Space: The Final Farming Frontier – bESTology Week 14

Published by rrfenton on May 1, 2016May 1, 2016

Space: The Final Farming Frontier – bESTology Week 14

Image: theday.co.uk

Farming from one end of the earth to the other has become possible due to research and technology. Creating green space in deserts, harvesting wheat in Africa and growing pest resistant crops have each been accomplished. Now it is time to set one’s sights on the next grand farming challenge – Space: The Final Farming Frontier.

As NASA and other commercial space corporations launch astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) and beyond; food becomes a challenge. According to NASA, the cost is roughly $10,000 per pound to send food to the ISS. Growing food in space would help solve this issue.

There is no longer time to dream about farming in space, it’s time to make it a reality.

bESTologists can help make it happen!

Resources

Space Farming Yields a Crop of Benefits for Earth – NASA
Space Food and Star Trek – videos
Growing Food in Space – videos
Benefits for Humanity: Farming from Space
Up on the Farm – Space Society
Space Farming – Wikipedia
Space Farming: The Final Frontier
2021 Mission to Mars: A Space Odyssey – BEST Game 2007

Grainstorming

Round and Round We Go! Choose a partner and discuss how each of the following cycles relate with farming on earth:

Water
Photosynthesis (oxygen and carbon dioxide)
Nutrients and carbon (you are what you eat!)

Continue the discussion and determine each of the cycles would differ on the ISS, the moon and Mars.

Review the resources above and compare and contrast your ideas to real-world research performed by NASA and others. In addition to water, photosynthesis and nutrients, summarize how the change in gravity would impact farming in space.

As a bESTologist, share five new space-farming facts with friends and family today!

BEST Farm Journal

Let’s get creative! Write a short story describing a Farmer’s Life on Mars. Review the “Silo” activities from previous weeks and include applicable farm terminology and required elements for a sustainable farm on Mars. Evaluate whether each element is currently on Mars or would need to be transported, generated or 3-D printed once a habitat is established.

Using NASA’s website, explore their innovative ideas for a farming community on Mars. Compare their ideas with your story and identify similarities and differences.

Be sure to share your story with your BEST teammates!

BEST Connection

The 2007, the BEST game was Mission to Mars: 2021 Space Odyssey. The game’s challenge was to unload equipment, food, medical supplies and fuel tanks in preparation of the first manned mission to Mars.

Analyze the 2007 game and discuss how the field could be modified for space-farming. Rather than a robot unloading the prior game pieces, list your Top 5 essential items needed to be delivered to begin establishing a farm habitat. Identify game pieces and justify if a BEST robot could transport and score each item.

BEST is always searching for innovative game ideas! Share your ideas with us!

Community Connection

Community outreach is a major component of BEST and it is never too early to begin sharing Bet The Farm 2016 with others.

Create a five-minute video or presentation that captures the Spirit of BEST. Invite others to visit your classroom and share. Using the phrase “BEST Makes It Happen” explain to the guests how BEST Makes It Happen for you, your school and/or your community.

To engage the guests, conclude with the following fun activity and persuade them to participate.

Read the following:

Bet The Farm 2016 could possibly require our team to establish a farm habitat on Mars, but we are only allowed to take three of the following. Help us evaluate and choose our Top 3 animals for a sustainable farm habitat on Mars.

Bees
Cow
Dog
Chicken
Goat
Horse
Pig
Duck

(Hint: The above list of resources will help you evaluate the importance of each animal)

Be your BEST and invite your guests to join your team on Bet The Farm game day!

Bloom’s Taxonomy: analyze, choose, compare, conclude, contrast, create, determine, discuss, evaluate, explore, identify, include, invite, justify, list, persuade, relate, review, share, summarize, write

Workforce Skills: reading comprehension, active listening, critical thinking, speaking, active learning, writing, service orientation, persuasion, systems evaluation, science, judgment and decision making, technology design

While the information contained in this website has been compiled from sources believed to be current and reliable, Friends of BEST in Alabama, Inc. (FBA) cannot be held responsible for any errors, omissions or content changes. Links made from this website are to reputable organizations at the time of posting. However, FBA cannot be held responsible for content on such linked websites. The existence of such links does not represent an endorsement by FBA of any views expressed or products or services offered.

Space: The Final Farming Frontier – bESTology Week 14