A few highlights ...
Wednesday morning we made a field trip to a local kindergarten classroom to act as space ambassadors, of sorts.
We were invited to share a presentation on something space-related. I thought about it for a bit and I wound up settling on astronauts - how they're alike and how they're different and how each is an inspiration in their own way. And so, I spent some time putting together a PowerPoint to introduce 5-year-olds to a *whole* bunch of astronauts.
I got the kids' attention right away by talking about Buzz Lightyear, the animated astronaut of "Toy Story" fame. I asked them if they knew he was named after a real live astronaut. ...
And that Buzz is one of just 12 humans who have walked on the moon!
We noted that Buzz was not the first American astronaut. Here was the first group - the Mercury 7, from 1958.
I asked the kids to look at the photo. What did they notice about all these astronauts. There were comments about their different boots, their spacesuits ... then one child noticed that they were all men. I agreed, and noted that they were all white men.
I asked the kids to look at the photo. What did they notice about all these astronauts. There were comments about their different boots, their spacesuits ... then one child noticed that they were all men. I agreed, and noted that they were all white men.
I then introduced them to the newest astronaut class, named in 2013.
How the times have changed! Half the group is women, and "one has dark skin" as one student noticed.
From there, I noted that the U.S. isn't the only country with a space program, and told them about Valentina Tereshkova, the world's first female astronaut. She flew way back in 1963.
It wasn't until 20 years later, 1983, that America had its first female astronaut, Sally Ride.
We also talked about the first African Americans in space, Col. Guy Bluford. He has a doctorate in philosophy and studied laser physics before becoming an astronaut. He flew to the ISS in 1983.
And the amazing Mae Jemison was the first female African American in space. Here, she's seen on board the ISS in 1992. Jemison is a medical doctor who left her practice to join the Peace Corps. She is also an accomplished dancer and an actress.
We shared this awesome photo and gave the kids a chance to make guesses about where the astronaut was. (Answer: Doing a space walk outside the International Space Station.) It's a cool photo because you can see the blue line of the Earth's atmosphere, and the Soyuz capsule docked to the ISS, as well as the solar arrays.
I told them what you couldn't see in the photo was that the astronaut inside the suit was John Herrington, the first Native American NASA astronaut. Below is a photo of him we took when meeting him at The Museum of Flight a couple years back.
I let them know about other nations' space programs, including China and Japan. And I told them about the first Cuban astronaut in space, Arnaldo Tamayo Méndez. Mendez was the first Latin American, the first person of African descent, and the first Cuban to fly in space.
Another amazing astronaut we've had the chance to meet is South Korea’s one and only ever astronaut, - Yi So-yeon. She’s a biotechnologist and lives just outside of Seattle now.
And I told them that right now, as they sat there in that classroom, the man below, France's Thomas Pesquet was in space, living on the orbiting space laboratory.
And we told them that they could stand out in their own backyards and watch Pesquet and his 'room' mates fly over their home if they knew when and where to look, and they were given handouts for NASA's Spot the Station site.
How the times have changed! Half the group is women, and "one has dark skin" as one student noticed.
From there, I noted that the U.S. isn't the only country with a space program, and told them about Valentina Tereshkova, the world's first female astronaut. She flew way back in 1963.
We shared this awesome photo and gave the kids a chance to make guesses about where the astronaut was. (Answer: Doing a space walk outside the International Space Station.) It's a cool photo because you can see the blue line of the Earth's atmosphere, and the Soyuz capsule docked to the ISS, as well as the solar arrays.
I told them what you couldn't see in the photo was that the astronaut inside the suit was John Herrington, the first Native American NASA astronaut. Below is a photo of him we took when meeting him at The Museum of Flight a couple years back.
Winding down, I told them about one of our favorite astronauts, Col. Chris Hadfield. In addition to being an accomplished test pilot and astronaut, Hadfield's a musician.
We shared his recording of "Major Tom" with the kids. They loved it!
We shared his recording of "Major Tom" with the kids. They loved it!
I ended the presentation by noting that Hadfield is also an author, and read his children's book, "The Darkest Dark" to the kids. Before doing so, I asked the kids to think about some things these astronauts of varied ages, countries, races and interest have in common. We noted they all had to go to school, they were all determined and brave. But I pointed out each of them had some obstacles to overcome, and for Chris Hadfield, a fear of the dark was one.
The book really helped the talk come full circle, because ultimately, it's Hadfield watching Buzz Aldrin on the moon that propelled him to conquer his fear and pursue his dream of being an astronaut.
Pretty cool.
What a great presentation. You covered many lessons so each child could find a lesson to hang on to.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great presentation. You covered many lessons so each child could find a lesson to hang on to.
ReplyDelete