Turn your classroom into a space hub
Everyone loves a good story. It has the ability to grab our attention, inspire us and spark possibilities. Couple a good story with an interactive learning experience, and you have the ingredients to change lives.
That’s what Project Ianos is all about. Rather than traditional units and lessons, our content is organized around a set of Expeditions – immersive experiences students go through to learn about science and to potentially chart them on a course for careers in space.
Our terminology – Expeditions and Missions – is drawn from NASA vocabulary. It is meant to give students the sense they are engaging in genuine exploration as they construct their understanding of scientific ideas, processes, and concepts.
Each expedition begins with a video hosted by Explorer Josh, as he looks to answer questions posed by actual middle-school students. With Explorer Josh as their guide, students gain virtual security clearance to go into the labs and engineering bays to meet subject matter experts from NASA along with space engineers, scientists, and other leaders working on the front lines of space. Together, they explore what it’s like to live and work in space, and what steps are being taken to help humans prepare to spend more time off-Earth. All episodes combine historic and current-day footage from NASA missions to share the awe-inspiring story of the past, present, and future of human space exploration.
Complementing each video, students engage in three Mission-oriented tasks that include data analysis, engineering design, and scientific experimentation around topics such as:
Testing rocket fuel
Purifying wastewater
Repairing mock spacesuit gloves
Designing, building and using equipment for astronaut fitness programs
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