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Title
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Commencing Count Down
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Type
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Primary: Field Assignment
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Operation
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Infinite Potential
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Mission:
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Mission 5: Energy Security
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Print Page
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106,107
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Subjects
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Personal and social issues | Humans and the environment | Conservation | Nonrenewable resources | Renewable resources | Science as inquiry | Science process skills | Analyzing data | Science
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Grades
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5 | 6 | 7 | 8
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Keywords
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space architect, Constance Adams, design, factor, space module, astronaut, space travel, Mars, TransHab, material, structure, Earth, energy efficient, energy source, renewable, non-renewable, inexhaustible, energy consumption, action plan, architectural, energy efficiency, plan, test, collaboration, collaborate, innovative
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Duration
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03:00:00 (HH:MM:SS)
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Audience
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Teachers | Elementary Grades | Junior High
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Created On
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4/22/2009
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Copyright
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Team photo: Peter Haydock, The JASON Project; Background photo: David Boyer, NGS
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From: Infinite Potential Mission 5: Energy Security (pp: 106,107) |
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Commencing Count Down You will learn, first hand, about the special design considerations and materials selected to make the TransHab as well as other energy-efficient designs and structures Constance has helped build here on Earth. Afterward, you will have the opportunity to apply this knowledge to better equip your home for a future that will be more energy efficient and ultimately, less costly to run. |
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 Recall that your mission is to create a blueprint for a secure energy future. Now that you have been fully briefed, you will get a chance to see what it feels like to walk in a space architect's shoes. Before Constance even begins a project, she must have a firm understanding of each and every factor that her design must meet. Her challenge was to design a space module that could hold a crew of four astronauts for long-term space travel–flying to Mars and back! There were many factors that Constance and her team needed to think about when designing TransHab.  One important aspect that had to be considered was the materials for her designs. These had to be carefully selected because even the best design will fail if the materials are unsuitable. You will learn, first hand, about the special design considerations and materials selected to make TransHab and other energy-efficient designs and structures Constance has helped build here on Earth. Afterward, you will have the opportunity to apply this knowledge to better equip your home for a future that will be more energy efficient.  | Caution!
Any home modifications need to be approved and supervised by a responsible adult. | Whether your home's energy comes from renewable, non-renewable, or inexhaustible sources, or a combination of the three, you will be challenged to create an action plan that will help reduce the energy consumption of your home.
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| Materials |
| | - variety of architectural building materials provided by instructor
- computer with Internet access
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| Field Preparation |
- Research a variety of architectural materials designed for energy efficiency.
- Identify and describe aspects of the materials that allow them to be energy efficient.
- Explain why these materials could be suitable for space travel.
- Explain how energy efficiency can be improved through design.
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| Mission Challenge |
- Create an action plan to make your home more energy efficient by using what you have learned.
- Have your action plan assessed by a teacher or responsible parent or guardian.
- Incorporate your action plan. Design an investigation to assess the effectiveness of your action plan. (For example, over several weeks, you could apply your action plan to your home and compare the kW•h used and/or the cost of electricity to last year’s energy bill.)
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| Mission Debrief |
Evaluate the effectiveness of your energy efficiency action plan. Compare and discuss your experimental findings with your classmates.  | Journal Question
TransHab was a collaborative project that took almost a decade to put into orbit. Evaluate the importance of careful planning, testing, and collaboration as an approach to creating new and innovative energy efficient products. | |
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