Students in classroom working on project

Classroom Report

Students will analyze and communicate conclusions about the data gathered during the project using a digital format. Supplemental/alternative tasks are included in the Extensions section.

Suggested Timing

50 - 100 min. plus time to prepare and present findings

Success Criteria

Students will

  • Represent data using numerals, symbols and/or images
  • Use critical and creative thinking to assess and communicate data
  • Express and organize ideas and information in a digital format
  • Make connections between science, technology, society and the environment.
  • Work collaboratively and productively with others

Student Prior Knowledge and Skills

  • Completed Classroom Inquiry and Classroom Improvement
  • Basic understanding of how various environmental conditions affect physical and mental health
  • Familiarity with digital presentation formats
  • Previous experience working with digital media (e.g., image resizing, adding/editing text, audio/video recording)

Preparation

  • Sign out computer lab/laptops/chromebooks/iPads/etc.
  • Create small student groups (3–4 students).

Implementation Options

  • Students could give presentations to other classes about the project, including sharing their data and explaining how they worked to improve their classroom environment.
  • Students could present their findings to the principal, a school/parent council or even the school board/district if the students have recommendations that could improve the conditions in other classrooms or the school as a whole.
  • Students could write articles about the project and their findings for a class newsletter, school blog or community newspaper.
  • The Extension projects could be used as independent study projects.
  • The Extension projects could be completed over several science units (e.g., ecosystems, electricity, chemistry, space) and used as a culminating assessment task.

Note that there are many ways students could present their findings and we provide only suggestions for how students could consolidate their learning experience with the Living Space project.

Materials

In small groups, students will review the data collected in their classroom environment and reflect on the Class Action Plan. They will determine whether or not the class met their goal, discuss some of the potential consequences of the changes made, and consider whether the changes made in the classroom could be made aboard the ISS. See the template below which includes questions for reflection and discussion. Students may use it to record their thinking:

Students may need to refer to the information from the Environmental Conditions on Earth and On the International Space Station Backgrounders during the reflection process. For example:

  • What do astronauts do to keep CO2 from building up near them when they sleep? (A: Astronauts always make sure they have fans blowing on their faces when they sleep. The carbon dioxide sensor that was used in this project [COZIR] is the same sensor used on the ISS to monitor the carbon dioxide levels for astronauts).
  • What do astronauts do with extra water from the air? Could we do that too? (A: The water is condensed by the heat exchanger then collected so that it can be reused.)
  • Do we use the same insulation in our school as the ISS uses? (A: Most of the ISS is coated with blankets of Multi-Layer Insulation [MLI], which are made up layers of Mylar and Kapton. These lightweight materials are also used to make emergency blankets on Earth.)

In this final part of the project, students will apply what they have learned about the environmental conditions in their classroom and on board the ISS in the creation of a culminating digital presentation.

Students may choose how to present their findings from a Choice Board of options. View the assignment template below for details:

Whichever method they select to present their findings, students should address the following questions:

  1. How did your classroom environmental conditions compare with the conditions on the ISS?
  2. What did you do to improve your classroom environmental conditions?
  3. What would you do next to improve your indoor classroom environment?

There are many digital presentation tools that students may choose to use given their proficiency in various digital media. For example:

  • A PowerPoint presentation
  • A presentation using Google Slides (view intro tutorial)
  • A presentation using Prezi, an interactive text and images tool (view intro tutorial)
  • A short YouTube video
  • A summary of findings using ThingLink, a digital storytelling platform
  • An infographic using an online tool such as Canva, Piktochart or Visme
  • A picture with voiceover recording using Chatterpix (app only, view intro tutorial)
  • An animated video using PowToon, where students can use existing templates or create a video from scratch

Exemplars

The following exemplars give ideas for how students could communicate their findings after engaging with the Living Space project:

Differentiation Option

  • To support younger learners, early readers or English Language Learners, you may wish to have them focus on only one of the three suggested questions listed above and/or create a culminating digital presentation as a whole class.

Living Space is a national science experiment, with Canadian students participating from coast to coast to coast. There are many opportunities for collaboration with other educators and students from across Canada, throughout your province, within your city, or even just at your school!

Sharing on Twitter

Use #LTSLivingSpace on Twitter to post your project updates, ask questions, and share learning stories with @LetsTalkScience and Living Space participants across Canada! Don’t forget to include the Canadian Space Agency (@csa_asc/@asc_csa) in your tweets!

Sharing on Flipgrid

We encourage you to have your students share their digital classroom reports on our Living Space Flipgrid. Alternatively, you could upload a whole-class reflection on the Living Space project to this Flipgrid. We would love to see what you discovered about the optimal environmental conditions for life!

Living Space Flipgrid: https://flipgrid.com/f4aaf562

Flip Code: f4aaf562

Please see Student view for ideas on how to extend student learning.

  • Emerald Code (Accessed March 20, 2023)
  • This web page provides Emerald Code video episodes. Follow Simone and her friends as they navigate high school and work through several coding and design challenges.
  • Flipgrid - Getting Started: Educators (Accessed March 20, 2023)
    This web page provides basic information for educators to get started using Flipgrid in the classroom.
  • Humans of the CSA (Accessed March 20, 2023)
    This web page, from the Canadian Space Agency website, showcases different CSA employees and touches on their career path.
  • Infographic Creator (Accessed March 20, 2023) (Learning Strategy)
  • Robotics Mission Control Centre (Accessed March 20, 2023)
    This web page, from the Canadian Space Agency website, discusses the work of Canadian Mission Controllers.
  • The People Behind the Astronauts (Accessed March 20, 2023)
    This web page, from the NASA website, explains the role of the NASA Mission Control Centre.
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