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Power Station Explorers team up to fix a “broken” fuel cell aboard the ship. One Explorer remains at the control console to review the troubleshooting procedures while another Explorer moves to the back of the vessel to work on the device itself. They communicate by phone as the Explorer at the control console reads the instructions to the Explorer at the fuel cell to determine the cause of the failure, hopefully repair it before the space ship is destroyed! Activity detail: Both explorers start out at the control console, and press the “forward button” below the viewing monitor to “test” the ship’s electrical systems. Once the power failure has been located the team splits, with one Explorer at the control console, the other at the “aft” fuel cell. By pressing the “Next” button and following the on-screen directions, the team can determine where the failure is and take actions to correct it. Explorers communicate by open phone line between the 2 stations using wired handsets. This activity is an exercise in communication, teamwork and following directions. Arkansas Education Framework Correlations: SCIENCE: STRAND 1: NATURE OF SCIENCE MATH: STRAND: MAEASURMENT LANGUAGE: STRAND: ORAL AND VISUAL COMMUNICATION |
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Digital Design Explorers design their own descent vehicle on a computer aided design (CAD) station, trying to keep their design within required parameters of surface area, volume and mass. The vehicles are 3D shapes produced by a surface of revolution around a fixed, straight line axis. The resulting shapes can be investigated and examined in any orientation. Activity detail: The computer screen displays an amorphous shape, which the Explorers are to modify to meet specific parameters. Easy, medium and hard buttons allow the Explorers to choose a pre-set vehicle template. A Bezier line is formed through several node points, each of which can be repositioned on the screen by the explorer through click-dragging. The shape of the line is infinitely variable using these node points. A solid, fixed “axis” line sits to one side of the Bezier line, which is the axis of revolution. Above the working area of the display are 3 parameters – surface area, volume and mass – calculated from the 3D Bezier shape and updated in real time. Explorers must design a craft that meets proper descent vehicle requirements for flight. If any measurement is outside the pre-set values, a message appears in red indicating that the parameter is too large or too small. Four material “texture” buttons are available for Explorers to change the composition of the space craft. Materials are titanium, plastic, brass and ceramic. The mass, surface area and volume values will change with each material. Arkansas Education Framework Correlations: SCIENCE: STRAND 3: PHYSICAL SCIENCE |
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Aerodynamic Test Chamber
Explorers build small paper descent vehicles and flight-test them in a laminar air stream. Activity detail: Explorers use cones and other paper shapes provided to create a descent vehicle. They can test their vehicles by pressing a start button and releasing them into an air column produced through a collection of vertical “air straightening” sleeves. Cones can be modified with wings, scalloped edges, etc. to see how this changes the flight and hovering characteristics. A start button turns on the air, which remains on for 2 minutes. Arkansas Education Framework correlations: SCIENCE: STRAND 3: PHYSICAL SCIENCE MATH: STRAND: GEOMETRY |
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ROV Command
Explorers maneuver a remote operating vehicle outside the space craft, using it to explore an interesting piece of terrain. Activity detail: The operating console inside the vehicle features a video monitor and a single joystick that control the vehicle movement. Explorers use the joystick to control the vehicle movements in real time, but with a 2 second delay to mimic the delay experienced when transmitting information across vast distances in space. Explorers can drive the ROV wherever they wish, as long as they can effectively use the joystick in conjunction with the visually delayed feedback. The goal of the activity is to explore the environment and gather facts about the terrain in this sector of Planet 'X'. Arkansas Education Framework Correlations: SCIENCE: STRAND 4: EARTH AND SPACE |
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Quake Table
Explorers must design a building to erect on the new planet. However, the planet is known to have strong quakes at frequent intervals. Explorers are challenged to create a model of a building that will withstand these “planet” quakes. Activity detail: A large bin containing a material similar to Planet ‘X’ soil is provided as the substrate for the activity. Wooden blocks and brief examples of building designs are provided so Explorers can determine the type of structure that may stand through a “planet” quake. When the structures are completed, Explorers push any of three QUAKE buttons – labeled weak, medium and strong. The bin begins to shake for a 10 seconds in accordance with the strength button pressed. Explorers are instructed to record the height of their structure before the “quake” occurs using a marker on panels at the rear of the exhibit. Both Metric and English systems of measurement are used. Comparison of styles, height and durability can be made in the classroom after the experience. Arkansas Education Framework Correlations: SCIENCE: STRAND 3: PHYSICAL SCIENCE MATH: STRAND: MEASUREMENT |
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Program the Oracle and Communication Station
Explorers receive encrypted messages from headquarters which they must decode and then program into the vessel’s computer, the Oracle. The act of decoding involves the use of two cypher wheels, while the act of programming the oracle allows explorers to inform the ship’s crew of important news about the mission. For smaller groups, these stations are combined into one. Activity detail: Explorers split into 2 adjacent stations, one at the control console for the oracle, the other at a monitor near the large cypher wheels. (For larger groups, this activity will be split into two activities.) A monitor to the left of the exhibit contains a code for a secret word. The smaller cypher wheel at the top of the exhibit is used to determine the secret word. The same monitor gives the Explorers the “key” for the secret message. The larger cypher wheel at the bottom of the exhibit is used to decode the message. Explorers record the message on their clipboards and quickly move to enter the message using the Oracle vocabulary buttons to the right. When the “play” button is pressed, the Oracle announces the secret message to the crew. The vocabulary buttons are color-coded according to parts of speech. If time allows, Explorers can create their own messages using their knowledge of sentence construction. Arkansas Education Framework Correlations: SCIENCE: STRAND 1: NATURE OF SCIENCE |
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Energy Beam
Explorers use an array of mirrors and beam splitters mounted on a vertical panel to manipulate a strong laser beam across a topographic “map” to see how many of 4 sensors they can illuminate. They will use this information to determine the optimal landing site for a computerized probe. Activity detail: Explorers push a button to activate the laser. The laser times out after two minutes, and must be re-started by pushing the button again. The button is labeled LASER ON and is internally illuminated when the laser is on. A light water vapor fog system blows a film of fog across the surface of the map to aid in the visibility of the beams. Explorers rotate any of 6 knobs located in a row across the bottom of the exhibit to pivot the 4 mirrors and 2 beam splitters placed within the panel. When a laser beam hits a sensor, it is illuminated by a blue light and remains lit only while the beam spot remains in contact with the station. By manipulating the mirrors and beam splitters, it is possible, but difficult, to illuminate all 4 sensors with a single beam. Arkansas Education Framework correlations: SCIENCE: STRAND 3: PHYSICAL SCIENCE |
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Robot Training
Students use basic programming logic to train a robot to accurately recognize different colors. The robot is prompted by the students through a touch screen monitor and uses voice confirmation of the commands given.
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Energize Station
The objective of this station is to effectively gather and utilize solar energy to power the spaceship's equipment. Students will also need to recognize the importance of conserving or saving solar energy because the energy source is not available at all times. When the spaceship's orbital path takes them into the shadow, or umbra, of the planet, the students will have to depend on stored energy until sunlight is available. Warning lights will flash if life support systems are turned off or if the spaceship's battery energy levels are depleted. Therefore, power distribution is paramount.
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Arkansas Frameworks Correllating to all exhibits on board Planet 'X'