6. Create a Space Glove

Setup: Prep Time 45 min.

• Set up materials stations.
• Print handouts.
• Prepare ice for Adventure 7, as noted in Materials & Preparation.

*See Materials & Preparation in the Educator Guide linked above for full info.

21st Century Skills

• Creativity

Habits of Mind

• Consider problems in context
• Consider tradeoffs between criteria and constraints

Learners Will Do

• Plan, create, and test space gloves that meet mission criteria.

Learners Will Know

• Engineers choose materials for designs based on what they need the design to do.

Connecting Across Adventures

• Adventure 5: Dangerous Dust: Last time, learners tested how materials resist dust.
• Adventure 6: Create a Space Glove: Today, learners will plan, create, and test gloves to protect against space hazards.
• Adventure 7: Improve a Space Glove: Next time, learners will improve their gloves and test them again

How To Design A Space Glove

Level Up! (Optional)

• Translatable testing instructions are available in the How to Prepare and Teach Playlist

• If learners would benefit from an additional visual of the testing procedure, play How to Design and Test Space Gloves (from 2:12).

• Refer to the Engineering Design Process (PDF) poster. Ask: What phases of the Engineering Design Process did you use today? (Responses will vary. Possible responses include the Imagine, Plan, and Create phases.) (5 min.)

• If you can, show the NASA video clip Spacesuits for the Next Explorers (Full feature) (12:03) to help learners understand that different space missions require different spacesuits. (15 min.)

• NASA often tests components and technology before deciding to use it in a full mission. This is called a “technology demonstration,” often shortened to “tech demonstration,” and helps NASA learn about what can and can’t work in different types of environments. The Mars 2020 helicopter named “Ingenuity” was one such Tech Demonstration, testing whether it was possible to fly a helicopter in the thin atmosphere of Mars. Turns out it’s possible; learn more in the article “Ingenuity Passes the Test – NASA” (10 min.)

• Ask one of these story prompts: (1) Can you tell me a story about building something to solve several problems at the same time? (2) Can you tell me a story you know about something in the night sky? (If you are working with Indigenous learners, be aware that it may not be an appropriate time of year to tell star stories. If you are unsure, use the first story prompt.) Tell learners, if anyone asks what they did today, they can tell them “We designed an astronaut glove!”, and then ask them the above story prompts. Consider returning to learners’ ideas at the start of the next adventure. (5 min.)