, a food preparation rack could serve as a discussion starter on nutrition.
Control Panels H20/Air ( 95 KB)
Control panels help monitor life support systems and other vital components of a space habitat.
Control Panels - Open Hatch ( 76 KB)
Control panels help monitor life support systems and other vital components of a space habitat.
Color and use these to decorate an area of the classroom or hallway.
For added effect, you may want to go to a hardware store and pick up a few supplies to make the control panels look even more realistic. Flexible air duct piping (especially silver) gives control areas a realistic, three-dimensional effect. Sections of PVC piping also give a three-dimensional look by taping these pipes to the walls around the control panels.
Flight Position Map ( 120 KB)
The Flight Position Map helps track orbiting spacecraft or space stations. The curved lines show its path while it is in orbit.
Why are these orbit paths curves on the flat Flight Position Map? Compare the map's orbit path to the same path on a globe to find out why.
ExtensionUse the Flight Position Map as part of your geography lessons. Have your students identify continents, countries, and oceans on the map. Which countries and oceans would these orbits travel over?
Airlock Door ( 96 KB)
To put the finishing touches on a classroom habitat, copy the door components onto a transparency and use an overhead projector to project the image onto large sheets of paper fitted to the size of your door.
Trace the image onto the paper and attach to your door; trace and tape the other components around the door opening to give it a round space airlock appearance. Combine several art packs to transform an entire school wing or pod, and don't forget to include the ceilings for a great effect.
View Port ( 128 KB)
Be sure your astronauts have a way to check out the scenery. Encourage students to illustrate different parts of the Earth—or Solar System—in this round window.
Additional Information
Add the magic of Challenger Center's dynamic learning environments to your classroom with a creative art activity. The Classroom Art Pack will add a fun dimension to your students' learning experience.
30 Large format astronaut space suit posters for $29.95, to order your artpack today please contact our Network Support office in Kansas City, MO (816) 471-7770 ext. 2209.
