Canadian Space Agency
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Table of Contents
Distance and Tele-Learning Program
Life Science
- Effects Of Spaceflight On The Human Body
- Your Bones In Space
- Space Optics: The Impact On Visual Acuity
Grades 4 to 6
Anatomy of Robots
Just like a human being, a robot can sense, move, think and interact with their environment. In fact, human anatomy has been the inspiration for robotic development since the latter's inception. Students will compare how robot sensors are similar to the five human senses and identify the robotic equivalents to the major parts of the human body. With their newly acquired knowledge and the guidance of CSA robotic experts, they will engage in a problem-solving exercise that challenges mathematical thinking. Learn the behind-the-scenes programming involved in relocating a robot to a designated location by creating a three-dimensional grid and corresponding instructions!
Grades 7 to 9
Effects Of Spaceflight On The Human Body
Over the course of millions of years of life on Earth, the human body has evolved to adapt to the unique characteristics of our terrestrial environment - from the force of gravity to atmospheric conditions such as pressure. When human beings are removed from this environment - such as during space flight - the body must adapt anew to a different and sometimes hostile environment. From the sensation of weightlessness, to the lack of easily identifiable floors and ceilings, to the reduced stress on one's muscles, astronauts in space must deal with a variety of physiological changes and reactions, particularly to their neurovestibular, cardiovascular and skeletal systems. During this workshop students will learn about these systems and the effect that space flight has on them. The hands-on activities and demonstrations will allow students to truly explore how difficult living and working in an environment like space can be on the human body.
Your Bones In Space
Did you know that the unique environment of space is being used as the testing ground to investigate the causes of osteoporosis? After just a few short days of spaceflight, astronauts begin to experience the symptoms of this bone-degenerating disease. To mitigate the muscle and bone loss, astronauts engage in a strict daily physical fitness regimen. With the aid of a CSA life research scientist, students will delve into the functions and cell processes of osteoblasts and osteoclasts. During the hands-on segment students will investigate the correlation between bone density and bone mineral content and how these are in turn correlated to compressive strength.
Space Optics: The Impact On Visual Acuity
Did you know that approximately one in three space-walking astronauts have experienced a temporary reduction in their visual acuity? That is, images become fuzzy and difficult to interpret. The Earth, space and underwater environments each pose challenges to an astronaut's vision. Degradation in angular resolution, a loss of colour sensitivity and decreases in their visual depth of field are all possible causes of this occurrence. In space, elements of the astronaut's eye such as pupil size, shape of cornea and relative index of refraction may change. In the hands-on segment students will demonstrate how the optical path of light rays is modified by changes in the index of refraction of optical materials.
Grades 10 to 12
Around The World In 80 Bones
Did you know that the unique environment of space is being used as the testing ground to investigate the causes of osteoporosis? After just a few short days of spaceflight, astronauts begin to experience the symptoms of this bone-degenerating disease. To mitigate the muscle and bone loss, astronauts engage in a strict daily physical fitness regimen. With the aid of a CSA life research scientist, students will delve into the functions and cell processes of osteoblasts and osteoclasts and how these are interrelated. During the hands-on segment students will investigate the correlation between bone density and bone mineral content and how these are in turn correlated to compressive strength. The vocabulary and depth of concepts in this workshop are appropriate for senior level grades.
Germs In Space
Understanding how Earth-based microbes react in a space environment may help us to better understand microbial life should we find it on other planets. In space, unwanted microbes such as viruses, bacteria, protests and fungi can be extremely dangerous to human life and hardware. This may potentially lead to astronauts contracting infections onboard the International Space Station and to the disintegration of on-board systems. Moreover, if stowaway microbes find themselves on robotic instruments, such as rovers that we send to other planets, they can infect these sterile environments. The workshop will focus on these factors and conversely, the reasons that microbes can be useful for humans in the space environment. During the hands-on segment, students will explore the temperature dependence of the metabolic rate of anaerobic microbes.
