Did I mention it is hot in Alabama? Like really hot!! Like seriously hot and humid. Of course, they are having a heat wave while we are here (90+ every day.) Today we were outside for most of the day, and I truly don’t know how people work outside here.
Nonetheless, today was amazing and very, very busy. Our team’s first big event was out at the low ropes course. Team Harmony was split into two groups and challenged with our first task – island hopping in Maui. Well not really but we did have to get our whole team from one wooden platform to the next with only two boards that were way too short to reach by themselves. It is times like this when you are glad you have a Romanian physics teacher on your team! My roommate Diane and I were the leaders of this event but we couldn’t talk. I know… me not talk!! But I did it and we did it! We worked together on three other tasks: nuclear waste management (with buckets, ropes and balls,) boat balancing (a giant seesaw that must remain balanced,) and a spacewalk (on 4X4 wooden pieces that have a tendency to “float” away.) It was all a great opportunity to work on our communication, collaboration and trust of one another. And a much needed break from all of yesterday’s sitting. I am anxious to take some of these team building experiences back to my classroom in the fall. My soon-to-be 5th grade group had some challenges last year as 4th graders with group work and positive communication. I think an activity like he bucket challenge could be a good way to set the tone for the new school year that this class will be about learning math through communication, collaboration, and trust in one another's ideas.
Nonetheless, today was amazing and very, very busy. Our team’s first big event was out at the low ropes course. Team Harmony was split into two groups and challenged with our first task – island hopping in Maui. Well not really but we did have to get our whole team from one wooden platform to the next with only two boards that were way too short to reach by themselves. It is times like this when you are glad you have a Romanian physics teacher on your team! My roommate Diane and I were the leaders of this event but we couldn’t talk. I know… me not talk!! But I did it and we did it! We worked together on three other tasks: nuclear waste management (with buckets, ropes and balls,) boat balancing (a giant seesaw that must remain balanced,) and a spacewalk (on 4X4 wooden pieces that have a tendency to “float” away.) It was all a great opportunity to work on our communication, collaboration and trust of one another. And a much needed break from all of yesterday’s sitting. I am anxious to take some of these team building experiences back to my classroom in the fall. My soon-to-be 5th grade group had some challenges last year as 4th graders with group work and positive communication. I think an activity like he bucket challenge could be a good way to set the tone for the new school year that this class will be about learning math through communication, collaboration, and trust in one another's ideas.
And then came the most exciting part of Space Camp: heading to Aviator’s Challenge. We got to experience water simulations of parachuting to a water landing, a helicopter crash and water escape, and a helicopter rescue in a basket from the water. For many of our international friends this was their first time ever swimming. It was amazing to see their bravery at really stepping out of their comfort zone to try these activities. I had a very interesting conversation about cultural differences with Kiran who is from India. She was sharing about how in her generation, women were no allowed to learn to learn to swim or learn to drive or many other activities not seen as "female." Hence, her fear of being in the water. She said in just one generation though, things have changed dramatically so that her daughter is able to do all of these things. So fascinating to talk to people from other cultures!
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Back at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, we headed to the Davidson Center which is the newest building that now houses the Saturn 5 rocket that used to launch early space capsules out of our atmosphere. We were lucky enough to have a tour from Thomas, a former NASA systems engineer. He shared the history of the rocket program. We learned fascinating stories about Werner von Braun who was the German rocket scientist that really is responsible for NASA’s success. It turns out we have the German’s to thank for the birth of our space program. Von Braun was a German scientist during World War II. As the war drew to a close, von Braun and his brother went looking for American troups to turn themselves over (knowing that if the Russian’s captured them they would be tortured and probably killed.) The American’s did take them at POW’s and sent them to New Mexico for three years. Realizing the importance of von Braun’s knowledge, he was eventually offered a deal – help us build a rocket and we’ll grant you citizenship. Huntsville already had the U.S. rocket center at Red Stone, so von Braun brought his family and moved there. And the rest is history. After all of his work helping and working for NASA, von Braun had the idea to build the museum we were at all week and eventually he worked with Buckbee (our speaker from yesterday) to create Space Camp.
Thomas continued teaching us about the Saturn 5 and the importance and uses of each piece. We had a chance to take a peek inside a Gemini capsule. (Did you know that these held two guys and they stayed in there for two weeks and did space walks outside of it?!!) We also got to climb inside a mock-up of the lunar module from the Apollo missions to the moon. You really begin to appreciate how amazing it is that anyone was willing to sign up for this work and be brave enough to venture into space.
Thomas continued teaching us about the Saturn 5 and the importance and uses of each piece. We had a chance to take a peek inside a Gemini capsule. (Did you know that these held two guys and they stayed in there for two weeks and did space walks outside of it?!!) We also got to climb inside a mock-up of the lunar module from the Apollo missions to the moon. You really begin to appreciate how amazing it is that anyone was willing to sign up for this work and be brave enough to venture into space.
After dinner, we still weren’t done with the fun. We found out our assignments for our first of two missions. This first mission would be a shuttle blast-off to dock with the International Space Station for a solar panel repair. My job was CAPCOM. That meant staying on Earth in Mission Control (MOCR) and being the communications director with the space shuttle team. Can I just say that I cannot imagine working in MOCR for real? Our training tonight was a little extra stressful since the Space Camp staff was experiencing some technical difficulties with computers and headsets. I left feeling like the shuttle crew’s lives may be in jeopardy tomorrow because I have no idea how to do my job. Let’s hope that the “real mission” tomorrow goes better than the practice tonight! I feel like today's experience will be great to share with my students, especially my 5th graders where we set healthy risk-taking goals each year as part of their gifted affective learning plans. Completing this mission is putting me completely out of my comfort zone and risk failure so I have an opportunity to grow and reflect in the same way that I ask them to learn.